Page 85 of Fame & Chaos

Right then, Ella walks into the room, and Chad’s face lights up so hard it’s honestly embarrassing.

Oh my God… he totally likes her.

Why haven’t I noticed before? But now that I am noticing it, it’s glaringly fucking obvious.

Ella walks straight past Chad without even looking at him and drops onto the couch beside me while completely absorbed in her cell.

“Ella, you okay?” I ask.

She finally looks up and nods quickly. “Yeah. Just starving.”

Then she immediately goes back to scrolling her cell phone.

I glance over at Chad again and nearly laugh at the way he’s staring at her like she personally invented oxygen.

Jesus Christ.

Two couples in this band are going to be a fucking nightmare.

We spend the next couple of hours hanging out backstage, messing about, while the other bands perform. I keep messaging Indi throughout the night, and apparently, she’s loving the other acts, but she keeps reminding me she’s most excited to see me perform.

Which absolutely does not help my ego problem.

Eventually, it’s finally our turn to get ready.

We head toward backstage, where everyone’s gathered, including all the parents. Honestly, I don’t mind them being here. It’s nice knowing they support us this much.

I glance around at the band before motioning everyone closer.

“Right, guys,” I call out. “Huddle in.”

“Good luck,” Colt shouts after us. “We’re proud of you.”

We move into our usual tight circle, and I take a deep breath while preparing to give the biggest pep talk of my life. “Okay, guys, listen up.” I glance around the huddle, making sure I’ve got everyone’s attention. “Stay focused out there and don’t get too caught up in how massive the crowd is. Yeah, it’s a big audience, but at the end of the day, we just need to do what we always do. Play like we’re back at the manor, and everything will be all Isle of Wight.”

Ella bursts out laughing. “Did you just use Cockney slang?”

I grin proudly and nod. “Damn right I did.”

Everyone laughs, and the mood stays light, which is exactly what we need right now—no nerves, no pressure, just pure excitement.

“Okay, hands in.”

We all shove our right hands into the middle and shout our mantra together, then throw our fists into the air as the parents clap and laugh at our ridiculous ritual.

“Okay, Staked, we’re ready for you!” someone with a clipboard yells from backstage.

The second those words hit me, every nerve in my body gets swallowed by pure adrenaline. The roar of the crowd filters through the walls, vibrating through the backstage area like thunder.

Holy fuck.

This is real.

The others take off toward the stage entrance while I quickly pull out my cell and send Indi one last text.

Me: About to head on. This is unbelievable. The crowd’s so loud!

I hit send and look up just in time to see Annie, Ella, Aston, and Chad walk onto the stage. The crowd absolutely erupts, and I laugh under my breath as the sound crashes through me, making every inch of my body tingle.