A few group performances later, Stacey was starting to feel sleepy again, but Ken, Endo and Flail kept her awake by pinching or poking her every now and then.
"Young lady sitting with the boys over there. I'd like to know if we are all boring you or it's just that you also have a medical reason to fall asleep during other people's performances," Orlan's voice cut through Stacey's sleepiness. Flail's sharp pinch also made her jump, eliciting a few snickers from around the room. "Just because you think you did well doesn't give you the right not to show your competition your respect. One would think you're doing all this just to gain attention. Don't tell me your fainting earlier was a show? You've hardly shown any interest in anybody since the moment I walked into this room."
Stacey met the irate mentor's eyes and swallowed. How was she going to talk herself out of this?
Thankfully, Endo came to her rescue.
"Sorry, Orlan. Stacey's a bit shy. She doesn't show all her emotions like many of us here do. Us boys around her can say that even though we've only just met her today, she's definitely not putting it on. She fainted earlier because she hadn't eaten for the past few days. She's been sleeping on the street under some stairs in the cold without a blanket. So she hasn't slept well. Now that she's eaten something and it's warm and comfortable in here, she can't help it. She really isn't trying to disrespect anyone. When we were preparing for our performance, she nearly hurt herself giving 110% effort to try and learn our dance when she's never learnt to dance before."
"Apologise," Ken hissed under his breath, elbowing Stacey. "Quick. Bow."
"I'm sorry," Stacey bowed to the mentors on the stage and then in different directions to the other teenagers. "I apologise for not showing you all the respect you deserve."
Frustration welled up in her chest and she took a breath. Might as well cut her losses now. She blurted out the things she'd been thinking.
"I don't think I belong here. I only came by accident. I'm sorry for the trouble."
Her voice shrank as she spoke. Her own words spurred her into a decision. She should go. She really didn't belong here. Stacey brushed the boys' hands off her and started to edge herself out of the aisle.
"Sorry. Excuse me."
"Stacey," Endo called. "Don't go."
"Yeah," Ken and Flail agreed. "Stay."
Stacey felt bad for the other kids. She wasn't even meant to be here. She had literally come for the food, not to compete with the kids for their dreams.
"Wait, wait, wait."
Telea and Hugh jumped off the stage and hurried to block her way so that she couldn't leave.
Stacey tried to get around them, but they refused to let her pass. Forwards or backwards. Stacey stood looking between them, feeling trapped, chest heaving and eyes prickling.
There was a moment of silence. Somebody coughed.
"Stacey, you aren't here by accident. This is a fair competition. Who cares if you don't know as much as the other kids? Does it matter if your dreams and goals are different? It doesn't mean that you haven't worked hard," Hugh said, holding out his arms to prevent her from getting any closer to the door.
"What did you come here for in the first place, anyway?" Telea asked her with a knowing smirk.
Looking down, Stacey mumbled a reply.
"Say it louder, Stacey. Tell everyone your real reason for joining our program."
"I came here to eat," Stacey said loudly and clearly into the microphone and then covered her face with her hands, feeling her face grow so hot it felt like it would catch fire at any moment. "I didn't come here to learn or for anything else. I only came because there was food here and I was hungry."
"Well said," Telea hugged her around the shoulders. "Don't cover your face. It's nothing to be ashamed of. There are many here who came here to 'eat' as you put it. Maybe not as literally as you but everyone here is 'hungry' for something. Fame, an opportunity, a chance for a job and brighter future. As a stepping stone toward their dreams and goals. Everyone here can't say they didn't come here 'hungry to eat'. You have to be hungry in this industry. You have to work hard. If the person next to you is good and you have to put in twice the effort to be as good if not better than them, then that's what you're going to have to do. You have to do your best to survive and this is not an easy industry to survive in."
"Stacey, Landen has been showing off your audition recordings to anyone who will listen since you walked out of that audition room this morning, did you know that?" Hugh told her. "You have great talent. A little training and you could be amazing. You can't give up now. I refuse to let you give up now. I mean, it's your choice and we can't force you or anything, but after being given such a great opportunity, are you really going to give it away like this?"
"Or," Telea added, "let me simplify this for you. Are you going to have anything to eat for your next meal when you walk out of here?"
Stacey shook her head.
"Do you have any money?"
Stacey shook her head again, feeling her head sink lower and lower. Why was Telea interrogating her in public like this?
This was a new kind of shame and embarrassment. To let the whole world know that she was homeless. Who would be proud to admit such a thing?
"Do you have a place to stay? Anywhere you can feel safe? Where you can be warm and can sleep? Or where you can shower? Do you have any other clothes you could change into?"
Stacey crouched down and hid her face in her arms.
This was seriously mortifying. Did they have to show the world how poor she was on national television?
Who would have thought that she'd one day be someone else's object of pity?
Speaking of which, she had to smell. Nobody had cringed or mentioned it yet but here, Telea had gone and done it. It wasn't that she didn't want to be clean, ok? A person can only clean themselves up so much in a public toilet.
While in this crouched position, Stacey surreptitiously sniffed herself.
She flinched at Telea's touch.
"In which case," Telea stroked Stacey's back, "since you have nowhere else to go, you may as well stay and see how things turn out. You did pretty well in your performance just now, you know. You'll have a soft bed to sleep in. I heard dinner's going to be delicious. And there are people here to protect you and cheer you on. We're all waiting to see what you're going to become in the future. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be amazing. Ok?"
Stacey took a deep breath. Just suck it up, princess. You can do this. But first, she had to ask the question that was bothering her.
"Do I really smell?" she whispered to Telea. The microphone picked up her voice, sending titters and snickers across the room.
"No," Telea covered the microphone although everyone could still hear her speak, "but I'll bet you're raring to have a good warm shower and some clean clothes, right? New clothes. I heard the crew bought you some new clothes. Aren't you excited to see?"
Stacey couldn't hide a small grin at that. Who didn't like new, clean clothes?
"There we go," Telea winked. "Alright, Stace. Back to your seat. Try and stay awake for the rest of this. It's not long now. We'll try to send you to bed early after this evening's activities."
Stacey nodded, belatedly noticing the camera pointed her way from behind Telea. She ducked her head down to hide her face and smile.