“Come on all of you, we saw who put their hands up.” The waiters came around and dragged us all to the stage where we had been asked what instruments we play and divided into groups. I felt like I couldn?t breathe! I am majorly afraid of performing in front of crowds. This was the worst crowd possible, the whole school!
I tried to read the minds of anyone else who might be as nervous as I was. *Michi, Michi if you?re listening look to your left!* okay, I did not expect that. I looked to my left and saw Deena squished within the middle of a crowd of singers. She waved me over. “Are you okay?” she asked sympathetically. “Yeah I?m fine.” I lied. She gave me a look. Deena always knows when I?m lying. She also knows how nervous I get and what I look like when I?m about to start freaking out.
“No I?m not fine. I feel like I?m about to pass out! I can?t perform in front of all these men and women! I?ll get nervous, then I?ll forget how to play, then I?ll embarrass myself in front of the whole school!” I said that whole sentence very quickly without breathing and now I was hyperventilating. “Michi calm down! Take several deep breaths.” I did as I was told.
“Good, now I?m going to tell you some thing and you better listen. You play the guitar amazingly! The band didn?t make you lead guitarist just because we felt like it! We did it because you are so excellent at it! You have a passion whenever you start playing, that no 1 can explain. I know that you love to play your guitar so just pretend you?re at band rehearsals appropriate now, strumming away with all your friends, without a care inside the world. Okay Michi?” I replied by giving her a big hug and saying “I love you. You?re the best.” “It?s the truth. Now get back to your group.” She said kindly.
I felt a lot better soon after Deena?s pep-talk. I went to stand subsequent to Taylor even though a different man, significantly more serious than the other guy, came up to us and told us what was going on. “Alright musical children, Chad?s favourite singer, Paul T, will be performing tonight and you all will be his band.” Everyone began whispering about how cool this was and how awesome Paul T was but the man shushed us.
“So if you all co-operate we can all have a excellent time. Okay, drummers please go to that man over there, guitarists more than there, singers will be doing back up for Mr Paul over there, bass guitar down there and piano is with that man down there.” He pointed out where we had to go to learn and practice our pieces of Paul T?s number one hit song.
They picked at random, five individuals to play guitar and needless to say they just had to pick me! Together with Taylor, Malcom and two guys named Dylan and Craig. They showed us who gets which parts of the song and gave us the sheet music to go and practise. Keep in mind how I said I was feeling a great deal better, well not anymore! This was absolute madness! How on earth am I supposed to learn the chorus and bridge of a song in 30 minutes!?
Taylor and I practiced the chorus for a even though, which we would all be doing together, after which I tried the bridge which was my solo. I just couldn?t get it proper! I felt like my fingers were sloths and my brain had gone into hibernation! I just couldn?t take it, so I ran more than to the actions at the side of the stage and sat down. I guess some girls would have cried, I don?t actually cry often, but I felt like I could correct now. I don?t like playing in crowds, I don?t know this song, I don?t have enough time to practice and Malcom keeps telling me I?m terrible at this!
The 3 pianists were pretty close to the stage stairs, just my luck. Given that my face was in my hands, I didn?t see Ben come over and kneel subsequent to me. “Michi, what happened? What?s wrong?” he stated with genuine concern. “Nothing, nothing?s wrong.” I stated. “Michi?” his tone was so sweet and real in that one word, it gave me goose bumps. I looked up and he smiled. I melted in his gaze. “I?m just not feeling like a rock star right now.” I tried to say it jokingly.
“Why, what happened?” What did I do to deserve Ben? “I can?t play this song! I?m going to mess up plus a famous singer is going to hate me for ruining his hit song!” “Don?t worry, I feel the same, my heart is beating so fast! I basically have to have three hands to get the timing in this piece correct!” he said. I giggled. “Well, let me hear.” he stated, looking at the guitar I had forgotten was next to me. I just couldn?t deny that face, and besides, he was going to hear it anyway.
I sighed and grabbed the shiny black guitar I had been assigned for this song. I tried to calm down and let my fingers dance across the neck of the guitar. And they did! I didn?t miss a single note, my rhythm was perfect, it sounded fantastic for the very first time tonight!
“I don?t know what you did, but thank you.” I said to Ben when I was finished. “I?d love to take credit but I didn?t do anything.” He replied. “That was all you. You had it in you the whole time, you just needed to calm down.” he stated reassuringly. I hugged him, stupidly forgetting that the guitar was still on my lap, not the most comfortable hug for either of us. “Ouch, ouch!” we both exclaimed. “Sorry, my bad!” I sat back and we both laughed. “So now can I hear you play?” I asked sweetly. “Well… I guess that?s fair.” He stated reluctantly.
We stood up and walked more than to the piano. He sat on the wooden stool and stretched his fingers before starting his piece. It was so lovely. His concentration showed on his face, together with his passion. I guess now I know what my friends mean when they tell me they can see my passion, but I don?t think mine could ever compare to Ben?s. He was finished too soon, I genuinely just wanted to hear much more. I applauded and told him how considerably I enjoyed it.
“Wow that was so great! It was amazing! You are so excellent!” he shook his head and said “No, I?m really not. My timing was off again.” “Are you kidding me?! It was perfect, the timing was exactly appropriate!” he was about to retaliate but Dylan came as much as us and stated I had to get back to my group. I flashed Ben an apologetic smile and he winked at me.
The four other guitar players and I practiced hard for the remainder of our 30 minutes. Now that I wasn?t so nervous, I could really enjoy this wild night. Taylor and I had been talking about how cool it would be if Paul T noticed us and how different it was, playing without our band. Finally it was time, time to go on stage. I breathed deeply and tried not to let the butterflies come.
We were all lined up by the stairs of the stage, ready to go on, when we saw Paul T. He was walking towards us, surprisingly enough. “Hey youngsters,” he stated in a strong British accent. “I just wanted to say thanks for being my band tonight and good luck.” He walked off and we all whispered.
The weird ring master guy was on stage announcing our performance. “Okay everyone. Are you ready for some music?” The crowd yelled “Yeah!!!” “Well on this stage tonight, we will have 6 back-up singers, 5 guitarists, 4 bass guitarists, 3 pianists, 2 drummers but only one PAUL T! The man yelled the singers name and we all walked on stage with Paul T within the lead. The crowd yelled and screamed and applauded.
I plugged the guitar into the amplifier and looked at my feet. “What?s the matter Michelle? Don?t wish to look at the big audience that?s staring at you? Don?t want to see the thousands of eyes, waiting for you to screw up?” Malcom taunted me. “Don’t make me kick your ass in front of the whole school Malcom.” I replied. I ignored whatever rude comment he had to say after that, I just concentrated on remaining calm and not nervous.
I remembered Deena?s pep talk, and Ben?s encouraging words, and I felt confident in my talent. The intro of drumming and guitar began and I looked more than at one of the drum sets and saw Samantha. I looked to the back-up singers standing to the left of Paul T and saw Deena and some of my other friends. I looked to my correct and saw Taylor, and to my far correct I saw Kate. And then to my left I saw Ben, encouraging me with his smile. I smiled back and got ready for the chorus.
Everything was going excellent and then it was time for the bridge of the song, my solo. I saw Paul T walking towards me to the beat of the drum, and I began to play. I forgot about the audience, I forgot about Paul T, I forgot about everything except my friends and the music. I felt as comfy as I do when I?m in band practice. I played my heart out and I think I saw Paul T smile at me.
Once the song was over, all my friends ran to each other and we all had 1, big, group hug. “Aaaah that was so fun!” “OMG you guys had been amazing!” “I can?t believe I was this close to a famous singer!” “I can?t believe how well you played!” I can?t believe how well WE ALL played!” We had been all gushing like the most girly girls within the world when the boys came over to us. “Hey guys, you had been awesome!” Dominic stated. “Yeah, well accomplished!” Levi congratulated. Adam, David and Ben hugged us and said comparable words.
“Michi, can I talk to you more than there for a second?” Ben asked. “Sure.” We walked more than to a big green tree and turned to each other. The look on his face made me nervous. “You had been amazing up there.” I tried to break the ice. “Thanks, you had been far more.” He said with really small emotion. “Michi, there?s some thing I need to tell you, and I?m not sure how you?re going to react. I?m guessing you?ll call me a crazy, idiotic, liar. But I just can?t keep this secret from you any longer, it doesn?t feel correct.” My heart stopped, my lungs died, my brain went into frenzy. Ben really does have a secret!? I knew this happy moment wouldn?t last!