Audition Criterion

"If I were you, I'd kick that jerk in his groin! Why doesn't he just back off!" Zendaya's eyes lit up with anger as Phoebe narrated what Rob had said to her the next morning.

She had a big swelling on the side of her head as a result of the push yesterday. When she regained consciousness, she lost her anger on her mother.

"It is clear that you are willing to keep on suffering with him!" Phoebe yelled at her mother and stormed out of the house without looking back.

It would be a long time before she went to visit them again. Each time she went there, something melodramatic always happened.

"Leave him alone. Come stay with me and Zen." Phoebe had always pleaded with her mom.

"No I can't, Phoebe. Your father will change someday." Her mother remained adamant on staying with him till the end.

"Phoebe!" Zen's voice brought her back to the present.

"Yes," Phoebe shook away the thoughts.

"Are you alright? What is going on?" Zen dropped her shoe and moved to Phoebe's side.

"Go to work Zen or you'd be late," Phoebe managed to say before tears gathered in her eyes.

"Hey, come here. How do I leave you in such a condition? You know I can't do that." Zendaya brought Phoebe closer and cuddled her.

"Why can't he just stop already?" The tears clogged her eyes as she spoke.

She was tired of her parent's bickering. Why couldn't they thrash it out once and for all?

"I thought we agreed that you would not think about the past. Try not to anymore. It's messing up with you." Zen patted her back slowly.

"This isn't the past, Zen. He was still beating her just last night." Phoebe revealed.

"Jesus! Girl, How did you know?" Zen held Phoebe back to look at her.

Then it dawned on her.

"You went there yesterday. Why!? Was that the reason you came back late?" She asked.

They were all making sense to her now. Phoebe never came late unless something had happened.

Phoebe nodded.

"Morgan couldn't make it to the bar last night so I thought I could go see them. It's been a month already. I just wanted to check up on my mom" Phoebe sniffed.

"So that's where you got that from? And you didn't say a word about it to me." Zen looked angry as she pointed to the swelling on Phoebe's head.

"Yes, he pushed me off while I tried to help my mother. I couldn't tell you because you looked tired. I didn't want to burden you." she cleaned up her tears.

"Don't worry Zen. Go to work. I know what to do. I just have to work harder and pass this audition so I can take my mom out of that place. Who knows? I might fly her out of the country." Phoebe smiled.

"You girl, are a dreamer!" Zen chuckled, admiring her best friend's zeal and determination.

"Go Zen or you'll be late. You know I don't have to go to work early today. It's my afternoon shift today." Phoebe nudged her friend to go.

"Aye captain! Your wish is my command!" Zen stood at attention while Phoebe giggled.

"Bye!" Zen bade her goodbye as she hurried out.

After breakfast, Phoebe hurried to dress up so she could meet up with her appointment. She disliked tardiness.

She dressed up in a red body-fitting satin gown, then she rolled her hair in a bun before applying red lipstick to her lips.

____________________

"Hey Morgan." she greeted her manager as she slipped onto the seat before him.

"Am I safe? How could you get there before me?" Phoebe pulled his legs.

Morgan came late to their meeting sometime.

"Can you stop it already? I apologized back then already. I had to get somewhere yesterday so I couldn't make it." he smiled and signaled for the waiter to come serve them.

"So I know why you called," he said after taking a sip of his vodka martini.

"Really, you do? Tell me about it.'' Phoebe asked.

"Who wouldn't have heard Loukas's announcement yesterday? I mean is the person on this planet?" He said.

Phoebe chuckled.

"So since you know it already, what should we start with? There isn't much time left again." She took a sip of her cold orange juice.

"You have to practice more often now than before. You know that but there is something else this time around." he paused looking at her.

"What is it, Morgan? Is there anything else I need to know?" Phoebe's brows furrowed.

"There is something that can hinder you from registering now. I made my findings carefully about it yesterday. Loukas announced that as a result of the massive turn-up last year, he would add a criterion."

"That way, not every Tom, Dick, and Harry will be able to register. I do agree with him though. It makes the process easier." Morgan informed her as he reached for his vodka martini on the table.

" I don't think I understand" Phoebe sat up on the chair. This was new to her.

"Yeah, according to the blog I read, it wasn't easy picking models for last year's audition because of the number."

"In the end it caused eligible models to be dropped because they really couldn't examine them all." he explained better.

"Oh, that was the reason 50,000 people were dropped. I read about that. I would have been part of them." She chuckled at the thought of it.

Phoebe hadn't been eligible last year so she couldn't apply. Loukas didn't accept models less than 21 years of age for reasons best known to him.

"Yeah, that's it." Morgan replied, looking around the bar.

"So what can hinder me? What do I need?" She asked.

"You need 5000 dollars to register." Morgan said.

"What!?" Phoebe cried.