PROLOGUE, Part 2:
As Ariana walked out onto the empty stage, she looked around. There was no band. "What's this?" "We're going to be using backing tracks tonight, Miss Grande, so the cameras can focus on celebrities like you," said the Jamie, director, through the microphone. "You mean I'm going to be lip synching. I won't do that." "No lip synching Miss Grande, I promise your mic will be live, which is why we're getting a soundcheck. It's also so we can get optical camera placement, without any shots that might be less-than-flattering." "I don't know what you're talking about..." The beats of "Break Free" started to pound over the huge sound system. "Just go ahead, Miss Grande, we'll make the adjustments."
Ariana sang over the tracks and the sound was marvelous. She'd lose some of the fun that came from the camaraderie of playing to live accompaniment, but the backing tracks were predictable, and everything would probably go smoothly. Toward the end of the last soundcheck song, the director asked her to fall to her knees. "Why?" "We need to have the camera set up for any moves you might make, up, down, around. We need to keep the camera on you, but make certain we don't have any wardrobe malfunction. That would be embarrassing. Nope, no one would want to see that."
Ariana worried that the director was acting a little strange, but finished her soundcheck and was confident that her performance would be one to remember. "OK, Miss Grande, we have all the settings we need, audio and video...feel free to head back to your dressing room, we'll call you when you're on."
She looked at the walls and floor as she walked back to her dressing room. The backstage passages at these legendary venues were always so grimy and ugly. By the craft services table, she saw Demi. She decided she'd try to slip by without speaking to her. The hallway was only so wide, but the singer was enthusiastically exploring the contents of the table. Ariana decided to chance it.
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