Since client appointments are scheduled every other week, what followed after a bombastic opening was a modest parade of the usual. No mysterious pasts or torrid scandals, the days were filled with average abandonment and crimes against humanity. But even a bad routine is a routine, and by the time the day was ending, Cary felt almost refreshed.

“Good work today, Cary!” the double doors opened with a rapt click, and in strolled Terra, hand already forward in a bright wave. Cary was stationed for a brief stint of watching the labs--altogether, not a bad end to a Friday. “How was your first week sans DCT?”

“It’s not my first--I had plenty of long, blissful weeks before,” said Cary. “But it’s been alright. Getting ready to leave?”

“That’s right! Not that I’m excited. I’ve got a test in Bio tonight,” said Terra, her head drooping into a heavy groan. Oh, that’s right, Cary thought, Terra’s studying to be a social worker.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” said Cary. At least, she thought, better than she was. “Just make sure to sleep too.”

“Of course!” said Terra, springing back up with a thumbs up. “What about you, Cary? Any plans for the weekend?”

Cary needed to restrain a groan of her own. “Sleeping and preparing for round two of the pop brats,” she said.

“You really hate them that much?” said Terra. “Are they secretly nasty behind closed doors? That’s always the worst.”

“No, they’re mostly pretty nice,” said Cary. “But they don’t need to be here. So I don’t want to see them here.”

There was a chime from Cary’s cellphone that made her jump. Terra stifled a chuckle at her surprise.

“It’s probably just my Mom or something,” said Cary, pulling out her phone. “She doesn’t usually text me at work so I gotta--oh, wait, it’s Serafine.”

“You call them pop brats, and you’re texting them?” said Terra, leaning over into Cary’s phone screen. “Seriously Cary, you gotta turn down the salt--hey, wait a hot, stinkin’ second! You’re moaning about getting stuck with five idols all while texting Cool Dream?!”

“We’re not texting,” said Cary, jerking away so fast that Terra nearly stumbled over. “We just swapped numbers.”

“‘We just swapped numbers!’ Cary, you can at least kind of act like you’re living a third of my life’s dream right now!” Terra said, almost bouncing in place. “What lucky star kissed you on the nose?”

“One that didn’t get the message I hate love in all forms,” Cary snorted. “Huh? ‘Pardon my intrusion, but you may want to watch the local news. It involves Odila.’ What?”

“Oh crap, that’s what, channel twelve?” Terra asked, diving for the remote under the counter. Before Cary could even comment, she turned on the TV and darted it to local cable as an image of Odila’s teasing smile blossomed on the screen.

“--with an announcement that’s rocking the music scene,” said a reporter. “We’re now speaking with Odila Caro Dean, member of the pop sensation, Dream Come True.”

“Thanks for the interview on short notice!” said Odila. “You guys must be swamped on Friday afternoons.”

“Less than you’d think in Ferris City,” said the reporter, as he and Odila gave each other a restrained laugh. Cary couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Now then, Miss Caro Dean. Is it true that you’re agreeing to a televised job interview?”

“A what?!” Cary half-screamed.

“That’s right!” said Odila, smiling brighter. “Since DCT is on hiatus, I figured I need to make a honest living while waiting for the investigation. Rejoin society, you know?”

“But of course, it’s bringing a flurry of questions from your viewers and fans,” the reporter continued. “For instance, why the choice to televise it?”

“Well, mostly to make people more comfortable about the whole thing,” said Odila, taking time to check each of her black-polished fingernails “I mean, why else would the unemployment rate be so low? Certainly not because everyone’s working their asses off in a recession for an economy that doesn’t care about them, right?”

Wow, Cary thought. She’s completely awful.

“Isn’t she the best?!” squeaked Terra. “I love her so much!”

“But mostly, it’s because a job interview is supposed to go both ways,” said Odila. “And I’ve got a few questions for the working world. Especially since, after everything I’ve seen...well, I’d rather die than join it.”

“Strong sentiment,” said the reporter.

“Right?” said Odila with a shrug. “But what am I supposed to think? My Mom worked five times harder than I ever did, and her mother five times harder than that. And all they ever got from it was debt and despair.”

Her true laugh, finally, slipped in a drop of acid. The reporter answered with an awkward chuckle of her own.

“Heck, if I didn’t have this breakthrough,” Odila said, I” might just have had to bury my Mom.”

“So it’s true that a significant part of your revenue goes to your mother’s treatment program?” asked the interviewer.

“Naw, meanie! You trying to make my mascara run?” said Odila, giving a large, fake sniff and rubbing the corner of her eyes. “Ah ha! Just busting, just busting.”

“God, how can she make a joke about something like that?” said Cary. “Just when I start to think she may have a scrap of a conscience, she just uses it as cheap toilet paper!”

“Cary,” Terra asked, “Is this how you normally watch TV?”

“Anyway, that’s all my damage,” said Odila. “Ferris City, I can already see you got it rough. I hope that when I get on camera, I can make this all a little better. Get to ask the questions you couldn’t ask, and maybe make it a little easier for y’all. And if not,” she flashed a peace sign, “Well, I’m an entertainer! Gotta entertain, right?”

“And that’s Quirky Dream, ladies and gentlemen,” said the reporter, turning to the camera. “Tune in next Saturday for live coverage of her interview with--”

“Pfft, watch her not even show up to her appointment to prepare,” said Cary. “God, just when I want to like them, they go turn my work into a freaking reality show.”

“What if she’s serious, though?” Terra asked. Her gaze held fixed to the screen with an oddly pensive look. “I heard that her home life was pretty hard.”

“So is everyone else’s, here,” said Cary. “But unlike her, they don’t have jobs.”

“I guess so,” said Terra with a small, awkward laugh. “Still…” her voice was clear with conviction, but it stopped in place, despite Cary (at least in her thought) giving her an encouraging glance. Terra gave a shrug and a smile, before turning off the TV with a click.