MY COMPETITION WITH AN IDOL

SOME PEOPLE SAY HIGH SCHOOL IS THE WORST POINT OF EDUCATION BUT, I SAY IT IS THE MOST HAPPIEST CHAPTER OF MY LIFE. OF COURSE THERE WAS UPS AND DOWNS BUT IT STILL WAS THRILLING. LET'S DIAL BACK TO A DECADE AGO, WHERE I WAS THE MOST POPULAR GIRL IN NOT ONLY HIGH SCHOOL BUT, THE WHOLE CITY.

"AH, SOMETIMES I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE MY LIFE", I SAID TO MY BEST FRIEND, CHYNA.

SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID,"I KNOW RIGHT".

THIS WAS ON THE DAY MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL REACHED SEVEN HUNDRED SUBSCRIBERS. MY BEST FRIEND CAME OVER TO THROW A LITTLE PARTY FOR THE BOTH OF US FOR OUR SUCCESS AS TEENS.

YES, MY LIFE SEEMED PERFECT, I HAD GOOD GRADES, I WAS VERY POPULAR, AND I HAD THE BEST FRIEND ANYONE COULD ASK FOR. THE REASON FOR MY FAME WAS SIMPLY MY VOICE. IT ALL STARTED WHEN I ENTERED I A PLAY IN MY FRESHMAN YEAR. IN THE PLAY, I HAD TO SING A SONG OF MY CHOICE, I WENT WITH A VERY HIGH NOTE SONG AND WHEN I SUNG IT, EVERYONE IN THE ROOM GAVE ME AN OVATION AND CHEERED FOR ME UNTIL THE SCENE STARTED.

FROM THEN EVERYONE WANTED A PICTURE WITH ME BECAUSE APPARENTLY, SOMEONE FILMED ME SINGING AND POSTED IT ONLINE WITH MADE ME A HUGE SENSATION WITHIN MINUTES.WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM MY BEST FRIEND, CHYNA, I STARTED A YOUTUBE CHANNEL, WHERE I UPLOADED COVERS OF SONGS BY ME OF COURSE AND TO OUR UTTER SURPRISE IT GARNERED OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND SUBSCRIBERS IN JUST A FEW MONTHS.

AND JUST LIKE THAT I BECOME AN INTERNET SENSATION, I HAD GAIN POPULARITY BOTH IN SCHOOL AND CITY. SMALL BUSINESSES AND HUGE BUSINESSES WERE EVEN PAYING ME TO ADVERTISE THEIR PRODUCTS ONLINE WHILE I WAS GETTING INVITES TO RED CARPETS.

MY PARENTS WERE MIDDLE CLASS AND THEY SUPPORTED ME THE WHOLE WAY MOSTLY BECAUSE I REMOVED SOME FINANCIAL BURDENS FROM THEM. ALL MY SIBLINGS SUPPORTED ME EXCEPT PACIFICA. SHE ENVIED ME SO MUCH THAT SHE TRIED A COUPLE OF TIMES TO SUBBOTARGE ME. IT DIDN'T WORK BUT, I WAS VERY CAUTIONS OF HER.

"I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ARE GETTING THIS MUCH ATTENTION, RAYA, YOU ARE NOT THAT SPECIAL", SHE SAID ONCE.

OTHER THAN HER, LUCKY AND CHRISTIAN, MY OTHER SIBLINGS WERE REALLY SUPPORTIVE. I STILL REMEMBER WHEN THEY GAVE ME A CAMERA AS A BIRTHDAY GIFT WITH THE MOTIVE OF ME FILMING PIXEL QUALITY YOUTUBE VIDEOS.

MY LIFE SEEMED PERFECT AT THAT MOMENT BUT LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT A COMPETITION WOULD SOON ARISE.