Spotlight #the2017Awards

Chapter 1

"Hey hey hey ,You and me turn it up 10, 000 watts/ Tell me why we gotta stop I just wanna let it rock" - Light It Up (original song by the glee cast)

"Marley! Wake up" I felt a heavy weight connect with my body who begun to tickle my sides but I whacked them with my pillow without even checking who it was. "Ugh Marley your no fun" I opened my eyes to see my little sister on the floor rubbing her head, perhaps I hit her too hard. "Oh please Clarion stop being such a baby" I pulled myself out of bed and stretched "Your going to be a senior in a few months so you need to be tough" but Clarion just rolled her eyes "Excuse me Marls I am the baby of the family so leave me alone" but we both just ended up laughing.

Walking downstairs we both sat down at the kitchen counter and I begun to make breakfast "Hey Clarion, Jesse and Iris are coming over today, are you going hole yourself up somewhere?" Clarion hated my two best friends for some not so unknown reason but I suppose lately I did too because they begun to date a few months before graduation and both got into the same university right here in Santa Fe (figures) and I permanently felt like the third wheel but they didn't need to know that. "Ugh Marley you need new friends" Clarion rolled her eyes and begun to help me make breakfast. "Wait Clary where are mum and dad?" Ah yes our dysfunctional parents who hated each other so much they were barely in the same state as each other. Chester Gate our father was a chief writer in hollywood writing for tv shows and came home rarely and our mum Grace Gate (who now began to go by her maiden name: Carr) worked as a game designer but stayed to work late a lot and 'stayed with a friend a lot' but Clarion and myself knew that meant her boyfriend. "Dad left for LA late last night and mums at the office" which I couldn't help but sigh at because a per usual Clarion and I were left alone.

Perhaps a few minutes passed while we were eating in silence until I heard the door swing open "YO YO MARLEY!" Oh god "In here Jess" I called out "hey what about me!?" I chuckled slightly because Iris was the type of person you did not ignore "in here Iris" I accentuated her name to prove my point. Walking in Jesse had his arms slung around Iris's shoulder and the typical goofy grin he had always sported "hey Marls,sup tiny Gate" Jesse nodded his head towards Clarion who scoffed and went upstairs. "I think I'm growing on her" yeah right Clarion wouldn't touch Jesse with a ten foot pole. "What have you crazy kids been up to?" I honestly could not care less because lately it was always about Jesse and Iris and their cute dates and so help me god I wanted to strangle myself.

"No Marley we wanted to ask you about Treble Remeber that thing you put off going to college for?" Right that. Iris had a point because while I was to major in Oceanography this year (weird yes, thank you) I had heard my entire life what a good singer I was so I decided that I would take a chance and sign up for the competition that was based in New York and the winner would get a record deal with of the biggest record companies in the states.

"I umm...haven't heard back from them yet" I confessed which was terrifying because I had submitted my tape last week and today was supposed to be the day I hear back from them and part of me was excited but I also felt like I was going to throw up. "You'll get it you know it and besides you still have college and us, you'll never not have a support system Marley Gate" ah Iris Hamilton always the optimist. "Hey why don't we go out? Do whatever you want to do Marley" Jesse suggested which was nice of him because the nerves were beginning to make me feel sick. "Thank guys but I would like to stay here today in case the people from Treble call... Is that okay?"
"Of course it's okay Marley" and Jesse came up and gave me a bear hug but I couldn't help but notice Iris's dirty look as he hugged me. "Awesome can we play pool?" Iris suggested breaking the comforting hug I was receiving "umm sure? You guys now where it is, I'm just going to put on some sweats" Jesse and Iris went into the 'man cave' dad converted his study into while I went upstairs to put some sweats on.

When I went upstairs into my room I saw Clarion sitting in my bed. "Can I help you Miss Clarion?" I ask her while rummaging through my draws trying to find some clothes "I saw the hug Jesse gave you and Iris's dirty look" I didn't question how she saw that because Clarion was like a mouse when walking around this house and tried not to but I tensed. "Marley..." But I cut her off "I don't want to hear it please Clarion I don't want to talk about it" Clarion shut up quickly after that as I pulled out a blue sweat shirt and a pair of legging out of my draws. I went into the bathroom and as I closed the door I saw Clarion shake her head and leave.

I walked downstairs and into the man cave (which was technically just the cave now) where Jesse and Iris has begun to play. "Well well your doing an activity without any lovey dovey crap, I'm impressed" I walked in and grabbed a cue and stood next to Jesse. " we can function without each other for two minutes Marley you know that" Iris's voice was sharp and defensive but she was always like that with me these days. I just rolled my eyes and begun to hum the song I sing for my audition tape (Lightning Strikes by R5) "whatever, winner has to verse me" and we played pool for perhaps an hour when the phone rang.

"I'LL GET IT!!!" I rang up into the kitchen as fast as my legs would carry me because only four people would call the landline : mum, dad, grandma and the administration from Treble. I picked up the phone "hello?" I tried to sound normal even though I was puffing and slightly out of breath. "Hello is this... Marley Gate?" the lady sounded young and I could hear here shuffling through papers on the other end of the line. "Yes this is she" I begun to twirl the cord through my fingers out of nervousness "hello I'm Allison McKibben, secretary to Entertainments Treble and I am disappointed to inform you..." I tuned out the rest of my rejection. I politely hung up and went upstairs.

I didn't want to talk to Jesse or Iris because they wouldn't quite get it. I knocked on Clarions door and when she answered I burst into tears. After a few minutes I composed myself and wiped away the tears because I am Marley Rosalie Gate and I am strong and will get over this just all the other bad things. I went to Jesse and Iris and told them the bad news but with a new composure and when they tried to give me consoling words I simply out my hand up to stop them because I didn't care.

We continued to play pool and when I sunk a ball I felt a single tear roll down my cheek because like that ball my dreams had sunk.

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hey everyone! This is my first story on this account and I hope you all like it! Sorry if Marley seems a little heartless it will all make sense later on.

I apologise if the names are strange! I wanted the names to be unique because lots of books I've read they are very similar and I wanted these to stand out.

And finally any spelling or grammatical errors let me know!

xx