Pray (That She Loves Me)[A Justin Bieber Story]

Chapter 17

"You'll do great!" Justin encouraged as I played with a lone silver bracelet on my wrist. "Once you get out there, it'll feel like you're just singing in the shower again."

"Oh great, so people are watchin me take showers now," I mumbled sarsastically as I tried to focus on only my bracelet. Being on stage is something I cannot do.

"You'll do great, Nina," he repeated as I shood my head in nervousness.

"You already said that..." I stated quietly as Taylor approached up.

"You ready girl?" she asked as I looked up at her, moths filling my stomach to the brim.

"No," I replied honestly.

She just laughed in reply. "You'll do amazing, I promise."

I mumbled nervously, "That's what everyone says..."

"Relax," Skylar commanded, batting my back reassuringly. "It's not as scary as it looks."

"Maybe for y-you..." I stumbled. But then again, Skylar's been dancing for a long time. Long as in, longer than we've known each other kind of long.

Just then the music started playing as I heard the crowd through my ear plugs. The intensity of it all filled my stomach as Taylor started out. I looked over at Justin with wide eyes.

He merely gave me a thumbs up. Good luck!

I heard Taylor start singing the first verse as my cue. With a shaky breath, I turned on my mic and slowly started out.

The first thing to greet me was at least a thousand sets of confused eyes. Me? I just stared back, filling sick to my stomach.

With the refrain, I let my singing do the talking. Without even thinking about it, I was siging to one of my favorite songs. Luckily I had a mic stand in front of my so I set my mic on it, one foot planted as the other kept me in beat.

My voice began the second verse when I saw it. Or, to be precise, him. Without her. I sang a bit quieter as I saw him studying the band up here on stage.

Please don't see me... A timid voice whispered in my mind as a cockier-one shouted, Yeah, that's right Rachel! He came to see me, bitch!

And then, his eyes connected with mine. Everything was drowned out except the frantic, panicking beating of my unsure heart.

"Nina?" I read off his lips, his face bursting into a huge grin. He knew how badly I wanted to sing in front of people... And here I was, doing what I dreamed of...

Except this dream was more of a nightmare at the moment...

My voice broke in the middle of the refrain as I trailed off, staring stupidly at Eric. Taylor started advancing towards me as planned. Although she had a smile on her face as she sang, her eyes asked it all. What's wrong?

But I kept staring at Eric. Last night's emotions crept up and pull the ground out from under me. All I wanted to do was run off this stage and get away from here. I-I need to get away from here...!

Feeling like everything and everyone was closing in, I shood my head in a panic, eyes still fixed on him. "I-I can't do this..."

And with that, my feet did the rest as I ran off the stage, sailing past everything and everyone.

Several voices called out my name. Beaver, Skylar, Ryan, Chaz... Eric... But I ignored them and kept running, continuing past the street as I continued into some random neighborhood. But even then, I still continued running. Thank God for neighborhoods downtown...!