A week had passed and Tegan was still feeling low after what happened with her audition but was now a lot calmer and realised that she just had to try again, even if that meant waiting for the next set of auditions. Tegan looked out of the small window in her small and cramped bedroom looking out into a neighbourhood she'd once left behind wondering to herself if coming back had been a mistake. She loved her brother and wanted nothing more than to be near him, and things with Logan were going great but she couldn't help but wonder to herself how her life would have turned out if she'd stayed in New York and had been the perfect student and the perfect foster child for Doug and Maggie.
"Tegan you're going to be late!" called Tyler upstairs trying to coax his sister down and make sure she left for school
Tegan picked up her bag and left the room making her way down the stairs she looked at the chaos in the house, Lena was already at work, Bill was still asleep, Stace was cleaning up after breakfast, Tyler was busy trying to get Camille and Malcolm ready for school. She walked passed them unnoticed and left the house the room only noticing her absence as the door slammed shut behind her. Tyler shot a look at Stace wondering to himself when Tegan was going to snap out of this lull she'd been in.
LATER AT MSA
Tyler caught up with Logan as they made their way to class wanting to talk to him about Tegan.
"Hey man, can I ask you about Tegan?"
"Sure what's up?" asked Logan
"How's she been with you? Does she seem depressed or…I don't know"
"She's been ok, she's still bummed about the audition and she's impatient waiting for the next but she's in good spirits. Why do you ask?"
"She's just not herself, she's coming in late heading straight to bed, not talking to anyone, leaving the house in a morning without speaking to anyone, she's even avoiding Stace at school"
"I don't know what to tell you man she's been fine with me, she's coming to the show tonight so maybe we can all go out afterwards and you can talk"
"That'd be great" said a relieved Tyler
"Alright well I'll see you later" said Logan as he turned to make his way to class
LATER AT PS-26
Stace followed Tegan out of the school gates and down the street.
"This is ridiculous Tegan" she called from behind causing Tegan to stop and look back.
"What?" she asked knowing what Stace was referring to.
"Why are you ignoring everyone?" asked Stace approaching her.
"I'm not" she snapped back
"Not much, Tegan I'm sorry the audition didn't work out but that wasn't anything to do with Tyler or myself and it feels like you're punishing us"
Tegan felt terrible in her attempt to deter from the mention of her MSA screw up she'd offended the people in her life.
"I'm not trying to punish anybody, I just didn't want to talk about it and that's all Ty wants to do"
"And me?"
Tegan looked at Stace and shook her head "I don't know, I just knew I wanted it to be quiet"
"Ok so we won't talk about it and we will be quiet where possible but we can't be mute and we can't help getting in each others way, we live together in a very small living space. So we need to work something out, like a rota"
Tegan smiled as her friend tried to make a fix between them and clear the awkward haze between them.
"You going to the talent show?" asked Tegan
"Yeah I've got to stop back home to get changed and look after Camille and Malcolm then when Lena comes in I'm going to head over to MSA"
"Cool ok well lets go then" smiled Tegan linking arms with her friend as they made their way home.
LATER AT MSA
Tegan and Stace squeezed past the people in the row to make it to their seats and they sat down and looked across the mass to see the empty stage, suddenly Tegan felt a tug, a longing to be on that stage and she wondered how she was going to make it through the night as she watched other kids living out her dream.
The night progressed and Tegan sat watching acts on the stage wondering to herself how they'd got a place there because she felt she was way more talented. Tegan turned to Stace and whispered something in her ear, Stace gave her friend a confused look and then she followed Tegan out of the auditorium. The director walked onto the stage and over to the microphone in the middle of the stage and she prepared to address the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen we at MSA would like to take this opportunity and thank you all for coming here to night to watch the talent we have here at our fine school display their individual talents for you tonight and to such a warm reception. I think you will all agree that the talent displayed so far here tonight has been amazing and this is because of the absolute dedication and determination of our students and of course of the staff at MSA who welcome new talent and help to mould and perfect their existing skills into the amazing show here tonight. At this time we will be taking an intermission so please feel free to visit our refreshment stands just outside the door and we will call you back to take your seats and invite you to enjoy the rest of the show"
The audience applauded and suddenly the lights went down in the auditorium and a spotlight hit the stage revealing a nervous Stace who looked like a deer in headlights. She began to sing in a hushed voice as another spotlight hit the stage revealing Tegan who then began to perform an impromptu routine. Tyler and Logan stood to the side stunned by what they saw as the two girls commandeered the stage from the director who was looking on in horror. The audience sat mesmerised by the act knowing they were not in the programs and therefore they were not meant to be there. Logan knew this would either get Tegan her shot or would ruin her chances of ever getting into MSA and the routine she was doing was not as good as the routine she'd prepared. He ran over to the music guy and handed him a CD he'd retrieved from his bag telling him to play it, Logan then killed the lights causing even more confusion for the audience and the director. Logan ran onto the stage and told Tegan to do the routine she'd prepared and she tried to argue with him that she'd got no music when suddenly it started. Logan smiled and ran off stage with a mortified Stace who was congratulated by Tyler. Logan hit the lights and Tegan alone on the stage smiled as she finally felt like she belonged, she began her routine as everyone watched on. As Logan, Tyler and Stace looked on excitedly and the director stood solemn watching her every movement Tegan put more into the routine than she ever had before and finally finished the routine on a blackout. She laid on the floor in the dark waiting for the silence to subside and suddenly the room filled with applause and Tegan smiled as she had never been happier she rose to her feet as the lights came back on and looked out into the overwhelming crowd who applauded her she then looked over at the director and knew by the look she was being summoned she thanked the crowd by bowing and waving to them as she left and she walked into the backstage area where she was congratulated by her friends and her brother. Tegan spotted the director and approached her wondering what her response would be.
"What did you think you were doing out there?" asked the director trying hard to keep calm
"I was getting my audition"
"Auditions are over Miss Gage and you missed them" the director then began to walk away and Tegan couldn't believe she'd just rejected her so easily, Logan stepped forward to console Tegan and the director stopped and looked back, she then made her way back over to Tegan who looked up at her.
"What was going through your mind when you crashed the talent show?" asked the director
"My future" said Tegan bluntly trying to make the director understand just how important this was to her "I won't apologise for what I did, I deserve a shot just as much as anyone else and I will fight for this just as hard if not harder than anyone else because I have a hell of a lot more to lose. All I want is for you to take a chance on me and let me prove to you that I belong here and I deserve to be here"
"Tegan we've already had this conversation, in order for me to give you a shot I have to reject one of the students who went through the audition process and who have already been given their placements and I'm not willing to do that. I'm sorry Tegan" the director then walked away for a second time crushing Tegan's hopes once again and Tegan didn't know what to do next.
The director made her way out into the auditorium where she did meet and greets with people as she made her way through the crowd and she found that although all the comments were complimentary most of them were specifically directed at the final act they'd seen, a young girl who controlled and dominated the entire stage with just one singular body and had left and exciting impression on the audience – that girl was Tegan, a girl who the director had just minutes before rejected for the second time.
A Little While Later – Outside of MSA
Tegan sat on the steps of MSA unable to go back inside after being rejected by the director – again. She sat there on the steps wondering to herself why she was even trying to get into a school that would never accept her, even if they did she'd still be an outcast the same way she had everywhere she went she was still the foster kid, the reject who's own parent's didn't want her and she wondered why after so many years of being rejected it still hurt so much, surely she'd be immune to it by now. Tegan looked back at the school and sighed, who was she kidding? She wanted to be here and she could ease her pain and upset by pretending she wouldn't have ever been good enough but the problem was – she knew she was good and in some cases better than some of the students at MSA and it broke her heart that she would have to put her talent to one side and carry on as just another neighbourhood kid attending PS-26 preparing herself for a mediocre life that would probably never take her out of Hampden. Tegan sighed and stood up and she descended the steps of MSA and walked away from a life she could have a had and a future she would have killed herself for.
"Tegan" came a call from behind causing Tegan to stop and look back. Tegan gives a confused look as she watches the director approaching her. "I was trying to be fair to the other students, they'd all managed to make it to the auditions, they'd all gone through the process, they'd all done what was asked of them and I felt by letting you come in late and by giving you an audition after you'd missed your scheduled one that I was giving you an unfair advantage but the truth is I was being unfair to you and you're right you have a lot more to lose. Some of the people we've accepted haven't even taken their places because they're holding out for something better but you this is all you want, you just want to be accepted so you can do something you love and I was wrong for taking that away from you"
"So what are you trying to say?" asked Tegan hopefully
"We have a set number of scholarships each year so what if I take one from the next set of auditions? Whether I give it to you now or then I would still be offering it to you so why should you have to wait?"
Tegan smiled as she realised the director was offering her a place at MSA.
"Are you serious?"
"Your audition was exceptional, had you auditioned on the day it would have been the best audition without a doubt. You're a very talented young lady"
Tegan smiled and hugged the director who was a little stunned at first but then softened as she realised she'd given Tegan a future.
LATER IN THE BACKSTAGE AREA
Tegan waited backstage for Logan and Tyler who appeared and looked a little bewildered to see a happy Tegan waiting for them.
"Hi" smiled Logan
"Hey" she replied kissing him sweetly
"Should we be nervous?" he asked
"She got a place!" screamed an excited Stace who couldn't hold the good news in any longer. Tegan smiled at her friend and looked back at Logan and her brother and watched as the news sank in.
"You're in?" asked Logan who picked Tegan up and spun her around as she nodded. He placed her back on the ground and Tyler hugged his sister congratulating her.
"I've always been proud of you" he whispered in her ear before the broke their hug.
"Miss Gage could you introduce me?" asked the director looking over in Stace's direction
"Err…yeah this is my friend Stace Del Amico"
"Well Miss Del Amico…" began the director as Stace stood frozen with fear "…you have a very powerful voice, a unique instrument, a promising talent. I would advise you attend the upcoming auditions"
The director walked away and Stace smiled as she realised that she'd just been complimented on her singing – something she'd never deemed as a talent but maybe she was wrong.
A MONTH LATER – AT MSA
The bell sounded and the doors flung open and Logan and Tegan emerged from a classroom hand in hand with smiles on their faces as they made their way through the crowded corridors and approached the auditorium opening the doors and making their way over to Tyler who was sat watching on as Stace stood centre stage singing her heart out with a new found confidence. Her song came to an end and the trio stood up and applauded her the director turned and looked over at the commotion and smiled turning back to Stace.
"Thank you Miss Del Amico" she said with a smile
Stace excitedly ran off the stage and up the aisle to join her friends who congratulated and they all made their way out of auditorium all hoping that Stace would be the next star born at MSA.