Celestia Macen's POV:

"I'm sorry, Lia..." Emmett says for the zillionth time.

"Apology accepted for the zillionth time, Emmett!" I say.

It's been around a week since that happened, but Emmett's still apologizing...

"So, Elyssa, can I see your performances?" I ask.

"Sure!" she says.

She YouTubes it and I watch her and Emmett perform. Genius audition, and she's kept it up!

My favourite so far is when she sang 'Jet Black Heart' the week before this when they had to sing the latest songs. Emmett had sung a faster version of 'Hello' by Adele.

Elyssa tells me, "This week's performance is the day after, and today evening we're going to get instructions and hopefully practice a bit..."

"Wanna tag along, Lia?"Emmett asks, waggling his eyebrows.

Elyssa's eyes brighten up at the idea. She makes those puppy eyes that I can't resist, so I nod.

After the event last week, I've come to Hollywood to stay for some time, so I can catch up with these two.

Mom's gone back to NY, and Josh and Gar stayed back in Minnesota...

I tie my hair in a loose ponytail at the nape of my neck, and follow Elyssa and Emmett outside.

"We've still got some time to kill, so what do you say we eat?" Emmett asks.

Elyssa nods, and we go to a nearby eatery. We have some fries, a burger and a milkshake each and then walk to the venue.

As we walk in, I smile. Emmett notices and lifts his eyebrow questioningly.

"I remember when I first auditioned just like this!" I reply.

This was how I rocketed to my job- I auditioned for 'American Idol' and got to the Top 3 before I was sent home.

A producer had noted my presence on 'Idol' and he offered me a recording deal, after which I released an album which was highly lauded, and followed it up with two successful albums and three EPs.

I was working on my fourth album before I came here. I still remember the feeling of nervousness in my stomach before stepping out to perform...

"Hello? Earth to Lia?" Emmett waves his hand in front of my face.

"What?" I snap.

"Well, you kinda zoned out, so-" I cut Elyssa off with "Nostalgia!"

We all laugh and then walk in.

"Elyssa!" Rina Otto yells and hugs her as we walk in.

She greets Emmett with a high-five and claps excitedly.

She asks them to wait and that they'll start soon and bounces away.

"Wow! Is she always so cheerful?" I ask Elyssa, who nods.

As we walk into the adjacent hall, nearly everyone greets Elyssa and waves at Emmett, everyone but a girl who appears to be in her 20s.

At that very instant, the judges walk in and ask everyone to settle down. Apart from the eighteen chairs set for the contestants, there are many chairs in the back for family and friends, where I sit down.

The judges begin their spiel and inform the contestants that this week, two performances each and two eliminations are in wait.

For one performance, the contestants have to perform their unique take on a popular song. For the second performance, they will have to perform duets.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pick it up. A new message, from Charlotte King?

CK- Hey, this is Celestia Macen, right? This is Charlotte King.

CM- Yes, this is Celestia Macen.

I look up at the judges and see Charlotte King is looking down at her phone, and lifts her head up to meet my eyes and smile.

CK- So, you know this duet thing that the contestants are to do, which Silvan is talking about now?

CM- Yeah?

CK- Well, can you duet with someone?

CM- Sure!

Charlotte taps Silvan's shoulder and whispers something in his ear.

He nods and gestures to Rina. Charlotte tells it in her ear, Rina repeats it to Nicola.

"Okay, so for your duets, you will have to duet with a known singer each. The list is put up now, and you guys have to select one..." says Nicola as two guys drag in a big chart hanging from a support.

"Tomorrow, these stars will be here, and you guys can practice with them..." says Rina.

"One change..." Charlotte says as she gets up and walks to the chart.

"We had found only 17 stars for you to duet with, so I was to be the eighteenth one, but now we found another, so you'll each have one..." she says as she scratches her name off the bottom of the list and, finding no other place, writes my name on top.

Elyssa and Emmett turn around to meet my eyes with shock writ large on their faces.

I show them my phone. They turn back front.

"Good luck, and off you go!" says Silvan.

The contestants scramble madly around the chart, but Elyssa just calmly gets up and walks to me and sits down next to me.

"I can manage with anyone, so I'll just go last..." she says.

I smile at her and watch as the contestants scramble for the marker to write their names...

Soon, they all disperse, lingering around the room, only Emmett, another guy and two girls stand in front of the chart and stare at it.

Emmett looks around and when he spots us, he beckons us both to the chart.

We walk over and look at the chart.

I recognize the guy and two girls to be Kristen, Cole and Zöe, from watching them in the group round.

"Ely, you haven't picked anyone?" Emmett questions as Zöe looks at Elyssa with a smile and says, "You'll easily manage!"

Elyssa smiles at her and takes a closer look at the chart.

I do too, and I find that the three artistes free are Alessia Cara...

...Valerie Tyler...

...and Shawn Mendes!

I stare at it in shock, surprised that no one's picked Shawn Mendes.

"Can we go with Alessia Cara?" asks Cole, and everyone else nods.

"Well, I guess, Valerie Tyler, then?" says Emmett.

Elyssa nods and writes her name down alongside Shawn Mendes'.

"So, it's done then?" asks Emmett.

"J Square are so lucky!" says Kristen.

"Why?" I ask.

"Well, they get to duet with you!" she replies.

I smile at them and say, "No, I'm lucky!"

They smile at me and we walk off to chat for a bit...

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