Mayara Lovato (a Demi Lovato f.f.)

- Chapter 17

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Mayara's P.O.V.

The sun is going down and the tour bus stops in front of the arena. My heart is pounding so fast, I think it might explode. First performance of the tour... and I'm terrified. What if they hate me? What if I mess up? What if everyone's thinking how ugly or awkward I am?

Marissa puts a hand on my shoulder. "May... breathe. You got this. You've done this before. You're stronger than you think."

I try to smile, but my mouth feels stiff and fake. Lily and Demi squeeze me. "You're gonna kill it, seriously," Lily says. "And we're right here, okay? Always."

Backstage is chaos. People running, lights everywhere, cables on the floor. My fingers are shaking as I hold my mic. I can hear the voices starting again:

They're gonna hate you. You're gonna fail. Everyone will see you're nothing.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I can't... I just can't. But Marissa leans close and whispers: "May... don't even think about them. This is for you. Your voice. Your song. Focus on that."

The lights go dim. The crowd noise grows louder. My legs feel like cement. I step on stage. Hundreds of eyes are on me. My throat dries up.

And then... the music starts. I sing the first note. And something happens. The voices? They're quieter. My own voice is louder than their whispers. My heartbeat moves with the melody.

Fear is still there, but so is... power. Every note, every move... it's mine. For the first time in forever, it feels like maybe the voices don't get to decide everything. The audience claps. People are smiling. They're listening. They care.

When the song ends, there's a tiny pause... and then applause. Loud, real applause. My legs feel lighter. My breathing slows. I look at Marissa, Lily, and Demi. They're all glowing. "See?" Demi says softly. "You're amazing."

I feel something I haven't felt in a long time... pride. Tiny, but real. Maybe... maybe I can stop letting the voices rule me. Maybe... maybe I can just sing.

The last note echoes through the arena and then... silence. My chest is pounding so hard I think everyone can hear it. My legs feel like jelly. The lights are blinding, but I try to look out at the crowd. Hundreds of faces staring at me. Judging me.

The applause starts. Slowly at first, then louder, stronger. People are clapping, some are cheering, some are waving. I feel like I can finally breathe again. My hands are shaking as I lower the mic. My throat feels raw, my stomach is still twisted... but the fear? It's... lighter.

They probably clapped because they feel sorry for you. You barely even sounded good.

I press my hands over my ears, but then I feel a familiar warmth. Marissa's hand on mine. "May... look at me. You did it. They loved you. Not because they feel sorry. Because you're amazing."

I swallow hard. I want to believe her. I really do. My eyes sweep over the crowd again, and... they're smiling. They're not looking for flaws. They're enjoying the music. My music.

Backstage, Lily and Demi are waiting with wide smiles and open arms. "You killed it!" Lily shouts. "Seriously, May, that was incredible!"

Demi just hugs me tightly. "I told you. You were amazing. Every note."

I feel tears sting my eyes. I can't believe I'm crying... again. But it's different this time. Not the shame or the fear. This is... relief. Pride. Maybe even a little joy.

I press my face into Marissa's shoulder. "I... I'm scared it wasn't enough," I whisper.

"It was more than enough," she says softly. "And even if it weren't... you tried. You were brave. You sang. And that's what matters."

For the first time tonight, the voices don't feel quite as loud. They're still there, whispering in the back of my mind, but for once... I can ignore them. Just a little. And for now, that's enough.

I glance at the others—Lily, Demi, Marissa—and a small smile slips out. Maybe I can do this. Maybe I can survive the tour, one song at a time.

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