Chapter 16: The First Real Test
727 Words
The following week began with a challenge.
Lena arrived at the studio expecting another ordinary recording session.
Instead, Marcus handed her a stack of lyrics.
“What’s this?”
“Your assignment.”
She looked suspiciously at him.
“My assignment?”
“Write a song by tomorrow.”
Lena blinked.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“What kind of song?”
“Whatever you want.”
She frowned.
“That makes it harder.”
Marcus laughed.
“Exactly.”
Lena spent the entire morning thinking.
She tried writing about fame.
Nothing.
She tried writing about the city.
Nothing.
She tried writing about dreams.
Still nothing.
Finally, she closed her notebook.
She couldn’t force it.
So she went for a walk.
The city was bright beneath the afternoon sun.
People hurried past.
Cars filled the streets.
A street musician played guitar outside a café.
Lena stopped.
The musician was singing about home.
Something about the melody caught her attention.
She stood there listening.
Home.
The word stayed with her.
She walked back toward the hotel.
And suddenly she knew what she wanted to write.
Not about fame.
Not about success.
Home.
What it meant.
How it changed when you grew older.
How sometimes home wasn’t a place.
Sometimes it was a person.
She opened her notebook.
The words came quickly.
For hours, she wrote.
When she finished, she had six pages.
She read them.
Then smiled.
This was the first time she’d written something without trying to impress anyone.
She had simply told the truth.
⸻
The next morning, she brought the song to the studio.
Marcus read the lyrics.
He looked up.
“This is good.”
Lena waited.
“But?”
“No but.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
They recorded a demo.
Lena stood inside the booth.
The headphones covered her ears.
The instrumental began.
She sang.
The song was quieter than her other material.
But there was strength underneath it.
When she finished, Marcus pressed the talk button.
“That’s the one.”
Lena smiled.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She stepped out.
Then noticed several people standing outside the studio.
Claire.
Vanessa.
Richard.
They had heard the recording.
Richard smiled.
“You’re discovering your sound.”
Lena felt proud.
But before she could respond, Claire said something unexpected.
“We want you to perform this live.”
Lena’s smile disappeared.
“Now?”
“Next week.”
Her stomach dropped.
Another performance.
But this time there would be cameras.
The label wanted to film a short promotional performance.
Lena swallowed.
“Okay.”
Claire smiled.
“Good.”
As they walked away, Lena whispered:
“What did I just agree to?”
Marcus laughed.
“Your career.”
⸻
That evening, Lena called Noah.
“I have a problem.”
“What happened?”
“I have another performance.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“There are cameras.”
“Still not a problem.”
“I’m going to mess up.”
“You didn’t last time.”
“This is different.”
“How?”
Lena thought.
“I don’t know.”
“Then you’re nervous about being nervous.”
She frowned.
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It does in my head.”
She laughed.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe.”
Then his voice softened.
“You’ll be fine.”
She smiled.
“You’re always there when I need you.”
“Always.”
Lena’s heart fluttered.
She didn’t know whether he realized what that word did to her.
Maybe he did.
⸻
The performance day arrived.
Lena stood behind the small stage.
Cameras surrounded her.
Lighting equipment covered the room.
A director spoke rapidly into a headset.
Lena’s hands trembled.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
“Hey.”
She turned.
Noah stood near the back.
She stared at him.
“What are you doing here?”
He smiled.
“Thought you could use some moral support.”
Lena laughed.
“You traveled all this way?”
“Again.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Probably.”
She smiled.
The nerves didn’t disappear.
But they became manageable.
She stepped onto the stage.
The lights came on.
The music began.
And Lena sang.
This time, she didn’t look at the cameras.
She looked at Noah.
And the song became easy.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD