Outer Space | Spruceworth 6.3

Chapter 32: Out and Proud

Chapter 32: Out and Proud

~Grant~

       It was finally the round in Sing Loud and Proud that I've been waiting for; the original song round. I was lucky enough to get an extra two weeks since I won a Judge's Power and that was able to give me so much time to perfect this song.

       And I really wanted this song to be perfect since it was about Ollie and he was just so perfect.

       Anyone who has ever said, "Nobody's perfect," had obviously never met Ollie. He was just the most amazing person ever.

       I couldn't wait for him to hear the song.

       Not only that but after this round, there would be two rounds left of this show. As much as I wanted to win this thing, I wasn't too sure I could. But I was close. So close. I just had to make it past this round and next round.

       And then win.

       But then again, I have been the top performer the past three weeks. Well, the winner wouldn't be just up to the judges. All of the viewers were going to be voting in once the top five were revealed but it wasn't just going to be the top votes that won. The votes as well as the judges' scores were what was going to decide the winner.

       Either way, I was proud of myself for making it this far. I made it to live auditions despite the thousands of people that sent in a video. I made it onto the show despite the hundreds of live auditions. I made it to the last eight contestants when the show started off with twenty-five contestants.

       And if I tried hard, I could make it to the very top. I could win this thing.

       I wanted to win this thing.

       As I was waiting in the greenroom for my turn to get on stage, I was mentally listing all the reasons that would benefit me if I won. For starters, I could record the song I wrote about Ollie that I really loved. I would get to record an EP. I would get a grand prize of two hundred fifty thousand dollars. That could pay for so much. It would pay for my post-secondary education. It would pay for my and Ollie's wedding reception that we still needed to have. I could take Ollie to Vienna and Salzburg, two places he really wanted to go.

       Now I was feeling a lot more encouraged to win. I had to do this.

       I wanted to do this.

       When it was Alison's turn to sing, I, like always, went backstage so I could watch her perform and she absolutely blew everyone away. She always had such powerful performances with her voice but this one was extraordinary, especially because it was a song she wrote. A song about not knowing who you were but then finding yourself and being proud of who you were. 

       Not doubt she was making it to the next round.

       When she got off the stage, I gave her a hug. "That was such a beautiful performance," I said. "Your song is amazing."

       Alison smiled. "Thanks. I can't wait to hear yours."

       My turn was right after hers and it was the final performance of the night so I was called onto the stage. After grabbing the microphone assigned to me, I walked onto the stage and faced the judges. They wished me luck and Rachel said she especially couldn't wait to see what I came up with since her Judges' Power was the one that gave me the extra two weeks to write the song.

       I waited for the backing track to come on and when it did, I gave this song my all. It wasn't hard, to be honest. All I had to do was think about Ollie. Think about how we first met. How, despite us not having a great start after we met, we became the best of friends.