Now the only thing to do is wait

A week has passed and you have been a nerve wreck ever since you entered that stupid completion. You aren’t going to win, you know that. Then why do you keep checking your e-mail? It’s the third time just this morning, and nothing but a few newsletters and an e-mail from your uncle has arrived. You decide that you should just close your computer and leave it. It’s not healthy for you to be in this state. The past week you totally skipped lunch to have enough money for the concert – the only one noticing this was Emily, she even offered to buy you lunch, but it didn’t matter; you were too nervous to eat.

Now you needed something to take your mind off of the competition. You look around your room and your eyes fall on the Harry Potter books on your shelf. It has been a while since you last read those books, maybe it was time to open them up again. You get up and reach for the first book, and as you start reading your mind leaves your room and enters J.K. Rowling’s universe.

You haven’t noticed how long you have been reading until your mom knocks on your door asking you if you want some lunch. You realize that you are actually really hungry, so you close the book and follow her to the living room, where she has prepared some food for you.

After finishing your lunch you go back to your room, and your eyes fall on your computer. Maybe you should just check one more time. As you open your computer you feel those nerves come back. You click on the e-mail icon on your screen and patiently wait for the new e-mails to arrive. When you hear the little ‘pling’ signaling that you’ve got mail, you check if it’s the right mail.

And there it is. The subject only says congratulations so it must be positive. You feel our hands shaking and for some reason you are out of breath.

‘Dear miss Laura M. J. We are happy to announce that you are the winner of our campaign competition. CONGRATULATIONS…” as you read the e-mail your eyes start to water. You cannot believe that out of all the people entering, you are the one who has won this competition. You can’t believe that your photo will be a part of a US national campaign! This is too crazy. You pick up you phone and call Emily right away.

“Hey, aren’t you the girl on those posters all around in America?” you ask right away. She gets the message, and you both start screaming. It is everything you could wish for. And you even get 200 bucks; you know what to use that for.

You buy the tickets for the concert and wait for the day...

The next week

A week later you are locked in your room once again, this time listening to the radio and waiting for the contest to start. So far it has been a good show, with All Time Low Music, old interviews and even a special message from the band to the Danish fans. You are absolutely ready to win this thing; no way you aren't going to win it. You live and breathe for this band. The only person you know that feels the same way is your best friend Emily, who you know is sitting in her room just as excited as you are.

“Well well, ladies and gentlemen. This will be the moment you've all been waiting for. It’s time for our little contest. You heard that right; in a few minutes one of you beautiful people out there is gonna win two backstage tickets for the All Time Low concert, which will take place May 29^th. All you have to do to win this thing is answering the following question” the speaker holds a short break, “What record label is All time Low currently signed to? Is it A: Interscope Records, is it B: Emerald Moon Records, is it C: Hopeless Records, or is it D: Lava Records?”  As the speaker repeats and tells the sending information you quickly type down the answer press send! “Okay guys, after this next song we will have contacted the winner so have your phones ready, ‘cause it might just be you we'll be calling”

You answered A?

You answered B?

You answered C?

You answered D?

You don’t enter the competition

”I can’t do it” you say closing your computer.

“Why not?” Emily asks you sounding hopeless.

“Because I’m not gonna win, and it’s stupid, and I want to take photos like Adam Elmakias, not commercial photographers” you tell her. You are telling the truth, but you left out the fact that it’s because you are not confident enough to rely on your work to be displayed for everyone – this might actually be the only reason you are saying no.

You hear Emily sigh. You have had this conversation with her before, so she knows that she can’t change the fact that you won’t upload the picture. You are very conscious about your work. You care more about how your photos than anything else. They are your babies, and you don’t show your babies to everyone.

“How about we get that English assignment done before Tuesday?” you ask her, well knowing that she didn’t expect to be studying when she got here.

“Uh-okay” she says and opens up your computer. She closes the competition website and opens a document so the two of you can start writing.

After 40 minutes of intense essay writing the voice on the radio says the name All Time Low. You both shoot your heads up, haven forgotten everything about school.

“Yes, the boys will be guesting Denmark in about two months, and because of that we will be focusing on them and their band next week.” You and Emily look at each other; you both know what you’ll be doing next weekend. “And to make it all a bit more interesting, we’ll be giving out backstage tickets for one lucky winner”

At this moment your room is full of excitement. Emily is the first one to let out the scream she had been holding in, but you follow up soon. You mom comes barging in asking what’s going on.

“Nothing mom, we’re just happy” you tell her, never hiding the big smile on your face.

“Okay hun, I’ll just leave again” she says and closes the door again. You and Emily look at each other and scream once again.

The next week...

You enter the competition

You take a deep breath. Why shouldn't you enter this competition? A big campaign, people will actually get to see your picture, and Emily already said that it was okay to use the picture you took of her. You click on the ‘ENTER COMPETITION HERE’-button and write down your information, such as e-mail, name, where you live and name of the model. You hear Emily giggle about the fact that she is being referred to as a model.

“And this is how we become rich and famous. I want you to take all my top-model photos from now on.  No one else is good enough. I can’t have a crap photographer to take my pictures. No I want the best; you!” Emily jokes as she does her best Tyra Banks poses. It doesn't really work, but she is cute and funny, and you love her and you can’t stop laughing.

As you upload the photo you think of how amazing a life that would actually be. Now you just have to wait to hear if you have won or not. The competition ends in a week, so you’ll have to be a nerve wreck for the next seven days, but besides that you are actually happy that you did this. You turn to look at Emily.

“I love you, you know that” you say and hug her.

“I know love. And I love you too”

Now the only thing to do is wait...

The next day Emily comes over

It is around noon when Emily walks into your room. You are surprised when she does, you didn't hear her come in, but then again; you were listening to music on you radio. You do this every Saturday between 11am and 1pm, because they air a special podcast that you like to listen to. Emily also listens to it. Today they focused on the newest of Panic! At the Disco’s albums: Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!

“Hey babes” she said and sat down next to you.

“Hey. I didn't know you were already here. I didn't hear you” you said hugging her.

“Well I just walked in”

“Of course you did”

“What are you doing?” she asks you.

“Editing my photos… Here look at this” you open a file on your computer. This is a photo you have been working on for quite some time now, and now it was finally time to show Emily.

“Wow. Is that me? I look so pretty” her eyes got big. The photo was of her dancing at a party the two of you went to a month ago. All the people in the background were edited out, so it looked like she was dancing in a blur of lights.

“You always are, love” you told her.

“Aw, thank you” she hugs you “oh, that reminds me of something. I saw this thing. It’s a competition” she says. A competition, what kind? You think, but before you have the chance to ask she takes your mac and opens a website. It’s a photo competition.

“Winners get 200 dollars and the photo will be in some kind of big campaign. The photo just have to be of someone moving, you know like dancing or doing some sort of sport, and you have that right here. Isn't it perfect?” you don’t believe what you are hearing. This could actually be you chance to get into the photography industry; that was always your dream.

“Mmmm, I don’t know” you are a bit concerned, what if you are not good enough?

“You have to enter, or I’m entering for you” Emily threatened.

You enter the competition?

You don't enter the competition?

You tell her to stay out

You don’t want your mom to see you like this, and quite frankly you really just don’t want to talk to her right now. You have nothing to say to her, so you ignore her knocking.

“Laura open the door please” you hear her say.

“No stay out, I don’t wanna talk right now” you try to sound like you haven’t just been crying, but your effort is not worth it since she continues to knock. This is where you get an idea. You get up and walk straight to you stereo. You pick out an All Time Low album; you know exactly which song you should put on. The album is their newest one; ‘Don’t Panic’, and the song is of course ‘The Reckless and the Brave’. As you try to drown out your mother’s voice with the music you little by little forget that you were sad. This is what the music can do to you. You dance around in your room and don’t even realize that your mom has opened the door and is now watching you. You turn around and see her laughing. Your dad is standing right behind her smiling as well.

“What?” you ask.

“It really means that much to you?” your mom asks.

“YES!” you nod.

“Listen sweetheart” she starts “I can’t tell you that I understand, but I can see that this is actually something you really want.” She pauses and sighs. “You promise to stay with Emily the whole day and throughout the concert?” Is she really saying what you think she’s saying?

“Yes mom, I promise not to leave her side for even just a second” you tell her.

“Okay then, you can go, but on one condition.” A big smile just appeared on your face, you didn't really care what the condition was; you had your permission now. “Keep us contacted, we want to know how you are, or if anything happens, okay?”

 “And you have to pay for the ticket yourself” your dad buds in.

“I can do that. Thank you, thank you, thank you” you say over and over again.

Before they leave your room you tell them that Emily is coming over tomorrow, and they are fine with that.

The next day Emily comes over...

You let her in

You sit up. Are you really throwing a teenage tantrum at your parents? You never do that, you are always the one to listen to their rules and never do anything this unexpected. You are a bit ashamed of yourself, and figure that this is not really fair to your parents either. You dry your eyes and tell your mom that “yeah you can come in”.

The door opens and she slowly takes her seat next to you on the bed. “Listen sweetheart” she starts “I can’t tell you that I understand, but I can see that this is actually something you really want.” She pauses to look at you. You nod and she puts her arm around you. “You promise to stay with Emily the whole day and throughout the concert?” Is she really saying what you think she’s saying?

“Yes mom, I promise not to leave her side for even just a second” you tell her.

“Okay then, you can go, but on one condition.” A big smile just appeared on your face, you didn't really care what the condition was; you had your permission now. “Keep us contacted, we want to know how you are, or if anything happens, okay?”

“Yes mom. Thank you, thank you, thank you” you say over and over again while you hug her for dear life. Now you only need the money for the concert. You don’t want to ask your parents, figuring that this might change their minds. Instead you tell her Emily will be coming over tomorrow and she is fine with that.

The next day Emily comes over...