Could be a Star

Chapter 30

The Board of Inspiration makes me grin uncontrollably.

'You're all going to Shine, thanks for this, you wonderful people! Love Kate xxx'

'I guess you're all pretty good. From your Queen i.e Kerry'

'I'm so proud of every single one of you, this is going to be fantastic. Mr S'

'Thanks for a fab few months, break a leg! Love Max :)'

'You're all very talented, we're going to put on a really good show! Oliver-not-Ollie'

'I'm so lucky to have been a part of this! Enjoy it everyone! Love Isabel x'

'You are all magnificent! Good luck and thank you so so so so much! Love Jack :)'

It's so exciting to see everyone in costume, running around backstage as the audience arrive.

Mr Sharp is frantically trying to make sure everything is in place, but he told me before that I needed to chill out before I went on, so I'm sitting back stage on a hard chair. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I jump.

'You're going to knock 'em dead, Kiddo,' Andy-maybe-Anderson smiles down at me 'You've come so far!'

I grin as widely as I possibly can.

'Thank you so much, for everything,' I say.

The lights go out all too soon. I take a deep breath as the track begins.

'For over 70 years miners of Durham county have come together once a year for their demonstration and gala day'

Kate squeezes my shoulder

'Good luck,' she whispers.

'You too!' I give her a thumbs up.

My body is trembling and the butterflies must be having some kind of fiesta in my stomach. I tense and the trumpet player's first note approaches, but it relaxes me a little because he plays it perfectly.

As the miners walk on for Stars looks down, I give each one a thumbs up and they all grin back. This is it. I can't quite believe that this is it.

I glace over Max who is on waiting in the wings on the opposite side of the stage.

'Through the dark and through the hunger,'

This is what all that has happened in the past months has lead up to. I take a deep breath and swallow. My hands are shaking gently by my sides.

'When we stand as one beneath the storm,'

Max adjusts his glasses and gives me a thumbs up. I raise my hand and grin as I scrunch up my toes.

'We're out!'

I join in the cheers from back stage and so does Max.

'And the stars when we're abandoned, look down in the heart of night,'

I turn my head mic on and make sure its in the right place.

'All out together, all out as one,'

I nod at Max and we slowly take our places behind the miners. We shake a look and I bite my lip, heart pounding.

'All out till we've won!'

The miners scatter off stage and me and Max, Billy and Michael are exposed to the audience. I'm leaning against the cardboard wall.

'Billy? Do you know why they're on strike, like?'

I wonder where my mum and dad are sitting.

'It's to do with Maggie Thatcher, innit?' my voice is soft, exactly how I want it to be and my Geordie accent sounds natural.