TIME || Prince & Andy Allo

5: down to roll

Andy conquered the stage.

She went into that arena nervous, walking alongside Prince, who introduced her to everyone before the show and left the stage feeling relieved and proud of herself.

Even afterwards, a few of the band members congratulated her. Cassandra and Ida - Prince's keyboardist and bassist - told her that she had a wonderful voice and did great on her performance.

But most importantly, Prince praised her.

He saw how nervous she was in the beginning, and that it was not easy being asked to sing in front of 17,000 people for the first time and on the spur of the moment.

Her voice was so light and barely audible when she started, but as the song went on, she mellowed out and gave it her all.

Prince also helped her calm her unsettling nerves. He stood right by her the entire time, with a comforting smile on his face.

He remembered how shy he used to be when he first started out. He was near her age.
But he'd been doing this for such a long time, and he was forced to get over it.

He got his first record deal at the age of 18 and was practically thwarted into the world of show business, he didn't have much of a choice if he wanted to pursue music.

He never had anyone to stand beside him on stage, although he wished he had. Therefore, he thought Andy could use someone like that.

Prince had to give her props for it, he himself was proud. She got over her stage fright so quickly.

Andy was so distracted about being on stage that she forgot that her boyfriend had came and was sitting in the audience.

She'd forgotten to call and tell him that she wouldn't be sitting with him, and was going to be performing.

But she didn't have to tell him now.
She's sure that he saw her up there.

"Jay is out there, he wants to see you," Elrick announced as he walked into her dressing room.

Well, technically not her dressing room. She shared it with Prince since she was only performing for one night. It would save the hassle of trying to get one set one up for her, Prince said.

He came in to get dressed first, then he'd leave so she can use it. But at the moment, it was hers.
She was trying to get out of her dress and heels, and put on her normal clothes again -- but first, take off her makeup.

"Tell him to come in here, please."

Elrick sighed, and left to go get Jay, leaving Andy to continue removing her eyeshadow and liner.

Less than a moment after Elrick left, a knock sounded on the door.

That was quick.

Andy inhaled and exhaled, preparing herself for whatever bullshit that her boyfriend was about to come in there with.

She knew it was going to happen, knowing Jay.

"Come in."

Instead, it was Prince who walked in from the noisy, crowded backstage corridor. He was sweating of course, his forehead visibly dripping of it and his arms too -- he was wearing a sleeveless button down.
He had just finished an encore on the sampler set.