Playing to Win

by C. Fennessy

  Chapter Nine: The End is Near

  By six-thirty they were back at the TV studio, carrying their new outfits to the dressing room. Rock Solid was just arriving and the theatre was still empty. The sounds of doors closing echoed in the huge vacant theater. In another hour it would be filled with fans and the judges would make their final decision on the winner.

  The girls spent the next hour getting dressed, putting on make-up, and fixing their hair. They all complimented each other on how they looked in their new clothes.

  There was a knock at the door and Joey came in. When he saw the girls, his eyes widened with surprise.

  "Holy Moley! Man, you girls look hot! Those outfits look great on all of you! And I love the boots! Very sexy!"

  They giggled and expressed their appreciation, feeling glad that he approved.

  Joey asked Leisha about her ankle and she insisted that she was okay. She had her ankle wrapped tightly inside her boot to give it support.

  "Hey," Ashley cried, "We haven't tried dancing in these boots! We'd better try them out!"

  The girls agreed and pushed aside tables and chairs so they could run through their dance routine a few more times. Joey left and came back when they were through.

  "Okay, here's the line-up: we drew straws and Rock Solid will go on first doing their first song. Then after the commercial break, you play. Then they do their slow song, and then you play yours. Then after the last commercial, they'll play their fast song, and then you go last."

  "That's good. Going last will keep us fresh in the judges' minds," reasoned Leisha.

  Joey looked at his watch, "There’s just about twenty minutes 'til the show starts. I have a feeling that you are going to be so amazing out there that you'll win this thing hands down!"

  Taylor sighed nervously, "Yeah, as long as I, the clutz, don't mess it up and sprain someone else's ankle!"

  "Don't even think about it!" Joey declared, "You're going to do just fine. Just do what you did in rehearsal and the crowd will flow with you. You've got great songs and great moves. They'll love it! But most of all, this is your big night. You will remember this for the rest of your lives. Get out there, have fun, and play your hearts out!”

  The girls all gave him hugs and kisses, and thanked him for his words of encouragement.

  There was a knock at their door and Joey opened it. Danny, the drummer from Rock Solid, stood there looking sheepish.

  "Hey, sorry to bother you, but have any of you seen Susan?"

  They looked at one another and shook their heads, "No. Isn't she here yet?"

  He sighed, "Well, no one has seen her."

  "Maybe she's in the ladies' room," Taylor suggested, "I'll go take a look."

  Danny smiled, "Thanks!"

  Taylor left the room and Kelly said, "Susan's up to her old tricks again. You can never depend on her showing up on time for anything."

  "At least she's not our problem anymore," Leisha pointed out and they all agreed.

  Taylor and Danny walked down to the restrooms together and she went inside to look, but soon came out.

  "No, she's not in there."

  Danny heaved another sigh, "Oh, great. Did she ever do this to you?"

  Taylor nodded, "Yeah, lots of times. We would just start playing the gig without her and she'd show up after the first few songs."

  "Well, we're only doing a few songs. If she doesn't show up, we're screwed!"

  Taylor felt sorry for Danny, even if his band was their competition.

  "She'll probably be here soon. You've still got time."

  Danny nodded but was not consoled.

  "Yeah, let's hope so. Thanks for checking in there for me."

  "No problem. I'd wish you good luck, but then that wouldn't be good for us."

  He smiled, "I know. Let's just say: may the best band win."

  Taylor nodded, "Agreed!"

  They hugged and returned to their dressing rooms.

  At five minutes to six while the girls were sitting around trying to relax, Joey came back to the dressing room, announcing,

  "Change of plans. You're going on first! Susan hasn't shown up yet and the show is about to begin. Get your things and get on stage right away!"

  The girls picked up their guitars and hurried to the stage where the curtains remained closed. They could hear cheers and whistles from the crowd outside while the TV show's theme music played over the sound system. They hurriedly put on their instruments and made adjustments. Joey and Jake checked the sound to make sure everything was working. The overhead colored lights gave the stage an eerie glow. Leisha looked at the other band members and thought everyone looked great. She thought about her family back home, all sitting in front of the TV, nervously awaiting their performance.

  “Joey was right,” Leisha said to the others, “this is the biggest night of our lives. But if we win or lose, I’ll still feel the same way about playing with all of you. This band is the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ll never forget this night.”

  The others agreed and smiled nervously at each other, each one praying silently that she would not make a mistake that would ruin the band's chances of winning. They were nervous but excited at the same time. Ashley felt butterflies in her stomach and Taylor felt a little queasy. She knew from past performances that it would go away as soon as they started playing.

  Joey stepped in front of them and spoke in a lowered voice so he wouldn't be heard on the other side of the curtain.

  "Whatever happens tonight--whether you win or lose—I want you to know that you girls are so awesome and I am so proud of you. You've all worked incredibly hard, and you deserve to win this thing. You've all got so much talent! Even if you don't win, we're going to get a recording contract out of this. We've already had some offers from a few companies, but we'll wait and see what tonight brings. But I just have the feeling that tonight, you're going to win! So let’s do this!” he cried enthusiastically, pumping his fist in the air.

  Cold Chill’s voice boomed out, addressing the crowd on the other side of the curtain. There was a lot of cheering and screaming and some fans began yelling "Nightingale! Nightingale" only to be drowned out by another group yelling "Rock Solid! Rock Solid!"

  Joey waved at the girls as he left the stage and Cold Chill finished his introduction by announcing, "And here they are…Nightingale!"

  The curtains opened and the crowds thundered with applause. Ashley counted off four beats on her sticks. They started playing on the downbeat. The music filled the theater and soon the audience was keeping time with the music. Leisha began to sing and the other three girls sang harmony. When they got to the chorus for the second time, they could hear some of the audience singing along with them, although they couldn't see anything because of the bright spotlights. When they finished the song, there were cheers and applause, and they took a bow just as the curtain began to close.

  "That was perfect!" Joey cried, "You should have heard the harmony out there in the theater! It was incredible! Your voices blended so perfectly that it gave me goose bumps!"

  "Let's hope the judges got them, too!" said Ashley.

  The girls hurried off as Rock Solid took the stage. Susan had arrived and the band seemed relieved that she had shown up in time for the first song. If she hadn't, they would have had to forfeit the competition.

  The girls stayed back stage in the wings to hear the other band play their first song.

  Cold Chill took the mic and announced,

  "And now, performing an original song written by the band, Rock Solid!"

  As the band began to play, the girls looked at one another with gaping mouths.

  "What?" Kelly cried, "They didn't write this song! They hired somebody!”

  "What a bunch of liars!" Leisha cried.

  Joey shook his head, "This isn't right! I'm going to speak to the judges."

  He left the stage and the girls chattered angrily between themselves. They stopped and listened to the music. It was a
great song and Susan sang it well, although it appeared as though she had some trouble remembering some of the words. When they ended, the audience cheered just as loudly for them as they had for the girls. It was impossible to judge from the audience’s reaction which performance had been better.

  In a few moments, Joey reappeared and told them,

  "They wouldn't let me near the judges, but I spoke to the stage manager and he said he would talk to them. Come on, it's time to get ready for your next song."

  The girls took their places on stage and soon the curtains opened. For this slow, romantic song about a lost love, the stage lights went to blue. There was a spotlight on Leisha as she sang the verses and then all the girls were in the spotlight as they sang the harmony on the chorus. As the last chord rang out, the audience began to applaud and cheers and whistles filled the air.

  The curtains closed and the girls hurried off stage to their dressing room during the commercial break to refresh their make-up and comb their hair. They returned to the stage to watch their competition from the wings of the stage. Cold Chill again announced that Rock Solid had written this song just for the competition, making the girls angry again. The music was very well written, with a strong melody and memorable chorus. Susan sang it beautifully as two of the guys sang backup vocals. When they finished, the audience roared with applause and cheers.

  As Rock Solid left the stage, Susan was smirking. She passed the girls, saying,

  "You can't beat that, can you?"

  "Big deal," Kelly retorted, "You had to hire somebody to write your songs for you because none of you can do it!"

  Susan replied, laughing, "Yeah, but by the time the judges figure that out, it'll all be over and we'll win!" She waved her arm at them and staggered down the hall.

  Kelly and Leisha stood watching her leave.

  "She's been drinking again. I can smell it," remarked Ashley.

  "Yeah. I hope she drowns herself," Leisha replied. Kelly had a few choice words of her own to add.

  The girls returned to their places to play their last song which included the dance routine.

  "This is it!" Joey announced excitedly, "Just play it like you did this morning and do your dance routine like you did, and you'll win this thing--I just feel it!"

  The girls promised to do their best. It was nerve-wracking to stand still behind the curtain, waiting for the commercial break to end. Each girl rehearsed her part mentally while waiting for the curtains to open. They were still nervous, but anxious to show the judges what they could do. Joey gave them a big grin and a thumbs-up sign, saying,

  “Just remember what I told you. You girls are awesome!” They smiled back nervously and became alert as Cold Chill announced their song, adding that they had written it for the competition. The curtains drew back and Ashley counted off four beats on her sticks. The first chord rang out and their voices filled the air in four part harmony. Soon the audience was clapping in time to the music. Colored spotlights flashed over the stage, reflecting off of their clothes. The music rang out into the theater and the girls played from their hearts, giving it every ounce of energy they could muster. Then they broke for the dance routine. Ashley kept the beat on the drums and the keyboard played the bass line repeatedly as the girls began to dance. As soon as the dancing began, the audience began to cheer and whistle. The girls followed the steps perfectly through the entire routine and then went to their instruments again to play. Cheers thundered through the theater as the girls sang the last verse and chorus. When they finished, the applause was deafening. In the wings, Joey was leaping into the air, pumping his fist furiously.

  "You did it!" he yelled, "That was awesome! Fantastic! Amazing!"

  The girls ran to him and he hugged them, lifting each girl off the ground and spinning her around.

  "That was absolutely incredible! You all danced great out there! And you didn't make one mistake--you were all perfectly synchronized!"

  "Thanks!" the girls replied, wiping tears from their eyes. The whole experience had been such an emotional high that they were all crying. Taylor just shook her head, crying in disbelief. Kelly looked at her, grinning. She said, “And Taylor didn’t sprain any more ankles!”