Status: hiatus-ish
Days Like Masquerades
auditions.
“It's way too early for this,” I say, yawning. Gustavo and I wait for Kelly to give the hundreds of guys standing outside the small auditorium numbers. Freight Train yawns too. “Even Freight Train is tired.”
“Stop your belly aching!” Gustavo shouts. He checks his watch. “We're starting in two minutes.”
I keep my head up with my hand, flipping through the pages upon pages of applications. “Why did they fill these out if you didn't even look at them?”
“I don't know; I thought you might want that so you'd pick someone you wouldn't mind spending an entire night with.” Gustavo makes a face. “I mean, I don't want you dating someone you don't actually like.”
I shake my head and play with my necklace.
“Why did you decide to do this?” I check my phone, but no one's sent anything. I sigh.
“It's to put your face in the Hollywood market. How else are you supposed to get out there and become successful?”
“I don't know...talent, maybe?” I mutter under my breath.
“Did you say something?” Gustavo narrows his eyes.
I shake my head, giving him a tight-lipped smile.
Kelly barges into the auditorium, heaving. She has a tired grin on her face. “All right. Number one, please step onto the stage.”
A guy with short hair and gray eyes comes out, glancing nervously at us. He takes in a deep breath.
“Ready?” Kelly asks, taking a seat next to me.
He nods.
“I can't imagine all the people that you know,
in the places that you go
when the lights are turned down low.
I don't understand all the things you've seen,
because I'm slipping in between - ”
“Next!” Gustavo yells.
“You had them sing 'Konstantine' by Something Corporate?” I ask. His voice cracked a bit, but it might have been from his nerves.
“No, I had them sing anything they wanted that didn't suck,” he replies. “I said NEXT.” He turns back to me. “Which means no Hanson's 'Mmmbop', anything by Christina Aguilera, Britney, or Lady Gaga, Avenged Sevenfold, or any band that even has a tad of metal influence.”
I look at Kelly. “We didn't want our ears to bleed,” she says, shrugging. “However, there were some tough looking guys outside.”
“I'm not having Gen sing with some guy who looks like he belongs in a basement worshiping Satan!” Gustavo shouts.
“That's really offensive,” the guy on stage says, smirking. His hair is black, aqua, and peridot. He messes with his lip piercing, the chains on his pants clinking together.
“NEXT,” Gustavo screeches.
“He hasn't sung - ” I start.
“I don't care. Get him out of here.” He nods to Freight Train.
“If I was young, I'd flee this town
I'd bury my dreams underground
As did I, we drink to die, we drink tonight - ”
“We've heard enough. Now, Freight Train - ” Gustavo says.
“You have a very nice voice,” I cut in.
“Don't interrupt me!” He glares and turns his head back towards hardcore man. “And you, get off my stage!”
After about 150 guys singing horribly, Gustavo, Kelly and I decide we need a break. Freight Train naps behind the stage in one of the theatre dressing rooms, and Kelly goes off to find all of us some lunch. Gustavo flips through the applications, glancing at me from time to time. I give him a weird look, and he stops.
“If you want a guy who has the image you want and the voice you're looking for, then why don't you go with familiar ones?”
“Because I'm trying to let you know that there are other people out there.” Gustavo pushes the applications off the table. “Look, if you and Kendall were to break up, it would be bad news for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, then I'd need to put you two on separate labels so you guys won't have to see each other all the time.” Gustavo rubs his temples. “Trust me, it's happened before. I can't have you guys unhappy; it wouldn't be good news for what we have going. We don't have to do a duet or anything; most of the people in this town are looking for acting jobs anyway.”
“Why don't Big Time Rush and Electric Feel get together to make some music?”
“Because the last thing I need is for that drummer of yours to get out of hand.”
I smile. “Hey, Gustavo...thanks for looking after me and all, but I think I've got it.”
“Don't go around dating that goth kid, though. Because then I'll have to find a new frontwoman,” Gustavo starts, wagging his finger in my face.
I nod. “No promises, though.”
“...Fine,” he manages through gritted teeth.
Freight Train announces to all the contestants that the audition is over and that the winner will be personally picked by Genevieve Caulfield and sent a golden microphone.
I take in a deep breath and knock on the door. Katie swings it open. “What do you want?” she asks.
“Katie!” Kendall tries to smile. “Sorry about that. How did auditions go?”
I shrug. “A lot of bad singers.”
“C'mon in.” I slide into an armchair. “We tried to sneak past Freight Train, but he and Kelly caught us. And then we had a solid plan B, but the auditions stopped.” He sighs. “So, did you pick a winner?”
I nod.
Kendall looks at his shoes. “Who'd you pick?”
I hold out the golden microphone. He looks up and raises his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But, Gustavo - ”
“He's okay with it.”
We stand up and hug, Kendall lifting me up and spinning me around. Katie slips out of the room, and he sets me down. Kendall grins. “I guess we should go celebrate.”
“I guess we should.”
We link arms and head towards the Palm Woods pool, excited to tell everyone the news.
“Stop your belly aching!” Gustavo shouts. He checks his watch. “We're starting in two minutes.”
I keep my head up with my hand, flipping through the pages upon pages of applications. “Why did they fill these out if you didn't even look at them?”
“I don't know; I thought you might want that so you'd pick someone you wouldn't mind spending an entire night with.” Gustavo makes a face. “I mean, I don't want you dating someone you don't actually like.”
I shake my head and play with my necklace.
“Why did you decide to do this?” I check my phone, but no one's sent anything. I sigh.
“It's to put your face in the Hollywood market. How else are you supposed to get out there and become successful?”
“I don't know...talent, maybe?” I mutter under my breath.
“Did you say something?” Gustavo narrows his eyes.
I shake my head, giving him a tight-lipped smile.
Kelly barges into the auditorium, heaving. She has a tired grin on her face. “All right. Number one, please step onto the stage.”
A guy with short hair and gray eyes comes out, glancing nervously at us. He takes in a deep breath.
“Ready?” Kelly asks, taking a seat next to me.
He nods.
“I can't imagine all the people that you know,
in the places that you go
when the lights are turned down low.
I don't understand all the things you've seen,
because I'm slipping in between - ”
“Next!” Gustavo yells.
“You had them sing 'Konstantine' by Something Corporate?” I ask. His voice cracked a bit, but it might have been from his nerves.
“No, I had them sing anything they wanted that didn't suck,” he replies. “I said NEXT.” He turns back to me. “Which means no Hanson's 'Mmmbop', anything by Christina Aguilera, Britney, or Lady Gaga, Avenged Sevenfold, or any band that even has a tad of metal influence.”
I look at Kelly. “We didn't want our ears to bleed,” she says, shrugging. “However, there were some tough looking guys outside.”
“I'm not having Gen sing with some guy who looks like he belongs in a basement worshiping Satan!” Gustavo shouts.
“That's really offensive,” the guy on stage says, smirking. His hair is black, aqua, and peridot. He messes with his lip piercing, the chains on his pants clinking together.
“NEXT,” Gustavo screeches.
“He hasn't sung - ” I start.
“I don't care. Get him out of here.” He nods to Freight Train.
“If I was young, I'd flee this town
I'd bury my dreams underground
As did I, we drink to die, we drink tonight - ”
“We've heard enough. Now, Freight Train - ” Gustavo says.
“You have a very nice voice,” I cut in.
“Don't interrupt me!” He glares and turns his head back towards hardcore man. “And you, get off my stage!”
After about 150 guys singing horribly, Gustavo, Kelly and I decide we need a break. Freight Train naps behind the stage in one of the theatre dressing rooms, and Kelly goes off to find all of us some lunch. Gustavo flips through the applications, glancing at me from time to time. I give him a weird look, and he stops.
“If you want a guy who has the image you want and the voice you're looking for, then why don't you go with familiar ones?”
“Because I'm trying to let you know that there are other people out there.” Gustavo pushes the applications off the table. “Look, if you and Kendall were to break up, it would be bad news for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, then I'd need to put you two on separate labels so you guys won't have to see each other all the time.” Gustavo rubs his temples. “Trust me, it's happened before. I can't have you guys unhappy; it wouldn't be good news for what we have going. We don't have to do a duet or anything; most of the people in this town are looking for acting jobs anyway.”
“Why don't Big Time Rush and Electric Feel get together to make some music?”
“Because the last thing I need is for that drummer of yours to get out of hand.”
I smile. “Hey, Gustavo...thanks for looking after me and all, but I think I've got it.”
“Don't go around dating that goth kid, though. Because then I'll have to find a new frontwoman,” Gustavo starts, wagging his finger in my face.
I nod. “No promises, though.”
“...Fine,” he manages through gritted teeth.
Freight Train announces to all the contestants that the audition is over and that the winner will be personally picked by Genevieve Caulfield and sent a golden microphone.
I take in a deep breath and knock on the door. Katie swings it open. “What do you want?” she asks.
“Katie!” Kendall tries to smile. “Sorry about that. How did auditions go?”
I shrug. “A lot of bad singers.”
“C'mon in.” I slide into an armchair. “We tried to sneak past Freight Train, but he and Kelly caught us. And then we had a solid plan B, but the auditions stopped.” He sighs. “So, did you pick a winner?”
I nod.
Kendall looks at his shoes. “Who'd you pick?”
I hold out the golden microphone. He looks up and raises his eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“But, Gustavo - ”
“He's okay with it.”
We stand up and hug, Kendall lifting me up and spinning me around. Katie slips out of the room, and he sets me down. Kendall grins. “I guess we should go celebrate.”
“I guess we should.”
We link arms and head towards the Palm Woods pool, excited to tell everyone the news.