Seeing the Highpoint City skyline through her windscreen, Mikaela couldn’t help the elation which filled her

She’d finally have the new start she’d been craving.

Seated beside her, Yvette let out an awed gasp. The tall skyscrapers were more prominent than she’d imagined, standing tall and proud against the sweltering blue sky above them. She hoped that there would be at least some shelter once inside the city precinct, though the cars would only exuberate the heat.

Just seeing the sun glistening off the skyscrapers, Mikaela felt her resolve wane at the thought of the heat.

Blasting the air conditioning, Mikaela pushed aside such thoughts as she focused on their reason for visiting the city. They were entering a national music competition, and the city was the host for the show which would be aired on national television.

If they each made it through this round, they would enter the first stage of the competition. However, to get through each of the opportunities in the round, the contestant had to be marked by the three judges and the viewers. Each judge could allocate a maximum of 30 points, though contestants gained a total mark out of 100 through fan voting. Since each judge was advised to assess a participant on specific criteria, there was little room for bias. They allocated points according to the person’s composition of the music, lyrics, vocals, performance and dance, costume and makeup, and their overall theme. Fans could vote on all aspects of this for double the points of the judges, but they could also add to the vote in a special fan category called fan favour.

With the way the votes were skewed, you’d need to stay on the good side of your fans to be push through the contest if they had enough fans vote for them. And, in today’s digital age, everything was done via an application which the active contestants could log into to see their scores, the next opportunities (and their requirements), and gain any feedback they wished—provided it met the community guidelines.

Given their prominence in the public sphere, Mikaela and Yvette had both undertaken an unusual path to success in the music industry. Mikaela had been a child actor, snapping up various roles and making quite a name for herself before calling it quits. Yvette, meanwhile, was the daughter of a famous model-turned-designer, and had followed her mother’s fashion design routes, even partaking in unusual styling contests, such as the Diamante’s infamous masquerade.

The two young women had met on set and surprised the crew by hitting it off, which had resulted in more opportunities for Yvette. Over the years they had remained close, joining a dancing academy together.

Now, since they’d first heard about the competition, Mikaela and Yvette had both been dreaming about the opportunity which was happening in this very city. Both had always enjoyed singing, and had studied music over the years, with Mikaela even picking up the guitar. There was no way they would give up the chance they had; this competition gave them the exposure they needed to see if a career in music was what they, and more importantly, the public, wanted.

Essentially, it would be a transition into the music industry for members of the public who have had even a pre-existing taste of fame. Some were actors like Mikaela, influencers, models and fashionistas like Yvette, reality stars, radio stars and more.

Being as close as Yvette and Mikaela were, they’d been planning, practicing and considering every detail they could think of for months. They thought of every pro, every con and every possible scandal, even arguing with each other or their families if required. The biggest problem they had realised was that they had to enter as individuals and couldn’t enter as a duo.

However, since this very event was an entryway which was said to make or break careers, depending on how well one did, they had to look past that. If all things went according to plan, they’d both qualify together in Highpoint City. After all, the city was said to make dreams come true.

All they had to do was pass the initial audition and keep an eye on the application on their phone for feedback. From there, the requirements would change, though they could be required to create their own musical pieces, create their own lyrics, create their own dance performances and perform their creations for the world to see, and both of them were nervous at the very idea. They’d been dabbling in music for years, but they’d never before even dared to show the public what they could do with others, let alone on their own.

Stepping on the gas, Mikaela licked her lips anxiously, her hands clenched on the wheel. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous, especially when considering that she had never done anything as risky as this, taking a gamble she normally wouldn’t have considered. However, if they succeeded, then Yvette and Mikaela would see if they could both be singers with an active fanbase.

The way the competition was staged, the duo knew they needed to gain the top marks required to get through each phase. She’d only seen similar events on the small screen, and the very notion of her being a part of this chance made her want to squeal. After all, these weren’t just televised extravaganzas, they were created solely so that the upcoming artists could make and maintain the connections whilst keeping an active public life.

Whilst they had both been out of the public eye recently, both Yvette and Mikaela still had faith in their fans, and Mikaela couldn’t wait to engage with them in a more personal manner. Sure, the thought alone made her stomach tingle with anxiety, but she was going to do her best.

‘Are you as nervous as I am?’ Yvette chuckled as she leant on Mikaela’s shoulders, watching the road through the windscreen, barely glancing at the buildings which they were passing, the sterile walls reflecting the road on which they drove. They were in the city, and Mikaela couldn’t be distracted by the reflective buildings.

Feeling grateful that they’d managed to avoid the crowds, Mikaela hummed momentarily in response. She was focused on the roads, but knew that Yvette wouldn’t be happy with the response. After all, Mikaela could see the woman glaring at her from her peripheral vision.

Considering the somersaults her stomach was doing at the mere thought of their upcoming competition, Mikaela squeaked, ‘yup. It’ll be our first time being in public for a while.’

She shared an anxious glance with the woman beside her before she returned her gaze onto the road, taking a shortcut her father had told her about before they’d left.

With a nervous sigh, she wondered about how they’d both go. If it was a disaster, she wasn’t sure they could turn back without a colossal hit to their reputations. While they were both relatively new to the singing scene, they already had a decent following. This would be a huge risk for them both since they’d be severing ties with who the public knew them to be.

What she had been known for back then was her acting, not her ability to sing, dance and offer a captivating performance. And now she was absolutely terrified of disappointing the people who remembered her. Given how long it had been since she’d last made any kind of public appearance, Mikaela hoped that people still liked her enough to support her.

She knew that Yvette, who had helped her mother design clothes in a high-end boutique, was a natural born performer, especially after having worked together. Add to that the influence of social media, and Yvette’s own brand launch had been surprisingly popular given her age.

Once Yvette’s brand was established, she’d capitalised on the chance to broaden her horizons, convincing Mikaela this was just the right move for both of them.

Understandably, they’d had to restart from scratch. Mikaela herself could recall how hesitant her friends had been for her, even it did sound like it could be interesting for her career.

‘I’m sure Hayden will distract us both,’ Yvette reassured her companion, though the woman noticed she was touching her hair in an anxious manner. Whenever Yvette was fretting about anything, she took it out on her extremely forgiving hair. Given how vain the woman could sometimes be, Mikaela knew she should make at least some attempt at distracting her. After all, the competition wasn’t the only thing waiting for them in Highpoint City.

‘Yvette, I don’t want to see him before the audition if he’s going to pull pranks like this on me. He’ll only distract me and it’ll affect my performance if I lose my confidence. Let’s just check in and we can focus on the important things first. You never know, we might be able to find last minute costume changes in the stores, and I don’t want to worry about Hayden and whatever other prank he might have in store for us,’ Mikaela frowned at her friend, who grimaced in response.

Hayden, for all his goofiness, was notorious for his pranks, especially once he started.

‘If you’re sure, but you’re only postponing the drama. We both know he’s not patient,’ Yvette warned as Mikaela shook her head at her friend. They both knew it was true, but Mikaela did not have the patience to tolerate the man’s possible pranks when she was feeling as apprehensive as she was.

‘I just need to concentrate,’ Mikaela responded as she stopped at a red light, noticing a group of pedestrians walking through the streets. Many were in business attire, but some did have shopping bags in their hands. It left her feeling content, seeing others go about their daily lives, not at all worried about what was going on with other people.

Glancing at a billboard, she saw an advertisement for engagement rings. Knowing that such a thing was unlikely to happen to her anytime soon, especially given her recent trauma with someone she had thought she could prospectively be with, she focused on the positive side. At least she hadn’t seen the advertisements for the concert just yet. However, she was certain she’d find somewhere around town. While engagement rings were one thing, the thought of the concert attracting more attention made her almost feel nauseous.

She was hoping to enter the competition with an emotional ballad, something which may sit very poorly with the audience, depending on who would be there. Typically upbeat songs were better received by the public, but Mikaela knew she’d be too nervous to even try something like that. Yvette, of course, had a performance ready since she loved to sing and dance. Unlike her friend, Mikaela had always gone against the popular culture, where Yvette had thrived off it.

Even now, Yvette was the height of fashion, with a denim mini skirt and floral, pink blouse. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, mascara and eyeliner accentuating her eyes, which were framed by soft eyebrows. Mikaela, in contrast, was wearing baggy army patterned jeans with a plain black singlet. Normally she’d wear a something to cover her shoulders a bit, but it was far too hot to even bother with it today. Even now, she wasn’t wearing makeup, preferring to keep her skin smooth and clear, standing completely at odds with her friend.

Miraculously finding her way through the unfamiliar city without a hitch, Mikaela parked at their hotel before sending her friend and partner in crime an endearing smile.

She suspected that Hayden was staying at the same hotel as them, it was time to plan their avoidance of the man, which was the first stage of their revenge. After all, Hayden was far from patient, and Mikaela wanted all of her focus on the audition before they experienced whatever other prank the man had in store for them.