Chapter 3: Single-Elimination Round; The Game Starts Now!

I strummed my guitar.

"Oh oh oh oh

Oh oh oh oh

I think it's time to goooo

Away from all of the things that make you whole

heartedly hate me, yeah

heartedly hate me..."

Once the one minute was over, I opened my eyes and looked at the judges.

"Wonderful! I remember Lexter and Reina Alec, to bad Reina died and Lexter quit.

It was a perfect toned performance, almost better than the real thing, I give you a 100!" Judge Lynn continuously praised me.

"I couldn't help but tap my feet to the rhythm. It brings me back to when I was young... Oh I miss those two. I give you a 95!" Said judge Andy.

"Oh wow, you did it better that could ever do! 95!" Said Senior Jessica.

"Heh... It was wonderful, I give you a 90!.... is what you want me to say, right? I wasn't even alive when that song was made!" Leo said.

"Neither was senior Senior Jessica, besides, I expected you to be more of a prick, so I would be surprised if you actually gave me a 90." I said innocently

"Heh, you have guts to talk to me like that!" He said, pissed off even more about the fact that I was being genuinely honest,

"But I'll let you off this time, cuz your an idiot. Anyway, you're tone was too deep for your voice, try to sing the song in your ideal pitch, not in some try-hard one."

"But for this song, it was my ideal pitch."

"Eh!? There is no way that that's true. And you didn't sing it with your heart either, I don't appreciate songs that don't tell a story. And I hate lying about emotions even more!" He lectured.

"A 30!" He said trying to rub it in.

"100+95+95+30\=......." I mumbled. That equals 320. 320 divided by 4 equals......80!

"I did it! I passed an an average of 60!!"

"No shit Sherlock" Leo grumbled in a ticked off tone. He seemed irritated that I still passed even though he gave me a 30. I turned to him and smiled, probably pissing him off even more. Then walked off into the finished contestants room. I spotted Joy and Eve standing near the entrance, waiting for me. I ran up to them and asked if they had passed.

"I got and average of 92 points" Joy said

"Ummm...I got an average of 89" said Eve

"We all passed. I got 80." I said, 'excited' (she isn't good at expressing excitedness).

We walked up to the score board and waited for the passing contestants names to pop up.

Joy Jules

.......... ......

...... ...........

..... ......

Eve Kai

...... ...........

............. ...

Ashlynn Jay Aaron

Taylor Tao

..... ..................

"So close! I made it to the top ten." I said heaving a sigh of relief.

We all walked out to the lobby in which we signed in. I called Uncle Carlos to pick me up and waited, while Joy called her dad and Eve walked home.

About 20 minutes later, Joy's dad came, he wore a suit and a serious expression, he looked like one of those bossy and cold CEO's in the comics. He spotted Joy and I talking and walked up to us, that was when I noticed him.

"You must be my little Joy's friend!" He smiled, now looking like a friendly uncle

"Dad, I'm not little anymore!" she said, annoyed and embarrassed.

"It's been so long since you've had a genuine friend that's not using you, I can't help but be happy!"

Joy sighed and said, "AJ, this is my dad, don't tell anyone other than Eve, but he's one of the biggest investors in SuperStar The CEO of Jule Entertainment."

"Wow! He really is like the CEO's it the comic!" I mumbled.

Mr. Jules heard and laughed and said "I guess you could say that."

Then he turned to a Joy and said "I like your friend here."

"Gee, is that supposed to be a compliment? Anyway, I have another one that walked home already." Joy suppressed a smile.

"Yup, Eve's, a great person. Not to mention she's adorable." I said.

"YO! LE - ASH!" A voice called just after I finished talking.

We looked over and saw someone with sunglasses and a cap.

"Oh, hey Spade! Didn't know you were gonna pick me up!" I said excitedly.

"Oh, is this your boyfriend?" Mr. Jules asked.

We looked at each other and then turned to Mr. Jules "Us!? A couple? Never!!" We said in synchronization.

"Who would wannabe the boyfriend of that idiot?" Spade teased.

"Who are you calling idiot, stupid! The last time I checked, I get B+'s at least while you get C's at most!" I countered.

"Oh, you wanna' go!?" He said.

"Heh, bring it!" I said welcoming the birth of a war.

"Okay, okay, you're not a couple, so are you siblings?" he asked, stopping us from starting war.

"Well, I guess you can say that." I said

"She's my adopted lil' sis!" he said proudly.

"And a moment ago you called me an idiot, you proud to be the one and only bro of an idiot?" I asked

"Okey meanie. I'm sorry, I luv u." he said, sucking up to me.

"Ew, gross get away!" I said, hiding behind Joy.

Joy laughed and said "Well, we have to get going now. Bye, see around Ash!"

"Bye!" I said as they walked away.

"So, who was she?" Spade asked.

"Joy, one of my BFF's" I answered.

"Wow, you have more than one!?" He said in a surprised, mimicking tone.

"Yes and the other one's Eve. Now shut up and let's go" I told him.

We went outside the building and got in Spade's car. After a long day, finally, I'm heading home.

Things to know in this chapter:

- SuperStar ended at 6:00 PM, which was earlier than it was supposed to be, thanks to Leo being a stingy, over-the-top judge

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