Stardust & Scars

CHAPTER 3: The Call

Three days passed.

No call.

No message.

No email.

Nothing.

By the fourth day, Mika had already decided that the company had forgotten about them.

"Sigurado akong hindi tayo pasado."

Aira looked up from her phone.

"Ba't?"

"Ni isang tawag, wala."

Sienna was sitting across from them, quietly drinking iced coffee.

"Baka marami silang inaasikaso."

"Eh bakit yung iba, may tawag na?"

Mika pointed at her phone.

Aira looked.

There was a post from one of the girls who had auditioned with them.

SECOND ROUND TOMORROW!

Another applicant had posted a picture of an email.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Mika sighed.

"Ayan."

Sienna looked at her.

"Huwag mo nang isipin."

"Madali sabihin."

"Eh ano gusto mong gawin?"

"Maghintay."

"Eh di maghintay."

"Ang boring."

Aira laughed.

"Ikaw naman kasi."

Mika dropped her phone onto the table.

"Kung hindi tayo pasado, babalik ako."

"Sa audition?"

"Oo."

"Para?"

"Para ipakita na mali sila."

Sienna smiled.

"At kung pasado tayo?"

Mika immediately grinned.

"Mas babalik ako."

Aira laughed.

"Ba't?"

"Para maging sikat."

"Ang yabang."

"Eh ano ba dapat?"

Mika leaned back.

"Kung magiging idol ako, gusto ko talaga sumikat."

Sienna nodded.

"At least honest."

Aira looked at the three of them.

They had only known each other for a few days.

Yet somehow, waiting for the results together felt easier than waiting alone.

Then Luna's phone rang.

She looked at the screen.

Her expression changed.

Aira noticed.

"Kanino?"

Luna stood.

"Sandali."

She walked a few steps away.

The three girls watched her.

Luna answered.

"Hello po."

Silence.

Then—

"Opo."

Another pause.

"Ngayon po?"

Aira couldn't hear the other voice.

Luna looked toward them.

Then nodded.

"Opo. Pupunta po ako."

She ended the call.

Mika immediately approached.

"Anong sabi?"

Luna put her phone away.

"Pinapapunta ako sa kumpanya."

"Ngayon?"

"Opo."

"Para saan?"

Luna shook her head.

"Di sinabi."

Mika frowned.

"Parang ikaw lang yata ang laging pinapapunta."

Luna smiled faintly.

"Malay ko."

Aira looked at her.

"May problema ba?"

Luna shook her head.

"Wala."

But something in her voice made Aira doubt her.

---

The next morning, Aira was in the middle of washing dishes when her phone rang.

Unknown number.

She stared at it.

Her hands were still wet.

She answered.

"Hello?"

"Si Aira Valdez ba ito?"

"Opo."

"May oras ka ba ngayon?"

Aira's heart immediately started beating faster.

"May kailangan po ba?"

"May resulta na kami ng audition ninyo."

Aira froze.

"Po?"

"Kung maaari, pumunta ka sa opisina ngayong hapon."

She couldn't speak.

"Hello?"

"Opo. Opo."

"Alas-tres."

"Opo."

"Magdala ka ng valid ID."

"Opo."

The call ended.

Aira stared at her phone.

Her mother walked into the kitchen.

"Sinong tumawag?"

Aira slowly looked up.

"Ma..."

"Ano?"

"Tinawagan ako."

"Para saan?"

Aira smiled.

Her eyes were already starting to water.

"Yung audition."

Her mother stopped.

"Anong sabi?"

Aira couldn't stop herself.

"Pinapapunta nila ako."

Her mother stared at her.

"Sigurado ka?"

Aira nodded.

"Opo."

Then she smiled.

"Ma, baka..."

Her mother walked closer.

"Baka ano?"

"Baka pumasa ako."

Her mother smiled.

"Eh di pumasa ka."

Aira laughed through her tears.

"Ang dali sabihin."

"Eh ano gusto mong gawin ko?"

"Yakap."

Her mother opened her arms.

Aira immediately hugged her.

For a few seconds, she forgot everything else.

The fear.

The waiting.

The possibility of failure.

For the first time, the dream felt close enough to touch.

---

At two forty-five, Aira stood outside the agency.

She wasn't alone.

Mika was already there.

Sienna arrived five minutes later.

Luna came last.

The four of them looked at each other.

Mika smiled.

"Kompleto."

Aira nodded.

"Oo."

Sienna looked at the building.

"Kinakabahan ako."

Mika laughed.

"Ngayon ka lang umamin."

"Ikaw rin naman."

"Oo."

Luna remained quiet.

Aira looked at her.

"Ikaw?"

"Kinakabahan."

"Talaga?"

Luna nodded.

"Oo."

Mika looked at the four of them.

"Kapag may isang hindi pumasa..."

She paused.

"Sabay tayong aalis."

Sienna smiled.

"Oo."

Aira nodded.

"Oo."

Luna looked at them.

Then smiled.

"Oo."

The four entered the building together.

---

They were brought to a small conference room.

There were four chairs.

One table.

Four folders.

The same woman who had been one of the judges was sitting across from them.

She smiled.

"Salamat at pumunta kayo."

The girls nodded.

"May magandang balita ako."

Mika's eyes widened.

The woman opened the first folder.

"Aira Valdez."

Aira sat straighter.

"Napili ka namin."

Her breath caught.

"Opo?"

The woman smiled.

"Pasado ka."

Aira covered her mouth.

For a second, she couldn't react.

Then she looked toward the other girls.

Mika was already smiling.

The woman opened another folder.

"Mika Santos."

Mika leaned forward.

"Pasado ka rin."

Mika's jaw dropped.

"Talaga po?"

The woman laughed.

"Oo."

Mika looked at Aira.

"Grabe."

Sienna covered her face.

"Kinakabahan ako."

The woman opened the third folder.

"Sienna Cruz."

Sienna stopped breathing.

"Napili ka rin."

Sienna's eyes immediately became wet.

"Maraming salamat po."

The woman nodded.

Then there was only one folder left.

Luna.

The woman looked at her for a moment longer than she had looked at the others.

"Luna Reyes."

Luna sat completely still.

The woman finally spoke.

"Pasado ka."

Luna smiled.

"Salamat po."

Mika immediately grabbed Aira's hand under the table.

Aira squeezed it back.

Four girls.

All four selected.

It was happening.

The dream they had only talked about outside an audition room was suddenly becoming real.

But then the woman placed four thick documents on the table.

"May mga papeles kayong kailangang basahin at pirmahan."

Mika looked at the stack.

"Marami po?"

"Marami."

"Matagal po ba?"

"Depende sa inyo."

Mika leaned toward Aira.

"Patay tayo."

Aira tried not to laugh.

The woman continued.

"Simula bukas, trainee na kayo."

The word settled over the room.

Trainee.

Not idol.

Not star.

Not celebrity.

Trainee.

They hadn't made it yet.

They had only been allowed to try.

"May training kayo anim na araw kada linggo."

Mika's smile disappeared.

"Anim?"

"Oo."

"May pahinga po?"

"Isang araw."

Mika looked at Sienna.

"Patay."

Sienna whispered.

"Sinabi mo na."

The woman continued.

"May vocal training. May dance training. May acting. May kondisyon sa katawan. May pagsusulit. May regular na pagsusuri."

Aira nodded slowly.

"May sweldo po ba?"

The woman looked at her.

"Wala."

Silence.

Mika blinked.

"Wala po?"

"Wala."

"Libre po ba pagkain?"

"Wala ring garantiya."

Mika leaned back.

"Grabe."

Aira kicked her lightly under the table.

"Aray."

"Mahina lang."

The woman smiled slightly.

"Alam naming mahirap."

She looked at all four.

"Marami kayong napili ngayon."

She paused.

"Pero hindi ibig sabihin na lahat kayo ay magde-debut."

The room became quiet.

"May mga trainee na ilang taon dito pero hindi nakakarating sa entablado."

She looked at them one by one.

"May mga umaalis."

"May mga tinatanggal."

"May mga sumusuko."

Then she placed the documents in front of them.

"Kaya bago ninyo pirmahan, siguraduhin ninyong gusto ninyo talaga."

Aira looked down.

Her name was printed on the first page.

AIRA VALDEZ.

She touched the paper.

This was real.

Mika picked up her pen.

"Kung pipirma tayo, wala nang atrasan?"

The woman answered calmly.

"May paraan para umalis."

Mika nodded.

"Pero mahirap?"

"Oo."

Mika looked at the other three.

"Eh di pipirma ako."

Sienna laughed softly.

"Ang bilis."

"Matagal na akong nagdesisyon."

Aira picked up her pen.

"Pareho."

Sienna nodded.

"Ako rin."

All three looked at Luna.

She was still staring at her contract.

"Ikaw?"

Luna slowly lifted her eyes.

Then she smiled.

"Matagal ko na ring gusto."

She signed.

One by one, the four girls put their signatures on the papers.

Four names.

Four signatures.

Four lives officially tied to the same company.

The woman collected the documents.

"Maligayang pagdating."

Mika smiled.

"Salamat po."

Then the woman handed them four identification cards.

Their pictures were still awkward.

Their names were printed underneath.

And below their names was a simple word.

TRAINEE.

Mika looked at hers.

"Ang pangit ng picture ko."

Sienna laughed.

"Mas pangit yung akin."

Aira looked at Luna.

Luna was staring at her card.

"Uy."

Luna looked up.

"Ano?"

"Masaya ka?"

Luna smiled.

"Oo."

For a moment, she looked exactly like the girl they had met outside the audition room.

Just another girl with a dream.

But when the conference room door opened, Aira noticed something.

There was another man standing outside.

He wasn't wearing the company's usual staff ID.

He looked directly at Luna.

Luna saw him.

And suddenly, her smile disappeared.

The man didn't say anything.

Neither did Luna.

He simply nodded once.

Then walked away.

Mika noticed.

"Uy."

Luna looked at her.

"Ba't?"

"Sino yun?"

Luna glanced toward the hallway.

"Wala."

"Parang kilala ka."

"Siguro napagkamalan lang."

Mika shrugged.

"Ah."

Aira said nothing.

But she remembered the way Luna had looked at him.

Not surprised.

Not confused.

Afraid.

---

Their first training day began at six in the morning.

By six fifteen, Mika was already complaining.

"Ba't ang aga?"

Aira yawned.

"Training."

"Alam ko."

"Eh ba't nagtatanong ka?"

"Umaasa akong mali."

Sienna laughed.

Luna was tying her shoelaces.

"Magandang umaga."

Mika stared at her.

"Anong maganda?"

Luna laughed.

"Ikaw talaga."

They entered the studio.

The room was huge.

Mirrors covered one wall.

There were speakers in every corner.

Around them were other trainees.

Some looked experienced.

Some were stretching.

Some were practicing in front of the mirror.

One girl glanced at the four of them.

Then whispered something to her friend.

They looked again.

Mika noticed.

"May problema?"

Aira grabbed her arm.

"Wala."

"Pero tinitingnan tayo."

"Normal lang."

"Baguhan tayo."

Sienna whispered.

Mika nodded.

"Ah."

The instructor walked in.

Everyone immediately became quiet.

"Magandang umaga."

"Magandang umaga po."

The instructor looked at the four newcomers.

"Kayo ang bagong trainee?"

"Opo."

"Mga pangalan?"

They introduced themselves.

The instructor nodded.

"Simula ngayon, wala munang bida-bida."

Mika lowered her head.

Aira tried not to laugh.

"Pare-pareho kayong magsisimula."

The instructor pointed toward the mirror.

"At tandaan ninyo."

Everyone looked forward.

"Ang pagiging magaling sa audition ay hindi sapat para manatili dito."

The room became silent.

"May talent kayo."

The instructor paused.

"Pero maraming may talent."

Another pause.

"Ang tanong..."

She looked at the four girls.

"Kung pagod na pagod na kayo, kaya ninyo pa bang bumalik kinabukasan?"

No one answered.

"Malalaman natin."

The music started.

And for the first time, the four girls danced together.

Not as idols.

Not as stars.

Not as VÉRA.

Just four trainees trying desperately not to fall behind.

They didn't know how long the journey would be.

They didn't know who would survive it.

They didn't know what the company had planned for them.

And they definitely didn't know why one of their names had already been marked differently before they even entered the building.

For now, all they knew was simple.

They had been given a chance.

And they were going to take it.

No matter what it cost.