Ashante's next appearance was at a small outdoor amphitheater before a crowd of 10,000. She'd never faced a crowd that huge before.
"Is Bryce going to be there?"
"Nope. He had an appointment with that journalist about a series of stories on you. She wants to follow your career rise as it happens. Never mind, doll. With the lights onstage you can't see beyond the first few rows anyhow. Just forget the rest are out there," Vern told her.
She told him to shut the fuck up.
Taking two pills for the stress was her first mistake. Wearing new high heel boots was her second, as she tripped and fell during the opening number. The fall didn't damage her or her guitar, but it disrupted her concentration and she forgot the lyrics. For the rest of the show she just made up words as the set went on.
When it was over Vern said they'd unplug her guitar and let her lip-sync to a recording from now on.
"Isn't that cheating?"
"Nah. Plenty of acts do it these days. Lets you focus on more important things. Like standing upright onstage. Heh."
Ashanté didn't see what was so funny, but the idea sounded fine to her.
At the next show they experimented with lip-syncing, an idea that lasted the length of one show.
In fact, it was her last show.
YOU ARE READING
Ashes
Romance// BWWM romance // A black teen tries to make a name for herself in the mostly white world of country music. Ashanté wants to be a star like her idols Mickey Guyton, Vicki Vann and Rissi Palmer. Unfortunately, she gets nervous whenever she has to...
