Golden

1 - Jade Thirlwall

"I met Pete, and it was an amazing distraction. It was frivolous and fun and insane and highly unrealistic, and I loved him, and I didn't know him." -Ariana Grande about her relationship with Pete Davidson.

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Jade Thirlwall has waited her whole life for this moment. She is wearing an expensive custom-made gown, and the diamonds on her designer jewelry are shining under the bright lights. As a fairly anonymous music producer, she never imagined she would make it to the Grammys. None of her work is nominated, but her manager, Sam, got her an invite thanks to a couple of friends she has in the industry.

The red carpet is nothing like Jade thought it would be. She knew there would be a lot of photographers, but she had no idea all of them would be shouting at her at once. She is pretty sure none of them has any idea who she is, but they are being so aggressive trying to get her to look at their direction. She is relieved when she is rushed by Sam off of the carpet and into the venue where the ceremony will be held.

"There you are!" Jade says when she notices her best friend and her date for tonight, Lily, waiting for her. Lily is just excited to be reunited with Jade, and the two follow the people they need to in order to find their assigned seats.

"I watched you the whole time, that must have been terrifying," Lily tells Jade.

"It was," Jade agrees in a slightly panicked voice. Lily and her went to the same college, and studied music production together. While they have chosen different paths in this career, they are still as close as they were three years ago. Lily has been Jade's rock ever since her career started to take off.

The two women are seated in the back, next to other anonymous musicians. There is still plenty of time before the ceremony will start, but Jade is not bored at all. She watches the scene in front of her in such awe that she feels like she could burst into tears just because of how beautiful it is. She feels like this is exactly where she belongs. She was always meant to make it in the music industry. It's was never about being famous or rich, but about getting to share her greatest passion. Knowing that she deserves to be here is fulfilling in a way Jade didn't know existed.

The later it gets, the more well-known musicians walk in. Jade recognizes everyone, but doesn't get the chance to talk to anyone. They are each surrounded by a team of publicists, stylists, assistants, and even security; whereas Jade is completely approachable. There is nothing she wants more than to be this important.

Leigh-Anne Pinnock walks into the venue looking like a goddess, and not one person looks anywhere else. She is nominated for Best New Artist, and is expected to win. A few years back, Jade produced a song for her, but it wasn't until her debut album, which was released this year, that she truly made it. They have only known each other for a brief period of time, but Jade remembers that Leigh-Anne is one of the kindest people she has ever met. Jade voted for her to win, and hopes that her justified success will get to be recognized.

Next, Jesy Nelson comes in. Jade cannot take her eyes off of her. The way she moves is captivating. Jade has a tremendous amount of respect for Jesy. She started out as an actress at a fairly young age, and had to deal with a lot of criticism during her early days. She has the voice of an angel, and the personality of one. She uses her voice to speak out about things that matter, and would never agree to be a part of something she doesn't believe in.

Finally, the person everyone was holding their breath for arrives. Perrie Edwards' presence is so bold that it cannot be ignored in any way. It feels like time stops as she walks right past where Jade is sitting. It is the first time Jade has ever seen her in person, and she is starstruck like a teenager.