A Different Beat

“Where the bloody Hell are we?” Angelia whined, fixing her blonde curls and pushing up her designer sunglasses. The hot sun had been beating down on her and the camera man Steve for hours in this cramped little Jeep, and she hadn’t seen a road for nearly an hour. Their driver seemed confident enough though as he drove through the sand.

“You’re in the outback Miss Meyers!” He chuckled, swerving the car slightly to avoid a snake. “The colony is just up ahead.”

“That’s what you said an hour ago mate.” Steve grumbled, trying to fan himself. Angelia just rolled her eyes, swiping on a fresh coat of lipstick. Finally the driver pulled to a stop, smiling.

“Alright, let’s go.” He said. Angelia whipped her head around, not seeing a damn thing but desert.

“Oh my God Steve he’s going to kill us.” She whispered, her British accent rolling smoothly over her words. The driver simple laughed, the sound bouncing off scattered rocks.

“Not at all Miss Meyers.” He chuckled, turning back to her. “They just don’t like cars getting close to the camp, scares the animals away.”

“Animals?” She asked, her eyes wide.

“Yep! They’re kind of like an unofficial animal sanctuary.” He said, opening the door. “Now I hope you brought some walking shoes, it’s a bit of a hike.” Angelia groaned, looking down at the pristine red heels on her feet. The driver turned, seeing her predicament and smiled. He hopped out of the car, opening her door and turning his back to her. “Well come on.”

“Where?” She squeaked.

“I’m going to carry you! Not every day I get to drive around a sheila as beautiful as yourself.” She blushed at that before gently getting onto his back, glad no one was around to see her skirt hiking up.

The ‘bit of a hike’ was more like a trek up a mountain as they trudged through the sand, their driver insisting they reach the camp before nightfall. Finally in the distance Angelia saw the camp, complete with people and a well, and quickly dismounted the driver.

“Alright, not we’re looking for…” She pulled out her notecard, ignoring Steve, who was practically dying from carrying the camera up the hillside. “Margo Rain Gale?”

“Ah little Margo!” The driver beamed. “I’ve known her since she was nothing but a little ankle biter, come on.” He ushered them into the camp, and Angelia nearly gagged on the mixed smell of animals and body odor. Luckily Steve was handed a glass of water by a passerby, or he might have collapsed. He then jogged over to keep up with Angelia, who was fixing her skirt.

“Want me to start filming Angie?” He asked.

“Yeah.” She then followed their driver as he knocked on the door, smiling.

“Her parents are the ones who established this place, they get more people every year.” Angelia simply nodded, looking at the small yurt with interest. Finally, a stunning brunette, holding a swaddle in her arms, answered. Angelia beamed, knowing why the producers had chosen her as she looked at the girl’s natural beauty. The boys would be fighting over her for sure.

“Yes?” The girl asked.

“Margo?” Angelia clarified, the girl simply looked at her.

“That’s what I go by.” Angelia smiled, looking at the blanket she was holding so tenderly.

“I didn’t know you had a baby!” She gushed, can I see him?” She reached over to the swaddle only for a bird’s head to poke out, looking at her before it squawked loudly. Angelia squealed in terror, jumping back. “That’s a cassowary!” She cried, only knowing the name because of the driver warning her to watch out for them. “What the f…” She stopped, remembering the camera was on. “Those are dangerous.”

“His mother died in a wildfire, what was I supposed to do, leave him?” Margo asked, unfazed by Angelia’s outburst. She then turned back to the small bird, poking his beak affectionately. It simply squawked again.

“Yeah our Margo’s always taking in strays.” The driver chuckled. “What’s his name?”

“Gandhi.” She said, smiling. “Who are these guys Noah?” The driver, Noah, scratched the stubble on his chin.

“City folk, they said they needed to come here to find you.” She turned back to Angelia, cocking an eyebrow.

“Well why didn’t you say so?”

“We did.” Angelia muttered.

“Oh.” There was an awkward silence before Angelia nodded to the door.

“Can we come in?” Margo shook her head.

“My parents are working.” Angelia sighed, pressing the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She then took a deep breath, going back into model mode as she walked over to Margo, beaming.

“Margo, I’m here to tell you that you’ve been chosen to go to the blind auditions of Golden Tone!” Margo’s head fell to one side.

“I already auditioned.”

“These are different auditions.”

“Why do they need two auditions?” Angelia took a deep breath, wanting that baby cassowary in her hands to peck Margo in the side of the head.

“These are the ones to get on a team and be on the show.” Margo simply nodded, pressing her lips together. “We’re here to bring you to Sydney.” Margo just nodded again.

“Let me ask my parents.” She then walked back into the house, shutting the door behind her. There were some mumbled voices for a while before the door opened again, revealing a woman who Angelia assumed to be Mrs. Gale.

“Noah, why didn’t you tell me we had visitors?” She asked, smiling. “Come on, let me show you around.”

“Actually, we really have to get going-” Angelia started, but Noah simply laughed again.

“Oh we’re going to have to stay the night here, too dangerous to try and make it back down the mountain in the dark.” Mrs. Gale beamed, setting an arm around Angelia.

“Let me give you the grand tour.”

“Can we at least have Margo’s answer first?” Angelia asked. Mrs. Gale simply looked at them before laughing.

“Oh it’s completely up to her. We’re very hands off parents.” Mrs. Gale chuckled. “She just wants a little time to think it over.”

“Mrs. Gale, this is a chance to become famous, to have the whole world know her name.” Mrs. Gale’s smile dropped as she looked the blonde supermodel up and down.

“And I warned her that your type of TV shows always love to watch young girls go through heartbreak just for ratings.”

“Mrs. Gale-”

“She’s thinking about it.” Mrs. Gale repeated. “Now come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

Margo simply sat in her room, looking at Gandhi as he pecked at his food. She was surrounded by her adopted pets, Winston the Koala, who was snuggling her arm, Leonardo the dingo pup curled in her lap, and Stella, the old wombat she’d saved from the buzzards, was fast asleep in her bed.

She was nervous to go back into the real world, all the horrible memories of her attempt at her university still fresh on her mind. She knew she would most likely be made fun of, and couldn’t quite decide if it was worth it. She sighed, reaching over and scratching Winston.

“What do I do?” She murmured. Leonardo sat up, licking her cheek and causing her to giggle. But then her smile fell as she groaned, looking at the wall. As she saw the photo of her first day at Uni, her parents beside her, the voices of her classmates came rushing back.

Margo, have you ever even talked to another person before?

Go back to the outback and marry a dingo!

You don’t belong here with us normal people.

But the one thing that had gotten her through it all was music, being alone in her room with her headphones and just getting lost in the lyrics. She knew that this competition might give her a chance to pay back her debt to music and help other girls like herself. She beamed as she leapt up, starting the pack her bags.

Once she’d crammed in every piece of normal clothing she owned she walked out of her room, where her parents were talking to the blonde woman and her camera man. They all looked up at her beaming smile as she stood before them, suitcase in hand.

“I’ll do it.”