a/n: This is how my auditions would go if I were to try out for American Idol.


I sat nervously outside in the big practice room, waiting on my turn to go in. I had been preparing for this for months, yet I still didn't think I was ready. I'd chosen my song carefully, confident that it was the right one, the one that would get me to Hollywood. When my name was called I jumped up immediately, my heart pounding against my chest painfully. I tried desperately to calm myself, but despite my best efforst, I was still overwhelmingly nervous as I entered the room where the judges were waiting.

"Hello," Randy greeted me. "You're name is..."

I told him my name.

Paula noticed how nervous I looked and that I was visibly trembling. "Honey, calm down a little bit, okay? It's fine," she bade.

I nodded, drawing in a long steadying breath. "I'm sorry. It's just that Simon scares me a little."

Simon almost looked offended but a grin played on his lips. "I scare you?" he asked disbelievingly, hands opening into a questioning gesture.

I just bit my lower lip and smiled sheepishly.

Randy leaned over and looked at him. "Well, of course she's scared. You're always sitting there glaring at them as they come in."

"So you've noticed,too?" Paula said.

Simon just shook his head, a puzzled, or was it annoyed, expression on his face and mouthed the word, "What?" He decided to ignore them and turned his attention back to the contestant: me. "Anyway, what are you going to sing for us?"

I almost forgot the song, but then I remembered suddenly. "Fireflies by Owl City." That title was followed by an "oo" and expectant looks. Upon a gesture to start, I began singing the chorus:

"I'd like to make myself believe,
that planet Earth turns slowly.
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay,
awake when I'm asleep,
because my dreams are never as they seem..."

I stopped when I saw the pained expressions on the judges faces and heard a murmur of, "Please, take your dreams FAR away..." Paula had her head in her hands, Randy was rubbing his temples, and Simon had securely planted his fingers in his ears.

Randy was the first to speak, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over us, "W-Well..."

"No," came Simon's ultimate decision.

Paula almost slapped him. "Don't be mean. No wonder she's afraid of you."

"And with good reason, I now see..." Randy mumbled.

"I-I'm sorry. I can sing something else."

"Heaven forbid!" Simon exclaimed. I blanched. "I just want to know one thing; what happened to the money your father spent on singing lessons?"

"Um. I didn't take singing lessons,' I said hesitantly.

"It shows."

"Oh hush. That song would've been hard for anyone to sing," Paula tried to defend me, playing the good guy.

"A bat could have done better."

Paula was amazed at how mean he could be.

"Simon, yes or no," Randy asked unnecessarily.

"A million times no."

"Paula?"

"I'm sorry, honey."

"And it's a no for me, too."

"Three no's. You're going... home!" Simon sand excitedly.

I wiped a tear out of my eye. I headed for the wrong door and was quickly turned in the right direction.

"Don't give up!" Paula called after me.

"No, give up. My ears are bleeding," Simon muttered, getting up from his chair and walking away, needing to clear the most awful thing he had ever heard from his ears.

When I came into the hallway I was bawling my eyes out. Ryan needn't ask the result. He just offerend me a few words of comfort as I stumbled away.

Maybe singing wasn't for me.


a/n: I can't sing, that's why I joined the band. lol :)