You and Me (Plus Everyone In Between Us)

14 Days, 11 Hours, 46 Minutes, 22 Seconds

It had been exactly fourteen days, eleven hours, forty-six minutes, and twenty-two seconds. Now twenty-three. But who was counting, right? I swiped my phone out of my pocket and ran straight to my email.

I couldn't help but doubt my chances of getting in. There were probably a ton of people way better and more interesting than me. I couldn't tell if the judges had resting bored faces or if they secretly despised me and were hoping I'd quit and save myself from embarrassment.

"Ooh," Karson, my coworker, teased as he glanced over his shoulder. "Priya's going to write you up."

"To who?" I replied with a smirk, a little too boldly. "Write me up to herself? As far as I'm concerned, Priya owns this whole place."

Karson, with a K, was kind of my only friend and my coworker. He would make sure that if you had the thought of writing down or spelling his name, he would look over your shoulder to make sure you got it right. He graduated from our high school some years ago and was studying to be a producer at some big music program. Don't tell him this, but I was so jealous that he got to go to music school.

Karson and I were on unboxing duty today, as a new shipment of 'Overdrive' had arrived today, for excited D-1s to raid once they hit the shelves. It was opening week and all I could do was survive. And wait.

But my phone was once again dry.

"I don't care," I replied half-heartedly. "Well, maybe a little. But not right now. I'm expecting a phone call. Or an email."

Karson glanced curiously before smirking. "Who are you waiting for? Have you finally found yourself a boyfriend? Or girlfriend, if you swing that way."

"Just boyfriend," I assured. "And even then, I'm waiting for no one. I just did this silly little audition over the weekend. It's not a big deal."

"For who?" he asked curiously.

I sighed. "Finding Solstice."

Karson's eyes widened. "Finding Solstice? That show? Girl, that isn't a little audition. Do you realize whose albums we're stocking here?"

I glanced down at the albums featuring the airbrushed faces of Dilemma. Yeah, I couldn't even fathom being in their league.

"It was two weeks ago," I shrugged. "They're probably only taking, like, five people from Toronto, max. And then out of forty, only twenty will make it to the main competition. It was just a fun thing, really. My sister signed me up."

"What if you actually make it?" Karson posed. "You could actually become famous. I could be stocking your albums. Hell, I could be lining up to produce a song for the great Ezra!"

"I won't," I assured him, though deep down, the thought made my heart race. "I'm pretty sure the judges were falling asleep while I performed."

"You have a great voice," Karson complimented, trying to boost my confidence. "Seriously."

"Thanks, but I honestly hope they reject me so I can stop obsessing over this," I confessed. "It's been giving me anxiety."

The conversation paused, and my ears were subjected once again to the never-ending loop of 'Overdrive'. Priya loved playing music videos in the background to set the mood, but there were only so many times a girl could hear Dilemma before losing her sanity.

Suddenly, my phone started buzzing in my pocket, causing me to jump in surprise.

"What's going on?" Karson asked, curious.

BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ! No Caller ID. I barely had time to read the display before I lifted the phone to my ear.

I half-expected to hear, "Hello Friend. I am a Nigerian prince named Babatunde who needs a wire transfer of $4000 so I can unlock my huge fortune and share it with you." But instead, I heard a calm voice say, "Hello."

"Yes?" I replied, my voice filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"Am I speaking to Ezra Thompson?" they inquired. I nodded instinctively before realizing they couldn't see me nodding.

"Yes, this is Ezra," I answered, my heart racing with anticipation. "Whose speaking?"

"This is Kyle, I'm a producer with Finding Solstice," he informed me. "I understand you participated in an audition two weeks ago, is that correct?"

My eyes widened, and in my stunned state, I accidentally put the phone down and erupted into a fit of giggles with Karson.

"Talk to him!" Karson whisper-yelled. "What are you doing? Talk to him!"

"Sorry about that," I managed to say, regaining my composure. "Yeah, I auditioned."

"Well then," Kyle began, and I could practically hear the suspense building. "I'm thrilled to announce that you have successfully passed the first round of auditions and will be invited to perform in front of the judges in Los Angeles!"

I almost collapsed right there on the spot. This couldn't be real! This couldn't be happening!

Me?

Karson and I grabbed each other's hands, jumping up and down like rabid little squirrels.

"Ezra?" Kyle's voice brought me back to reality, and I blushed from embarrassment.

"Yes?" I replied, breathless and exhilarated.

"Are you still there?" he wondered.

"Of course!" I exclaimed, trying to catch my breath.

"Great!" Kyle cheered. "Before you go, you'll need to sign a contract outlining the terms and conditions. It'll be sent to your email. Since you're a minor, a parent will need to sign it for you, or else you won't be able to come. You have twenty-four hours to sign, and once you do, we'll send you two plane tickets, a hotel booking, and a schedule."

"Okay!" I exclaimed.

"That's all for now," Kyle finished. "Goodbye, Ezra."

The phone went silent, and I couldn't help but let out another squeal of joy.

"I'm going to be on the show!" I exclaimed before a sudden realization hit me.

"I'm going to be on the show," I repeated, slowing down my words. "But first, I have to ask my parents."