"Christmas."

"The snows coming down!"

"Christmas."

"I'm watching it fall"

"Christmas."

"Lots of people around"

"Christmas."

Lucas and Jayden enter the kitchen, Lucas obviously not voluntarily being a part of Jayden's sing-song from his monotone 'Christmases'.

"Gigi hit the high note!" Jayden shouts.

"Baby please come home!' I sing in response.

"Why are you singing Christmas songs?" Colton asks returning from the pantry.

"Because ITS CHRISTMAS." Jayden shouts mocking the 'Slade' Christmas song, "Well it's November first, meaning its officially okay to start celebrating Christmas." He connects his phone to Colton's speakers and hits play on his Christmas playlist. Lucas sighs and collapses on the kitchen counter, I slide him a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," he lifts his head, "I've had this all fucking morning." I giggle at his lack of Christmas enthusiasm, "How are you?" He lowers his voice a bit, his eyes warm and sympathetic.

"I'm alright, thanks. I can be a bit of a mess sometimes." After last night, the boys were very attentive, Colton wouldn't leave my side, Jayden kept making me repat all that self-love shit and Lucas and Max just watched glee with me, poor things.

" Hey, don't be silly, what he did wasn't okay, you don't have put up a façade." He smiles.

"Thank you, but honestly, I'm doing okay. Just trying to carry on, I'm not really sure what to do about the label but I'm just going to avoid it and carry on for now." Honestly, the label hadn't contacted me yet and I'm petrified, if Castro spins this like he did last night I could be out. Will and Colton wanted to report him but with no actual witnesses and against a wealthy white man like him I wouldn't stand a chance. I can't stay at a label that's headed by such a pig-headed ass but I have a fucking contract to uphold and nowhere else to go. My career would be over and I'm not going to let him take that from me. I spent hours lying awake last night just thinking about his grabby fingers all over me, every time I think about it I feel sick but I've got to carry on, work to be done you know?

"Well if you need anything you know where I am, even if you just want to watch Glee again." He squeezes my arm with a smile.

"Thank you." I smile back.

"Are you excited for tonight Gi?" Jayden asks, placing some cheese... on a plate, into the microwave...?

"Uh...Sure... no. Yes. Kind of. I don't know. It's scary." I huff, deflating down onto the counter. I'm going to my first award show tonight, The AMA's are crazy enough as it is but especially when you're not only performing but you've been nominated for best new artist.

Yeah. Fucking crazy right.

All I want to do is curl up under a duvet and hide away from everyone right now.

Colton snakes his arm around my waist and draws me into him, placing a kiss on my forehead, "You'll be fine, we're all going to be right there with you and we're all so proud of you." I smile up at his ability to make everything seem like a walk in the park.

"Gigi! Colton, how's coupled life?"

"You guys make the cutest couple."

"When are we getting both your albums?"

"Gigi who are you wearing tonight."

The questions surround me as we walk down the carpet. Cameras flash from every angle and I'm sure I'm going to trip but Colton keeps a firm hold on my waist, often linking my other hand through his. I'm dressed in one of the biggest dresses I've seen, but I fucking love it. The bodice is tight, like a corset and sleeveless, it then goes out into three layers of ruffled dark purple skirt. It's heavy but Jaydens my personal assistant tonight, lifting it and helping me around. Colton's suit matches my dress, a dark royal purple that makes him look so fucking handsome. The velvet material fits his contours perfectly.

We stop at a photo point on the carpet and pose for the gossip hounding photographers. I place my hand on Colton's chest as his arm sits above the skirt of my dress. His hairs gelled back slightly but the infamous curl droops down onto his forehead, it makes his icy eyes gleam brighter than the blue lagoon. His cheeky grin sits on his lips as he searches my eyes.

"You look so fucking gorgeous, babe."

I blush but hopefully, under the pounds of makeup, I have on its not noticeable. He brushes my burning cheek slightly as he pushes a bit of my curled hair behind my ear.

"And you look so handsome." I giggle running my fingers down his blazer collar. He smirks placing a soft kiss on my cheek. It sends the photographers crazy. They all holler at us but we just smile and pose. Eventually, we get onto the interviewers part of the carpet. Some interviewers I recognise, some I don't but they all look dressed up and very formal talking to the other celebrities on this carpet.

We're beckoned over to a lady who's interviewing for an American channel. She's young and visibly nervous, her hands shake around her microphone and she bobs up and down with a strained smile, girl I feel you.

"Colton! Gigi!" She smiles brightly as we walk up to her, or rather I waddle in my dress since I can't find Jayden, "Firstly, you guys, I just want to say you both look incredible. That dress is just something else!" she beams, taking in the length and obnoxiousness of the dark purple dress.

"Thank you! I love your shoes, by the way, I need a pair of those." I point to her sparkly purple heels, they are the best shoes I've seen all night. She smiles appreciatively at me.

"Thank you! How are you guys tonight? Gigi this is your first award show right? And your first nomination too! Congratulations on that! I'm totally rooting for you!" She holds the microphone to my mouth.

"Ah thank you! Yeah, it's crazy. When I heard I completely freaked out, it's pretty nerve-racking being here with all these massive names. I have to pinch myself, I still don't think it's real!"

I look around at the faces being interviewed, people who have topped charts for the last ten years.

"Well, you've made such an impact in such little time that I no doubt believe you have this in the bag. I expect to be interviewing you again at the Grammys in a few months."

"I don't know about that, there are such incredible artists in my category and they all deserve to win! As for the Grammys that's Colt's domain." I look up at his eyes which are trained on me. My stomach flutters under his gaze.

"We're all so looking forward to your next album Colton and a massive congrats on being nominated in so many categories tonight!"

"Thank you, yeah the album is actually almost done and I'm so excited for it to come out. It's definitely been one of the hardest but most rewarding things I've done, I cant wait for everyone to hear it." He says, his excitement clear to all the viewers out there.

"How would you describe your album in three words." The interviewer asks pointing the microphone back to his mouth.

"Raw. Truthful and influential. It's defiantly something different that my fans haven't heard before." He nods.

"Well I cant wait to hear it, anyway I hope you two have a good night and we're all rooting for you !" Colton slips his hand into mine as we wave away the interviewer and move onto the next.

Eventually, we find ourselves inside the arena being showed to our seats, the young lad whose leading us shows us to some front row seats that have our names and pictures attached to them. I sit down between Colton and Jayden who has seemingly skipped half his interviews. Will takes the seat beside Colton and Lucas takes the seat beside Jayden, the only thing missing from our row now is our very special guests.

I grin slightly, they should be here any second.

As if right on queue Emma and Armaury come trotting down to us. Colton looks shocked at first but stands up quickly hugging them, he towers over his mom but he and his dad are just about the same height.

I called his parents a few weeks ago and they sounded so eager to come. I'm swept into a hug by Emma who holds my hands in hers when she steps back.

"Oh my gosh Gigi, you look so gorgeous, doesn't she Armaury." She scans my dress as Colton's dad hugs me as well.

"You look lovely Gigi." He seconds, showing that Hemmings smile I love.

"What are you guys doing here?" Colton asks as they take a seat a few down from me.

"Well we've missed so much and that was our fault so we didn't want to miss anymore! We're really proud of you baby." Emma says with a saddening expression. This woman has my whole heart, she's too precious for the world. Colton gives them an appreciative nod that's cut short when he glares off to the side. We all follow his line of vision to where Castos just walked in with his discoloured face.

He snarls at us and my breath catches in my throat, the room feels too hot and claustrophobic. Just that one look makes me a flake, I feel small and dirty. Colton reaches for my shaking hand.

"You're stronger than him don't let him win." He's right, if he can see the damage he's done, he's won. But my lack of oxygen is making me feel dizzy, I can feel his fingers on me-

"Do you want to go and get some air?" He whispers into my ear, I can barely hear him over the thumping. I shake my head trying to control my tremors when another hand squeezes my other arm. Jayden shoots me a reassuring smile.

I'm fine. Take deep breaths.

It wasn't my fault.

Eventually, I calm down, it takes a while and I almost had to leave but I did it. I have it under control. As the show begins. It takes everything in me not to jump up out of my seat and scream when a celebrity walks past me. Even being so close to the performers, this feels like a dream. I'm living my dream... this is my life.

Finally, it gets down to my category and to be honest, I'm prepared to lose, the artists in my category are insanely talented, I've only been around for a few months.

The presenter takes to the podium with her envelope.

"And the 2020 winner of New Artist Of The Year goes too..." Carefully she opens the envelope and every second trickles by slowly.

"Gigi Lastra." I freeze. Did I hear that right?

I look around as my song starts playing through the arena. People are clapping at me, for me. I turn to Colton and he must have registered the shock on my face because he pulls me into a hug and says "You deserve this. I love you." As he releases me, Jaydens bouncing up and down on my arm and Wills bursting with pride.

I pick up my dress, with the help of Jayden, and make my way up the steps onto the stage being really careful not to trip.

I reach the podium and feel the heavy stage lights pounding down on me, the presenter hands me the award with a hug and steps aside so I can speak.

I look out into the vast crowd of famous faces and my heart races. What the fuck do I say? I wasn't prepared for this. Then I find Coltons face in the front row and all my friends, they beam at me.

Okay, I can do this, deep breaths.

"Wow, well firstly I really didn't expect to win this tonight and I just want to congratulate every single artist in my category because you all deserve this as well. I'd like to thank my manager Will and my amazing team who've helped me get to this point. I really don't know how you put up with me but I am grateful. I want to thank all my friends and family at home in London, I love you guys, thank you for always being there for me and picking me up, I wouldn't be here without you." I can feel the hot tears starting to roll down my face, " Oh gosh here we go," I chuckle letting the tears flurry down, "And I'd like to thank my friends down in the front row who've spent the last few months becoming my family. Especially Jayden who's helped me not fall on my ass tonight. I appreciate everything you all do for me day in day out and thank you for always supporting me." I look down to Colton with tears in my eyes, he smiles at me and blows a kiss, " Wow okay, this is crazy, I'm accepting an award in a room of people who I've looked up to for so long. Lady Gaga is sat a few seats down from me and Taylor Swift is sat behind me. That does not happen in the everyday world." I chuckle trying to control the sobs that want to come out of my mouth. "This award isn't just for me, it's for everyone out there who battled through the dark to find the light. Nine months ago I was a girl from Hackney, waiting tables and fetching coffees, making music in my bedroom and preforming to rowdy drunks." My cheeks are soaked, "Sorry I'm really a bit of a mess right now" the crowd laughs, " Music is my best friend, music is a universal language. Everyone understands music and we use it every day to convey emotions some of us never thought possible, it has magical powers and to the people who tried to take it away from me, tell me I'd never be good enough, never fit what they wanted, too fat, too mentally unstable, too complicated. This. " I hold the award to the air, unable to see clearly through my tears, " This proves it doesn't matter where you come from, your background or your past doesn't define you, it proves I did it. Never let anything hold you back from your dreams. Because you can do it. I believe in you. Thank you." I pump the award in the air as a mass of clapping starts.

I did it.

I fucking did it.

I'm Gigi Lastra, I'm worthy of love and worthy of this award.

My past does not define me.

I hope you enjoyed the double update!
But is this the calm before the storm.... what's going to happen, Will something rock the boat...?

Thanks for reading!
Iz x