Even after all this time, Olivia still gets nervous before a performance. Lemonade Mouth was meant to be performing in Madison Square Garden later that night and Olivia was once again nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" asked Stella impatiently.

"She'll be here," replied Mo. "She's never missed a performance before. Remember Rising Star?" Stella grimaced as she remembered the competition they had entered when they had just formed their band.

Mo had caught the flu, Charlie had broken three fingers, Wen had a black eye and Olivia had lost her voice. Still, all four of them had shown up to the competition nonetheless. They hadn't won the competition, but they got a record deal out of it anyway as well as a new guitar player.

Stella looked over to where Mo and Scott were sitting close together talking. Scott had taken Mo's hand and was running his thumb over it smoothly. She rolled her eyes and turned to see Charlie in the same position with his girlfriend, who wore a backstage pass around her neck.

Looking around she realised that Wen wasn't sitting with them. She spotted him pacing at the door. She knew who he was waiting for.

"You okay?" Stella asked as she walked up to him. Wen turned and appeared surprised to find her standing next to him.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Worried about Olivia?"

"No she'll be fine, she always makes it on time," he replied, trying to sound confident.

"But you're still worried," said Stella in a 'know-it-all' sort of voice. Wen nodded. "Have you tried calling her cell?"

"She said she'd be here soon." Stella laughed and clapped her hand to Wen's shoulder.

"Then she'll be here soon! Nothing to worry about."

"That was an hour ago Stells. She should be here by now." A sound from behind them caused them to turn.

"Olivia!" cried Mo. Olivia had just appeared by the stage door. "Where have you been?" Mo asked her, jumping up from Scott to wrap Olivia in a hug.

"Hi guys," said Olivia. Wen hurried from Stella's side and went to stand by Olivia. His hand went to her back and he began rubbing it up and down.

"Where have you been?" he asked her quietly. She turned slightly under his embrace so that she was facing him.

"Don't laugh," she said seriously as she brought one hand up to rest on his chest.

"We won't laugh Liv, just tell us where you've been." Wen's hand on her back seemed to soothe her, and Olivia took a deep breath before answering.

"I found something that calms me down before a show." The reaction was immediate. Mo and Victoria clapped their hands together happily, and Charlie, Scott and Stella smiled.

"That's great!" said Stella loudly. "What is it?" Olivia hesitated. She seemed thoroughly embarrassed about what she was about to say. Wen sensed this and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"It's okay, you can tell us," he whispered, his lips close to her ear. She looked around, her mouth moving with no words coming out when a noise came from just outside of the door. Wen felt Olivia tense beneath him.

"Olivia, who's at the door?" asked Stella.

"Well, I um, I was nervous earlier-"

"More nervous than you are now? I find that hard to believe," said Stella. Mo quietened her with an elbow to the stomach.

"Go on Olivia."

"Like I said, I was nervous earlier so I went to see some, people." Suddenly, the door flew open and the 'people' Olivia had mentioned burst backstage.

"What-?" began Mo who was looking around bewildered.

"Olivia, do you want to tell us why all these kids have backstage passes?" asked Scott.

"Well I-"

"Oliva, Olivia!" cried one of the children as she ran up to her. Olivia looked around apologetically at her friends before answering the child.

"Not now Chloe,"

"But Olivia-"

"Chloe, I have to talk to my friends." The little girl, Chloe, looked around at the other members of Lemonade Mouth.

"Okay, but I was just wondering where we should set it up." Scott and Charlie exchanged a glance at this comment. Set what up?

"Over there," Olivia said pointing to an area backstage that was large and open. Chloe ran off to talk with her friends and Olivia was left dealing with her own.

"Olivia," began Stella, "who are these children, and what are they doing here?" Wen squeezed Olivia tightly and took her hand to his. She looked up at him and started to talk, not taking her eyes off of his.

"I was nervous earlier so I went to the park," she began softly, "where I met Chloe and her friends. They were playing; this is going to sound so stupid,"

"Keep going Olivia," said Wen quietly.

"Yeah Olivia," said Stella. "We're probably going to laugh at you either way, so you may as well just tell us!" That comment was rewarded with a second elbow to the stomach from Mo.

"They were playing a life-sized version of-"

"Snakes and Ladders!" said Victoria excitedly. "I love that game!"

"How did you know?" Victoria pointed to where Chloe and her friends were setting down a life-sized mat of snakes and ladders. Wen could see the box lying empty at Chloe's feet, along with a box containing twister.

"Anyway," continued Olivia, who had confidence now that her friends knew what the game was, "I've always loved playing Snakes and Ladders so I went over to them and asked if I could join in. Chloe recognised me as lead singer from Lemonade Mouth and said they were happy to let me join. We played a couple games and I realised I wasn't nervous anymore."

"Okay, but why are Chloe and her friends here?" asked Charlie.

"Well, I knew that I'd get nervous again after sound check, so I asked them if they would like to join us backstage so that I could play whenever I got nervous."

"You're joking right?" said Scott with his eyebrows raised. Olivia shook her head.

"Olivia! It's ready!" called Chloe.

"Five minutes to sound check!" called the sound technician.

"Can we please just do the sound check then talk with Chloe?" pleaded Olivia.

"Alright, come on let's go," said Stella before she walked off towards the stage. Mo and Scott clasped hands and walked together after Stella. Charlie kissed Victoria softly before following Mo and Scott towards the stage.

"Come on we should go," said Wen.

"No wait, I need to tell Chloe that we're going to sound check and that we'll be back in about an hour."

"I'll come with you." Wen took Olivia's hand and began leading her over to Chloe.

"Chloe?" Chloe looked up from the mat and smiled at Olivia and Wen. "Chloe we're going to sound check but we'll be back in about an hour okay?"

"Okay!" Chloe turned back to her friends and Wen and Olivia headed off to sound check.

Chloe and her friends continued to set up their game whilst dancing around to the songs they could hear the band performing. Victoria came over when they had finished setting up and asked to play a game. Chloe agreed and they played a few games until the band finished their soundtrack.

"Ah I see you started without us!" said Olivia as she and Wen came up behind them.

"Yeah we just couldn't wait to play," replied Victoria as she spun down a snake.

"Well come on, let's start a new game so we can all play. Mo, Charlie, Stella, Scott, are you going to play with us?" asked Olivia as Mo, Charlie, Stella and Scott came up behind them.

"Um, sure," said Mo. "I haven't played Snakes and Ladders in years."

"Alright, everyone stand on the 'start' square and we can get going," said Chloe. She and Victoria hurried to stand on the square and Stella, Charlie, Mo and Scott followed them. Olivia made to follow but Wen took her hand and pulled her back.

"Does this really make you feel better Liv?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, I guess it does. It just makes me feel calm," she replied with the hint of a smile that he returned immediately.

"Do you want to know what else will make you feel better?" he whispered with his lips close to her ear. She didn't say anything but he could feel her pulse quicken beneath him. He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. Smiling, she stood on her tiptoes to bring her lips to his.

"Oooooh!" exclaimed the children behind them. They broke apart laughing.

"So, are we planning on playing anytime today?" asked Stella. "We do have a concert to perform in a few hours!" Still laughing, Wen and Olivia joined the others on the 'start' square, and they and the children played Snakes and Ladders and Twister until it was time to get ready for the concert.

"You know what?" asked Stella.

"What?" replied Olivia.

"I really like playing Snakes and Ladders."