the  audition

I take back my words. I DON'T WANT TO GO IN THERE!!!

I tugged on Erica's arms while looking at everything around me. holy strawberries, I swear everyone is looking at me with that look that tells me they wanted to kill me. as a plus, the lady at the reception table whom Erica was talking with was really creepy. I shook Erica's shorter body a few times.

"Er, let's just go home!" I whined silently. unfortunately, Erica didn't want to listen and just shook my annoying hands off of her arms.

"shut up, Joo, I'm trying to write my phone number here!"

I pouted "Erica, I'm being serious here! let's go home!" honestly, I almost cried there "these people are trying to eat me alive!"

Erica rolled her eyes "I'm being serious here too, Jewel! now stop acting like a paranoid 6 year old and let me just finish this form! geez!"

as told, I shut my mouth up like an obedient little puppy listening to her master. well, not that I was afraid of Erica, but her tone when she half-yelled at me just then just tells that she was annoyed. and believe me, you DON'T want to mess up with Erica when she's annoyed.

as soon as Erica was done filling the audition form for me and herself (she ended up joining the audition to encourage me even though she was aware that she wasn't really built for the entertainment industry. no offense, Er, but thanks fo caring. hee), she gave me a piece of paper with my supposed-to-be audition number on it.

"1044?" I read. ugh, why are there two '4' in that? bad luck. geez. and holy creeps, how many people auditioned here today?!

Erica poked her her head beside me, trying to catch a glimpse of my number—which I was supposed to stick on my chest—before she gasped dramatically.

"ah! two '4's?! no, no, you can't wear that, that's bad luck! here, here, change to mine; I'm bad luck in myself so it should be okay," she said, handing me her number: 1045. I smiled before I shook my head.

"nah, I'll stay with this number. I'm only here because you forced me, remember? I'll need the bad luck because I need to fail the audition, not pass it. my parents would go yeesh if they find out I'm even joining this thing," I explained carefully. Erica threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"parents, parents, parents. it's good that you respect them, but remember Joo, you've got to start making your own decision because sooner or later, your dear parents won't be there to decide things for you anymore,"

yeah, she's got a point... wait, what?

"whatever you say, Er, whatever you say..." i said as I walked away to an available chair, waiting for my turn to come.

***

"numbers 1040 to 1049, please step into the audition room!"

Erica and I instantly woke up from our half-awake state (read that as :  bored) when a lady's voice boomed through the speaker. I rubbed my sleepy eyes

"is it our turn already?"

Erica looked around confusedly. it was obvious that she was still also quarter-awake too. crap, I asked the wrong person.

"uh... think so. let's go in,"

I shrugged, but followed Erica's steps anyway.

"holy shi-..."

my eyes widened when Erica almost said the dirty word. but I quickly understood why: inside the audition room, there were like, 5 judges (4 men, one woman), and they ALL looked like those creepy math teacher we're all afraid of in middle school.

I blinked a few times before stepping inside the 3x7 metres room, smelling doom creeping into my near future. Erica, who was beside me, suddenly closened up to me, whispering

"hey Joo, by the way, what are we gonna sing?"

holy crap.

I gasped "oh my goodness, I totally forgot that part!" I whispered back. yeah, that little VERY important part. "what should we do?!"

"when I call your number, please introduce your name and age, then please sing the chorus of any song you have prepared. you have thirty seconds each. 1040, start!" one of the judge—the one on the far left, the creepiest one—said. 1040 gulped before she started to sing the chorus of a song I identified as Taeyeon's 'If'. me and Erica are getting even more nervous than before.

"Erica, what should we do?!" I whispered again. Erice looked just as antsy as I was, so it's probably a waste to ask her.

"just... sing the first song that came into your mind!"

"my mind is blank! there's nothing inside it!"

"just... whatever!"

I bit my lower lip. ugh, this situation isn't helping at all! please, please, even if I were to fail this audition (like I intended to), just don't humiliate me in fromt of all these people! please brain, please, don't fail me now!

"1044!"

I jumped back to my senses. is it my turn already? holy shi-...

"a-ah, yes... my-my name is Jewel Ban a-and I'm 15... uhh, I mean turning 15 this year, and I uhm... going to sing..." what am I gonna sing?! "uh... Selena Gomez's Who Says!"

yes, thank you! Selena Gomez, you've saved me!

and then I started singing.

"who says, who says you're not perfect? who says you're not worth it? who says you're not beautiful?"

I dared myself to look up to the judges to see what their reactions were. but I found nothing in their expressions. ugh, damn you all.

Erica on the other hand, was gawking into space after I came up with a song that fast. haha, face, Er!

the same creepy judge that directed us earlier raised his right hand, signaling me to stop singing. so I did. I glanced at Erica who was getting her turn now.

"1045!"

"you're gonna hate me for this, Joo," Erica whispered. I smiled.

"try me,"

author's note

hello! ^_^ I've come back after my finals are done, so heheh...

I know it's still really crappy because it's after all my first story here, but please comment, guys, coz it means so much to me...

thank you! ^_^

credits - contradictori