Melody 5 - Rising Stars

9 (iv) - Rhian

--- RHIAN ---

Rhian's old nemesis - stage-fright - was rearing its ugly head again but this time she and the girls were prepared. Amy had taught her a whole bunch of affirmations... "I'm a sensational singing superstar!" being Rhian's favourite. Molly had taken her through a complete yoga relaxation exercise - twice. And now Kat was singing a soothing Polish lullaby that her mum had sung to her when she was a baby. As Rhian listened to the comforting lilt of Kat's tender voice, whilst manically repeating "I'm a sensational singing superstar" over and over in her mind, she tried to believe in herself.

She'd completely freaked out when Lyric had announced he'd got the girls a gig at The Granite Rooms - the scene of his epic fail battle with Psylence. Derren however, had thought it was a great idea and wanted to film the girls and use the footage in the Melody Vibe video.

There was no dressing room so the girls had got changed and done their make up in the toilets, whilst getting jostled by more and more revelers gearing up for a big night out. Every time the door to the ladies opened and Rhian saw the heaving mass of people dancing in the club, Rhian had wanted to tear herself away from the cracked mirrors and dive into a cubicle; but Molly or Amy had talked her through an affirmation or breathing exercise and Rhian had resisted the urge to spew her guts up.

Now she was backstage in a pokey room which the owner had described as a 'green room' but which looked to Rhian more like a 'dirty grey room'. All of a sudden, in stormed Derren.

"Where the hell is Jadine?" he asked for the millionth time. "I thought her and Lyric were popping to her mum's for 20 minutes. That was over an hour ago!"

"Calm down," soothed Amy. "She called. She's on her way."

"The owner thinks we're trying to pull a fast one," added Lena. "So that you go on later and get a bigger crowd."

"I don't think the crowd could get much bigger," said Molly. "It's rammed out there."

Rhian felt her hands tingle and go clammy. "I'm a sensational singing superstar. I'm a sensational singing superstar," she muttered.

"I shouldn't have listened to Lyric," fretted Lena. "This crowd's way too raw for your first gig."

"It isn't our first gig," said Amy. "We did the showcase, remember?"

"It's my first gig," croaked Kat.

"All I'm saying is, you need to be on your game to play a crowd like this," said Lena. "If you don't win them over in the first couple of minutes, it's not gonna be pretty."

Rhian's head started to spin and she muttered even quicker, "I'm a singsational sensing superstar. I'm a singsational sensing superstar! I'm...oh cock!"

Kat took her by the hand and carried on singing the soothing Polish lullaby.

"What was so important for Jadine anyway?" boomed Derren.

"Her mum called. Her baby nephews were being taken into care by the police and social services," said Amy, tartly. "I think that's pretty important, don't you?"

Rhian was half-hoping that Jadine wouldn't make it back and then they wouldn't have to go on. Then she felt terrible for wishing such a thing!

"Oh, great!" said Derren. "She's going to be a total state when she gets here."

"Oh, you're all heart, Derren!" retorted Amy.

"I'm sorry about her nephews," said Derren. "But I've got everything set up to film and..."