Chapter 1; Episode 16 and 17

Episode 16

Don't be Nervous

2016 Jun 25

"You can do this, you can do this, you can do this... You've always encouraged other people to get up on stage. It would be weird if you couldn’t do it yourself..." Chelsea is muttering to herself backstage in the main hall. She finally takes off her apron and chef's hat and discovers she’s covered head to toe in cream and cake mixture.

"I've been preparing for this for so long... I’ll be fine..." She writes the word "crowd" on the palm of her hand and swallows. She paces back and forth backstage, her anxious feet leaving worry marks on the ground. Shouting, whistling and applause can be heard outside, followed by the MC's crisp voice.

"Thank you! Thank you for your wonderful performance. Up next, we have Chelsea from Class 2.2..." The MC's voice booms around the auditorium. One of the sound guys pats Chelsea on the shoulder to give her an extra boost, and she walks stiffly into the center of the stage.

Leaving the darkness of backstage behind, she sees a blinding circle of light waiting for her. "Hello... Hello everyone... I’m Chelsea from 2...2.2." Chelsea can't help stuttering as she looks out onto the darkened crowd. Her hand starts shaking as she clutches a corner of her skirt.

"Chelsea! You can do it!!!"

"Chelsea, don't be nervous. We're with you!!" A group of students led by Ocean starts shouting encouragement and the whole audience starts to applaud.

"Thank... Thank you." Chelsea bows deeply and then says: "Well... today I... the song I want to sing today is..."

A bald man wearing sunglasses is standing in the crowd, attentively listening to Chelsea's song. At first Chelsea is nervous, but she gradually gets into the mood and her distinctive voice soon casts a spell over everyone in the room. The judges are clearly surprised and impressed.

"Yes... She can really sing." The bald man laughs and claps along with the crowd. On stage, Chelsea finally smiles.

Episode 17

Piano Performance

2016 Jun 25

After the singing competition the atmosphere in the hall is electric. The hall is filled with excited people cheering contestants on, faces illuminated with joy. Right after comes the instrumental competition.

The MC introduces this year's contestants, while behind him sound technicians prepare the instruments. Large amps and small, a full set of drums and a grand piano borrowed from the music department are all put in place.

The contestants come up onto the stage in turn as the host introduces them. Some perform guitar solos, some play classical music on the piano and others rock out on the drums. The audience listens respectfully to the different musical styles and soak up the wonderful music.

Jessy and Ocean get ready in the contestants area. Ocean rests his guitar on his leg and lazily strums out a tune. Next to him Jessy is wearing headphones locked away in his own world as the pick in his fingers dance across the strings.

A thin young man in elegant clothing takes to the stage. He hastily greets the crowd and sits down at the piano. Frosty silence contrasts with the MC’s fiery enthusiasm.

"Urgent announcement! Urgent announcement! As the original representative from Class 2.2 isn't feeling well, the committee has arranged a replacement. The piece he’s going to play is...um... He’s a bit shy so please, everyone, give him a warm round of applause!"

The clapping stops and the student’s fingers fall gently onto the piano keys, like feathers.

After the first delicate keys, a storm of notes erupts from the piano. The student's fingers fly across the piano like a swarm of angry bumblebees. Up and down the piano he goes, playing quickly but precisely. The audience is silent. The music he is playing is beyond the experience of anyone there. Ocean watches the stage, his mouth slightly agape. Jessy stops practicing and takes his headphones off.

"Jessy, are you...hearing this?" Ocean grips the guitar and starts to tremble slightly.

"Yes... his playing is...extraordinary." Jessy has never heard this kind of music before. It combines classical, jazz and rock, leaving him at a loss for words.

"I... I can't take it any more!" Ocean grabs his guitar, stands up and shoves his way through the crowd towards the stage.

"Hey... Don't... I can't stand this guy." Shaking his head Jessy stands up too.

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