Anywhere But Here

Chapter Twenty-nine, Dawn's POV,

Callie, Miles, Chase, Connor, and Me. All of us are about to do our first live television performance. Ora had gotten us gigs before with our music, so now we actually have fans. We have played in coffee shops, parties, festivals, all of these in a three week time period. Now we will do our first live television performance together. It's nerve-wracking for me because I never really had so many people listening to me sing and play, but the rest of the group helps me through it. We are waiting in the wings of a huge auditorium with seating for two hundred. I can hear the roar of the crowd already. Callie smiles at me while adjusting her boots. Ora got us matching clothing that makes us look like rebels. Callie and I wear a black crop top with our logo on it, a red/black plaid short skirt, black fishnet stockings, and our hair messy and crazy. The boys are wearing black sleeveless shirts with our logo, ripped jeans, black and white converse sneakers, and their hair undone and messy. When we first got our outfits, Connor kept complaining that he didn't like the texture and color, but now he doesn't even notice. He is staring at the onstage set mentally preparing himself for where he has to go. Callie stands next to me and has a determined look on her face. I wish I was as confident as she is because I am freaking out. My hands are shaky as I hold my lucky drumsticks and wait for the cue to go on. Chase and Miles are talking nervously to each other while waiting. Sweat beads on my neck as my mind thinks of every way this concert could go wrong. I mean this is streaming on live television! To calm myself I go over what I have to say to the audience before I start to sing. Then I hear the auditorium quiet down as Ora says her opening lines.

"Hello, everyone and welcome to our show, before the rebels perform for you I want you to realize this is on live television so don't do anything stupid, now," She says calmly as if there weren't two hundred eyes on her, "Let's get these rebels out here!"

That's our cue to run out onstage. We all do while waving to the crowd. Ora turns and then hands the microphone to me. Two hundred people are cheering and shouting for us, I feel as if I am on top of the world. I am nervous, but seeing everyone anticipating me to speak makes me giddy with joy.

"Hey, everyone! We are the rebels! Before we start the show I want to introduce you to everyone! Callie is the rebel on the guitar, then Chase is the one with the woodblocks, cowbell, and suspended cymbal, Miles is the one playing the bassoon, Connor and is on the piano, no seriously Connor get off the piano!" I say and hear everyone laugh as he slides himself off of the top of the piano, "And then there's me, Dawn and I am the singer and drum kit player of the rebels" When I say this, cheers rise up in the audience.

This makes me feel giddy with excitement and anticipation, "Well then, let's get started!" I say and sit down on my drum kits seat.

I fasten the microphone onto its stand and then begin to play. Chase, Connor, Miles, Callie, all of them back me up with their playing. It sounds wonderful and I begin to sing the first few notes of Callie's song. I can't believe I am on stage with an audience that actually knows who I am! My biggest dream has now come true. I forget about everything else and focus on playing and singing.

We now exit the stage, we just did our bows and the audience are roaring for an encore but we have none planned. The second we got off of the stage, Ora scoops us all into a huge hug. We hug her back and she won't stop talking about how good we did. I smile at Ora, then she pulls away from the hug and I ask her the question I have been waiting to ask.

"So was Zyra in the audience?" I say excitedly.

Ora frowns at me and shakes her head no. She literally could be anywhere but here right now! She could be in South Africa for all I care! I smile wider because I am mad at Zyra, but to be honest, I am mad at myself. She could be anywhere but here. Callie then pulls my arm and takes me back into our dressing room. She won't stop grinning.

"We did amazing! I can't believe how much thrill that gave me to perform!" She says and looks in the mirror, "But tell me, Dawn, are you mad at yourself or are you made at Zyra?" She asks.

I sigh and sit down on one of the soft purple couch in our dressing room, "More at myself than anything for leaving her behind, I just saw this huge opportunity and knew I would never get another one again, so I left without saying anything to her, I guess I just feel bad about that" I say honestly and stuff my drumsticks away in my bag.

Callie then turns around, her grin has faded and now her expression is just a blank stare. She seems to be trying to figure me out by looking at me. Her face then softens back into a smile. She then comes and sits down next to me on the couch.

"I get what you are going through Dawn, I went through a just as traumatic experience when I had to leave all my friends behind because my parents just couldn't stand it when I played my guitar," She says gently and leans back into the couch, "But what I want you to realize is that even if you lost only one close friend, it doesn't mean that they don't still think about you and care about you, I bet Zyra would be here if she could, maybe she's just watching it on television at the orphanage or something"

"Yeah but Callie, I sent her free tickets and the orphanage is only a couple blocks away" I mumble.

Callie puts her hand on my shoulder and looks me straight in the eyes. There is something new in her eyes that I have never seen before, it's a layer of sadness and hope swirled together.

"No one would miss out on a concert performed by you, even if they hadn't had free tickets, she probably just had something really important to do," She says gently.

She literally could be anywhere but here, I wanted to scream at her, but I don't and keep silent. She is right, Zyra must have had something planned for a dinner or a date, at nine at night, in the freezing cold.