Chapter Two : Dreams
4 Years Earlier...... January 27th 7am , New YorkThe Sun was out, Bright light shone through the windows of the small room resting itself on the face of the sleeping girl. Grace. The bright light illuminated the small well arranged room, consisting of a Small bed on a wooden bed post, a reading table and a chair, with books arranged neatly on it, Two windows situated on each side, a wooden closet, and a mirror. The room was painted in light pink and white stripes to match. Grace laid on the small bed covered in peach colored bed covers, still deep in sleep, her eyes still closed as she squinted away from the bright light as she continued dreaming... She was arriving at the hotel in her scooter, as the paparazzi called her name, "Grace Winters, Miss Grace can you pose for a picture?" One said."We love you!!!" .Another said. She smiled at them waving as she turned to pack her scooter but instead a limousine, Black in color with guards at each sides stood behind her, the guards called her name.
"Miss Grace, over here, your ride," she opens her eyes shocked by how they knew her name, she walks towards the limousine entering inside as the guards lock it. In seconds they open the door revealing a hotel with much paparazzi around screaming her name. As she steps out of the car she feels the ground become taller, she looks below to see her now manicured nails in heels, she gasps but soon realizes she is no more in sweats but a glamorous red carpet gown. She turns to face the car window but notices it gone instead Six guards stand at her back, two step forward holding her hands on each side while the rest hold her long train.
She catwalks into the hotel, paparazzi takes pictures from all side , as she smiles and poses for them. Inside the hotel she is greeted by various celebrities who compliment her and addresses her as their friends. "I love your gown Grace""I love all your movies""Can I take a picture with you?""OMG!!, it's Grace Winters". She replied to all of the comments and questions politely, she then notices her mother dressed in a gown just like hers, she feels tears in her eyes knowing everything she had been doing had been for her mum. Her mum walks up to her holding her hand as they began dancing together with the celebrities clapping and cheering them on. As they keep dancing her mother calls her name . "Grace!" But it's loud and doesn't sound like the woman she is dancing with, the woman in front of her continues dancing like a robot, but the voice gets louder and louder! "Grace!!!!" It got louder!!."Grace!, Wake up!". The strong voice rang more loudly through her ears as she scrunched her face in annoyance, she opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the bright light, she finally looks to see her mother smirking, she always has a way of interrupting her dreams Grace Thought.
Eliene couldn't be more happy seeing her daughter's annoyed face, she had interrupted one of her dreams again and she was pleased, she always had a way of annoying her, but she loved her a lot. She had arrived the room a bit earlier to wake her up for her big day with breakfast, but she saw her smiling and talking to herself in her sleep. Now, There was no doubt that Grace was fully awake, she sat on the bed still under the covers staring at her mum in fake annoyance, her Mum gave her another smile before making space for herself on the bed making grace scoff.
"Someone's upset". Eliene said nonchalantly.
"Off course I am mom, you always do this!,". Grace hit her hands on her bed raising her voice a little making Eliene chuckle the more.
"Well I thought you were having a bad dream, I couldn't let my baby girl have a bad dream now would I ?" . Eliene smiled to her self knowing her daughter would catch her faking emotions.
"And anyways Mi amore, you shouldn't care about your dreams, rather try to make it a reality. " She placed a kiss on her forehead. "I made some food for you, eat it and get ready for the audition. Okay?". Eliene asked getting up.
"I'll head to the bathroom, I'll meet you after getting ready." Grace said as she got up and headed to the bathroom, Eliene smiled before heading out of the room. Grace checked her phone that laid on her table, she had two missed calls and she already knew who the caller was . She quickly called the person, still seated on her bed. The phone rang for a while before it was answered. "Grace!!!!!". The caller screamed out of excitement, making Grace laugh."Tamera!, You don't have to scream my name so loud, you'll destroy my ear buds". She said laughing.
"Oh whatever!. I called earlier to wish you good luck since I couldn't do it in person, but someone was busy dreaming again I see". Tamera said mockingly.
"Well all a girl can do is dream heh?, but I'm sorry though". Grace picked a waffle placing it in her mouth, as Tamera spoke to her.
"You're eating huh?"
"Yeah I am". She agreed.
"Fatty". Grace laughed, knowing not to take offense, she wasn't even fat and she knew how much her friend loved playing with her.
"You know I'm not, I'm just thicker than you".
"Thicker my foot,!". Tamera Mocked.
"Oh you're jealous girl, I thought you had your fair share of mockery yesterday, can't you wish your friend good luck." She said in a low voice appealing to Tamera's conscience.
"You can't fool me Grace and you know I was getting to that, you've learned a few tricks heh?". Tamera laughed thankful her friend was growing a bone.
"I could never fool the queen herself, now could I?". Grace said laughing as she walked to her drawer to select her clothes.
"You know you can't, anyway how are you preparing, are you scared or anxious?" Tamera asked more serious. Grace thought for a while weighing her scattered emotions.
" I am scared and anxious and also happy, you know". She said sighing as she held two gowns deciding which was better.
"I understand but you'll be fine, you'll survive, okay?". Tamera sounded optimistic as usual.
"Okay Maam". She said laughing.
"But seriously Grace, you'll do fine , so pick an outfit that boosts your confidence". Tamera suggested."I have two gowns in mind, the black gown you gifted me for graduation and the red for valentine." She asked holding both gowns.
"Definitely Black, Red is bold but sultry, you may seem like you're there for some ulterior motive,". Grace instantly dropped the red dress blushing a bit, Tamera hearing the sound of something being dropped lets out a laugh.
"Still so naive Grace, anyways go for Black, I gotta go now, my Dad's Back, call me later okay?".
"Okay, Bye".
"Bye". The call disconnects as she drops her phone holding the black off shoulder dress with both hands, she views the dress properly before smiling, she had only worn the dress once and it was one of the gifts given by Tamera, she valued the dress a lot along with her other gifts and she hoped it brought her luck. She however always felt guilty at how much Tamera had done for her all through high school and how she hadn't done much. She sighs placing the gown gently on the bed before heading to the bathroom.
Her bathroom was small as was the rest of the house. It was painted in light pink color to match her room , a small shower head hung in the middle of the bathroom with a WC at the side, it wasn't much but she appreciated having it as many people weren't privileged to even have it. She knew to always be grateful for the little and for the big. Now fully stripped, she stepped towards the shower turning it on. She let the cold water stream down her hair to her body calming her nerves a bit. She took her time cleansing her body before turning of the shower and stepping out. She began eating her food before drying off, she then latched on her cream and other essentials before finally getting ready. She looked at her mirror comfortable with her clothes. She packed her plates before heading out of her room to meet her mum. "Mom!, I'm ready!" She said walking into the sitting room to see her mum sitting watching TV, she headed to the kitchen dropping her plates gently in the sink. Her mum turned to look at her, as her lips curved into a smile. Eliene couldn't help but admire her daughter's beauty, Though being her mum, she couldn't lie and say Grace inherited her features, Grace was a carbon coby of her Dad, and Eliene was more than happy for that, because it felt like she had her husband with her again. Grace was an average 18 year old with an extraordinary beauty , Being a mixed child of a Latina and a French man, nothing less could be expected of her, she had long wavy brunette hair that cascades down her back and sways whenever she walks, deep sea green orbs that sparkles anytime she laughed, her skin was fair and white like cream, she was Indeed a beauty and had heads turning at such a Young age. Eliene couldn't miss her outfit that compliment her light skin, she was proud of the woman she had grown to be.She walked up to grace giving her a firm hug, "You look so good".
"Thanks, Though I always look good to you Mum". Grace said smirking at her moms compliment, making her mom frown smacking her arm a bit."You silly girl, can't I compliment my daughter anymore". Eliene said turning a bit sad. Grace frowned holding her shoulders ignoring the painful smack. "Your Smacks always hurt mum, but I'm sorry don't be sad". Her mom laughed at her upon her apology, Grace Laughed too, Eliene was petty at times but it made her love her all the more."Mum!, I should have known you were playing with me again".
"Sorry not sorry". Her mom said as they both began laughing, but her mum quieted down holding Grace's hands a single tear slidding down her cheeks from her eyes.
"Don't cry mum, you were so happy earlier, I'm sorry Okay".
"I'm not crying because I'm sad or mad at you, I'm happy, I just wish your dad was here". Eliene said smiling a bit.
"Me too mum, me too". Grace said hugging her mom, "But he is always with us". Grace said reassuringly, they hugged for a while.
"Okay, Okay, let's not start getting emotional now". Her mum said laughing as Grace joined in. "Let's go or else you would be late". Eliene said releasing her, "I hope you've cross checked everything?". Grace searched through her bag before confirming it, with a nod."Yeah I have". She confirmed.
"Okay, Lets go, we have a long day ahead".10pm, January 26th The City of New York never rested, it lived up to its reputation as the city that never slept. Music of all kinds filled the streets and the smell of beer and wine and bodies colliding contaminated the air. One Club stood out amongst other Clubs, it was a club meant for the Elites, it was called Club Bande. Club Bande was a strip Club owned by two Spanish brothers, Lodovico and Rodriguez Bandez, It was a VIP club and a casino were rich people spent their money. It was a very popular club that housed many strippers and prostitutes. The girls usually dressed in nothing, and danced on poles entertaining the drunk and horny men, who rained cash on them out of amusement, some paid for them to have a one night stand with them which was usually allowed. Out of all the rich men and women one stood out in the club, He sat calmly in a relaxed position in his VVIP Suite, smoking a cigarette as he stared at the the girls who danced for
4 : Bridges, Coins and Attractions New York was busy as usual, people walked through the streets , trying to get to their destination as soon as possible, Cars and Taxis drove speedly across the busy streets, the annoying sound of horns and cars screeching were heard, the familiar garbage smell polluted the air, While the passerby’s walked in oblivion. Grace was still anxious, even more anxious than she had been at home, though she was seated in her mother's 2010 ford model car, fidgeting with her fingers, she couldn't help but panic a little even with her mother sitting by her side. She was about taking the biggest step in her life, and she could either come out a victor or a loser, the thought of loosing this opportunity gave her a shock and she didn't think she would be able to handle it if it were to happen. Her mother, Eliene was driving, paying strict attention to the road, to notice her panic
5: Welcome to Black Entertainment 10am, January 27thBlack Entertainment Cameras flashed from all corners, bright light threatening to blind the eyes of all who looked at its direction. Men and women dressed in black outfits screamed series of questions to the arriving stars, and girls who hoped to be like them one day. The front of the 30 story building housing the Famous Black Entertainment was unusually packed today, reporters and paparazzi of all kinds stood at the front of the building clicking pictures of anyone who entered, hoping to create the next big story of 'The Next Big Star'. Notable stars that were being produced or managed by Black entertainment had already arrived, some eager to meet the next big thing, others looking for a way back into the celebrity life, they knew they were loosing their popularity by the second and needed to regain their image. Women from all over the country had arrived in New York at the head branch of Bl
10:54am Black Estate Golden gates stood tall guarding the beautiful estate, embedded on the huge 10 feet gates was a huge sign written in gold letters that spelt "Black Estate". The limousine drove through the huge gates, followed by two black cars, revealing a huge mansion and estate. As the limousine drove in fully into the compound, it past a huge fountain that stood in front of the mansion, completing the whole compound. As the limousine stopped, one of the guards came to the passenger side of the car, opening it , shoes first, Leonard stepped out of the car, with a frown. The journey had taken a longer time due to the long route they had taken, Melissa was called several times by Justin already. Leonard couldn't blame him he was scared, but he was sure to reprimand him on his cowardice when he gets there, he was always so scared of big decisions. Leonard always thought if he was worthy of the pos
Chapter 7 : The Interview (Part 1)Miss Grace Winters, You're Next".Her heart stopped, her hands were sweaty, her body was moving on its own accord and her mind was all over the place. So many questions ran through her mind. She couldn't help but look around to all the crying girls that looked at her with jealousy, she couldn't blame them though, they had looked at each girl that entered the elevator with the same eyes, but each girl had either come out crying or with a huge frown, some even left the building disappointed, she had thought they had rejected them until she saw some girls still sitting down and waiting, then she knew the results would be announced later. The girls that left already felt they had lost and wouldn't be able to get the chance at all.They weren't really much people remaining, just a little over 50, who remained after the long wait, of 6 hours. Most girls lost th
Chapter 8: The Interview (Pt 2) Always Believe in yourself, if you don't no one else can. When you stand before the panel, you either give your all or go home And remember a good actor doesn't just act the part, he or she becomes the part, always learn to connect to your emotions Grace. She thought hard on it before breathing in and going straight to character, She closed her eyes as she connected to her most painful memory, the day her father was buried, 10 years ago, she remembered crying and weeping close to the corpse when she tried giving a speech about him, she could remember the pain and she tried to connect to that pain as drops of tears fell from her eyes to her cheeks, she remembered the distraught look on her mother's face as she said her last goodbyes and that was all she needed to be Anita. Opening her now puffy eyes, with te
Chapter 9: A Decision Made by a Panel. (Pt 1). The Auditions were officially over, all 50 girls had been screened and the final verdict awaited. The Panel of five sat in a round table, with Mr Black at the head, screening through the girls from least good to best. It was a tough decision, finding the good ones out of the 50, As the panel knew most girls had put in their best , but after much deliberation they came down to the top Five, But That was were the real difficulty arrived, deciding who was more deserving of the five proved to be a real task. The panel would have to make a decision and soon as they didn't have much time on their hands. Even as they were a panel, each had a particular person they thought had done the best to them, which varied from the other judges, now was the time to argue and convince the other judges to vote their choice. Mr Black was oblivious to the current debate by the panel. He folded his hands together, try
Chapter 10: A Decision Made By The Panel (pt2) Leonard knew Grace was perfect for the role, She had the beauty that intoxicated him, The smile that he couldn't forget, the innocence that radiated of her and what he was most curious about. She was perfect and that was the more reason he wanted to hide her from the world so much. He knew she would make a good actress, he had seen it for himself and she had stunned him so much, he also knew she was good for Business but he was jealous and didn't want to share her, he had already made his decision, he was going to give the role to the other deserving girl, His Grace was better off with out it. He picked the two files up as his eyes caught Grace's passport, even for a passport he was sure stunned , she had a small smile and her eyes twinkled. Passports were meant to be ugly but she still stunned in her passport, she was a natural beauty. He said a little sorry from his head to her, he had seen the expectat