�Am I talking to Bethany?� A voice said over the phone. Kenna moaned. It was 10 am and she�d been up until four am tapping on her laptop.
�Nope, It�s Kenna,�
�Well can you please put Bethany on the phone?� The voice said. Kenna looked at the one real bed in the room. Bethany was laying facedown in the pillow and an arm hung off the side of the bed. Kenna giggled quietly at the site.
�Hold on,� she said placing the phone on the night table. She grabbed her camera off the TV and quickly snapped a picture before waking Bethany up.
�Beth. Get up!� Kenna said �Phone�s for you,� Bethany groaned in response and grabbed the phone.
�Hello,� she answered
�Is this Bethany Bardot?� The voice asked
�Yeah,� Bethany said while stifling a yawn
�Can you please come to the Hilton in Orlando for three tomorrow afternoon?�
�For what?� Bethany asked curiously. The voice sighed.
�You�re one of the 18 picked to stay there for two to five days for the audition for the singing group,�
�May I ask who�s calling?� Bethany questioned
�Nick Carter,� The voice answered
�Yeah, I can be there,� Bethany answered
�Alright,� Nick said �I�ll let you go now,� Bethany nodded and hung up the phone.
Nick hung up the phone before picking it back up. He began to dial what were supposed to be unfamiliar numbers. Didn�t I just call here? He thought to himself. He looked at the form he was holding. �Kenna Parker,� He muttered as the phone rang. Realization came upon him that Kenna was the girl who�d answered the phone when he�d called for Bethany a few minutes before.
�Yello,� Kenna answered
�Hi. This is Nick Carter. I�m looking for Kenna Parker,�
�This is me,� she answered
�Can you be at the Hilton in Orlando for three tomorrow afternoon?�
�This for the group?� Kenna asked
�Yeah. You�re one of the 18,�
�Yeah. I can be there,� Kenna answered �Is that all you needed?�
�Yeah,� Nick answered
�See ya,� Kenna said before hanging up. She looked at Beth, who was already sleeping again before grabbing some clothes and going into the bathroom.
***
�I made it to the 18?� Alexandria asked disbelievingly
�Yeah,� Jacob said �Do you think you can make it?�
�Yeah. Of course,� Alex said �Tomorrow at three?�
�Yep,� Jacob said as Alex jotted the details down on a piece of paper
�Thank you so much,� she said
�No problem,� Jacob said �I�ll see ya tomorrow,�
�Alright,� Alex before hanging up. After a few moments she picked the phone back up and called the airport.
***
18 girls, competing for the same thing, the same thing thousands before them had competed for. Is there anything REALLY different about them? No. They�re willing to give everything up, their friends, their families...their lives. All this for one thing. To be an entertainer, to entertain people. The people that could either make them or break them. But first, it�s every woman for herself, to impress the judges. Each of them the same, thinking they�re different, thinking they�re original. Knowing, or at least thinking they know. Even if they know, it doesn�t matter. They have to prove they�re different, prove they�re original. Would it be easy? Maybe. Maybe not.
***
Kevin took a deep breath before speaking. He was there, in front of 18 young women. This was the moment of truth, things would either crumble or hold together. He knew there�d be a few angry ones. He couldn�t blame them. What they�d done was manipulative. Managing to get permission to tape them for a television show without them knowing. He couldn�t blame them one bit.
�Before we can continue the auditions. There�s something you need to know. The cameras that have been around, haven�t only been for us to review tapes. They�re for a television show you�ll be starring in, if you choose to continue,� Gasps from the girls could be heard. It was quiet shock for a few minutes before someone stood and started to talk.
�A television show. Is that all you wanted us for?? For a stupid television show! No, wait. For your images. That�s all you care about. Yourselves. Fuck this,� With that, the girl no one knew walked out of the room, and was never seen by any of the other girls again. One gone, less competition, or so it seemed.