Chapter 1
The sound of water turning off and playing music filled the top floor of my house.
"Liz, hurry or we're going to be late!" my mom yelled from her room.
"I know mom, I'm almost done!" I yelled back over my music.
"Ok well, you still need to dry your hair!"
"I know! Its ok I'll get done. Trust me."
This was a night she really needed to trust me, considering how important it was to me. Today could be considered as the end to so many things I have been waiting to happen this summer. Every year, some people in my family and I go to the American Idol Live! Tour. We have waited all year for this, from the beginning of the American Idol auditions, to the finale on the last day, and every Tuesday and Wednesday in between. Finally, this night has come. There was one thing that made this night special for me. My grand mom had bought me the tickets for my birthday.
"YOU'VE GOT ME HYPNOTIZED, SO MESMERIZED, AND I JUST GOT TO KNOW…." I sung along with my music.
"I hope you are getting done." said my mom again, now from the bathroom.
"I am mom! I'm almost done my hair." I replied.
The other reason this was going to be special was because my younger cousin was coming. I was so excited to know that she would be in the car, waiting for me to come in, talk to her about our outfits, where we got them, and how excited we were. A couple minutes later, my mom came in my room and opened my closet door.
"Are you ready?" she asked as she looked at herself.
"Just about, I just need my shoes and some extra stuff. You know, to make my outfit snazzier!" I laughed as I turned toward her. "Oh mom, your outfit is so cute!" I told her.
"Thanks." she replied. "Ok now get your shoes on, Nana will pull up any minute and then we have to leave." she told me again as she shut the door.
"Ok mom, I'll be done in a couple seconds." I told her as I was braiding my hair. I thought of new things I could do with my hair almost everyday. Today, the thought was a little braid off to the side of my hair with the rest down. It looked great! As I was putting the final touches on my outfit, I heard a horn honking outside the house. I dropped the brush on my dresser and ran over to my window. There was a light gold car with a brown top waiting behind the family's van.
"They're here!" my mom screamed before I could. "Do you have your shoes on Liz?" she asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"YES MOM! I told you not to worry, because I'm done and they are here." I said. I was actually lucky when I heard the horn; I was just putting in the last earring.
"Okay, come on! I'm setting the alarm." she was in the kitchen were the alarm was. Every time we moved houses, my dad wanted an alarm installed. My guess was that he felt comfortable with it because it would wake him up if someone was to ever come in our house at night. When I heard the alarm beep, I re-opened the door, and ran out to the car, leaving my mom far behind me. I went around the back of the car, opened the door, and jumped in the back, screaming with my cousin once I sat down.
"STOP SCREAMING!" my grand mom screamed over us.
"Sorry Nana. Hi by the way!" I said. I reached up to the front of the car, gave her a kiss and a hug, and then sat back down.
"OH MY GOD! Can you believe out wait is finally over?" I said to my cousin who was sitting next to me in the back seat.
"No, Not at all! I'm so excited!" she replied.
The night seemed to slowly pass by not going fast enough for my excitement. When the car ride came to go to the spectrum for the concert, my cousin and I exchanged looks to tell each other to hold in the excitement. By the time we found the perfect parking spot, we noticed we had lost it, we couldn't hold it in any longer. When we were almost to the door, we ran towards it happily.
"Liz, what if the path we are walking on now is what the idols used to get in?" she asked.
"Then we are walking in the idols footsteps." I laughed.
"Now hold on girls." said my grand mom. "You need your tickets." she said handing us a ticket each.
When the ticket was in our reach, we jumped up and down screaming.
"THIS IS THE ACTUAL TICKET TO GET US IN!" I screamed.
"ONLY ONE MORE THING TO DO THEN WE BEGIN!" Nena screamed back.
I let her lead the way. She happily ran to the ticket guy and handed him the ticket. Happily and excited, I did the same. Once inside the building, a wave of excitement filled us both from head to toe. We looked around, seeing lights, people playing games, people watching, people buying snacks, and people looking for their section. It was so noisy, but I was able to hear my cousin perfectly. Pointing out things that I had stupidly missed. As we walked towards our section, we saw a concession stand with t-shirts, programs, buttons, and posters for people to buy.
"Oh my god! Look at that blue t-shirt!" my cousin told me.
"OH MY GOD! IT'S PERFECT!" I said amazed.
As we both looked at the t-shirt, we heard a familiar voice that brought us back to reality.
"Hand me your tickets girls, that way they don't get lost." my grand mom said to us.
We handed over our tickets without a fight. We both knew that when we get excited, there is a chance that whatever we are holding at that moment will get dropped and lost. As we continued down the long and congested walkways inside the building, we continued to point out exciting things each of us stupidly missed.
"Right here girls, this is our stop." my mom screamed to us both.
"What? Oh…." we both said as we turned around and realized how far back they were.
"I guess we need to pay more attention right Nena?" I asked jokingly.
"You're right Liz!" she replied in the same joking tone.
We walked into a hallway that had a small line of people asking a girl where their seats were located. "Go down the walkway here and up three rows." she told a group of people that were in front of us. As we waited for our turn, we looked around and became more excited once we both saw the stage.
"I guess we were wrong if we thought it wasn't exciting in here before the concert starts right?" I said to Nena, who was right beside me looking over my shoulder.
"You've got that right!" she said.
"Hi!" said the ticket girl. "Are you guys excited or what?" she asked us.
"More than ever!" we both replied together.
"That's wonderful, who are you most excited to see?" she asked as she took the tickets from my mom.
"DAVID ARCHULETA!" we screamed.
"Oh, that's cool. He is going to be REALLY good I heard. Okay, what you're going to do is go all the way down to the bottom and show the girl down there and she'll guide you the rest of the way." she said.
"Oh, okay thank you." said my mom in a nice tone. She always used her nice voice when she was talking on the phone, people at work, ordering food at restaurants, or when we were at places like this.
We walked the rest of the way down and just like she said, there was a girl waiting at the end. She walked us around and we followed her. Soon enough we found our seats, and once again, waited. Where my cousin was supposed to sit was two seats down from mine but my mom and I both knew we did not want to be separated. After we arranged seats, we put our stuff down under our chairs and screamed again.
"Can you believe we're on the floor?" asked my cousin.
"No! Not at all!"
"Hey everyone!" said a voice over the speakers around the building. "How are you all doing' tonight?" asked the voice.
In less than a second, screams filled the very large room.
"Aww…. come on! I asked HOW ARE YOU ALL DOIN' TONIGHT!" he asked again.
Soon enough, same as 5 seconds ago, screams filled the room.
"Alright!" said the voice. "I want you all to say 'HI' to Mr. Poptart!"
Loud screams of "hi" and cheers began to rise.
"Now, who wants a t-shirt?" asked the guy.
As we looked up at the screens, we could see a man, and a HUGE, life-size Poptart running around people up in the stands, and down on the floor. When we looked back behind us, we saw white rolled up t-shirts flying through the air, and landing in some people's hands. Two minutes passed of flying t-shirts, music, and the giant Poptart dancing. Finally the moment came and we could both sense it. We looked at each other and waited for the question.
"All right that was a lot of fun right?" asked the guy.
The room lifted in screams. We were prepared for the next question as if we where going to die any moment if it wasn't asked. We looked at each other, grabbing each others hands, squeezing them to hold our screams and excitement in for what we were waiting for. Finally the guy ran up to the front where the stage was and opened his mouth getting ready to say something.
"ARE YOU READY FOR THIS SHOW TO START?" he asked.
It was impossible for us to hold on any longer, as we waited for the next question.
"Alright! Well see that curtain there? We need to make it drop!" he told us like he knew everything. "Only one thing will make it fall."
Soon after that, the whole room went from loud and full of screams, to dead silent. We both looked at each other with the same face, and knew what was coming. The moment we could do what we wanted to do really bad, and not get in trouble. It was time.
"WE NEED TO HEAR YOU SCREAM!" he said loudly.
This was it! We both looked at each other, then the stage, still squeezing each other's hand, and let out the longest scream that we could. As we watched with amazement, and screaming like never before, the lights went out, and the curtain dropped to the stage floor. But we then realized that just made us want to scream more. After what seemed like forever, we finally stopped screaming, and landed in our chairs next to each other, laughing at what just happened. When we heard the famous theme song to our favorite show, we stood up from our chairs and danced crazily and unstoppable. We were in heaven.
The beginning of the concert went by some-what slowly, but we still had fun. As we watched Idols ten through five perform, we danced, screamed, cheered, and laughed. We blocked out everything around us and only enjoyed each other, the music, all the fun we were having, and thinking about the people that were soon to come. When the first half was over, the lights came on as bright as the beginning, and we noticed that some point during the show that the curtain was moved from the floor. As we slowly came back to reality we could hear my mom calling us.
"Come on girls!" she screamed to us from the end of the row.
"Ok, coming right now." I replied.
We left our stuff hidden under our sweatshirts and under our chairs. When we felt comfortable with our hiding, we squeezed pass the people in our row leading over to my mom.
"How was that? You girls looked like you had fun." my mom said to us as she walked.
"How couldn't we?" asked my cousin from behind me.
"I know right?" I responded.
"Well, I'm happy you are having fun." said my mom.
"Fun?" said my cousin.
"A BLAST!" we said together. We looked at each other and started to laugh.
We walked along the crowds of people, stopping to let people out of their rows, and stopping to fight with someone about not getting out of their row. When we were half way up, I heard a familiar tune. I looked up to the screen and noticed my favorite contestant's Guitar Hero commercial. During the finale, the top two contestants got to make a commercial for the game. While laughing I showed Nena the screen and we were both laughing and following my mom. She turned around and asked us what was so funny. When we showed her the screen, she looked at us and told us we were crazy. We both said thank you and continued to follow her.
When we reached the top, the section we went out of had a bathroom in front of it and no one was there yet. We all ran in, quickly went, then went to one of the ice cream stands.
"So Liz, what kind do you want?" my mom asked as she looked for her credit card.
"Uh…. chocolate." I replied.
"Ok, Nena what about you?"
"Same, chocolate." she said.
My mom turned away from us, and to the guy. She ordered our ice cream, and gave it to us.
"I don't have a spoon." Nena told me, as if I didn't know.
"Why use a spoon watch this." I brought the ice cream to my mouth and took a bite. "TA-DA!" I laughed.
"Oh, I see." she brought the ice cream up and took a bite.
By the time my mom was done getting hers and paying the guy, she handed us both spoons.
"Here, try these. They might help." she said as she handed us both spoons.
We took the spoon, and looked around. We saw the concession stand we saw earlier when we first came in the building.
"Mom, can we go look over there?" I asked my mom.
"Sure, let me get some napkins." she walked over to the cart, got napkins, and caught up to us. "You each have $20. Liz, you have like $25." she told us.
"How do I have $25?" I asked confused.
"$20 from Aunt Sam and $5 from Aunt Stephanie." she told me.
"Oh okay." I turned back around and started to look at all the things they had. Nena periodically pointed out a few things to me and they were pretty cool.
"LIZ! IT'S THE BLUE T-SHIRT WE SAW WHEN WE FIRST GOT HERE!" she said excitingly.
I stared amazed that the shirt was still up for show. "I can't believe it's up there. I thought they would be gone!" I was so excited. That I was able to get any t-shirt there, including that one. "One problem Nena."
"What?" she asked.
"Its $35." I said upset.
"So, what's your point?"
"Remember, I only have $25." I said upset.
We both were a little un-happy at that point. Nena knew me like she knew a favorite song. She knew all the words to me, faces, voices that came with my emotions. She could tell I was upset. She gave me a hug, and tried to distract me. When we were about two people from the front of the line, my mom asked us if we saw anything we wanted. I told her my choice and then I explained how it wouldn't work.
"How much is it?" she asked looking up there.
"$35." I told her.
"Why can't you get it?"
"Cause I only have $25. I'm $10 off." I said.
"Do you mean the David Archuleta one?" she asked still looking.
"Yeah. The really cute andadorable and…" I stopped. Lost at the sight of the picture on the t-shirt. I realized my cousin wasn't trying to stop me so I figured she was gone like I was. We both walked over to the trash can on the side of the stand and finished our ice cream and waited for my mom.
A couple minutes later, my mom came over with a bag and her change in her hand. She walked over to a little stand that was clear and set the stuff down to organize her and put her change in her wallet. She walked back over to where Nena and I were standing off to the side of the lines staring unresponsively at the t-shirt. When we heard the screams and cheers begin, we snapped out of it and ran to our section. The good part was there were only a couple people in the hallway left so it made it easy to run. When we made it to our section, my grand mom was standing there waiting for us.
"Why didn't you go down to your seat?" asked my mom.
"Because, I wanted to ask Liz if she wanted to trade seats with Me." she said as she looked down at me.
"W-why-why would you do that?" I stammered.
"Because you can see so much better where I was. Plus you can go up to the side and touch their hands." she said.
It sounded great to be so close. In the first row, able to see so perfectly. I really wanted to be in her seat because I did have horrible sight. The best part was being able to touch their hands! Would I be able to touch David's? Would I be able to see his wonderful and gorgeous face? I looked over at Nena with a questioned look on my face. Her face seemed easy and straight. When I changed mine a little, a huge smile grew across, going from ear to ear, so did I. I knew right away what she meant. We gave each other a hug, and once again jumped up and down screaming. This was it, the last half of the concert. The moment we've waited for. Almost time to see who we wanted. As we walked down the steps my grand mom gave me her ticket and showed me where to go.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH NANA!" I screamed. I gave her a big hug over her shoulders and she hugged me back.
"Oh Liz!" said my mom. "Hold on, I have something for you." she reached into the bag she carried on her wrist and pulled out another bag. "Here, open it." she said.
As I opened the package, my grand mom was talking to the people she sat next to during the first half explaining who I was and that I was going to take her seat.
I opened the bag and pulled out a rolled up, blue t-shirt. I held onto the top and shook it, letting it unroll itself and the picture become visible.
"OH-MY-GOD! THANK YOU SO MUCH MOM!" I screamed and threw a hug over her. "IT'S PERFECT!" I showed it to Nena and she screamed.
"You're welcome Liz." she said. "Have fun, and be good. I'll see you at the end." That was the last word from my mom. She gave me a kiss and a hug and let Nena in to say bye.
"I'm so sorry Nena! I owe you one I promise!" I told her.
"No Liz, you don't. I want you to do this. Happy Birthday." she said as she gave me a hug.
The concert was for my birthday. Even though it was August now and my birthday wasn't until October, this was a present from my grand mom. I loved her for it. I finally let go, and they all went to their seats. As I squeezed past all the people, I saw the empty seat, and people who where waiting for me. I sat down, said Hi, and changed out of my one shirt and put on the other. It was so hot considering I had two shirts on. When I was done, the people who were sitting next to me started to talk to me.
"So, who are you're favorites?" the mom asked.
"Um… David Archuleta, Jason Castro. Michael Johns was pretty good." I answered.
"That's cool. We're David Cook fans." she said with a smile.
"Oh, that's cool." I responded. I soon remembered my t-shirt I had on. I took my hands and covered up as much as the shirt as I could.
The theme song started again. As the lights went down, screams had begun, including mine, and the people around me. In just a couple of minutes, the stage went from a shade of blue to pure black. Everyone waited for something to happen, every couple of seconds someone would break the silence with a scream or a cheer.
A few seconds later, the back screen started to light up and show that we had the top 4 people left. As they showed the number and a shadow of the person, I knew who it was. My grand mom's favorite was up now. I listened carefully to all the people around me listening to all the screams and to what people where saying. I heard, somewhere behind me, a voice that had to come from a girl about my age. Once I heard that, I felt happy that I wasn't the only young person who loved him.
"I LOVE YOU JASON!" I yelled from my seat.
He sat on a stool up on the stage playing his guitar and singing his first song just like he did on the show. He had the same smile and happiness that he always had. It always made me happy to see someone like that never being negative and always being supportive to the others around him. Maybe that was why my grand mom and everyone else loved him so much. As time passed I grew bored and tired with out Nena there. She always had a way of making the calm hyper and happy and un-settled.
As Jason ended, cheers and screams had begun. A couple people screamed 'I love you' one last time before he was out of sight. When he heard someone yell that to him, he would turn tot the side wave, and then the people would scream again. When Jason left, the next person came on the stage. She was in the top three on the show. So she was the third from last. Her music was a little different then Jason's. His was calm, inspirational, and soothing. Hers was up-beat and fun. Except for one song which was a clam, and a slow song.
When she ended her songs, the building filled with screams and cheers from fans. At that point, I had a feeling in my stomach that told me, my screaming time would come. Was the time really here? Could he really be next? Will my never ending waiting be over? All my questions where now answered. While she was talking, I was waiting, for the future words.
"I am honored to present to you, one of my close friends on and off the show. Give a nice, warm welcome to, DAVID ARCHULETA!" she said.
This was it. Finally, my wait was over. As she left the stage, screams that people gave her now faded into a distant yell. In less than a couple of seconds, she said her last goodbye, and walked off stage. As lights went down, from a blue and purple stage with a white spot light, all you could hear was everyone become absolutely silent. Two minutes went by, with people sitting in their seats, becoming impatient. I looked around the building and there were little spots of lights that seemed to be coming from cell phones. It seemed like a calming night sky in the summer.
After waiting and imagining, a dim light brought me back. At the very back of the stage, there was a giant screen that began to show colors of yellow, blue, and a light shade of green. The colors danced around and around the screen for a couple of seconds, making me wait for what I have been waiting for all night. The screen turned from the design of the last song and was replaced with a black outline of what seemed like a person on the right side. On the other, the number 2 showed inside a light blue circle outlined in white. When the time was right, the black figure turned into the most amazing picture I had ever seen. A baby faced looking teenager, with short spiky black hair, and shocking hazel eyes filled the black spot. The stage became a shade of purple light and filled with white colored smoke. Screams and yells, stronger than ever before, filled my ears and everyone else's. The back picture that was on the screen, had faded away and was now replaced with a clear black and little white dots that made it seem like a night time sky. Even soon, on the mini screens began to look the same way. The music started into a calm and easy piano sound. It sounded familiar to me, the song, the tones coming from the piano, and the easy way the keys played the sound. Where is he? Where is he coming from?
Up above my head, fan girl screams began. Every couple of seconds screams would start from a new height, with the people at the top starting. As I watched the stage, unwilling to take my attention off of it, I saw what I wanted. Rising up from my seat, and standing hypnotized, I could see the short black spiky hair I saw on the big screen. Rising more and more up it became more visible to me what I was watching. A black piano rising from the middle of the stage with color, and the picture from the back, reflecting off of it making it seem like the shade of purple used on the stage and the star background used. In the seat behind the piano was the baby faced looking teenager, with the wonderful black hair, and the beautiful shocking hazel eyes. I was still standing, unable to move or sit down; when he began to sing with the most amazing, wonderful, tense lifting, angel like voice that was so familiar to me. Quickly taking out my phone of my jean pocket I began to take pictures of this most amazing sight.
The first song ended with him holding a breath taking note, and leaving me in tears. The people around me were so surprised to see me like this and just decided to let me be. As he played the last note and sung the last word of his song, everyone around me began to cheer. Still filled with the little feeling of weakness in my legs, I cheered all the energy I had left inside of me. When the cheering calmed down, he began to talk with that angel voice.
"Hello everyone," he said shyly. "How are you all doing?"
Screams filled the building, along with mine.
"That's good. Are you enjoying yourselves?" he asked still a little shy.
I realized right way when he grabbed the microphone he would be shy and nervous performing in front of so many people. On the show, they always sung in front of hundreds of people in the theater, and millions of people at home watching on T.V. But he never got used to so many people around.
"Well, we've worked hard on this tour for you guys," he said. "It makes us so happy to see all of you give us your support through out the show and during the tour. We just want to say thank you." he turned around and headed up the flight of stairs in the back. Was that it? He only sings one song? Now I was upset. Was that all he planned on singing tonight? After all the waiting I did? But, in a couple of quick seconds, I was proved wrong.
As I watched him sing like an angel, I became unresponsive to everything around me. My family and Mom especially, have noticed that when I watch something that I think is really good, my world and the people around me seem to blank out. This was, of course, was one of those times. The people next to me on the other hand, found out a way to talk to me. They told me before the second half, before the concert started, that when the idols come over I could walk over to the side and reach out to the stage and try to touch their hand. The only problem is it was hard to do. So many people would be there at once so you had to squeeze in as much as you could. The best thing happened that night. I TOUCHED HIS HAND!
As he was on the third song, I thought to myself that I never wanted this to end. But, eventually, it did. As he sung the last note of the fourth song, he thanked us deeply, and gave a mini speech.
"You guys don't know how special this journey and experience has been for me, and well all of us actually," he said sweetly. "We just wanted to thank you for all the wonderful support and letters, and watching us sing. Plus all the votes you cast. It means a lot to…." he got cut off.
"WE LOVE YOU DAVID!" screamed a group of girls from the other side.
"OH, GOSH!" he said turning red up on stage. "Thank you, I guess." he said. "Now, it's my honor to introduce to you, your American idol…." he was cut off again, but this time by someone else.
"THE REAL AMERICAN IDOL IS ON THE STAGE!" someone yelled.
I turned around to see who could have yelled it this time. As I looked and looked no one seemed to be cheering, just looking down at my row. As I looked up and down my row, people seemed to be looking at me, along with David himself. I looked up afraid to see his face, but it wasn't shyness, or a scared look. It was beaming with the happiest smile I have ever seen him give.
"OH, GOSH! Thanks a bunch guys this really means a lot." he said still looking at me.
"I LOVE YOU DAVID!" yelled someone from behind me.
"AWW….Thanks, now introducing… DAVID COOK!" he said once more, waving with a smile, and walked off the stage.
"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH DAVID!" I yelled, thinking he wouldn't hear me.
Turns out, I was wrong. He stopped once he wasn't visible to anyone and in a shadow. There was a mini light behind him, so it was possible to see him. He lifted up his hand pointing to me. I stood there sideways not watching the show, I paid attention to what David was trying to say to me. He walked to the side and came back out with a piece of paper and pen, but being careful and staying in the shadows. When everyone went up to shake David Cook's hand, he ran out, and handed me a white rectangular paper. On the paper it read…
June 13, 2008
Hey, thanks for showing all the support to me and the others, I really love to know that people like you care!
"You'll never be lonely if you learn to befriend yourself."
David Archuleta
Oh, MY, GOD! Did this really just happen to me? As he walked back into the shadow of back stage he turned again to face me. He slipped his hand into his pocket telling me to do the same. I folded the letter and slipped it into the pocket of my jeans. This was definitely going to be a night I would remember.
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