Choosing America's Next Superstar

by Jeff Erno

  “There are always rumors that Dylan Seagraves is gay.”

  “Oh, he totally is,” Sam stated, matter of fact. “And maybe Reuben. I’ve heard that rumor too.”

  Corey made a face. “Ew, I wouldn’t wanna think about that possibility.”

  She laughed again. “Not your type, huh?”

  “I don’t know. He’s just so unattractive to me. I think the fact that he’s so mean to everyone just makes him seem ugly.”

  “I kind of like him,” Sam admitted. “I know he sounds mean, but he gives very blunt, honest advice.”

  “You think so? I think he’s half-cocked most of the time. Some of his so-called advice is just meanness. I could see if he offered genuine criticism, something constructive. But what Reuben does is belittle people. He rips them to shreds and tries humiliating them.”

  “How was he during your audition?”

  “He rolled his eyes a couple times, but overall he wasn’t too mean. He voted me through.”

  “Wow,” she said. “I wish I could say that. He voted against me, but the other three liked me.”

  “All that matters is you got through,” Corey said, smiling. “And now we all start with a clean slate.”

  The captain made the announcement that they were preparing to land, and the seat belt lights came on. “Oh, wow, I can’t believe we’re here already,” Corey said.

  “Look out, New York, here we come!”

  FORTUNATELY, Jimmy was not the only America’s Next Superstar contestant on the flight from Louisville to New York City. He’d never been to a big city like New York. He found Louisville and Detroit to be challenging enough. When the plane landed and he stepped into the terminal, he just followed along, trailing behind the excited group of fellow contestants as they made their way to the baggage claim area.

  He’d never seen such diversity. Thousands of people surrounded him, all different ethnicities, speaking different languages. It seemed odd that so many people shared the same space at the exact same moment and yet didn’t even notice one another. Where Jimmy came from, people greeted each other. Being friendly toward strangers was just the proper thing to do. Jimmy had been raised to be mannerly, to always demonstrate hospitality. Those values appeared nonexistent in this city. Everyone just hurried about, pushing and shoving their way to the head of the line. After a mere twenty minutes in JFK airport, Jimmy was already beginning to feel homesick.

  At the baggage claim, he spotted the sign for Superstar. Relieved that he’d made it that far, he just had to retrieve his two pieces of luggage and guitar from the conveyer and check in with the company representative. As he tried edging closer to the revolving belt, others crowded around him, pushing him back. “Excuse me,” he said politely. “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am, pardon me.” Ten seconds later: “No please, after you… go ahead.” This continued for the next five minutes until Jimmy realized he was not one inch closer to the luggage than when he’d started. Finally he opted for a slightly less polite approach and pushed his way through the crowd.

  He spotted one of his bags on the other side of the belt. He just had to wait for it to make its way around to him. As he stood there, a heavyset traveler reached in front of him, grabbed a large suitcase off the conveyer, and whipped it off the belt. The bag flew into Jimmy’s midsection, and he gasped, stumbling backward. The force of the blow took him by surprise, and he flailed his arms as his feet slid out from under him. Suddenly he was flat on his behind amidst a sea of impatient airline passengers who were anything but sympathetic of his fall. “Move it, asshole!” someone shouted. “Hey, you fucking klutz!”

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Jimmy tried desperately to gain some footing and right himself, but with so many people pressed against him, it appeared he was about to be trampled. Out of nowhere, a hand reached down, and he grabbed hold of it appreciatively. As he rose to his feet, his mouth dropped open when all of a sudden he was face to face with the one person he’d hoped to never see again.

  “Jimmy, you all right?” Corey said.

  “Thanks,” he said, pulling his hand away. For a few seconds, they stared into each other’s eyes, then Jimmy turned away. By that time, his bag had come around, and he reached down to grab it. Fortunately his other suitcase and guitar case were right behind it. Once he had his luggage, he pushed his way back through the crowd.

  “Dude.” He heard Corey’s voice behind him. “You all right?”

  Jimmy spun around. “I’m fine. Thanks for the help.” He turned to head toward the Superstar sign.

  “Wait,” Corey said. “Please….”

  Heaving an exasperated sigh, Jimmy spun around once more. “Look, man, I don’t really wanna talk to you.”

  “I know,” Corey said quickly, “and I don’t blame you. I feel so bad….”

  “You should feel bad. My brother almost died.”

  “How is he? Is he doing better now?”

  Jimmy couldn’t believe the audacity of this kid. Did he actually think Jimmy was going to tell him anything about himself or his family ever again? “Not to be rude or anything, but you oughta mind your own business.”

  “I’m sorry, really I am. I had no idea my friend Megan would do that.”

  “But you went along with it. You didn’t stop her.”

  “I know.” Corey was hanging his head shamefully. He looked up, making eye contact with Jimmy again. “It was an awful thing for me to do, and after I got in there I told them the truth.”

  “The judges?” Jimmy asked. He found this hard to believe.

  “No, the judges didn’t even ask anything about it. I’m so glad you made it through your audition. I was worried I’d never see you again. I was afraid I’d never be able to tell you how sorry—”

  “Look, man, you said you were sorry. You’ve got a clean conscience, so can you just leave me alone now?”

  Jimmy turned around and headed briskly across the room to register for his shuttle.

  “WHO was that guy?” Sam asked him. They were on the shuttle on the way to the hotel.

  “Look! It’s the Statue of Liberty,” Corey said. “I hope we get a chance to see some things while we’re here.”

  “Yeah, I forgot… this is all new to you. But anyway, that guy who fell back at the airport.”

  Corey sighed, still staring out the window. “Some kid I met during auditions. His brother has a heart condition and had to have like six surgeries. He’s from Kentucky.”

  “He’s cute as fuck,” she said.

  “He hates my guts.” Corey turned to her, cocking his head to the side.

  “Oh, I doubt that, judging by the way he looked at you.”

  “He looked at me like he wanted to kill me, and I don’t blame him.”

  “What do ya mean?”

  “It’s a long story, but things didn’t go too well when we met in Detroit. I was hoping I’d see him here so I could apologize to him. I’m just glad he made it through.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation, it didn’t seem to me that he hated you. I couldn’t hear what he said to you, but he looked surprised to see you more than anything. I’m sure you’ll have a chance to make up with him.”

  He couldn’t help smiling. “Sam, I really don’t even know the guy. We just met briefly, and like I said, he despises me. I’ve gotta stay focused on the competition. I don’t have time for that kind of drama.”

  “Or romance?” she said.

  Just then one of the other contestants on the shuttle began to sing “I’ve got a Golden Ticket,” the theme song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The shuttle bus was packed, and nearly everyone joined in, including Sam. Corey sat there grinning, thinking about Jimmy with a golden ticket. He joined in on the chorus:

  “’Cause I’ve got a golden ticket. I’ve got a golden chance to make my way, and with a golden ticket, it’s a golden day….”

  When they got to the hotel, it was pandemonium. The lobby was bustling with people, all fellow contestants pouring in from the s
huttle buses. Corey looked around at all the happy faces, realizing that it would be very soon that the numbers would begin dwindling. Within the first three days, half of the competitors would be eliminated. After that, there would be two rounds of group competition, followed by one final round of solo performances. By the end of the two-week process, there would be only twenty contestants remaining. He looked around at all the people and did the math. Only one out every twenty would survive. It was scary.

  He stood in line with Sam, waiting to register.

  “You got your paperwork?” she asked.

  “Yup,” he said confidently, pulling a file folder from the side pocket of his suitcase. He began leafing through the documents. “Indemnity waiver, nondisclosure clause, code of conduct agreement, rights to my first born….”

  She cracked up. “No shit. I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked for a blood sample.”

  “Or urine,” he said, more seriously. “They could do drug testing.”

  She guffawed. “God, I hope not. I’ll be on the next flight out. Last night I was so freaked about the competition, I smoked a big fat one.”

  “Really?” he said, laughing. “I never got into it. Weed, I mean. I don’t like the taste… or smell.”

  “Well, I could like use a good buzz right now.”

  “I know what ya mean, but we can’t even drink.”

  “Bullshit,” she said. “I read the rules. We can drink… ‘in moderation’. And believe me, I’m gonna very moderately get my ass wasted, just as soon as we’re checked in.” She winked at him.

  “Oh, that’s right. You’re older and more worldly. I’m not old enough to even be served.”

  “Well, there’s such a thing as a liquor store, ya know. I can get us a bottle….”

  “We’ll see,” he said. As much as he liked Sam, he was not about to go get drunk or stoned, especially not on his first night there. Getting through the competition was going to be challenging enough on its own without complicating things. He knew if he were lucky enough to make it through the elimination rounds, there’d be plenty of opportunity for celebration afterword.

  When they got to the head of the line, Corey turned in his paperwork and was given a packet containing the itinerary, a name badge, and a voucher for his return flight. He pulled the voucher from his packet and held it up. It looked so ominous, a bleak reminder that he was only one screw-up away from complete failure.

  After they’d registered, they had to go to the front desk to check into a room. “I wonder if we’ll be assigned roommates,” he said.

  “Let’s see if we can room together,” Sam suggested.

  “I’m sorry,” the desk clerk informed them thirty seconds later, “room assignments have already been made, and we have strict orders not to make changes.”

  “Oh, come on,” Sam pleaded. “Who’s gonna find out? There are so many people, they’ll never know.”

  “Oh, they’ll know,” the dark-skinned male clerk assured her. “All roommate assignments are same-gender. If I put a guy and a girl together, that’d cost me my job.”

  She rolled her eyes in disgust. “So I’m getting stuck with some chick I don’t even know? What’s the difference if I room with a girl or a gay guy?” Her voice was getting loud as her tone became more argumentative.

  “Sam, just chill,” Corey said. “I’m in the same situation… I’ll be with someone I don’t know….”

  “Dude, these rules make no sense. They don’t want guys and girls bunking together because of some Puritan bullshit prudishness. But you’re gay! They’re gonna put you with some other guy. The whole thing is so self-defeating. I mean, think about it. You’re far more likely to do something naughty and, God-forbid, sexual with another guy than with me!”

  “Sam, for God’s sake, will you shut up?” She was starting to piss him off. Why on earth would she think it was okay to just out him like that in front of everyone?

  “Just relax, dude,” she said. “You’re in New York now. Half the people here are gay. I bet you’re gay, right?” She turned to the desk clerk. He didn’t answer but instead raised an eyebrow.

  “Look,” he said, “all I can do is give you your room keys. Where you decide to actually sleep is up to you. Perhaps you could arrange a swap or something.”

  “Well, thanks for nothing… Raif,” she said, reading his nametag.

  “You’re more than welcome, miss,” he said with the most insincere smile Corey had ever seen. He handed them their keys, and as he did so winked at Corey. Maybe Sam’s gaydar was right again.

  JIMMY had never felt so flustered. This whole America’s Next Superstar thing was starting to seem like a really bad idea. He felt out of his element in the big city with all the huge buildings and noisy crowds. He’d never seen so many cabs. As he sat in the backseat of the shuttle bus, he stared out the window behind him, and all he could see were taxis.

  He was sitting next to a rather nerdy-looking kid with spiked hair. The guy was tall and super slender and was wearing headphones. He bobbed his head, humming along to the music. It appeared as if everyone involved with this competition was either rude or obnoxious. Or they were dishonest, like that Corey dude.

  Jimmy couldn’t believe his bad luck, running into Corey again at the airport. Well, actually, Corey had kind of saved him right when he was about to be trampled. It didn’t matter, though. That didn’t excuse what he’d done. Back in Detroit he’d pretended to be Jimmy’s friend only to use him. Jimmy wasn’t about to let that happen again.

  As he sat quietly in his seat on the bus, he took a deep breath and looked around. Why was he allowing himself to feel overwhelmed? Why was he being negative? This was the most amazing experience of his life, and he should be celebrating. He should be overjoyed right now.

  How many people actually got a chance to live their dream like this? This was no time for self-pity or depression. For all those years growing up, he’d sat in front of the TV, glued to the screen during every episode of Superstar. Now here he was a part of it!

  As soon as Jimmy got inside the hotel, he called home. “Mama, you wouldn’t believe this city. It’s so huge… and busy. And there are so many people racin’ round here like chickens with their heads off. I ain’t never seen nothing like it. … Aw, now, don’t you worry. Everything’s fine. I just wanted you to know I made it all right. And I’ll be home in about two weeks… hopefully not beforehand. … Yes, I love you too. Tell Daddy I love him… and Charlie. Listen, I gotta go. I got to put my bags in my room and meet my roommate. There’s just one meetin’ tonight for everybody, then tomorrow we start the elimination rounds. I’ll call you after I get my results.”

  Jimmy then registered and picked up his room key from the front desk. He wasn’t exactly sure what nationality that desk clerk was, but he sure was cute. Seemed like he was flirting too. Obviously he was not a true New Yorker or he wouldn’t have been so friendly.

  There was no point waiting for a bellhop. With so many guests checking into the hotel at the same time, they were all running their tails off. Besides, Jimmy just had the two pieces of luggage and his guitar. The one suitcase was a mite bit heavy, but he’d manage. It helped that they had those little wheels on the bottom.

  When he got into the elevator and pushed the button for his floor, a young lady slipped in just before the door closed. “Floor eight, please,” she said, smiling broadly.

  “You from Superstar too, ma’am?” he asked. It was kind of a dumb question. She was carrying a registration packet just like his own.

  “I am,” she said, nodding. “I’m Teri, and you are?”

  “Jimmy,” he said, holding out his hand. “Pleasure meetin’ ya. Where y’all from?”

  “LA,” she said. “And you must be from Kentucky?”

  “How’d you know?” he asked, tilting his head to the side and squinting.

  “Lucky guess,” she said. “You’re a cutie. I knew you must be from either Kentucky or Alabama or Georgia. Somewhere in that vic
inity….”

  “Or Tennessee,” he said. “They talk the right way there too.”

  She laughed. “Let me show you a little secret,” she said. She reached down and pulled up the handle of Jimmy’s suitcase. “It’s a lot easier to pull your suitcase behind you when you use the handle. Here, let me see your smaller bag.” She grabbed it from him and flopped it atop the big suitcase, sliding the strap around the handle to secure it. “See? Isn’t that easier?”

  “Ain’t you smart?” he said. “I guess you can tell I ain’t done much travelin’.”

  “Well, if you need help with anything else, you let me know, cowboy,” she said. The elevator bell rang and the door came open. “This is my floor. Good luck!”

  Jimmy decided he’d been entirely too hasty in his assessment of the people here in New York. That was the second friendly face he’d encountered in the past five minutes. God must have been smiling on him after all. Now if he could just be lucky enough to end up with a decent roommate….

  It took him a minute to figure out exactly how to use the room key. When the desk clerk first gave it to him, he thought it was a mistake. It didn’t look like any key he’d ever seen before. Seemed more like a credit card, but when he saw the handle, it all made sense. He had to push that credit card thing into the slot. It took him three tries to get it to work. After his second attempt, he pulled the card out and read the instructions. “Insert this side up and remove quickly. Turn handle when green light appears.”

  As he stepped through the door, it became obvious his roommate had already arrived. There was a big suitcase on one of the beds and clothes hanging in the closet. Apparently he was in the bathroom. Jimmy thought about knocking and letting him know he’d arrived but wasn’t exactly sure what he’d say. He decided instead to take a seat over in the desk chair and wait for his room companion to finish up in the bathroom.

  About two minutes later, he heard the bathroom door opening. Jimmy stood up and stepped toward the door. His mouth dropped open when he saw who emerged. Dripping wet and wearing only a towel, it was Corey.