The Calls

Mason City was quite busy these days. Here prostitutes lined up for famous clients. More and more corrupted cops took over the department. Officials baffled over unknown dead bodies. Drugs and weapons flooded the market. Yet, it wasn't these news that made the front cover of every newspaper in the city. It was the foursome. These newcomers had stirred up the usual dark, mysterious atmosphere that lingered over this infamous city. Many things had happened yet none so great and vital as the twist of fate awaiting ahead of them.

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Bang Kieu pushed Minh Tuyet's wheelchair outside of the hospital, and headed toward the van. He reminded her again, "Remember to take the painkillers and drink lots of water!"

Minh Tuyet: Ow! Kieu, You wheeled me over a rock!

LTQ: Stop whining! You're still alive! Luckily the bullets only hit you in the [coughs] BUTT!

Minh Tuyet glared at him, with that same I'm-going-to-bite-your-head-off look on her face, and snapped, "I'm on painkillers! Don't mess with me!"

Nhu Loan: Quang, will you leave her alone! She just got out of the hospital!

Nonetheless, they continued to argued. These two are like cats and dogs. It was impossible to have any peace with them. Just as they reached the van and was about to help Minh Tuyet get in, someone's cell phone went off. Each quickly took out his or her phone to check. Coincidently, they all had incoming calls, except for Minh Tuyet. She watched as her friends walked away to take the call, leaving her behind in her wheelchair. She felt lonely and looked at her friends chatting on their phone in envy. Why had no one called to ask if she was okay? The only calls she received was from her parents and that was weeks ago!

"Fine! Be that way! Just leave me like that!" She screamed at the tops of her lungs. No one heard it except for the few people that happened to pass by, who eyed her strangely then took several cautious steps away from the woman they thought were mental.

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(Nhu Loan)

"Hello"

"Jimmy! Where have you been? I've been trying to call you!" Nhu Loan exclaimed in joy.

"Just doing the usual stuff. Can we go somewhere and talk?" Nhu Loan was shocked that her boyfriend didn't even ask to see if she was okay or anything. He must have seen all those news on TV about her. He always had.

"Um....why? I have a concert tonight and right now I'm with my friends. We're having a celebration-"

"Yea, um, let me make this quick so that I won't waste any of your precious time." He sounded so cold and there was a hint of mockery in his voice. "Loan, this is not working. I'm sorry."

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(Luong Tung Quang)

LTQ held his phone as far away from his ear as possible. His mom's voice, even though had became very inaudible, was still way far from pleasant to hear.

"Mom, it's-"

"I've been trying to call you ever since you moved but you never replied! What is this on the newspaper, eh? EXPLAIN!"

"That-"

"And there it goes! You're on TV again! DID YOU WENT TO JAIL?"

"No-"

"Don't you lie to me now! Don't you DARE lie to me! It says right here-- LTQ was invo...involved...in...well I don't care, but there's the word JAIL! I know what that means! I know what you're thinking...that I'm old and know no English! But remember that I'm still smart for my age and you can BET that I DO know what it means!"

LTQ rolled his eyes and kept his mouth shut as his mom continued lecturing. It was useless trying to talk himself out of this.

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Bang Kieu was the first one to come back. "Where's the others?" He asked.

"They all left me...just like you did." Minh Tuyet said, looking away.

"Don't be a kid now! I had to take the call."

"It's not me! It's the painkillers!"

Bang Kieu ignored her and changed the topic as he saw LTQ and Nhu Loan came back.

"Hey, guess what, Marie called. We're going to Korea."

Disastrous Interview

Bang Kieu went back to the theatre after getting Marie to the emergency room. There are nothing fatal but without Marie's presence, even just for half a day, things would be slowed down tremendously.
He can still hear Minh Tuyet and LTQ fighting even before going inside the theatre. He clenched his fist and as soon as he arrived, punched hard on the table where the judges sit. "ENOUGH OF YOU TWO!"
They stopped immediately, not daring to disobey the angry Bang Kieu.
"Let's get on with the rehearsal" Bang Kieu ordered.
He sat there, watching their performance, and wondered who the heck paired these two up. Sure, their voices and looks matched but there were no chemistry whatsoever and the song was delivered without any emotions. Plus, LTQ's limping. But at least there was no fight. But he had to think of something.
"You know what, let's do it this way. I'll film each of you an MTV to be played on the screens while the other's performing onstage. That way, both of you will be there but not have to meet each other. For example, Minh Tuyet will come out first, and we'll play a video of LTQ somewhen, somewhere. Then Minh Tuyet comes in, and LTQ takes over the stage. We play Tuyet's video. How does it sound?"
"GREAT!" They agreed, and Minh Tuyet added, "Can we do the same thing for the recording? I mean... we can record at different times and the musical director can put it together."
"I hate to say this but I like that idea." LTQ said.
Bang Kieu: "Do what you want. I want the song recorded in two days. The other things we have to do now are to get you two to film your little MTV and getting ready for an interview afterwards. Marie said that because of the enormous number of requests, there will be an interview."
"Really?" They asked in unison and glared at each other. WILL YOU STOP?--They wanted to say.
Bang Kieu: "HOWEVER, we can always cancel it if there were too much trouble."
LTQ & Minh Tuyet: "NO!"
Bang Kieu: "Get on with it then. Ky Duyen will be doing the interview. I don't want to give Nguyen Ngoc Ngan a heart attack. So if you want to know the questions and start practicing, she's the one."
LTQ & MT: "Alright."
Again, they stared at each other in disbelief and annoyance.


(Nhu Loan)
With the bad rehearsals, Nhu Loan thought that their performance would be worst. But she had heard of some last minute changes involved with video clips so she can breathe again. Ky Duyen came out and introduced the next performance with a little nervous look. As the cheering died down, the music kicked up and Luong Tung Quang stepped out. The music director was sweating backstage hoping he knew the lines to the song. Nhu Loan watched on screen as Luong Tung Quang opened his mouth. He sang every line perfectly. She can hear the music director sighed in relief. The rest of the performance went smoothly with the video clips matching with the singers. Everything is going well, Nhu Loan thought to herself long before the performance was ending. The two came out hand in hand and bowed to the audiences. It was the first time they actually got along for once.
Ky Duyen came out onstage to interview them. She had a nervous laugh as she invited them to the podium.

Ky Duyen: “Let's start with LTQ. Quang, I believe this is your first time duet with a professional singer--especially one like Minh Tuyet. How does it feel?”
Luong Tung Quang: “It was wonderful. She's a very creative person who came up with wacky ideas at times but we managed to get along. It was all worth it.”
Ky Duyen: “What about you, Minh Tuyet? Since this is Thuy Nga’s first Talent Show ever, what was it like to interact with a contestant like LTQ?”
Minh Tuyet (pulling the microphone down): “They're inexperience and some are really stubborn but it's actually kinda cute that way. Something new and fun, you know.”
Ky Duyen: “What are the difficulties you guys encountered during the rehearsals and such?”

Since the question wasn’t directed to either of the two, and they were to lazy to practice the answers with Ky Duyen, Minh Tuyet and LTQ both went for the microphone. He was about to pull it up so that it would be easier for him to speak but Minh Tuyet caught it and held it in place.

"Um...” They both said into the microphone at the same time and no one understood what it was they were saying. Trying to act casual, they were actually fighting over the microphone. Their grips tightened, and it broke. No one foresaw it coming and the two singers both let it drop on the floor. They both reached down to get it and bumped into each other. Minh Tuyet had really ran out of patience and murmured,

"Look at what you did!"
"Me? It's not my fault you are short!"
"Oh so now you have something against short people?"
"No, only people like you!"
"(a dramatic gasp) Oh well you know what I think of you?"

And the next few words that came out of her mouth were words that a parent never wished their children would hear. The children in the front row smiled as parents tried to cover their ears. But it was too late. The words are forever burned into their heads. Minh Tuyet suddenly realized her mistake, and she forced a smile to the silent audience. Suddenly a little girl's voice was heard "Mommy, what's a *****?" An old lady gasped, reaching for her inhaler and taking multiple puffs. Besides the incident, everyone cheered for the couple, they thought they represent what real couples are supposed to be like, not perfect ones you see on screen.

Despite the loud applause, everyone backstage was still mad at them, including Nhu Loan. She couldn't believe how they got away with that incident. Just then one contestant had an idea of pulling a prank on them in order to teach them a lesson. Many agreed, especially David Meng, since he thought Luong Tung Quang was competition. Nhu Loan thought it'll be fun, and just to go with the crowd, she turned to them and said "count me in."

Rowdy Rehearsal

Marie To was standing in the middle of stage. According to her schedule, Minh Tuyet and LTQ were supposed to be at rehearsals now. She put her hands on her hips while taping her feet. She finally lost her patience,
"WHERE IS MINH TUYET AND LUONG TUNG QUANG?"
Like magic, they rolled out from the side of the stage, still wrestling each other in front of her.
Marie was speechless. She jumped in with several other people who were standing around, trying to break up the fight. Both were still fighting--punching the air--even when they were split up. Marie went to LTQ and yelled,
"What did I tell you? Did you lose your mind?" He seemed to ignore her and went on to stick out his tongue at Minh Tuyet. She shook her head and went over to Minh Tuyet. "Tuyet, you're a famous celebrity, act like one!"
LTQ jumped in, "I KNOW!"
Marie: "Well, you're a man and you're not acting like one! What kind of guy fights with a girl?"
Minh Tuyet: "The ones that are too weak to fight with a real man!"
LTQ: "Are you calling me gay?"
Minh Tuyet: "Duh! Are you deaf?"
LTQ: "Ahh! You see Marie? You see how evil she is!"
MarieL: "Both of you stop it! You are wasting my time with your bickering. Now I'm not in the mood to yell at you guys so let's just pretend that this whole thing didn't happen and let's start the rehearsals!"
Minh Tuyet and Luong Tung Quang glared at each other before taking their positions. Marie interrupted once more, "Wait...what are you two wearing? I thought you guys were going to perform Tinh Du Tram Loi?"
MT: "The idiot probably didn't even know the song. He thought it was hip hop and upbeat!"
Marie: "But how…” She suddenly understood. "Don't tell me you can't read music."
LTQ: "Uh....I-I-I never was trained in reading music"
Marie dropped her jaws open and her facial expression turned deadly serious.
LTQ: What?
MT: Ms. To, this is so unfair to the other contestants. ..Why don't we just make it easy for you and the audience and disqualify him?
LTQ: "OVER MY DEAD BODY!"
Marie To: "No one is going to die when I'm in charge!"
Marie To: "Now get back in your positions and I'll tell Calvin to make something for you two"
LTQ: Can I say something?
Marie & MT: No!
Marie: Get the music ready!
The music quickly started. Minh Tuyet, immediately, without much difficulty, got her mind into the music, whereas her singing partner stood still awkwardly, not knowing what to do. It was supposed to be he who sings the first line of the song but the background music went on without any sound coming from LTQ. Minh Tuyet turned around and shot an angry look at him. He turned his head away to avoid that look but was caught with even a worse one, coming from Marie.
LTQ: What? You know I don't know the song.
Marie had her mouth opened wide and was about to scream at him but managed to stop herself. No, she had to be better than those typical bosses who scream whenever people messed things up. She knew better than that. “Who here thinks they can help LTQ with his music?”
No one volunteered.
Great, LTQ thought.
Disappointed with the reactions she got, Marie said demandingly, “Tuyet, you’re helping him with it. One word from you two and…” She paused to think about what it is that she’s saying. What can she do, really? Kick them out of the show? Right! If Minh Tuyet’s gone, so is Bang Kieu, and so is half of their audiences. She could let LTQ go but that’ll surely upset him—then he’ll say something to the press. Letting him in this show was already trouble. Scandals and a trip to the front page are the least things Marie will need now. “Never mind, get the musical director here.”


It didn’t take long for LTQ to learn the song—he’s been doing the same thing for the pass 3 years! Now they are finally going to put up an acceptable performance, or at least that’s what Marie’s hoping for. She felt proud that now both Minh Tuyet and LTQ are being serious in getting the job done. They went through the song pretty well, even better than she had expected. It seems like even they themselves were surprised at how perfectly their voice matched. Their misunderstandings are finally resolved, Marie thought.
But—there’s always a ‘but’—just then, right after that moment, LTQ had accidentally stepped on Minh Tuyet’s gown, causing her to fall to the ground. He quickly came to her side and helped her up, but was met with a slap the instant he was within her reach. Her other hand was still holding on to her nose, which was dripping blood.
“WHAT?! I was trying to help…” He didn’t have time to finish before another slap came down upon him. Then she just started hitting him non-stopping. He defended himself by catching her arm and held it in one place. Looking into her eyes, he said,
“I’m so…”
But he forgot that Minh Tuyet could still use her legs—and she was wearing those pointed, high-heel shoes. She kicked him and the next thing she knew, he was laying on the floor crying out loud.
“HOW DARE YOU?”
MT: "That's so you'll know not to mess with me!"
They were too busy fighting that neither notice that Marie had fainted long ago—she cannot handle seeing the blood—until Bang Kieu arrived and screamed on the top of his lungs for them to shut up and get some help for Marie.

Music and fashion

(Luong Tung Quang)
LTQ, having just received the news that Marie wants to meet him, is now walking toward her office. He wondered what it could be. Hopefully not some lectures she have for his last-minute performance--not that he could care less, since he had already made it to the finals.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in,"
He slowly opened the door and was surprised to find not only Marie To inside but also Minh Tuyet.
"Please have a seat,” Marie said, pointing to the empty chair besides Minh Tuyet. "Let's get to the point,"
You always do. LTQ thought.
Marie continued, "I want you two to duet in the upcoming Paris by Night. Any objections?"
LTQ looked at Minh Tuyet before making his reply and found her looking at him. They quickly turned away, feeling awkward.
She's pretty...and famous! Why say no? He thought.
"No." They replied in unison.
"Great. I can see you two getting along already." Marie said, without knowing that she was deadly wrong. "Let's move on... song selection. Here are the new songs to choose from. I want things to be fresh and new this time."
LTQ and Minh Tuyet reached for the folder at the same time. They quickly let go of the folder and it dropped on the floor. Once again, they both went to pick it up which resulted in bumping into each others' head.
"Ow"
"I'm sorry." Minh Tuyet said.
"My hair's messed up." He replied annoyingly, tired of having someone doing the exact same thing he's doing for several times in a row.
"I said I'm sorry."
"God...just when I ran out of gel."
"I'm sorry?"
"I don't even know if they sell my type of gel around here..."
"I SAID I'M SORRY!" Minh Tuyet ran out of patience.
"Geez, I hear you."
"Okie, you two! Break it up!" Marie interrupted and they grew quite.
"I want a ballad." Minh Tuyet said demandingly. LTQ was surprised at how fast the girl can get back on topic.
"I want something upbeat." He replied. Truth is, he didn't really want an upbeat song. It's just that he's tired of love ballads and the way she demanded it--not suggest it--caused him to go against her.
"Upbeat songs take more time to prepare and we only have a week. A ballad song is a better way to show the judges what your voice's really made of."
"Nowadays the voice's not all that matters for a singer"
Marie felt like a ping pong ball being bounced back and forth between the two. "STOP! You two are giving me a headache. I say we flip a coin. If it's head, it's a ballad. Tail, it's an upbeat song."
The outcome was head. Minh Tuyet smiled happily over her victory. To LTQ, it was very childish but if the outcome was tail, he'd probably do the same thing anyway.
"How about Ngay Mai Mua Thoi Roi?" Minh Tuyet suggested as she was looking through the new songs.
LTQ leaned over to look at the music and tried his best to make out the melodies but couldn’t. He should’ve taken music classes when given the chance. He felt like such an idiot. What can he say now? His instincts told him that the song must be just another cheesy mushy slow love song.
“Let me see the book,” he finally managed to say. LTQ pretended to read the music and then randomly chose a song. He just hoped that it wasn’t too slow or boring.
“Tinh Du Tram Loi”
“Wha…” Minh Tuyet stopped herself before finishing the sentence and continued. She simply smiled, “Alright then. Let’s go with his choice.”
“Okay. I’ll make a copy for each of you and I’ll bother you two no more…” Marie paused and murmured, “or vice versa.”
She went to the copy machine sitting at the corner of the room and made two copies of the music then handed it to them. “Minh Tuyet, you have more experience in things like this so I’m counting on you. You guys can go now.”
The two stood up together at the same time. LTQ tried to walk quickly to the door to avoid arriving there at the same time with Minh Tuyet but unfortunately, that was what Minh Tuyet’s thinking too so they once again bumped into each other on the way out.
“Will you stop copying me?” He said.
“You’re the one who’s copying me!”
“Quang, come here. Minh Tuyet, you can go.” Marie said, feeling like these two are students in a school and she’s their principal, trying to settle their dispute.
After Minh Tuyet left, Marie quietly said to him, “I want you to understand that Tuyet is currently the best-seller of this production. By pairing you with her, I’m giving you the advantages that other contestants does not have. Sure, the performance won’t be judged by the judges but you’ll sure catch a lot of the audiences’ attention and it’s their vote that counts more. So, there are two things I want to tell you. First, be thankful for this opportunity and use it wisely. Second, don’t displease Tuyet. She just got back on stage and I would hate to loose her again. Besides, you two gotta work more on the chemistry between you and her. Remember, you can be enemies in real life, but onstage, you’re lovers.”
LTQ felt dizzy listening to Marie’s long speech. It was all just some little fights they had and now she’s warning him not to displease her again…and all these other little things. But at least now he had learn the reason for Minh Tuyet’s actions—she’s too proud and thinks she’s all that just because she’s the best-seller and the production needs her. Still, Marie was right. If he wants to win this thing, he had to please her and make their performance work.
______________________________________________________________________________
(Minh Tuyet)
Besides music, one of Minh Tuyet's passions was fashion. Her closet is stuff full of couture clothing that she collected over the years. She was excited to see Calvin Hiep again, he always knew what she wanted and what suits her body. Today was the day both her and Luong Tung Quang was supposed to pick out what they were going to wear. She was entering his office when at the same time Luong Tung Quang was and before they knew it, they were stuck at the doorway. Calvin Hiep heard loud noises outside his office when he got there, he saw Minh Tuyet and Luong Tung Quang, side by side and stuck in the doorway, Luong Tung Quang was screaming "You and your stupid hips had to take up most of the room!" and Minh Tuyet firing back "At least I'm not a twig like you!" Calvin Hiep only shook his head after a few minutes of pushing and shoving, the two popped out and landed on the ground. Minh Tuyet pushed her singing partner to the side and got up. She straighten herself up before showering Calvin with huges and kisses, Luong Tung Quang got up and shook hands with the designer. Calvin told the two to go pick out what they like so the two ventured out to the racks while he sat down finishing his designs.

Browsing through the racks was like heaven to Minh Tuyet, each one beautiful in their own way and she wished she could have picked all them. With an armful of selections she excitedly hurry to her partner to see what he chose but when she she saw what he had, not only did they did not match with what she had. She imagined "Tinh Du Tram Loi" to be romantic but what he had looked like he was auditioning for a hip hop video.

"What the hell is this? They don't match with mine!"
"Exactly, that's why you go back and pick ones that do!"
"Why not you?(peering into her pile)"
"Heck no!"
"Well me either!"
"Urban trash!"
"Fashion whore!"

Luong Tung Quang turned around to head to Calvin, Minh Tuyet was boiling in anger. She took out her shoe and threw it at his head. He paused for a second before turning around:

"So, is that how you want to play huh?(he dropped his clothes to the side) "
"Don't let this dress fool you! I will fight back!"

The two ran into each other and started attacking one another, they fall to the ground knocking down the racks of expensive clothes, rolling around wrestling each other. Calvin Hiep rushed in to see what the ruckus was about and he was horrified to see what's happening to his beautiful creations, Minh Tuyet wrapped around a pair of pants around Luong Tung Quang's neck attempting to strangle him and he had a thin mini dress balled up and trying to gag her with it. Calvin looked at what they were doing to his clothes and he couldn't bare to take it anymore, he fainted with a loud thud. The two continued on their fight rolling around passing Calvin Hiep's lifeless body and out the door.

What a Feeling

Anyone who works for Marie To knows that she never backs out on her word, if she makes up her mind, it's final. This time Bang Kieu have taken up the challenge to change that by refused to performed the opening of their talent show without Minh Tuyet by his side. It's too late for her to change singers since most of them are already booked for other shows. Bang Kieu's demands were simple: he only wanted Minh Tuyet to sing with him and everything else is fair game. Seeing that the clock was ticking and she can't afford to make last minute changes, she grabbed the phone and dialed Minh Tuyet's number which Bang Kieu conveniently provided for her. She sat there tapping impatiently until she heard Minh Tuyet's voice. Marie wasted no time, telling her that she needed Minh Tuyet to perform a long with Bang Kieu for the upcoming Paris By Night show. There was a long pause after Marie finished. She knew it was useless sucking up to her and was ready to kick herself for taking that chance but Minh Tuyet said yes after much consideration. Marie To was so happy that she thanked her and told her to report to the rehearsals quickly. Although Minh Tuyet was placed at the last minute, Marie was confident that she can do it.

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(Luong Tung Quang)
LTQ, once again, was standing in front of Marie's house. He won't come back to the place he was 3 years ago—a nobody—just because of one stupid little mistake. No way. This time, however, there was no need to ring the bell since Marie was just coming out of the house. She noticed him and asked annoyingly, "What do you want?"
"I was wondering if you can give me another try….”
"As if your voice will change my mind. Right." She walked on, in the direction of her car. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to leave now."
"Ms. To…" She slammed the door close in his face, which is burning red with anger.
As the car was about to move, he ran right in front of it, making Marie stop suddenly.
"Are you crazy?" She yelled. "Move aside!"
"Not until you give me my chance..."
Marie sighed. “Fine with me then…” She said and backed her car toward the other driveway and onto the main street. She was a good driver. The only thing LTQ could do was to run after the car by foot. Lucky for him, it wasn't very far away and the streets were crowded with cars. Just when he thought he could follow her no more, the car stopped—right in front of Franklin’s Theatre. He stopped to catch his breathe and apparently, Marie thought she had lost him. She showed a smile and walked inside. LTQ followed, keeping his distance.
Inside the theatre it was dark and there were many people. It was clear that they’re putting up a show. He was suddenly stopped by a security guard.
“You! Where’s your nametag?”
He knew he was in trouble. “Um...”
“Sir, I’m going to ask you to leave.”
“What’s the big deal? I forgot it!”
The guard made no reply but simply pulled him by his jacket and walked toward the exit.
“Let me go!” LTQ said but the guard didn’t seem to care. He kept on walking.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Said a familiar voice. The two men looked up to see that it was Bang Kieu.
“You’re that judge!”
“Oh it’s you.” Bang Kieu exclaimed as he finally remembered. He turned to the guard, “You can let him go.”
“Thank you.” LTQ said, straightening his clothes.
“Marie said no again?” The guy was reading his mind.
“Yea.”
“Come,” Bang Kieu said and gestured for him to follow. They walked down to where Marie was sitting along with her crews.
“Hey Marie, I found your 14th contestant.”
“It’s Ms. To.” She said, turning around to see who it was. Disappointment filled her face and she let out a sigh. “Next time I see you I’ll report to the police”
“C’mon, Marie…I mean, Ms. To. You’ve been complaining all days about how we’ve only got 13 contestants and that it was a bad number. At least you can let him have a try.”
“Kieu, just yesterday it was Minh Tuyet. Now it’s him. How many people will you keep on bringing to this show?”
“I promise he’s the last.”
Marie thought for several minutes then sighed again—she loved to sigh. Bang Kieu is the only person on earth that can talk her into things like this. The only reason she would listen to him now is because of their once-upon-a-time-friendship and the number 13. “Alright. I’ll call out the judges and if we all agree on it, he’ll be the additional “Producer’s Choice”
LTQ could not believe his luck. The audition went well.

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(Nhu Loan)
Nhu Loan hurried over to the final rehearsals; she was late again for the fifth time in a row. She had spent all night with her boyfriend and didn't get to sleep until 2 A.M. in the morning. Of course Marie wouldn't be pleased to hear that. She woke up around noontime thinking she can catch some more zzz's after a few minutes of wandering around her apartment. She came to realized that she was late to rehearsals. She rushed to the shower and got out still dripping wet, she quickly tried to dry herself while getting dressed and raced out the door. She pulled the roof of her car down so that the wind would dry her hair faster. When she got to the venue, everybody was already and had started without her. She gave a weak smile as she passed the row of angry faces to Marie, who was shaking her head.

That night...

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(Bang Kieu)
Bang Kieu was sitting among the many singers and contestants in the backstage area. LTQ was still trying to memorize his lyrics and practicing in front of the mirror. It was, obviously, unfair for him because he only had less than a day to practice whereas the other contestants had a week since the audition. “Well, it was the price he had to pay,” Marie said to him, “it would only be more interesting for the audience if he messes up. Something to talk about.”
Nhu Loan was once again late and was still putting on her make-up. She was late and the talk Marie had for her slowed things down even more. It seemed like Marie could tolerate Nhu Loan no more, which is a very bad news.
Bang Kieu looked at his watch. Where is Minh Tuyet, he wondered. The audiences are coming in already. He decided to call her.
“Hey, where are you?”
“Right here” And just then, someone taped on his shoulder. He turned around, and there stood Minh Tuyet, smiling sheepishly.

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(Minh Tuyet)
Minh Tuyet was nervous, she stood there at the side of the stage while the crew were doing last minute touch ups. The contestants were standing in one line, all of them sweating and shaking like crazy and talking about exciting yet nerve raking it is. She can understand because she is experiencing it at the moment. She look across the stage and she saw Bang Kieu getting re-touched as well, he looked up and gave her one of his adorable smiles, he's such a cutie.
"Minh Tuyet! One minute till curtain call! Please get in your position!"
She walked up the stairs and stood on her mark, a crew member was counting down, every count made her heart beat faster and faster, she can hear the crowd outside, although she can see them, she can feel their anticipation, suddenly the crew shouted "Go!" and she felt herself forced on to stage, hearing the music playing and when she stepped out, she can hear thousands of screaming fans and realized how much she had missed the stage and with a very dear friend by her side. What a feeling it is.

What a feeling.mp3

Infamous

Juicy magazine never failed to bring their viewers the best celebrity gossips—for 10 years they have documented every celebrity in town, from their rise to their fall and they never left out the details. Although the pictures are authentic, some of the stories are cooked by their team of talented reporters. Like when singer The Son was photographed with another women (who was actually his agent) and with the right photo along with the headline reading "Is he cheating on his wife?" the magazine sold millions. A big gain for them but a loss for him since his wife filed for divorce and many of his fans abandoned him. Juicy magazine doesn't care about the damages they cause, they only care about the instant profits they make from it. Lately their main focus has been on the newest pop singer Nhu Loan. Her wild antics and private life has left them laughing to the bank. With their photographers constantly hiding out at her apartment and following her around, every image can be a story.
New photographs arrived at the editor's desk. He pulled them out and took a look at them.
"Perfect," he exclaimed, "Run it for tomorrow's issue, he marked a letter X on the corner of the photo he has chosen and hand it to a worker.

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(Nhu Loan)
It was almost noon and yet Nhu Loan is still in bed. She was so exhausted from last night, when she had to meet her tour crew to discuss her tour and they ended up spending the entire night just brainstorming ideas. The sun has finally come out and it peaked through her curtains aiming straight to her eyes. Feeling bothered by it, she tossed and turned to avoid the glare but it seemed to follow wherever she went. Giving up, she sat up and growled, then jumped off her bed. She headed to the shower, got dressed and decided to go see her friends.
She knew the paparazzi were going to be there to greet her the only thing she can see in front of her are flashing lights and it's not her life that's flashing before her eyes. She wanted to get away but blocked by them. Frustrated that they weren't giving her space to go, she took her tote bag and without even thinking, began whacking a photographer that was in front of her.
"GET THE **** OUT! OUTTA MY WAY!"
"AW! AW! OH! AW!"
"THAT'S RIGHT! TAKE THAT! AND THAT!"
"STOP! STOP! OK!"
"SHUT UP! YOU HOOLIGAN!"

Of course that was a big mistake for her because the other photographers were capturing this on film and even though she did managed to go through and get into her car, with the photographer lying on the ground rubbing his head, Nhu Loan has just voluntarily made it into the next issue of Juicy magazine.

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(Luong Tung Quang)
LTQ woke up late in the morning with a headache. He was lying on the sidewalk, his shirt unbuttoned and his jacket gone—along with the money he had inside it. At least his car was still there and the key's still inside his pants pocket.
These streets are a lot crowded at night than it is during the day. It wouldn’t be pretty if a fan saw him like this. But apparently, the sight of a drunken man lying on the ground is no big deal to the people around here. They just walked past him, not even noticing that he was there.
His phone rang. It was his agent.
“Quang! Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you for the last 3 hours! Are you at Franklin Theatre?"
“Heck, no! I’m…”
“I’m not taking a “no” for an answer. I don’t care if you’re bleeding or on fire, get your butt over there!”
“I don’t like the C.E.O. of that company. Besides, I’m in no mood to perform.”
“Well, then go over there and ask if you can come back some other day for the audition. I’ve got your paperwork ready. DO SOMETHING! I’m telling you, a lot of good singers are trying out. This production really knows how to promote people. If someone else get the spot, your career might as well be flushed down the toilet…”
There was a long pause before LTQ replied, “Okay, okay…I’ll come over there.”
He sighed and hung up. She was right. This could be one of his last chances, and he loved his career too much to let it go now, even though now may not be the best time to go to an audition.
He buttoned up his shirt and raced back to the apartment to change, trying not to think of what happened last night.

----------------------------
(Bang Kieu)
Bang Kieu was the first one to arrive at Franklin’s Theatre. He was always one of the first to go to work. He put down his coffee and newspaper on the table where the judges were to sit at and gazed at the stage for a moment before sitting down, thinking about how most of his life was tied into this place. It was where his first performance ever was held, when he was 5, and it was also when he got his first ever contract with a major production, which was Thuy Nga. Since then, he had never sung for any other productions and had not plan to do so in the future.
Bang Kieu decided to put his past behind and focus onto the present by taking a look at today’s newspaper. Across the front page was the bold-printed letters “KIM GONE WILD! AGAIN!”, and right below was a picture of her—Kimberly, the queen of all bad publicities which made her known throughout Mason City—making out with an Asian boy in a nightclub.
Bang Kieu only shook his head in sadness and wondered just how far people like Kim can go just to steal the spotlight.

Corrupted

Episode 3:

(Luong Tung Quang)
LTQ stood in front of an elegant white mansion. He checked the address again just to make sure he was at the right place.
Last night, LTQ received a phone call from his agent. She said Thuy Nga had just changed C.E.O. and there are rumors that they're looking for new singers to improve their line-up. The company pays big cash and is currently one of the biggest productions on the market. The death of Mr. To, their old C.E.O., had made it to the front page of every newspaper in the area. A contract with Thuy Nga at the time meant instant fame, and he was confident that he will get it—it’s obvious that they were in desperate need of good-looking, younger male singers.
LTQ knocked on the door and in less time than he had expected, an old woman, probably a maid, came to open the door.
"I came to see Ms. Marie To." He said.
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Well, no..."
"I'm afraid that you'll have to come some other time..." She was interrupted as a younger lady came out of the door. LTQ recognized she was who he's looking for, the new Thuy Nga's C.E.O.
"We have an audition for singers tomorrow at the Franklin's Theatre." Marie said with a voice of authority.
"You don't understand..." LTQ said with a smile, thinking she had mistaken him with some other struggling singers on the street, but he never got to finish his sentence when Marie cut in,
"Yes I do. I've seen you on DVDs. I've heard you on CDs. And so far I'm not impressed. I hope you'll do better at the audition...after all, I haven't heard you singing live."
LTQ was startled at the words. He was so certain he would get the contract by just showing up here. It was disappointing and humiliating.
"Good day, Ms. To.” He said coldly after several minutes standing in silence and left.

LTQ climbed into his car and tried his best not to step hard on the gas. One ticket was enough especially when you’re jobless and living in a high-class apartment. He just drove on, not knowing where he was going. He cursed Ms. To, then himself. He couldn’t decide whether or not he would come to that audition. “If I get rejected… No, I won’t...” he couldn’t bare that thought. The flashbacks of his family and friends discouraging him from pursuing this career kept crawling back onto his mind. “I told you so!” they would say. Can Thuy Nga pick some amateurs over him? Probably.

After hours of driving and thinking, LTQ found himself in front of a nightclub. It had just opened and people were pouring in. Impulsively, he parked his car and stepped inside. He was used to the flashing lights and blasting music, but Mason City’s people is a lot wilder and dirtier than he thought. In an instant, a blond girl—certainly not the kind you’d bring home to your mama—approached him with a smirk and spoke into his ears, “Care to join?”

He only had time to smile his crooked smile before the girl pulled him into the dancing crowd who lost themselves to the music, and probably drugs. Definitely drugs. They found their way to a table with two empty seats. With so much people inside, you’d thought it’d take forever for someone to come and ask what you want to eat or drink, but it was only a few seconds before a tall white guy came to their table with menus in his arms.

“No need for that.” The girl said and turned to LTQ, “You’re new here. I know what to order.”

He wondered how she knew he was new at the town but asked no question. Wanting to play it cool, he slightly nodded his head and sat back. The girl said something to the white guy that was inaudible for LTQ. He left and came back within minutes, carrying some none-colored drinks with him. LTQ didn’t drink, so he had no idea what it was, not even when he sipped his first taste of it. He didn’t like it so much but at least it warmed him up. It was as if you could literally feel the burning liquid running through your body. The girl looked at him and seemed to be smiling through her eyes. She picked up her drink and finished it with one gulp. Not wanting to loose his reputation to a girl, LTQ tried to finish the rest of the glass. He felt dizzy right after that, but was floating in a dreamlike state in the next minute. Looking down at the empty glass, LTQ managed to make out some white stuff inside that he hadn’t notice before. But he couldn’t control himself after that. The last thing he could remember was the blond girl leaning over him and kissed him on the lips, then some white flashes in front of his eyes that not even the girl seemed to notice.

---------------------

(Minh Tuyet)
Minh Tuyet was an emotional wreck when she got home, there was a little note left at the kitchen table. It was from her crew stating that they had quit for personal reasons but she knew they left because they were afraid that she wouldn't pay them since she got fired. "I'm not fired, it's just Marie hasn't renewed my contract that's all, think of this as a break" she told herself. She was lying to herself and she knew it was the end. She wrote non-stop in her diary, pouring out her heart and emotions on paper. Tears streamed down her face as she wrote words of hate, sadness, humiliation. When she was too numb from the pain, she buried herself into her arms, papers strewn all over the floor while she wept.

----------------------------

(Nhu Loan)

Nhu Loan wanted to continue being angry at her new boss but she couldn't when her stomach growled like crazy. She tried to ignore it but it's loud enough to have its own album. Rolling her eyes, she turned around the corner to a nearby fast food restaurant. There she ordered a value meal which included the burger, large fries and a large drink. She wanted to eat in but she didn't want to draw any attention nor meet fans. She was just not in the mood and wanted to be left alone. After she got her food, Nhu Loan decided to just drive into an alley where no one could find her. Frantically opening the bag and pulling out its contents, she jammed a handful of fries into her mouth and the hallelujah was playing through her head. She unwrapped the burger while chewing her fries; and ate like she hadn't eaten in days. Little did she know that someone had followed her into the alley. Using a long telephoto lens he was able to capture Nhu Loan pigging out from afar. "Perfect! This will be front page news tomorrow!" he exclaimed as he clicked a few more shots before leaving.

The beginning

Mason City has much in common with its people--it's not what it seems to be. It is high-class, luxurious, wealthy and well-known but is also the place where your business is everyone else's business, thanks to the paparazzi. People who had never live in Mason City wanted to come there, whereas people who had live in it wanted to get out, for they are the only ones who know what it's really like living there. However, in most cases, coming in is a lot easier than leaving. It was on that same day when three strangers, who knew nothing of each other, arrived in Mason City.

----------------------------
(Minh Tuyet)
Minh Tuyet stood there waiting for her boy friend. It had been an hour since he told her he was coming. She stood there freezing in front of the hotel parking lot. Her people were piling bags into the limo. The manager came up to her,
"I'm sorry Tuyet, I don't think he is coming"
She nodded her head in sadness and tried not to cry in front of him.
"Are you going to be okay?" He asked and looked at her, knowing she had suffered another heartbreak.
Minh Tuyet took a deep breath and held her chin up, “It’s okay. I'm used to it."
He took another look at her before joining with the rest of the crew. A tear run down her face—once again she had another unsuccessful relationship. She wiped her tears and headed to the car; looking back, she was hoping he would come but there was no sign of anyone around. She decided she that didn't need him, that she can move on and begin a new life. As the limo pulled up in front of the condo, the driver got out of the vehicle. He straightened himself up before opening the car door. A pair of Jimmy Choos stepped out of the car.
"Welcome to your new home, Miss."
She smiled. It was exciting for her to move in to a new town. She carried her Louis Vuitton bags inside, her entourage followed behind. The limo drove away in to the parking lot and while the rest of the crew chatted away, Minh Tuyet felt alone in the group.

----------------------------
(Luong Tung Quang)
LTQ was driving down the highway in his convertible at the speed of 90 mph, which is 20 mph faster than the limit speed. After a big fight he had with his boss a week earlier over why they wouldn’t let him perform in their first-ever live show, LTQ had decided to quit and look for another production where people would make use more of his voice and less of his look. It wasn’t the first time people said he couldn’t sing live well but the way his boss said it made him mad. It irritated him ever since. He was getting tired of hearing people compliment about how cute and fine-looking he was. 3 years of singing…did my music even exist? At the thought of that, he drove the car even faster. It wasn’t long after that when a police made him pulled over.
“Driver license, please?” The policeman politely asked.
LTQ took it out and gave it to him, not wanting to get into anymore trouble. “Sir,” he asked, “How can I get to Mason City from here?”
“Why did you even drive so fast when you had no idea where you’re going?”
He replied with a shrug.
The policeman eyed him strangely, gave him his ticket and told him the directions.
“Thank you.”
“No problem”
It took LTQ an hour to reach the city and another fifteen minutes to find his apartment. Just like he had expected, it looked better than the place where he used to live. Across the street, there was a really nice-looking mansion with a pool and a tennis court; inside its parking lot was a black limo. He gazed at it for some time and wondered who live there but soon turned his attention onto something else when a taxi stopped nearby and out came a beautiful young lady. Judging from the way she dressed, she was probably some kind of celebrity. He smiled his crooked, flirtatious smile and opened the door for her. Her only response was a smile and a softly whispered "Thank you."
Rich neighbors and pretty girls, this place is off the hook, he thought with excitement as they stepped into the building.

----------------------------
(Nhu Loan)
The airplane has just landed when passengers scurried out to the baggage claim area. Todd rush to get his baggage first. He watched as bags and suitcases go past him. He was growing impatient; suddenly he saw his bag and reached to grab it. At the same time a female's hand grabbed one of the handles. He was pissed.
"Um...excuse me Miss. That’s my bag!"
She looked up; her huge sunglasses masked the shocked look in her eyes. She looked down at the tag, seeing that it was clearly not hers.
"I'm so sorry; it's hard when people have similar bags."
Todd said it was okay without looking at her, he was looking at her expensive shoes and her stylish trench coat—she was obviously wealthy with great taste. She reached down to grab her bag.
"Finally, I found mine!" She exclaimed.
He took a look at the tag which read "Nhu Loan." And then it hit him! She was the famous singer Nhu Loan. He changed completely from being an ordinary guy to a huge fanatic and screamed,
"Oh My God! You are Nhu Loan! OH MY GOD EVERYBODY IT'S NHU LOAN!"
She began to run as paparazzi rushed out of nowhere to snap pictures of her. Fans and reporters crowded around her and she felt as if she was trapped in a box. The only things she can see in front of her are microphones and autograph books shoving at her face. Airport security and police rushed to break up the crowd and escorted her out. After going through paperwork and baggage check, she safely got into a taxi. The driver took a double take in his rear view mirror; he tried to stay calm, however he couldn't help but get excited that a famous person was in his cab. Their conversation was very pleasant on the way into the city, which brought her spirits up. The taxi parked in front of the apartment building, a car was just entering in and a young man came out. Nhu Loan paid the driver along with a generous tip. She was about to open the door when someone beat her to it, she got out to find it was a handsome man. He gave her an awkward cute smile. Nhu Loan smiled back, she wanted to say "Sorry, you're cute but I'm taken" but the only words came out was "Thank You," and she entered into the building.

Made in Mason City trailer

First look at our fanfic

A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is the introduction to our main characters in the fanfic.