Crystal Read Online Free PDF Page B

going to perform your song on stage at Earl’s Court with a full orchestra. ‘Each group will have an hour to rehearse. Then at two it will be the real thing and I’ll be deciding which four groups will be going on to the next round of the competition and which will be going home.’
    Crystal looked at Tahlia and Belle – they all looked shocked at the prospect.
    ‘I expect
you
knew that already,’ one of the other contestants said snidely to them as they left the room.
    ‘Fuck off, of course we didn’t,’ Belle snapped back.
    ‘Yeah, right,’ the girl answered, shooting Belle a filthy look. Belle was about to answer back but Crystal grabbed her arm and whispered, ‘Just leave it, Belle.’
    They arrived at Earl’s Court at midday. Crystal walked into the vast auditorium, feeling completely overwhelmed. Lost Angels had never performed at such a venue, nor had they ever been backed by an orchestra. True, none of the other bands had either but then Lost Angels were under pressure to be nothing less than the best. They didn’t perform very well during the rehearsal. Belle forgot her words, Tahlia came in too early and Crystal failed to hit a note, something that had never been a problem before.
    ‘It can’t end here!’ Crystal said as they sat in the dressing room, trying to stop them all feeling pessimistic and downhearted about their chances. ‘We’ve worked so hard to gethere. I know the rehearsal didn’t go well, but we’re better than the other acts. Let’s just go through the song one more time.’
    Lost Angels were the last act on stage. Crystal walked on with a lot more confidence than she felt. The lights were shining directly on them so she couldn’t see anyone in the auditorium, but she knew Dallas was there, joined by his two singing coaches Kathy and Frank. Then the music started up.
This was it.
As Crystal began singing, the nerves suddenly left her. She could do this; she was a good singer and so were the others – they deserved to go through. It seemed that Tahlia and Belle felt the same way and this time they gave as close to a perfect performance as Crystal thought was possible. Surely it had been enough to secure their place? At the end Dallas simply said, ‘Wait on the stage, girls, the other acts will be joining you and I’ll be telling you who’s in and who’s out.’
    The other acts walked on in silence – everyone was too apprehensive to speak.
Please let us get through
, Crystal found herself thinking over and over, digging her fingernails into her palms. She knew the cameras were on her, recording everything for the TV, but she was past caring about looking cool. She wanted this more than she had ever wanted anything and if she didn’t get it, she didn’t know what she would do. But then her thoughts were interrupted by Dallas’s voice: ‘I’ve made my decision and I’ve decided that—’ he reeled off the names of three of the other acts and Lost Angels, Crystal took a sharp intake of breath, waiting to hear their fate – ‘will not’ – he paused for effect and Crystal thought she would scream with the tension – ‘will not be going home. You’re all staying with me.’
    Crystal didn’t hear anything else, as she found herself whooping with delight and hugging Tahlia and Belle.
They’d done it!
    ‘It’s a fucking stitch-up,’ one of the contestants whose group hadn’t made it said loudly, bringing Crystal brutally back down to earth. ‘Come on,’ she said to the others, ‘let’s goto the dressing room.’ She wanted to celebrate their success without being watched and without having to hear the snide remarks.
    ‘Well done, girls!’ Kathy, their singing coach, walked into the room and hugged them all. ‘You were fantastic, by far the best.’ She was followed by Dallas who actually smiled at them. ‘You were great, well done.’ Belle ran over and threw her arms round his neck and hugged him while Crystal and Tahlia stood awkwardly to one side.