The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

20

MR. WANG PAYS ENOUGH MONEY TO shut off any commotion and talks to the cameramen about me and Klarise's disappearance that one night after the third concert. So none of that news got leaked to the outside. But that doesn't stop the fact that it never happened.

Mason had driven us both back that night, the whole way there was dead silence. And when Klarise left us, she didn't even take a second look at me, like we never even talked. Then Mason started scolding me all the way back as we made the way to our rooms. It's funny, when he's a few months younger than me but it feels like he was the one always taking care of me, always watching out for me.

For weeks, throughout every day and hour, I couldn't stop thinking about the switching careers thing. Acting. Did I want to do that? Was Klarise right? That C-Pop isn't what I should be doing?

When I tried not to think about that, the other thing that comes up to mind is that singular moment when Klarise looked at me. When my heart rate went up. When she opened her mouth to say something and that fearful yet also hungry feeling for what it'll be driving through me. What was she going to say? What would I have done when she did say something? It could have been anything, but that moment, it felt like she might've said something that would mess my whole way of things up, did I want that?

But in a way, she already had managed to mess up my way of things. I couldn't not think about switching careers after what she'd said. And because of that conversation we had, I just realized how much more I didn't enjoy what I was doing. Everything that was buried so deep was just bubbling up to the surface now. Because of her.

We avoided each other for weeks, I didn't know why though. But even with that, I often caught her glances, her gazes, and she often caught mine. And when we locked eyes, my heart thumped a beat too quick against my skin. When the third elimination game was over, and she wasn't one of the girls made to leave, I was so happy and relieved I felt the strange need to wrap my arms around her. But I didn't, and nor did she come to me.

While I've been shooting the reality show, Bridget and the other girls have been doing concerts without me. And so badly I wanted to be there with them. Or more like, I wanted to be there with Bridget. The more I've been with Klarise now, the more I've been thinking about Bridget throughout these months of shooting. The past two to three years, I've been able to not think about her, not think about what I've once done. But now the thoughts just kept coming up.

Mason has been realizing something was off with me. He checked up on me more than he usually would, I guess my stress was starting to show. He asked me many times if I needed to talk, maybe he asked everyday, but every time I would wave him off. What was there to tell? How could he help me? Mason was living in a small apartment room he rents with three other people, he was barely making a life for himself, I didn't want to put my burden onto him.

Klarise was getting noticed more throughout the show, her votes kept going higher and higher. That brought me relief, and throughout each elimination, I let myself fall into sighs of reassurance to not see her name on the big board. I wanted her to stay.

It wasn't too soon until the last concert's date drew close, and that there were only seventeen girls left. Only eight of them were going to stay, or more like, become the girls in the C-Pop group.

Nathan Ma found me wandering near the halls of the dance rooms three days before the last concert. He catches up to me by the shoulder.

"My manager already asked your manager about the date thing. We'd make a great match, you know?" He had a cheeky smile I wanted to slap.

The set up cameras in the halls were only a few feet above our heads. I forced a smile and bit down my annoyance.

"That's lovely, except I'm not interested."