It was finally the day. Deloise woke up with a startle. It felt like the universe skipped a beat and she immediately checked the time on her phone, noting Amanda's presence beside her.
Memories from the previous night crept into her consciousness but she didn't feel anything. She felt so calm, she wondered if it was the calm before the storm.
Remembering the time, she got up with a lightning speed and hopped into the shower. Her flight was scheduled for seven, and it was her first ever flight.
She couldn't afford to be late!
Her fuss awakened Amanda who opened her eyes with a squint, while Deloise threw a good morning as she prepared herself. This time around, she couldn't risk failing.
Before you know it, Amanda was up and doing the lord's work. Deloise met her suitcases packed by the door, while Amanda fussed around, ticking things off the list they created to avoid forgetting anything.
" All done." Amanda said, looking around the bare looking room.
Everything had been packed up, safe for the outfit she was wearing to the airport.
" Thank you so much.." Deloise felt her emotions peak. She wasn't an organized person, and always tended to forget or leave out something when putting things together.
Soon, she was ready to go and they went into the living area. The shut door to Anna's room became more prominent than it was the night before.
They stared at the door, half expecting it to open but no such luck. She couldn't believe that Anna wouldn't see her off. Everything felt all shades of wrong. Was their friendship really that fickle?
" Maybe she's still asleep, it's still quite early," Amanda excused, noticing the lingering gaze of Deloise on Anna's door.
" I'll go wake her up, she obviously wouldn't let you go like this." She muttered, walked up to her door, and knocked. " Ann, are you still sleeping?" Amanda called out.
When there was no response, she knocked louder. " You're not sleeping, I hear the ping of your phone, Ann. Open up!" she said, furiously hitting the door.
" What is wrong with you? " Amanda asked aloud, throwing a fit at Ann's attitude, " She's your friend for crying out loud." She said in disbelief at Ann's actions. " Take a second from your selfish ass and be a real friend this once!" Amanda cussed out, royally pissed.
Deloise stood by the cushion, watching the scene, knowing that Anna wasn't planning on settling whatever it was between them. She was hurt but came to accept the route to her happiness was a lonely one.
One look at the time and she was almost late. " It's okay, let her be." Deloise said softly, " we're late, let's head out."
Amanda was reluctant, " It just doesn't make sense, this isn't right." She remarked unhappily.
" It's fine," Deloise muttered, " Goodbye, Ann!" She called with a louder voice, not bothering to wait for a reply. Deloise checked out the school with Amanda and made her way to the airport.
Soon enough, Deloise was in a plane with millions of thoughts. Excitement and nervousness flowed through her veins as she prepared for her next stop. New York City.
*****
Daniel was in his Mansion, getting ready for his trip to the airport. Ever since he received word on the sudden appearance of his female lead, he felt a wave of giddiness and excitement.
One would think it was his first meeting with a crush.
Except it wasn't his crush. It was the lady he had eyes set upon for the female lead of his production. Daniel was a driven and passionate man with everything related to his craft but this situation stood out.
How else could he explain his decision to personally pick her from the airport?
He reckoned it was her first time in the city, and there were more than enough trusted chauffeurs to convey her to Royal Arts Academy, but for some reason, he wanted to do it himself.
Regardless how daunting it could be as a person in the public's eye.
His desire to see her for himself as soon as she hit the city was borderline obsessive. He wanted to check for himself, and truly witness her abilities.
But first, he had to see for himself, drive her to Royal Arts and personally test her abilities. Everything was to be done today before she met with the panel tomorrow for the formal audition.
The audition was a formality because if he was satisfied with her abilities, there was no more discussion to be had. He wouldn't have anyone else, no matter the others though.
Soon enough, Daniel was exiting his Mansion with his White AMG Mercedes Benz 4matic, tinted and ready to host lady Deloise.
*****
Deloise was all smiles when she heard the address system notify all of their arrival. She sat by the window, taking in the new scenery as they landed.
She collected her luggage from the top bunk as the plane touched down New York. She walked down the stairs and took in the sunny weather with a huge smile. She couldn't believe she was finally here!
Feeling overwhelmed, she looked around, still unsure on where she was headed. She was supposed to be picked up by someone holding her name but so far she couldn't find any.
Her eyes scanned through the mob of heads, holding signposts and the more she searched, she panicked.
Deloise hadn't considered getting lost, so her surprise watching others leave till she was left was inexplicable. What if she was scammed? What if it was a set up? She thought fearfully.
She sat on her luggage, hopelessly thinking about her deplorable state when she suddenly saw a signpost with her name on it.
Her face lit up in a smile and she ran towards the waiting man, glad it was real afterall.
*****
Daniel Greenwood was parked in the airport lot. He had to pick up his actress but due to the crowd, he chose to wait it out.
As he waited, he amusedly thought of testing her patience, seeing she'd done that to him by putting him in a tight position with his production and project. He laughed at the irony of it, how he waited so long to meet her, and then when she finally did come along, left her waiting.
When the crowd had emptied itself, Mr Daniel geared up in his shades and a hat, alongside a signboard, ready for ambush.
He stepped out of the car and found his way to receiving the star he was keen on making.
When Daniel got to the receiving area, he met a handful of people and immediately sighted her. She was real afterall. She ran to him in seconds, her happiness was contagious.
" Hello, mister, I'm Deloise." She looked at him expectantly, waiting for the glasses to be put away so she could meet the one behind them but no such luck. Well, at least not yet.
" Welcome, Miss Deloise." Mr Daniel replied, adding an accent to his voice and enjoying his newfound acting gig.
" Shall we?" He said, gesturing the path she was to go through.
" Sorry, but who are you?" Deloise felt suspicious, she couldn't just follow a strange man without any form of introduction on his part.
Impressed by her smartness, Daniel said," I'm your driver. From the Royal Arts Academy." He informed her with a bow, inwardly chuckling at his superb acting skills.
Deloise seemed to relax a bit. Her steps still showed she wasn't thoroughly convinced. Meanwhile, Daniel noticed her discomfort and wondered if the driver would help her feel more at ease with the transition. He led the way In quick strides, headed out of the airport, and subtly checked in on her to be sure she was following him.
On getting outside the airport, he increased his pace. People could tell him from his body structure, walking steps and fashion sense. The struggle of being in the public eye!
Deloise followed her ' driver ' , still unconvinced about his identity, but beggars couldn't be choosers. She stilled in surprise when the driver led her to an exotic vehicle. Royal Arts Academy was no joke!
She couldn't have been the person they brought such a car for her ride in, Deloise thought, humbled. The driver, Albeit somehow looking weird, finally opened the door for her to walk in.
Deloise looked forward and was shocked to see someone at the steering wheel. Fear gripped her, and before she could utter a word, Daniel Greenwood entered beside her and removed his hat and shades.
He looked at her with a smirk, and she was dumbfounded. It was Daniel Greenwood! Veteran star actor - Daniel Greenwood.
******
Daniel watched as she visibly struggled for words, failing every time to produce something. His smirk graduated into a full-blown smile seeing her antics around him.
" Miss Deloise," He called her, " I'm sorry we had to meet under such…circumstances, " He hesitated a little, lacking proper words to explain his stunt. Afterwards, he continued, " Glad to finally meet you." He reached out his hand for a formal meeting.
Deloise grabbed his hand with both hands and shook excitedly, " Nice to meet you too, sir! I'm a big fan of yours!" She said with sweaty palms, " I can't believe it's you!"
" Glad we cleared that up," he smiled, " you may go now, straight to the Royal Arts," Daniel ordered, and the driver maneuvered the car through the roads, next stop, Royal Arts Academy.
During the journey, the duo spoke on various topics in conversation, each more passionate than the last, they never seemed to run out. Soon, they got to the Royal Arts Academy gates, and Deloise held back tears.
She was finally at the school of her dreams!
She never thought that one day she would be going through the gates of Royal Arts, not to talk of meeting a big star the day she entered New York City. Indeed, this was her destined land. It all felt unreal.
In a few minutes of stepping foot in New York, she managed to do, and experience things she nursed only in dreams.
" Are you ready for a new world?" Daniel asked the young actress beside him - staring at the school in awe. His question felt like a double-edged sword, and he nursed a glint in his eyes, one of a kid who couldn't wait to peel off his candy.
Deloise didn't hear him, lost in the glory of the school environment. She'd never imagined the school to be so beautiful. The pictures online did no justice! It was that beautiful.
The car soon slowed to a stop, jolting Deloise out of her reverie. Suddenly, she didn't know what to do. She's been thrown into a new world. One that made her stomach churn in the sweetest way.
Daniel resumed a stoic look, came down the car and shut the door behind him. The sound from the door resounded in Deloise's ears, and in a second, she was out of the car, looking for the man who'd brought her all the way here.
Deloise attempted to get her belongings from the car trunk, but Daniel encouraged her to leave them behind. Saying something along the lines of - it would be taken care of.
Daniel checked his time, which read half past one. Perfect. He had enough time to carry out his vendetta before the rest arrived.
" C'mon, let's go. There's a lot to cover." He said with hastened steps, forcing Deloise to get into pace with him.
Daniel led her to the office of the director and closed the door. The director wasn't around. They had thirty minutes till he was to join them - twenty minutes too long for what he wanted to confirm.
Deloise looked at him confusedly, he brought her into someone's office and went quiet. What was she supposed to do with that?
Still on the thought, a script was suddenly thrown towards her.
" You've got five minutes. Get ready and meet me at the end of the hallway." Daniel finally spoke, every trait of friendliness gone. " Let's see just how much you want all of this," Daniel remarked and walked out of the office, leaving a stunned, surprised and determined Deloise.
She came over here, throwing caution to the wind and beating the odds. There was no way she'd lose it all now.
Deloise picked up the script and glanced through it. She distinctly remembered when she shot this particular scene. How she worked it over in pain, determined to shut everything out.
This time, she would do it, and with a clear motive. This was the ticket to her long-term dream, and she didn't come this far just to come this far.
With that, she prepared herself. Heart, soul and mind, ready to give all that she had, notwithstanding her already tired state from her journey. Within the quickest of time, Deloise rushed out of the office, clearly remembering the direction given to her.
As soon as she crossed the doors, she bumped into the most attractive man she'd ever seen. And for a moment, she stared into his unusually clear green eyes until she was snapped out of her reverie,
" Scram." A cold voice said to her with the meanest look.
Stunned at the sheer rudeness depicted, Deloise committed his face to memory and without a word, walked away, straight into the deciding hall of her life.
******
Aaron Steele angrily walked into the director's office, seething at his recent findings. He couldn't believe he'd been swindled into accepting and auditioning for a script written by that wench!
His anger accelerated at the fact that the Damned director knew about the little fact and intentionally decided to keep him in the dark until he was done and dusted with the deal.
The worst part was that he signed the documents! Feeling like he'd bagged something great only to be met up with the news of her most recent job. When Aaron found out that Ms Ema was the playwright of the script he'd just auditioned for, everything turned red.
The newspaper he got the information from wasn't speared and neither was the director going to be spared from his fury. He had decided he wasn't going to be a part of the production, signed or not! And he was going to see to it.
Met with the absence of Mr Austin, Aaron slammed the door behind him, pacing around the office space in wait for when he was going to arrive. He'd earlier called him and somewhere in between his raised voice and deafening anger, the director asked to meet up with him at his office.
In a terribly poor countenance, he'd marched his way over to the office, giving everyone a cold shoulder. Usually, he tried to be less of a jerk to people, especially in the Royal Arts but it wasn't his best day.
Aaron took a seat on the couch, his feet impatiently tapped the marbled floor, as he awaited the presence of the director. He made to call him again, to find out where he was, but decided against it.
He didn't want the director thinking he's been taken for granted or insulted so he decided to wait it out and talk in person. As though on cue, the door of the office opened and Mr Austin strolled into his office, adorned in a suit.
The director smiled upon spotting Aaron's poor countenance. " Aaron, my boy! How're you doing?" He said with a grin, reaching out his hand for a handshake but received no reply from Aaron- who remained seated, mute and sulking.
" Don't tell me you're still pissed about that, c'mon boy, that deal is THE deal! Forget about whatever baggage and treat it as a job, which it is." Mr Austin tried to reason with Aaron. " Listen to me man, when you met me to manage you, even as a student, I never agreed until you proved to be a worthy investment. Don't let anything stop you." He advised.
" You don't get it! I've done everything I can to avoid being affiliated to her or them! I chose a new path for myself, and you know my story!" Aaron lashed out, getting angrier as the clock ticked, " you knew about it and still put me on! This isn't just about the brand, it's way deeper than that and yet you chose to deceive and blindside me!" Aaron bellowed at Mr Austin, who could now understand the erring of his ways upon seeing the reaction.
" I overstepped and I apologize." Mr Austin said solemnly, knowing any other thing would only tick off the bomb that was Aaron. " Forget about the deal, we can sort out a replacement. Lucky for you, the director and producer of the project is in the building, so let's make it formal, shall we?" He proposed, readying himself for the backlash he was surely going to get for the sudden development.
" Fine." Aaron said, with a still voice. " I apologize for my reactions and still want to be in partnership with you, Mr Austin." He said in a formal yet polite tone.
" Don't get soft on me boy, you were blowing a pulse less than a minute ago." Mr Austin remarked amusedly, causing Aaron to unsuccessfully conceal a smile. The tiff from earlier flushed down the toilets as they regained their usual banter.
" As much as I feel like we'd regret losing this role, I'm just going to let it be." Mr Austin said, causing Aaron to shake his head. He knew that he was never going to hear the end of it but he had already made up his mind.
Together, they walked out of the office, headed towards the show room at the end of the hallway. Mr Austin wondered why Mr Daniel decided to meet him in the showroom, when his office was opened.
Daniel's early appearance for the meeting also surprised him but when he remembered what was at stake, he understood his impatience to finally meet the one he'd so vehemently stuck out for.
Mr Austin couldn't help but admit he was also looking forward to meeting the lady. Assess her for himself and know if she was truly deserving of the spot and the hype.
As they approached the end of the hallway. The door was crowded by onlookers who were stopped by a security official, hindering them from disturbing whatever it was happening in the showroom.
Aaron and Mr Austin exchanged glances, wondering what the ruckus was about. The director penned it down to the fact that there was a world class star and actor inside the room.
" Everyone! To your business please." Mr Austin spoke in a firm tone, and the students complied, murmuring on the little they witnessed.
The area emptied and Mr Austin turned around, only to find Aaron out of his sight. He briskly walked inside the showroom, hoping that Aaron hadn't taken law to his hands and met with Daniel without his company.
Upon entering the showroom, Mr Austin spotted Aaron, standing still and looking at a perceived empty space directly in front of him. He further walked in to take a better look and was stunned to see an ongoing a
udition.
Apparently, Daniel couldn't wait for the rest of the panel's arrival before beginning a personal test run on her ability. Mr Austin joined the speculators, and observed the scene playing out before him.