Roses [h.s]

Chapter 10

"Harry you said you got me an audition." I hiss quietly into the phone trying not to make my anger obvious to the other people in the hall. "I'm literally the only dancer here, she said it's a freaking practice session today."

After Harry had told me that I would be auditioning for an Ed Sheeran music video, I'd felt like I had to sit down for a moment. He'd had to repeat the other details several times before they'd really sunk in because I was still hung up on the whole Ed Sheeran bit. But then I couldn't stop thinking about the audition and I'd gone home almost immediately to practice, and I'd spent the next week locked in the studio, going over my technique and choreographing my own solo just in case. All because I had been under the impression that Harry had got me an audition, but oh boy, was I wrong.

"Okay, so maybe, my charm worked a little too well, and Ed basically promised to give you a shot. What's the big deal, if you'd auditioned you would've got the part anyway?"

"You don't know that Harry. I just – I don't want you to get me my jobs, I want to work for them and know that I get it because I'm talented and not because my best friend is a stupid idiot popstar." I notice the lady behind the desk gesturing at me, to indicate that they're ready so I wrap up the call. "Look I'll talk to you later I have to go."

"Good luck," He says. "I love you."

"I love you too." I mumble back begrudgingly and I can easily picture the smirk on his face as I hang up. I walk over to the lady who motions for me to follow her.

"So today will be a choreography session, you'll learn the choreo with Ed and afterwards we'll give you a schedule for rehearsal and shooting times." She fires off as I follow her through the corridors. I'm more nervous now than when I thought this was a simple audition because now, I feel like there's some ridiculously high standard that I have to live up to because of Harry's intervention.

We walk into a large hall area, where there's quite a few people; choreographers, the director maybe, a few assistants milling around, and of course, Ed Sheeran, just standing in the middle of the room talking to one of the assistants. The lady who'd led me in, beckoned for me to introduce myself as everybody else turned to smile at me. I walk up to them all sheepishly, playing with my sleeves, as they look at me.

"Hi, I'm Madeline." I say with a nervous smile as I shake Ed's hand more than aware of my other hand pulling on my sleeve anxiously.

"I'm Ed, it's nice to meet you. Harry talks about you a lot, you come highly recommended." He replies with an easy smile.

"Oh, so no pressure then." I huff, and he chuckles.

"You'll be fine. If you're even half as good as Harry says you are, you'll be amazing." I blush at the compliment, although I don't know which meant more, Ed's confidence in me, or Harry's. "We're just going to learn a bit of the choreography today and see how we work together and stuff I guess, so um whenever you're ready."

I nod and smile in response, putting down my bag and starting to get ready, taking off my shoes and socks and putting on my foot thongs, before beginning to stretch. A few minutes later, I'm ready to begin, and Ed and I spend the better part of the day learning about a minute's worth of choreography. The routine is beautiful, a perfect mix of lifts and turns, where Ed and I move as one in spiralling turns and flowing movements. For somebody with little dance experience, I feel comfortable in Ed's hands, and trust him, which is paramount. We go over and over the same key movements, learning them inside out before piecing them together. Of course, there's times where we stuff up horribly; Ed drops me a few times, I fall out of my turns horribly, but when the routine works, it works well, and I can tell from everyone's reactions that it looks amazing too.