I

Eighteen months ago, my reality was a world away from what it is today. It’s ironic how my path to independence—which started as a glorious liberation—mutated into a suffocating lethargy. I was at a standstill, surrounded by a void that would have consumed me if it weren't for Emily. She’s been my shield since kindergarten; she held me together through elementary and high school, and she was still there in this hiatus where the days seemed to repeat in an infinite loop.

That day, I had no idea our bond was also about to break.

As I slept, I heard a distant beeping: a metallic trail filtering into my subconscious. Beep... beep... It was my alarm, begging for attention since eight in the morning. I’ll never understand how it could ring for eight and a half hours without me reacting. However, that monotonous sound wasn’t what finally pulled me out of my deep sleep; it was the personalized ringtone announcing a message from my mother.

After months of a fruitless search for a job that would allow me to study and, above all, pay my share of the rent I owed Emily, my mother—without me knowing how she found out about my situation—had tried to forcibly take the reins. She forced an interview on me at a radio station owned by the son of a good friend of hers: Auriga Sónica FM.

When I turned on the screen, the brightness hurt my eyes. The messages were slaps of pure anxiety: "Why aren't you answering? Are you at the interview yet? For God's sake, don't embarrass me!" Beneath her complaints, the call log showed an endless string of missed calls.

I should have gotten up. I should have answered. After all, it wasn’t a prestigious position; it was something like a floor assistant: taking care of guests and serving coffee. It seemed like a simple, almost mechanical task, but the heaviness in my body had defeated me.

Just as I managed to sit up in bed, the phone vibrated again. This time it was an unknown number. I answered with a thick, groggy voice:

"Hello?"

"Miss Mia?" The man’s voice dripped with an acidic courtesy; he was clearly indignant but clinging to a passive-aggressive politeness. 

"Yes, hello?" 

"This is Oscar, from Auriga Sónica FM. We have been waiting for you all day."

I slumped back onto the bed. My indifference was usually the only armor I could find to soothe the guilt of my mistakes; perhaps that’s why my mother always called me spoiled.

"Yeah, yeah... there’s a lot of traffic, but I’m almost there," I lied. Traffic at four-thirty in the afternoon? Who was I trying to kid?

"There’s no need for you to come!" he snapped, so fast I’d swear he didn't even take a breath. "I'm calling to inform you that we’ve already assigned the position to another candidate. If we need someone else in the future, we’ll be in touch. Have a nice afternoon and get some rest!"

He hung up before I could even articulate an apology.

"Nice... afternoon?" I repeated to the empty room.

I checked the clock: 4:36 p.m. Panic began to crawl up my throat. Mom is going to kill me... Okay, there are still a few days until rent is due... I can find a solution... I covered my face with my hands. No, I can't. I don't know what to do.

Then, something in me snapped. I cut off the thoughts that were consuming me and, in an act that anyone else would call irresponsible, I stepped out of bed.

"Not today!" I ordered myself in front of the mirror, feeling ridiculous. "I’m not letting this take another day of my life. You're awake. You're going out and, with the last breath of your credit card, you’re going to have a coffee, acting as if nothing is wrong and your damn life is a total success."

An hour later, after giving myself the self-care I had denied myself for months, I got dressed up and went down to the coffee shop next to my building.

II

I relaxed the moment I stepped into the shop. The scent of sweets and coffee allowed me to let go of some tension. I went straight to the counter.

"I’ll have a frapppuccino with double dark chocolate and caramel, please."

The guy behind the counter smiled at me. He had dark hair, perfectly styled, and several piercings in his ear that glinted under the lights; his modern look contrasted sharply with his impeccable brown bowtie. As I slid my card, I held my breath. If it declined now... that would be the end of my dignity.

"Hm..." he murmured, frowning. "That’s strange, let me restart the machine."

I felt a pit in my stomach. I pretended to read the menu over and over to avoid his gaze. Then, I heard the blessed ding!. The card had gone through.

"Added extra cream, on the house, for you, Mia." 

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver," I replied, feeling my soul return to my body. 

"You look great today! Started your new job yet?" 

"No, not yet. But I don't want to think about that right now," I said, dodging the subject, "I just want to clear my head for a bit. Thanks again, Nathan!"

I spent a good while at the bar, lost in my novels, drowning in sugar to forget the disaster of my afternoon. I was starting to cheer up when a shout behind me and the violent sound of a chair dragging across the floor made my blood run cold.

A few tables away, a man dominated the room with an energy that seemed to shrink everything else. He wore an earth-toned suit that screamed money; his graying hair was slicked back in a sophisticated style.

"I don't have time to negotiate with the demands of that quartet of arrogant brats!" he yelled, pointing threateningly at his subordinate. "The EOS contract will be canceled first thing tomorrow if it’s not in my office signed by the group and the new candidate!"

He leaned over the table in an invasive pose. The man on the receiving end of the shouting was young, with soft features and dark hair. He wore a small earring that glinted every time he looked down. He seemed used to managing crises, though the rigidity of his posture betrayed him.

"I don't care if they are the reincarnation of Vivaldi turned into four insufferable divas," the Director spat with contempt, "the only thing I care about is CDC's ratings. Either they cooperate and sign with a candidate, or both you and they can go to hell along with your music careers."

Poor guy, I thought, looks like I won't be the only one out of a job today.

The young man clenched his hands in a gesture of desperation.

"Director... they didn't reject the applicants out of spite, but because of their skill level. Sir, please let me make this one last selection... as I told you, I have a solid plan for this..."

The Director turned his back without another word, heading for the exit.

"Who are they to question anyone's level? No more. Bring that paper signed by all five of them tomorrow morning or you're all out. I won't repeat myself."

The young man ran toward the door, intercepting him with his hands outstretched; he was so overwhelmed he began to stammer.

"Sir... it's... uh..."

Suddenly, his eyes met mine. It was the most uncomfortable three seconds of my life. The discomfort turned into a shiver when I saw his lips curl into a malicious smile.

"I can't keep deceiving you," he blurted out, suddenly regaining his confidence. "EOS has already signed a new candidate. This proposal will send CDC's numbers through the roof, I guarantee that with this, the group will return to the top of the competition."

The Director crossed his arms, intrigued.

"And where is she?"

He was still looking at me. I could feel a terrible idea cooking in his head. I tried to slide along the bar toward the exit, but it was too late.

"She’s right here," he said, pointing at me.

"What?" I froze in horror.

"Come closer, dear," he added as if he knew me, "don't be shy."

III

Before I could react, he blocked my escape, approaching with staggering confidence.

"Thanks for waiting, honey. Come meet our Director," he said, nudging me lightly toward the man.

I hadn't taken a single step when Nathan and his huge brother, Alan—who looked exactly like him, but in a giant version—blocked our path. Nathan’s warmth had evaporated.

"Everything okay, Mia?" he asked, while Alan was already taking off his rings, ready to throw a punch.

"Help me out with this, okay?" the stranger whispered in an almost imperceptible plea.

I knew that if I didn't lie, we’d end up as four unemployed people before nightfall.

"Yes... don't worry," I swallowed hard. "He’s an acquaintance who offered me a new job."

"You said you came here to clear your head," Nathan commented, suspicious. 

"And he’s been sitting there for a while," Alan added. 

"It’s just... I wasn't sure if it would work out. They had to talk first."

"Hm... if you say so," Alan muttered, slowly putting his rings back on. Nathan gave me a look that said this conversation wasn't over.

They didn't believe a single word, I thought tensely as I watched them walk away.

"As I was saying..." the man continued, stepping back into character. "She is the candidate we selected. I planned to introduce you at the end of our meeting, but given the direction of the conversation," he let out a nervous laugh, "I didn't think it was appropriate."

"I see..." The Director scanned me from head to toe with a skepticism that made me feel tiny.

"You see, EOS will take a candidate with absolutely no prior training to mold her from scratch under their own standards. Imagine the visibility the news would give us: an ordinary girl gets the opportunity of a lifetime at Classic Divas Company."

"A blank slate." The Director didn't seem convinced. "They have less than a year to train her."

"What can I tell you?" the young man laughed with a feigned arrogance. "You know their pride pushes them to raise the bar. Besides, Rose prefers a blank mind she can fill with information over one that comes with bad habits that are hard to control."

They called me a bonehead, I thought, offended. They called me stupid and think I haven't noticed.

"I like it," the Director concluded with greed in his eyes. "I want this in writing by tomorrow morning."

The conversation ended as soon as the Director’s phone began to ring. He looked at the screen and his expression changed drastically.

"Astrid? Right now?" he said, surprised, letting out a flirtatious chuckle. "Whatever you want, I'm on my way."

The coffee shop door closed behind him, and the man who had "sold" me to the Director slumped into the seat, losing all his poise. He sighed and pointed to the chair across from him.

"Coming?"

IV

Curiosity got the better of me and I accepted his invitation. I sat across from him, feeling an inexplicable spark of excitement; this was the only different sensation I’d had in a long time, so I turned off my common sense and let myself go.

He seemed like a completely different person now. His posture was relaxed, projecting a natural confidence that, almost without realizing it, made me start to trust him.

"What was your name?" he asked, his tone now friendly. 

"Mia." 

"Mia..." he repeated, etching my name into his memory. "I'm Tom." He gave me a bright smile. "I'm the representative for EOS, one of the most successful ensembles in the artist division of Classic Divas Company."

As he spoke, Tom pulled a card from his jacket. It was made of a matte black material, very soft to the touch, with the company logo engraved in gold letters that caught the light of the shop. Just looking at it, you could tell it wasn't just any card; it felt important.

"CDC is a mix between an academy and a production company that trains 'musical divas,'" he explained, toying with his cup. "They're recruited as children to be turned into musical geniuses and launched into the market as soloists or groups."

Tom paused to look at the steam rising from his coffee.

"The company has a very strict level system. In the first division, you have the groups that graduated recently; right now, the ones at the top are ATHARA and HELLION. They're incredibly popular on social media, but they're still training to move up in the company's next challenge."

I've never seen them in my life, I thought, but I kept a straight face as if I understood everything so as not to interrupt.

"Then there's the second division: Sereia and EOS." His tone turned serious. "They've already debuted and have major sponsors, but they're still missing the final step: the third division, which is for international artists. EOS and Sereia will compete in the finals of the annual challenge to win the 'Golden Contract' and debut worldwide."

At that point, I started to dissociate. My brain was trying to protect me from a world that was way too big for me.

"This year, the challenge is for the finalist groups to prove they can train novices from Lyra Academy and bring them up to their level in record time. Each group will choose a Junior member... but EOS is raising the stakes by choosing someone who knows absolutely nothing about music."

We looked at each other in silence.

"And that’s where you come in!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"And... did this idea just occur to you when you were about to lose your job?" I know I was rude, but the proposal seemed so absurd that I reacted to him talking to me as if I were an idiot.

Tom’s smile remained unshakable. "Not at all. I already had a similar proposal ready, but because of the urgency—as you could see—I had to improvise the candidate. That doesn't matter, because the result will be the same."

"It's a tempting offer," I said, trying to stand up to leave, "but it's too much of a commitment and I don't feel like I can take on that much responsibili-..."

"Do you see this?" he interrupted, thrusting his phone screen almost against my face. "This will be your prize just for qualifying as a member of EOS... But if you win, the amount will be much higher, Mia."

The figure stole my voice. I didn't even know how to read a number that long. It would put an end to all my problems; I could help my family, Emily... my studies. He saw my weakness and pushed further.

"You just have to learn to play an instrument and let these talented girls train you. It's a chance to completely rebuild your life."

"I'll... think about it—." Without realizing it, I had shredded the paper napkin on the table into tiny pieces.

Tom stood up from the table, clearly certain he had convinced me.

"Don't think about it too much," he laughed, opening the exit door. "Take the night and give me your answer before eight tomorrow morning so we can make the deal."

I spent about another hour there, biting my nails. I have to reject this. This morning I lost my other job... I have nothing... but I can't accept this. One thought crushed the next until Nathan snapped me out of my trance.

"Looks like today is your lucky day, Mia," he said, giving me a cup of hot tea which he served at my table carefully.

"Classic Divas Company?" Alan asked, approaching in a hurry. "If you take that job, I want you to get me an autograph from Nicole, the one from Hellion! If it's on a photo of her, even better!; otherwise, forget about me ever lending you my Music Hero VII again."

"I don't think Emily is going to be on board with this," Nathan said with concern. "So... good luck with her. Call us if you need anything."