Starlet

6. 404

A couple of days later, I'm back in Dipak's office.

Omar hands me a paper. "We got your schedule finalized. We're also giving you a room in the castle. It'll give you somewhere to go between dance and school. You're still going to live in the mountain."

"Your room number is 404. Thora is going to show it to you."

"Oh yay. I don't have to sit here." Thora pulls me out of my seat and into the elevator. "I really did not want to sit there all afternoon. They are so boring."

I follow along. Trying to remember where we're going.

"This is the advisor wing. Pick any elevator and push the 4. You're in room 404, so it's on floor 4."

We get to room 404, and it opens. It's a big empty area. There's a kitchen off to the side.

"Let's order you some furniture. You'll need some clothes for school too. Mountain clothes are a bit odd. We'll get you some stuff, so you don't stand out."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure. I love shopping. Bring the furniture and clothes books."

I have no idea who she's talking to. Nobody is here.

She smiles. "Show yourself."

A person stands beside the well. I stare at it.

"They are what we call brains. They're artificial intelligence. We have a lot of advanced technology. You'll understand more the longer you're here. Don't worry."

An hour later, the entire apartment is furnished with nice furniture. Even my balcony has a couch.

"Now these are the clothes catalogs. Do you have any money? This stuff costs money. I didn't even think about that. I can get Dipak to give you some. Don't worry. We only need a little to start anyway. Let's get the order together and he'll approve it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'll threaten to mess up his hair if he gives us any problems."

I laugh. "He does have perfect hair all the time."

We order me underwear, socks, shoes, dresses, hair bands, combs. I hope he lets me have a couple of dresses at least. They are basic dresses. Go to my knees and have short sleeves. They're pretty. Hopefully, I'll fit in with everyone else at school.

We get back up to Dipak's office. Omar stands up. "Next is the theater. They are handing out script lines now."

I grab Thora and try to drag her into the elevator this time.

"WAIT. I need my disguise. I can't go over like this." Thora grabs a black box off Dipak's desk and does something.

Suddenly, I'm looking at a completely different person. She even has lighter hair.

"Still me." She changes back and forth a couple of times. "It's part of our technology. We can look like other people."

The girl at the end of our side of the table runs over. "I'M JACK." She changes into a boy. Then she goes back and forth a couple of times. "They are still me. It's fun to look like other people sometimes. You want to try it?"

"No. I want to get the play lines."

"We'll go over with you, but we have to be in our disguises."

"Ok."

Thora takes my shoulders and looks in my eyes. "And you can't ever tell anyone who we really are."

"I'm not sure anyone would believe me anyway."

Everyone at the table laughs.

Dipak smiles. "She's got a point. Go get the play lines."

There's a bunch of people standing around the theater. The director is outside talking to people and handing out papers. He hands all 3 of us a paper. "Are you interested in a part?"

"I am."

"These are the acting parts for this play. I need 10 girls. So they are going to try out. What I need you to do is memorize these lines. You'll be performing them in 3 days for me. You'll be up on the stage. A boy will do the boy part, and you'll do the girl part."

"OK. LET'S GO STUDY."

"Wait. We need to walk around. That house was over here."

"Is this the one of that lady they just killed?"

We find a big house. It's a beautiful house. It has pillars in the front holding up a balcony even. But it's got no land. We walk around the side of it. There is a big barn for storing castle carriages behind it.

"Yea, it's castle owned now. They want to rent it out. It might be nice to have for our disguises."

"I don't want another house. I'm to busy the way it is."

"I DO." I jump up and down. "I've never had a place."

Thora's disguise smiles. "Let's go see if they'll let us rent it."

"Ok."

A girl comes up to us. "Hi, I'm Lyn. Are you trying out for the theater?"

"Yes."

"Well, we all know Katie will get the leading part. She's been doing theater for years. She's been in plays for other villages. Don't get your hopes to far up. I'm going to try out too, but I already know I won't get the main part."

"Any part would be experience. I've never done this before. I want to start somewhere. Any part would be amazing. Even if I have to stand there and be a tree."

"That's a good way to look at it. Everyone has to start somewhere. Hopefully the director doesn't tell me I have no talent though. I've loved theater forever. That would be horrible."

"I think talent can be learned. I think the first time anyone gets on a stage in front of people they will be nervous and shaky. Maybe forget some things. It doesn't mean they don't have talent, it means they need more experience."

"They could be a tree for a year."

"Exactly. It would help them get used to the stage."

A boy comes up to us. "Are you 2 trying out for the play?"

"Yes. We're excited."

"You know there's a kiss in it?"

My eyebrows shoot up.

"It's a stage kiss. Not a real kiss. Well it can be. But yes, we do that."

I've never kissed a boy. I don't know about that.

Lyn smiles. "You've done theater before?"

"I was in a theater group in my last village. We put on 4 or 5 plays a year. I always got a part. I'm hoping for the leading part in this play. I really like this 1."

I smile. "Good luck."

"Seems like a lot of people have experience here."

"Doesn't look good for us."

The boy shakes his head. "You could be natural up there. If you like theater, you have to at least try it. If you don't get a part, there are so many people doing things backstage. You could help with some of that. You have to start somewhere. Even if it's doing hair and makeup while you help the actors practice lines. It's experience."

"Isn't there 2 people cast for every part too? So if there are 20 parts, 40 are actually cast?"

"No. You're talking about understudies. Not everyone has them. The leading and main parts will. But not all the parts. How old are you?"

She smiles. "452."

I glance around. "400."

He laughs. Then he nods. "Is that what you registered for with the castle?"

"Yea."

"What's your name?"

"Whisp."

"That's it?"

I shrug my shoulders. "That's what I'm called."

Lyn smiles. "Good luck at the audition. I will see you there."

"Good luck to you as well. It was nice meeting you, Lyn."

"You too, Whisp."

Thora grabs my arm. "Finally."

We sit at Dipak's conference table again.

Thora stands up. "We're claiming the house in the village. We're going to rent it."

"Who?"

"Me and Whisp."

"To young."

"NO WE'RE NOT."

"I'm 391."

"Oh, now you're 391?" Marcus smirks.

"Yes." I am very confident in my age.

"What are you even going to do there?"

"Sit on the porch."

Thora smiles. "Talk to people."

Elek sits back. "Let her rent it. See what it's like to have bills. We can keep brains in there. Give her a chance for 6 months."

"They could see what it's like to be part of the village this way."

"You'll have to come up with 200g a month to rent it."

I try not to jump up and down in my chair. "I can fish."

Omar rubs his eyes. "I have been fishing with you for months. I have never seen you catch anything."

"I can though."

Marcus rubs his eyes. "Too young."

"You try whatever you think will work. But you have to give us 200g a month."

"I know I can do it."

Thora elbows me. "It's only 600g each. We can do it. I'll show you our way of fishing."

"Ok."

"And we have full access to the house. Day or night."

"Fine, Frode."

"She is young, Thora. We are going to watch her close."

"She'll be fine."

Dipak nods. "We're still moving stuff out of there, so it's going to be a couple of days before you can get in."

"We'll wait."

"Good. I also approved her clothes list. It should be in her room by now."

I gasp and start to shake.

"You can go."

"WAIT." The girl at the end has her hand up. "I had them send a bunch of human and nurse dresses up there. They are good for about anything. I wanted to let you know. You can go now."

I run like hell for the elevator. I run all the way to my room. I have stuff in my drawers. I have towels in the bathroom. Clothes in my closet. It's like a real place for me. I sit on the couch and cry.