Prologue: A Year After

In a small room backstage sat a group of seven girls. All of them were dressed fairly similarly, wearing jean skirts and letterman jackets bearing their names. The tension was thick as they waited to be called to perform. You could see it in their eyes that this performance would make or break them. The sales for their debut EP hadn't been announced yet but the girls were terrified they failed. So many things could happen when they hit that stage. The audience could be full of non-fans who had no interest in cheering or paying attention to their performance when they could be watching a more established group instead. Boos could rain down on their shoulders and shatter what little confidence they currently had into millions of pieces. The uncertainty of what awaited them was heavy on each of their chests as memories flashed in front of their eyes. Years spent preparing for this moment, thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars poured into making their dreams come true, were hanging in the balance. They had to be good. They had to make a living out of this so all the pain was worth it.

Finally, one of the older girls stood up and walked to the center of the room. She had soft tan skin that contrasted perfectly with her large, thoughtful hazel eyes. Like everyone else, she looked petrified about going to perform. But there was something different about her that shone off of her smile like a beacon from heaven. It was clear that all the girls held some sort of respect for her, maybe even a little admiration. And she used that praise responsibly with the way she held her up high and spoke to them. That very moment she began to formulate a speech that would hold them all together in a mental moment of embrace. As with the rest, her mind was being flooded by pain. The pain of giving up it all to be there with them. But she wore that pain like a badge of honor as the woman knew it led her to that very future. In reflection, she found herself secretly going back in time. Traveling to a year beforehand when she had been only a teenager with a dream.