Elyssa Sparks' POV:

We are to leave in five minutes and I reach Em's room and am about to knock when I hear Em talking on his phone.

He seems to be talking to Mom, and I just about knock when his words pull me up short.

"Mom, I'm worried about Ely."

What could he be worried about?

"I think she's falling apart..."

I lean against the adjacent wall and drop to the ground noiselessly.

"Well, what if she can't piece herself back together?"

I'm scared, now that I'm faced with this prospect. He's got every right to think this and be concerned, but I've never gathered enough courage to talk about that with him.

I can't bear to hear anymore, so I run down the stairs and settle down on the couch.

I try to smooth my ruffled feathers and appear unaffected, but I just can't.

I try to wipe my face clear of all the fear, sorrow, anger and disappointment and everything else scrambling around in my head.

I take in shaky deep breaths to calm me down. Nothing works now. I sigh and give up, staring at the ceiling.

Em walks in and to my side and asks, "Hey, Ely! Ready to go?"

"No, I'm only waiting to turn to stone. Let's move!" I answer, surprising both of us and sprinting out the door.

"Hold up!" Em yells.

Ooh, now I can get him!

I turn back for a couple of seconds and tap my feet impatiently. Observing this, Em walks to me, slowing down as he nears me.

Just when he reaches me, I yell, "Catch me if you can!" and full out run.

Em's got no chance of catching me, and I know it, so I run full speed. I literally run into the venue, applying my brakes just before I crash into Rina Otto.

She yells and hugs me excitedly.

"Where's Emmett?" she asks, as Nicola and Charlotte wave at me and Silvan smiles at me.

"A couple of light years away!" I quip.

"What?" yells Nicola.

I just wink and walk away to talk to Jake, whom I notice now is talking with Kristen and Zöe, all of whom seem excited to see me...

An exhausted Em shows up twenty minutes later, just as we are about to begin.

"Why the hell are you so early, eh?" Silvan asks, his words dripping in sarcasm.

"Because she outran me!" he exclaims, breathless.

"Em, don't over-exaggerate stuff. I ran here in like five minutes! And you took twenty-five!" I say.

"Well, not my fault you're a protégée of Usain Bolt, dammit!" Em yells, causing all of us to snicker.

"And you one of a snail?" Nicola adds, leaving Em fuming.

"I hate you, Elyssa! I wish you would die!" he yells at me, and my smile falls off my face.

Em realizes and quickly apologizes, "Sorry, I'm so sorry, Ely, I didn't mean it, and-"

"Zip it." I reply rather curtly and walk off to a corner of the room.

I try to take stuff with a pinch of salt, but it's very tough to do that after what happened...

I shrug it off and sit in the empty chair next to Lillian, who wordlessly smiles at me and turns forward to face the stage. Em tries to walk up to me, but Jake stops him.

Em just shrugs and mouths 'Sorry' to me. He then sits down between Jake and Kristen, who pats his back and gives me a reassuring smile.

The judges walk up on to the stage, where four chairs have been placed facing us and a table in front of them in the middle of the stage.

Oliver and Cassidy kick off the day by telling us what would be going on today. We're informed that today, a simple round of singing one song will be conducted.

We will also be talking to the judges about our experiences so far and what-not.

I shudder a little at the thought, but brush it away. We will have 3 hours to prepare a song from a list.

To provide variety, only two people can sing a song. A big chart has been put up, and we have to put our names next to the songs.

I'm the first to reach the list. I scan the list.

There are a couple of songs that I know, but the most appealing to me are 'Stitches' by Shawn Mendes and 'Blank Space' by Taylor Swift.

I put down my name next to 'Stitches' and walk away.

At least that's done...

We will have some accompaniments available, so I walk up to the band and request the necessary.

I rehearse to my heart's content without accompaniment and practice with accompaniment two times as well.

Now done, I head to the couches near the list and sit down. Cassidy asks if I'm done, to which I nod.

She lets me know that we still have ten more minutes. I nod and sit back and relax.

Five minutes later, people start pouring into the room and sit down and wait, some practising even now.

I look around to find Em singing 'Blank Space'.

I smile. I knew he would pick that!

The judges seem to be walking around, talking to everyone. Upon seeing me, they walk up to me.

"Hey, are you okay?" asks Charlotte.

"Kinda..." I reply and give a half-hearted smile.

Nicola asks what song I've picked and I say, "'Stitches' by Shawn Mendes."

Rina wishes me luck and Silvan says, "I heard you rehearse; You do sound good and-" he's cut off by a girl who screams, "No!"

We then find out that the girl, Sherlow, is standing in front of the chart. She screamed when she found out that what Oliver told her was true: She had put her name for a song which already had two names.

I walk up to her and look at the chart to find out that she's signed on for 'Stitches'.

I groan internally.

The other person who's signed on for 'Stitches' says it's not his fault she wrote her name there and that he's not going to change it.

He adds that I shouldn't change either, seeing as it's her fault for signing on when two had already signed on.

I scan the list.

There's no other song on there that's free and that I know properly to sing if I switch. Sherlow looks at me with pleading eyes.

I sigh and say, "I already practised so much for 'Stitches'..."

"You don't have to change..." says Cole, causing Sherlow to glare at him.

I inspect the list again.

Only some gospel song is free, one that I haven't even listened to...

I look up to see Sherlow staring intensely at me.

"Won't you help a sister?" she says.

Em's looking at me intensely, as if to tell me not to change.

"I'm sorry, Sherlow, I don't know this..." I point to the song.

"I don't either!" she yells.

I turn around to the judges and ask, "Can I perform an original song?"

They look shocked, but nod their heads.

I take the marker and scratch out my name.

"There. You sing that." I tell Sherlow and sit down, looking through my bag for some paper.

"Can I sing last?" I ask the judges, who nod.

"Great!" I say and walk out of the room to the balcony.

Okay, think, Elyssa.

Okay, I've got an idea...

- - - - - - -

"Elyssa?" I hear Zöe's voice.

"Yeah?" I ask, turning around.

"You're performing after this. Are you ready?" she asks.

"Who?"

"Emmett."

"Ooh, Zöe, let's go!" I say and drag her along with me.

I run into the auditorium with Zöe in tow. I watch as Em walks up on to the stage and looks around nervously.

When he spots me, he appears to relax. I beam at him, and this brings a big smile on his face.

"Hello, Emmett." says Nicola.

I know he's going to slay!

- - - - - - -

I was right!

There's no way they're letting him go after that!

"Elyssa, listen..." says Zöe.

"Yeah?"

"Elyssa, I really admire you for what you did!"

"I don't know what to say..."

"I know you don't. That's okay! Now go on that stage and slay!" she says.

"Thank you so much, Zöe!" I say and hug her.

I then walk onto the stage, giving Em a high-five on the way.

"You rock!" I mouth to him.

"Thanks!" he mouths back to me.

I walk onto the X on the stage.

"Hello!" I trill.

"Hey, Elyssa!" says Rina.

Silvan says, "So, before you sing, let's know more about you. The basics, first..."

- - - - - - -