It is the evening of the school talent show. Terra, the lead singer of a band, is getting ready. Her hands are sweaty, her stomach feels like it’s turning, and she is scared, but everyone else looks happy.
Terra holds up the beautiful costume her dad helped her make. It is covered in sequins, and she’s excited about wearing it, but she’s having trouble getting into it. Her hands are shaking.
Terra tries to sing one of her songs in her head to calm herself down, but she can’t remember the words. She doesn’t know what to do.
She tries to pull her tights on, one leg and then the other. Her foot gets caught. She pulls harder and hears a loud rip. She freezes, not even breathing, and looks down. There is a hole in her tights.
“No!” Terra shouts. She stops, unsure what she should do next.
Her friend Aya comes in. “Terra! What’s wrong?”
“I can’t be in the show! I can’t sing, I don’t remember the words, and now I have a hole in my costume!” Terra says. Her heart is beating so hard she can’t hear anything else.
Aya places a hand on Terra’s back, and Terra looks up.
“Terra, when is your birthday?” Aya asks.
Terra thinks the question is strange, but she answers, “It’s September 20th.”
“OK, great,” Aya says. “Now let’s breathe deeply and count to five slowly. Ready?”
Terra nods, and both girls count as they breathe in.
“One, two, three, four, five.”
Terra breathes out and relaxes.
“Let’s do it again,” Aya says.
Terra counts again and then breathes out. She feels a little more relaxed. Then she notices her heart is beating more slowly. She feels better. She looks up, and Aya smiles.
“My favorite singer gets anxious before a show, and she’s famous, so don’t worry,” Aya says. “It’s normal.”
Next Aya stands up, takes a pair of tights out of the dressing room closet, and gives them to Terra. Terra puts them on carefully.
“OK. Are you ready to sing?”
Terra nods, but she’s not sure. Aya takes Terra’s arm and walks her backstage. The lights are on and the band starts playing. Terra takes a deep breath and walks onto the stage. Everything is so bright, and her heart races again.
“Head up and smile!” Aya shouts.
There are so many people watching the show. Watching Terra. Her heart beats like a drum. She lifts her head, smiles, and starts singing. The words come out loudly and clearly. The music gets faster, and she continues to sing. Terra feels great! Like she’s doing a great job. The audience claps, and her chest fills with joy! This is her time! It’s showtime!
