i am not a replacement

Chap4 (we meet again)

"Good morning" I got into the studio, and walked straight to my assigned spot for the show.

"Good morning!" she came in with a wide smile that some appreciated and some did not, yet that didn't seem to faze her much "Amanda parks, right?" Madeline smiled at me, handing me a water bottle before she took the seat beside mine "Have some, it will calm your nerves down.. Let me tell you, it's okay to be nervous since it's only a first, so don't be too pressured, ok?"

"Thank you, I appreciate the gesture, but I don't really have stage fright and I don't mind the attention. So, I'm fine" I explained, accepting the bottle from her with a smile, but also realizing how I might have sounded "That makes me sound narcissist, doesn't it?"

"A little" she chuckled before fixing her hair and pulling a strand behind her ear "By the way... are you... in a relationship?" she sounded a bit hesitant and embarrassed when she asked. However, she still asked.

I stared at her closely and noticed the glint in her eyes. Honey, I noticed you looking at my brother when he dropped me off.

"That was my brother, his name is Joshua and he is single. Want me to give you his number?"

"WHAT?!!" Her wide eyes matched her dropped jaw, which was normal. When somebody reads your mind and drops you off to the last stop, when you were going to keep turning around the intersection, that was a normal reaction to this unusual action.

"Is everything okay Madeline?" The sound director asked smirking, which probably meant he heard the whole conversation, taking into consideration that they already bugged us with these little mics. However, the rest of the staff looked at her then at me with accusing eyes, like I was bullying her.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she smiled at them tightly... More like I feel constipated kind of smile. She then covered her mic tightly with her hand and turned to me "How did you know?. that.you know... It was about him" she muttered as if covering the mic wasn't enough

"Your body speaks for you"

"You can tell from that?"

"I'm a psychologist" I put it out there for her even though it was obvious to everyone here.

"Right!" She turned away, covering her face with both of her hands "GOD! this is embarrassing"

I slid the water bottle back to her "I think you need it more than I do" upon hearing that, she threw her hands down and looked at the bottle laying in front of her

"I actually do" she chuckled, taking it from my hold and sipping its content "This is the worst first impression, I'm sorry"

"It was good, I experienced much worse than that"

She laughed before she stated "that still means that it's bad" concluding it with a genuine smile from her part

I smiled back "Don't want to lie"

My part of the show was over in no time, so the first thing I did was go back to the dressing room to fix my clothes, fetch my bag and leave. Yet, to my surprise, the door opened wide before I can even manage to close it.

"What are you doing here?!!" the two of us spat the same thing although we used different tones; while mine was of pure surprise and shock, his was absolutely anger, maybe even rage.

"I was invited for a show" I spoke first then waited for him to answer but I was met, yet, with another question from his part

"And why did you take it?"