The Elite Encounter

Halle’s POV

Standing right in front of the audition room, my heart raced, taking in the sea of faces – over a thousand people, including the fan girls. I closed my eyes, attempting to focus and warm up. Suddenly, a girl in front of me spoke up.

"Hello, everyone! It’s my first time here at Gleewood Arts, and beside me is a fellow contestant, a pretty redhead. Say hello to the camera," she announced, switching the camera to my face without warning. I tried signaling that I didn't want to be part of her live video, but I didn't want to disappoint her fans. So, I stared into the camera, only to be jolted by the number of viewers – over 600 thousand on the live video.

"Did you apply to join Gleewood Arts because of the E3, or are you just following your dreams?" she inquired.

"What E3?" I asked, genuinely confused, as she gasped.

“You really don’t know them?" she questioned, and I admitted, "No, I don’t," I replied, noticing hate comments flooding the video. "I mean the Elite 3, the biggest boy band in Estrella. They attend Gleewood Arts College," she explained.

"Oh," I responded, realization hitting. "I've heard of them a few times, but I have no business with them. I don’t understand why you asked if I’m here for them," I clarified.

"That’s a wrap for today. Thanks for watching, and don’t forget to tune in tomorrow. I love y’all," she said as she ended the video.

"I’m Jenna," she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Jenna. I’m Halle," I replied.

"You really don’t know who the E3 are?" she questioned, to which I shook my head.

"They consist of three handsome musicians and are believed to be the most attractive guys in Estrella. Except for the third member, no one has ever seen his face before. He’s a very private person."

Jenna then noticed my missing ID card. "Where’s your ID card?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. I checked my neck, realizing the main ID wasn’t there.

I started to panic, frantically searching for it.

"Did you leave it somewhere?" she asked. "You know you can’t perform without it."

As she spoke, screams echoed from the hall outside the audition room. Suddenly, the same person who had caused me trouble before walked in, heading straight toward me.

"Hey, crazy redhead!" he yelled. "Where’s the watch I gave you?" he demanded, as everyone around us pulled out their phones to capture the scene.

As I observed Jenna's sudden change in expression, it was clear she was freaking out.

"OMG, Xavier!" she screamed, her voice filled with excitement. "I'm your biggest fan," she whined.

I shot her a puzzled look, unsure of what was happening.

"But I thought you said you don’t know who the E3 are," she questioned.

"I don’t," I affirmed, but Jenna leaned in close and whispered into my ear, "That’s Xavier, the lead singer of the Elite 3."

"Oh, really?" I responded, surprised by the revelation.

"You don’t know who I am?" Xavier inquired once more.

Suddenly, the sound of camera shutters and videos being taken by everyone around us made me uneasy. Panic began to set in, and I started breathing heavily.

"Are you okay, Halle?" Jenna asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Panic attack," I managed to say, before feeling an arm reach out and grab me from the crowd.

I gazed up to see the jerk face attempting to pull me out, eventually dragging me into a room. "Why are you after me?" I yelled at him. "You're not even my type, so quit stalking me," I teased.

"What?" he responded, giving me a confused look as he leaned down to my height. With over 6ft towering above my 5’2 stature, the contrast was striking.

"Where is my watch?" he demanded.

"What watch?" I tried to recall. "Oh, that. I dumped it."

"You did what?" he yelled.

"You gave it to me, and I threw it away," I retorted.

"Are you just stupid, or are you just a natural redhead?" he asked.

"You're the foolish one here. How would you give a stranger your watch and expect to get it back?" I fired back.

"I never intended to collect it back from you. That watch is actually important; do you know its worth? It's over a million dollars, and it's actually my dad’s," he explained.

"A million dollars?" I gasped. "Why would you give me the watch if it's worth over a million?" I questioned.

"I thought it was one of my random watches before I handed it over to you. So, you either retrieve my watch or buy me a new one," he demanded.

"Jerk face," I called out to him.

"You called me a jerk face?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied defiantly.

"Why would you call me a jerk face? My face is all over a thousand billboards," he gestured arrogantly.

"Don’t be a narcissist. If you’re not a jerk face, why are you acting like one?" I retorted.

"I’m telling you, don’t talk to me like that," he warned, pointing his index finger at my face and moving closer as I instinctively walked backwards.

"Did you hear me?" was the last thing I heard before I missed my step, slipping and grabbing onto his shirt, tearing it as he fell on top of me, exposing his bare chest. I couldn't help but notice his abs; I never imagined he could be this hot.

"Get off me! What do you want?" I yelled, flustered.

"What do I want? Why did you tear my shirt?" he shouted back. "And why are you staring at my chest?" he added, attempting to get up.

Before he could rise, the sound of the door opening startled us, and the mysterious guy walked in with another unfamiliar face. Immediately, the other guy took out his phone and captured a picture of me and Xavier.

Still in that embarrassing position, we both gasped as Xavier jumped up.

"Xavier? What are you doing?" the mysterious guy questioned, pushing him.

"It’s not what you think! This girl is crazy," Xavier exclaimed.

"Here, let me help you up," the mysterious guy said, coming over to me and extending a hand. I was shocked by his familiarity, realizing I didn't even know his name.

"It’s not what you think. Here’s the thing—" I started, but he placed his hand on my lips.

"I know," he said.

"Huh?" I gasped, noticing Xavier frowning at me.

"Let me help you out," he said, taking my hands and guiding me out of the room.