a few months later...
“Now listen up ladies!” Angela silenced them “As you know, we’ve send demo-tapes to several record companies.. and we didn’t get any replies, which was to be expected, we also did local performances.. which didn’t get us anywhere either, but-“
“Can you just get to the point Ang?” Michelle asked
“I was about to, before you interrupted..”
“Anyway.. we got a phonecall from Jive Records.. they might be interested, as you know, there’s a talent scout tomorrow at the mall.. they’re gonna be there, searching for new talent, so after we did our show, they promised to talk to us!!”
“WOW!! That’s great!!” Morgan said anxiously
“Uh-oh, Candy’s getting her hopes up again!”
“There’s nothing wrong with that Becky, being positive is necessary, but Morgan knows very well, that it means nothing yet.. it’s just.. sort of a job-appliance..” Ross explained.
“Well, make sure you’re at the mall at 2!! DON’T be late!!.. and make sure you look nice and are warmed up!” they nodded and left.
“Wow, can you believe it? Jive Records!!”
“Which artists do they have?” “I dunno..” Summer shrugged her shoulders “Hey, you know these things Beck! Which artist does Jive have?”
“Oh, uhm... they have Britney Spears, Trey D, N Tyce-“ “Who?”
Becky laughed at Michelle’s expression “Well, you know Britney Spears..” “Yea, who doesn’t?!” Michelle said, rolling with her eyes.
“The others aren’t that famous yet.. oh.. and I believe the Backstreet Boys are at Jive too”
“Really? Those faggets?”
“Yea, with those cheesy love songs!” Summer added to Michelle’s remark.
“Yea, that should be them!” Becky laughed
“Hey Morgan! You have a CD of them right?” “Yea, I bought their new album about a month ago”
“Is it any good?” “Yea.. yea.. it’s OK, I guess.. it’s kinda similar to N SYNC, 98 Degrees, 5ive and all”
“Britney Spears?” “Yes.. Poppy R&B songs..”
“Well, we do that too”
“I guess that’s why Jive might be interested , they do mostly Pop groups”
“I liked I want it that way.. that’s by the Backstreet Boys right?” “Yea”
“Well, that was a nice song”
“I hope those people from Jive like us..” “If they don’t.. they’re stupid!” Michelle chuckled.
~~~Next day~~~
“MICHELLE!!! I’M GONNA KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T GET YOUR SCRAWNY ASS INTO THE TRUCK RIGHT NOW!!!!!”
“RELAX!!!” Michelle shouted back “I’m coming, I’m coming!! No need to murder me, Mad!!”
“Do you have the outfits and all ready?” Summer asked to Alyssa in the meanwhile.
“Yea, it’s all in the truck” “OK”
Michelle came running down the stairs “OK, let’s go!”
They jumped in the car and drove off to the mall.
~~~In the ‘dressing room’~~~ (actually it’s the ladies room, according to the staff at the mall it’s the dressing room)
“OK, where’s my Cherry-Pink lipstick?!!”
“Try looking in your purse Morge, honey”
“I already looked!! Twice!! It’s not there!”
“OK, let’s look again” Alyssa took her purse out of her hands and sorted through the content of it. “Here it is!!”
“How’d you do that?! It wasn’t there 5 minutes ago! I swear it wasn’t!!” “Morge, a little patience helps”
Morgan smiled at Alyssa “Thanks” “No problem”
A knock on the door disturbed them “Girls? Are you ready?” they heard Angela ask.
“Yea, almost!” “Well, you’re up in 10 minutes OK?!” “OK”
Summer and Alyssa went to Angela as they were ready.
“Where are the others?” “Michelle is putting on more make-up” Alyssa rolled with her eyes
“As if she doesn’t already looks like Barbie..”
“Morgan is giving Becky a pep-talk” Angela nodded.
“I think we might have to send Becky to a find-your-self-esteem-class!” Ross joked.
The door opened and Michelle came out “They’re coming” she said as she saw the questioning looks on Ross’and Angela’s faces.
“OK, come on girls!”
“I’m nervous..” “Cold feet Lyss?” “Sorta” “Not necessary”
“Well, that was Johnny Chris, but now to the next performance! They’re originally from San Diego, but have been living in LA for a year now, success and respect as artists is their biggest dream, and they’re here today, especially for you! Here are Summer, Alyssa, Becky, Michelle and Morgan, otherwise known as... PHANTASIA!!!!”
The girls came up in tanktops and shorts or skirts. “Hello everyone! We’re Phantasia and we hope you like us!!” Summer said.
They did a show of 15 minutes which was 3 songs. Never Ever by All Saints, Hit me baby one more time by Britney Spears, but then all of them sang a part, and Bug a Boo by Destiny’s Child.
The crowd loved them and the girls did their best to make a good impression that would last.
“OK, Phantasia, ladies and gentlemen!! Didn’t you just love ‘em?!!”
The next act was introduced and they went back to their ‘dressing room’ to change clothes.
“Girls!! Get over here!” Ross called them.
“This is Mr. Smith from Jive Records” “Hello, call me Eddy!”
He shook their hand eagerly “Wow, you were really good! In fact, the best I’ve seen today!”
“Thanks!” Morgan smiled
“Well, why don’t we sit down in a coffee shop somewhere to talk?”
Of course they did!
“Well, girls, I would like you to drop by my office tomorrow, so I can hear you perform one more time and my partner needs to hear too.. but I say there’s 75% certainty of us contracting you!”
They just stared at each other in disbelief “Omigod!” Morgan said “I think I’m gonna cry”
~~~Back Home~~~
“I need to sit down..” Michelle said.
“This is... overwhelming..” Alyssa couldn’t find any other words for it.
Becky started crying softly “Becks? What are you crying for?”
“Tears of joy.. just tears of joy!.. this is what we dreamt about..” she sighed.
They all sat there looking a bit.. overwhelmed.
“What is wrong with us?!” Michelle jumped up “We’re sittin’ here like a couple of defeated soldiers!! We should be screaming, jumping, dancing, crying.. of happiness!!”
“You know what?, the Queen of Ditzes is right!” Morgan started jumping on the couch, screaming and yelling “YAY!! YAY!! YAY!!”
“She’s going loco.. someone better call the looney bin!”
“She’s just happy!!” Becky followed Morgan’s example and jumped on the couch with her.
“YAY!! YAY!! YAY!!” they yelled together.
“This.. is hilarious.. I’m gonna get the camera..”
“Yea, it’s like a Kodak-moment!”
“We can bribe ‘em with this later on!!”
“That’s cruel.. but cool!!” Michelle and Alyssa did a high five.
“Hey, Mimi, Lyssie!! Get up her too!! this is fun!!” “Sure.. fun..”
~~~5 minutes later~~~
“Ohh, my head..” Becky sat down.
“I’m dizzy..” “No kidding?!” “Ha ha Michelle, very funny!” “As always!”
“Let’s watch MTV..” Alyssa suggested “Yea”
“Hey, that’s those Backstreet Boys right?” Summer said, looking at the screen “Yea, it is”
“Is this the new video or something?” “I guess.. it’s different on the album..”
“Cool choreography” “Fatima Robinson does their choreography..”
“Did you do some research or are you a secret fan Candy?”
“No, I just know these things.. Melissa is a fan, and I believe Dawn’s too”
“Really? I can understand about Melissa, she’s 13.. but Dawn?! That’s pathetic.. a 20 year old Backstreet Boys fan!”
They laughed. The video came to an end, “What’s this? A Backstreet Boys Special?”
Michelle said, as the Backstreet Boys came on screen again
Becky flipped through the pages of the TV guide “Yea, it is.. Backstreet Boys Day.. this is Essential and in 7 minutes Fanatic with BSB and Britney Spears is on”
“Great” Michelle rolled with her eyes.
“Well, it might be interesting, since we might get the same Record Company..” Summer said.
“Let’s just watch.. if it gets boring we’ll switch it off” “OK”
~~~30 minutes later~~~
“Oh wow, now I know if they have girlfriends or not!! That question was aching to be answered for so long!” Michelle got up “I’m gonna go get showered”
“OK”
“You know.. they actually seem quite nice” “Yea”
“..Professional..” Alyssa added.
“They’re not ugly either”
“No.. I like the one with the black hair and goatee.. he has style” Summer smiled at Kevin who was talking to the Fanatic-girl.
“Lemme guess, Alyssa, you like the one with the blonde/reddish hair and the sparkly eyes?”
“Yea”
“And Becky likes the Latino”
“Uh-hah, he looks...sweet”
“Michelle will go for the freaky one with the tattoos and sunglasses”
“Oh yea!” the others said for Michelle, as she was upstairs.
“And our cute Candy-girl fancies the blonde-baby!”
Morgan laughed and nodded ‘yes’ “You know I fall for the innocent cuties!”
“Yea”
“So there’s a guy for all of us!”
“Whoa, stop! There’s a significant difference between ‘liking’ and what you’re suggesting!”
“I know.. but wouldn’t it be cool to meet them?”
“Morge, it’d be cool to meet any celebrity..”
“OK”
~~~Next day~~~
“Wow, they’re mind-blowing Eddy!” John Penn said to his partner.
“I know.. so sign them in?” “Definitely!”
“OK, that was all we needed to see! You girls have got yourselves a Record deal!! Welcome at Jive!”
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” they shouted, jumping, dancing through the room.
“Thank you so much!!” Alyssa gave Eddy and John a sudden hug and after that Ross and Angela.
“WE HAVE A RECORD DEAL!!!”
“We’re gonna record our CD and do photoshoots and interviews and promo-work and concerts and... AAAHHHHH!!!!” Morgan shouted again.
“Girls, girls! Take it easy!”
“From now on, I want you to quit your other jobs, you’ll be paid by us, tomorrow we’ll meet again and next month for sure, we’ll be recording your first tracks!”
~~~That night, at the girl's house~~~
“Party hard!!!” Michelle took a big gulp of her beer.
“A record deal...wow..” Becky murmured, mainly to herself. “I’m gonna call Felicity”
“OK Beck, say ‘hi’ for us!” “I will..”
Becky walked to her bedroom, she wanted some privacy to call her older sister, Felicity.
As she walked past Morgan’s room she overheard her talking on the phone, she knocked softly at the already open door and went in. Morgan didn’t notice her come in.
“Why can’t you be happy for me? This is all I ever wanted!”
“Candace-“
“My name is Morgan”
“All right, Morgan!.. listen,.. I AM happy for you.. I’m just concerned, you’re 19 year old-“
“That’s right, 19! Not 9 anymore dad!”
“Well, it’s young and I really suggest you think it over before signing-“
“You sound just like Alyssa’s parents!”
“Will you stop interrupting!! I think it’s not the right decision”
“Well, you know dad, I called to tell you that I just got offered a record deal, hoping you would share my excitement, I really don’t need your approval, I’m not a minor anymore, I don’t need your agreement, I already made up my mind.. I’m gonna do it! Bye!!”
She threw the phone back in it’s cradle and sighed, burying her head in her hands.
Becky coughed, to let Morgan know of her presence. “You OK Morge?”
“Oh.. hey Beck.. yea, I’m.. fine”
