For You

chapter 1

"Please give a warm welcome to Miss Madeline Bennett as she preforms her new song After for the first time tonight!" the host for the Australian Music Festival announced. The crowd screamed as I walked onto stage. This was the moment I had dreamed of since I was a little girl. The moment I worked so hard for was finally here and it was my chance to shine. My chance to sing my heart out and give it all I've got.

"Wow. This is so surreal. Being on this stage tonight and seeing all of you guys in the audience tonight doesn't feel real. I grew up in a small town in the states where singing wasn't popular and now I'm living in a tour bus singing to all of you guys. My new song is about how my life has changed after I followed my dream. Sing it out if you know it!" I spoke into the microphone.

As you sang, seeing all the beautiful faces in the crowd yell out the lyrics to my song is a feeling I would never get tired of. Being on tour for so long can be exhausting but seeing my fans happy is all worth it in the end. Being able to tell my story through such a graceful way like music is something I never take for granted.

The song ended and as I looked into the crowd peoples jaws were left on the ground. They were speechless. Suddenly the wave of the audience clapping and cheering me on awoke me from the dream I had just experienced. "Thank you all so much. My fans mean the world to me and I am so glad I get to share such beautiful moments like these with you guys!" I said as I waved goodbye and walked off stage. Singing here on this big stage in Australia made me realize how far I have come in the past 8 months. A year ago I would probably be sitting in my bed watching Netflix or doing history homework and now I have almost 2 million followers on Instagram and am doing a world tour for my first ever album. I find it astonishing how life can change any minute.

As I walked off stage so many people were saying "you did amazing" or "that was your best performance", but I truly did not care. I know that sounds kind of bad of me to say but I really needed to go to my dressing room and write. Writing is my other passion and I like to write when I'm feeling emotions that I cannot explain. As of right now, I'm feeling excited and sad at the same time. I know it sounds pretty pathetic that I'm sad after doing such a great show, but I've just completed my lifelong goal and now I have nothing to look forward too.

When I reach my dressing room I quickly pull out my journal from my bag, sit down at the desk and start writing. I write about how my performance tonight was dedicated to all the cruel people in my hometown who said I would never make it at such a young age. I want to look them in the eyes and tell them "look at me! 16 years old and singing in front of thousands of people at a music festival in Australia. Suck it!". Okay, to be fair I wouldn't say exactly that but definitely something along those lines. I mean after all, they deserve it. Like how can you even look a 15 year old in the eyes and say something like "producers don't want you in the industry" or "you'll never be good enough." Hearing those words should have been hurtful to me, but they honestly gave me the extra push that I needed. The type of push where I work so hard to get what I want. I frankly believe that's why I am successful as I am. Not to toot my own horn here, but I'm a hard worker and will not give up until the job is perfectly done.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by what I heard as a faint knock on the door. I closed my journal and walked up to the door. When I open it, a tall and attractive guy stands behind it. It almost looks like as if he is young Leonardo DiCaprio's twin.