This was it. Today would start what I have been dreaming of for the past twelve years of my life. It was now 11:45am and Kelsey should be here soon. While my mom went to put my luggage in the car, I sat on the couch with my head in my hands, thinking about what was actually going to happen soon. I was going to audition for Super Junior M, and only one person was going to get into the group from all those who were going to audition.

Zhoumi had called me on Friday and told me some details of the audition. He said there were over 15,000people who had signed up to audition. The audition would take four days with three call backs at most, and the winner would be narrowed down to two people and then chosen on the final day. I had to be perfect, if this was the time in my life that I had to perform my best than I had better do it.

“If I didn’t know you any better I’d say that you were nervous.” I looked up to find Kelsey staring down at me with a sympathetic smile on her face. It was amazing how just the sight of her could calm me down. I guess I really was in love with her.

“Me?” I responded with a smile on my face, “I’m Henry Lau, I’m never nervous.” That was a total lie. Every time I was around her my nervousness was on overdrive. She laughed a little which yet again got a smile out of me.

“Okay kids let’s go, Henry you don’t want to miss your plane.” My mom said from the front door. I took a deep breath and got up off the couch, ‘here goes nothing,’ I thought to myself.

Once we got into the car I decided to sit in the back with Kelsey. My mom started the car and we were off toward the airport, and with every passing second I was getting more nervous. My legs began shaking and the actuality of how big the thing I was about to do finally hit me. Kelsey must have sensed my nervousness because she took my hand in her small one, and just held it. I looked down at our interlocked hands and I immediately felt relief, but I also felt something else. I felt total appreciation and happiness and gratitude and a whole bunch of other lovey-dovey stuff toward Kelsey, I was so lucky to have found someone like her, and that made me want to pass the audition even more so I would be able to give her everything she would ever want. I realized I had been caught up in my thoughts again when I heard Kelsey calling my name.

“Oh sorry.” I said embarrassed.

“You know it’s okay to be nervous.” She said softly. “It would be weird if you weren’t nervous actually. Just focus on what you practiced, I believe in you Henry. You can do this!” I was glad she said that, I really needed the support at the moment. I calmed myself down and looked up only to see my mom looking at me through the rearview mirror with a smile so big it would make you believe she won the lottery. I guess I didn’t have to worry about her liking Kelsey.

Thanks to my nerves the ride to the airport, which was a twenty minute ride seemed like a five minute ride. I got out of the car shakily and opened the trunk. I grabbed my luggage and headed into the airport with my mom and Kelsey talking about something at my heels.

As soon as I stepped into the airport I realized why my mom had wanted to get me here so early. The place was so busy! Every ticketing line had at least twenty people in it, all of them old with the exception of a few young businessmen.

I stood in line and waited for it to move, and it did, but ever so slowly. By the time I had gotten my tickets, and passed through the security check it was 1:45. We had gotten to the airport at 12:20pm. On the way to the gate my mother and Kelsey continued to talk. Well actually, my mom was doing all the talking while Kelsey had this cute confused look on her face while trying to keep up with my mother’s rambling. When we finally got to the gate my mom pulled me into the tightest hug I think she had ever given me, she cried a little bit, and I think I would have too if Kelsey wasn’t there. My mom said goodbye and started walking back to the car while Kelsey stuck around to tell me her goodbyes.

“Okay, Henry how should I start this. I’m not going to tell you anything emotional because you don’t need that to worry about too. Just for the time of the audition only worry about yourself okay? Try more than your best for this and I’m only telling you that because I know this is your dream. Henry if anyone can do this it’s you, and I’m not gonna mention what would happen if you don’t make it because honestly it’s impossible for you not to. Just do what you practiced and I’m sure you’ll pass. HENRY FIGHTING!!!!” I looked at her for a few seconds before pulling her into a huge hug. I couldn’t stop myself; I didn’t even realize what I was doing until she was in my arms, but honestly I didn’t want to let go of her. This girl was by far the most amazing person I have ever met.

I slowly let her go from the hug and looked at her one more time before she had to go. “Kelsey, I just want to let you know something. And I know it’s no use getting all emotional because I’m going to end up coming back whether I make it or not, but I’m really happy I met you. I’m really happy that I know someone like you, and if I’m going to be honest you mean a lot to me Kelsey. I haven’t even known you for a long time, but yet you’re supporting me so much. People all the time just brush off my dream when I tell them what I want to be, but you, you were excited about it. You didn’t doubt even once that I could do it, and I want you to know that I’m very grateful for you.” I know that didn’t really count as a confession, but I chose to leave it out until after I came back. When I come back I was going to tell Kelsey exactly how I felt about her, no matter what would happen, I couldn’t only be just her friend.

“Henry, you mean a lot to me too, and I know this is a really cute hallmark moment and everything, but your mom’s waiting for me.” I laughed at that and it eased the tension that was in the air. I gave her one more quick hug before she turned to leave.

For the next hour I just sat at the gate and waited. I must have fallen asleep because the person who woke me up was a flight attendant who asked me if I had a ticket for this plane. I jumped up out of my seat scared that I had almost missed my plane and handed the flight attendant my ticket. I rushed onto the plane, still half asleep, and I felt like I was drunk.

I walked down the carpeted isle way of the plane looking for my seat, desperately trying to avoid the annoyed look that the other passengers were giving me for holding back the plane. When I finally found my seat I breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw that the seat next to me was unoccupied. I settled down in my seat and the flight attendants walked past the isle way doing a check that everyone had their seatbelts on. Once the check was over, the main flight attendant, a chubby woman in what I figured her late forties, gave the usual speech that is always given before the plane takes off. I turned off my cellphone, settled back in my seat, and tried to fall asleep.

            Ha! You call that talent? Get out of our faces, what a worthless waste of time!! My dogs poop has more talent than you. How dare you even try to audition without talent? You can’t sing, whoever gave you the idea that you could do this audition with a voice like that obviously was deaf. Get out our sights. You’re worthless.

A loud gasp woke me up. I looked around and found everyone asleep, I realized that I was the one who gasped. I was covered in a cold sweat and I was panting heavily. ‘It’s just a bad dream’ I told myself, ‘Just a bad dream’. I heard steps coming from down the aisle way and then the chubby flight attendant was in front of me.

“My goodness boy, are you alright? You don’t look so good.”

“Yes. I’m fine, but please could I just have some water.”

“Sure thing sweetheart, just give me a minute.” She left and I leaned back in my seat again trying to control my breathing. I took my seatbelt off in attempt to get more comfortable. The flight attendant came back and handed me the cup of water. I gulped it all down quickly finally getting back to my senses. I looked up at her,

“What time is it?” I asked

“It’s around 4:35am. You’ve been sleeping for quite a while.”

“Oh.” I said. “When are we going to land?”

“Well we’re scheduled to land at 8:30am, so just a few more hours. I have to get back to my post, but call me if you need anything.”

It was just a bad dream, I told myself. I wanted to go back to sleep, but the idea of slipping back into the dream, and seeing those angry judges’ faces frightened me. I looked around for something to keep me occupied. In the pocket of the seat in front of me I found a magazine and opened it up. It was full of things you could buy to make your flight more comfortable. After about half an hour of searching through the magazine I got bored so I put it away and my phone.

I scrolled through all my pictures, changed my wallpaper at least twenty times, took distorted pictures of my face, and all while I was doing that only an hour had passed. I let out a deep breath and searched my sports bag for my headphones. When I finally did find them they were a tangled mess. I didn’t know why they couldn’t just invent headphones that didn’t get magically tangled.

After untangling them I plugged them into my phone and listened to my Kpop music. I put it on shuffle and coincidentally BTOB’s ‘Second Confession’ starting playing. I leaned my head back and just listened to the beat, soon everything went black.

Well aren’t you going to get out of here? Why are you still hanging around? What is that? Oh, you want a second chance do you? Listen kid, you don’t get a second chance at everything in life. If you really wanted this you would have practiced harder. You do realize this is an entertainment company don’t you? Hate to be the one to break it to you kid, but you’re not very entertaining. Now please, get out of here before I call security, and have to further embarrass you.

The ground started shaking under my feet; I looked around the room to see that I was the only one aware of the shaking. Everyone was trying to hold back their laughter at what had just happened to me, and I started sweating and panting. The ground under me opened and I was surrounded by darkness.

I heard a voice from afar; I was trying to make out what it was saying. I listened carefully trying to distinguish every word. It sounded like, “The plane has just landed, Thank You for flying Delta.”

My eyes shot open. I looked around me to see people scurrying out of the plane. I rubbed my eyes and stood up, waiting for the isle way to become clear. I grabbed my bags from the overhead compartment and made my way off the plane.

As I stepped into the airport I realized that there was no going back now. This was it. Everywhere I looked there were different signs written in Chinese. If it weren’t for the English translations written underneath I would have been standing there like an idiot all day. I could speak Chinese well, but I sure couldn’t read it.

I found my way outside the airport, and I didn’t have to wait long for a taxi. I slid in the backseat and put my bags next to me. The taxi driver was an old man, with a dirty beard, and dark sunken eyes. He was bald, and looked more like an Asian monk than a taxi driver.

“Where to kid?” he asked.

“To Shingam Hotel please.” He nodded at me through the rear view mirror and set off toward my destination.