Ashley paced nervously as she and Alex waited for to board the plane. She couldn’t believe this- she was going to Florida as finalist in the contest.
The weekend had passed too quickly for Ashley; it was almost like a dream. She still expected to be waking up, Friday morning, and realizing all of this had been a dream.
Alex looked at her. “Ashley, stop worrying. Sit down and relax.”
“I can’t, Alex. I won’t be able to relax until after they announce who the winner is.”
“I’m confident you’ll be the winner,” Alex told her, looking at her. Ashley was beautiful, with her tall, slender figure, red hair, and blue eyes. She was an excellent singer, and good dancer. Alex knew she’d win, and when it came to other people, her feelings were very rarely wrong.
“I hope I am. Do you know how wonderful that would be?” Ashley got a faraway look in her eyes. “I’d be traveling around the world, doing things I love, with guys I love.”
Alex laughed. “You’ll forget all about Nate.”
“No I won’t. I love Nate. And even if nothing happens between us, we’ll still be friends.”
“Are you ever gonna ask him out?”
“I’m thinking about it. If I do, I’ll wait until after all of this calms down, and he gets settled. Finishing college is a big thing.”
“It’s a lot like finishing high school.” Alex had graduated a year earlier, so she remembered clearly what it was like. Besides finishing high school, her stepmother had died on the very day she’d graduated, so it had been very hard for her.
“I think I’ll ask him out for his birthday,” Ashley announced.
“Hopefully he doesn’t have plans,” Alex said.
“Damn,” Ashley muttered, realizing he probably would.
Alex laughed.***
Ashley and Alex walked out of the airport terminal. A long line of cars, buses, limousines, and taxis waited in front of the airport.
Ashley, the taller of the two, noticed a person holding a sign with her name on it, and they walked toward him.
“Are you Ashley Morgan?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He held open the limo door, and she and Alex got in the limo.
“I can’t believe this,” Ashley said, glancing around the limo.
“Get used to it,” Alex told her. The limo didn’t faze her, but then she wasn’t fazed by many things.
“I don’t think I’d be able to,” Ashley began. “I mean, I’m not used to things like this. And I’m not sure I’m the winner, so I can’t get used to it too soon.”
“You’ll have to adjust sooner or later.”
“Why doesn’t this faze you?” Ashley asked. “You didn’t even have a reaction when I told you we were staying at the Hilton.”
“Things like that just don’t faze me. I guess it’s the aristocracy in me that refuses to be awed by things like that. I just accept it.” Alex’s grandmother had been an English duchess before she ran off with a lover. She’d taken Alex’s mother with her when she’d left England and her husband behind.
“And here I am, all awed by even the slightest splendor.”
Alex smiled. “Just don’t show it, and you’ll be ok. And when you meet the guys, and when you’re at the award shows and introduced to someone you like, don’t act like a fan.”
“I won’t,” Ashley assured her.***
Ashley sat in the front row of the auditorium, along with the three other finalists. The Backstreet Boys stood on the stage.
“I’m Howie Dorough,” Howie began. “And I’d like to thank all of you for entering the contest. It was very hard, but we narrowed it down to the four of you.”
“I’m Kevin Richardson,” Kevin said. “During the next few days, we’ll be interviewing you individually, watching you perform a dance routine and song, and, to see how you’ll handle the media and fans, we’ll have a press conference, hosted by MTV.”
“I’m AJ McLean,” AJ continued. “The press conference will be on Thursday. By then we’ll already have the winner picked out, and we’ll announce it that day.”
“I’m Nick Carter,” Nick said. “Tomorrow, we’ll watch you perform. You’ll be judged on moves, voice, style, and ability.”
“I’m Brian Littrel,” Brian finished. “On Wednesday, we’ll have interviews. The performances tomorrow will be viewed by the other finalists, and of course the press conference will be public. But the interviews will be private.”
“Good luck to all of you,” they said together.***
“I need to go practice,” Ashley said, the minute she walked in their room at the Hilton. “My routine has to be perfect for tomorrow.”
“Ashley, you know it by heart. You’ll be fine. I’d recommend unpacking your things and getting dinner, and getting a good nights sleep. You have to at the studio by eight.”
“You’re going, too, don’t forget.”
Alex smiled at her. “But I have no problem being up before eight, unlike some people.”
“Stop bragging about your strange habits,” Ashley told her.
Alex laughed as she walked in the bathroom. She didn’t need much sleep- only five hours a day. And how matter what time she went to bed at night, she was always up by seven. Usually she slept in the afternoon, after she got out of school, and had the entire night to do as she pleased, which was wonderful for her, a night owl.
They unpacked their things, then Ashley decided to go to the McDonald’s down the street from the hotel, so she could try to get rid of some of the energy she had. She needed to sleep that night. Alex ordered room service.
Ashley tried to go to sleep at nine. She spent an hour staring at the ceiling, listening to Alex type. She felt her eyes drooping around ten, but every few minutes, they’d spring open again, as she thought about something that would happen the next day. Finally, at ten-thirty, she feel asleep, to dream about becoming the next member of BSB.
Alex finally crashed around one. She was up at six, and woke Ashley up at six-thirty so she could take a shower.
Ashley groaned when Alex woke her up. “Alex, it’s only six-thirty. Go away.”
“But we need to be at the studio by-”
“Oh shit.” Ashley bolted up, remembering what that day was. “I’m not late, am I?” She got out of bed. “I need to take a shower, and get dressed. Do I have time to practice more before?” She walked into the bathroom, muttering to herself.
Alex laughed.
“Shut up, Alexandria Jade Royce.”
Alex just laughed harder.
They left the hotel at seven-thirty. The guys had arranged for limos to take all of the contestants to the studio, so they wouldn’t have to worry about getting their.
Alex, along with the guests of the other contestants, walked to the auditorium when they arrived at the studio, while Ashley, along with the other three girls, went to warm up.
They drew numbers, and Ashley picked number 4. She was going to be the last to perform, and the last to be interviewed on Wednesday.