Famous

10

"I see you're both finally awake."

The boss' voice drags out at the word finally.

Vina and I find ourselves able to sit up and face our visitor.

"What are we doing here? I still don't get how all this works." Vina asks.

The boss smiles.

Before she can reply, I butt in. "Can we seriously not call you the 'boss'? It's annoying especially since you're NOT the boss of us."

Her smile fades.

"My name is Victoria Clarissa Gomez Himallya and I am a topnotcher in fashion design. I am not as old as I look, and I plan to make my name famous. With both if you, highly regarded girls, out of the way, and more to come, my chances of getting picked are higher." Victoria explains.

Vina's eyes widen. Guess she finally connected all the dots now.

Victoria's smile has returned. "Now that we've got that out of the way, let me deliver the good news."

Vina and I wait for whatever this news is. It could be good for her but it's definitely not good for us.

"There have been changes to the ceremony." She says slowly, as if we need more time to process her words. "Instead of five being chosen for the two sections, Ground and Elevated, only three will be chosen."

My eyes widen and Vina's jaw drops.

"That's not all. Three will be chosen out of both sections. Meaning out of everyone in the world, only three will be chosen. Three!"

No. Way. No. Way. No. Way.

THREE?! THREE PEOPLE? Out of the billions in the world?

I look at Vina and see the same look in her eyes.

When we get out, we're gonna work harder than we've ever done. I'm gonna prove Victoria wrong. She will not be chosen. Especially not by cheating.

***
After three days, Victoria visits us again.

"I've decided to treat you better. That way you won't have any need to run away."

Vina and I share a look.

Test? She mouths.

I shrug.

The mystery man comes in, takes off our straps and cuffs, and leads us after Victoria.

The white room is located five floors below the black room. The new rooms we're being taken to are located ten stories higher than the black room.

I checked the elevator buttons.

The elevator door opens and we walk out. This floor is breathtaking.

Outside the black room there were dozens of office cubicles in front of a ceiling high window, showing off the beautiful city of New York.

The white room on the other hand, was on a floor with no windows at all.

This floor, though...

It, too, has a ceiling high window, but instead of offices in the 'lobby' area, it has couches, coffee tables, and even a long table backed up against the wall to our right. Right now, there's a buffet laid out.

It looks so much like a luxurious apartment home, that I almost forget, for a split second, that I'm being held captive.

"Do you like it?" Victoria asks.