good, it cost ten grand a year to go there, that’s how good it was.’
‘But what I mean is was it good for you, did you enjoy it?’
Star glared at Catherine as if she thought this girl really needed a few lessons in life. ‘You don’t get anywhere in this business by just enjoying yourself.’
Catherine paused for a moment and then said exactly what popped into her head, it seemed to be good enough for Star so she thought she’d try it. ‘Are you having a bad day?’ It wasn’t often that Catherine came across people like Star and she was really hoping that the rest of the people in this competition weren’t like this or she might have to go home.
‘Am I what?’
‘You’re being really rude. So I’m just wondering if you’re having a bad day?’
Jo always said that Catherine could get the truth out of anyone; that she was like a CIA interrogator. Jo seemed to think that when Catherine was riled she didn’t lose her temper she just tried to find out what was wrong with the other person and did so in such a calm and systematic fashion that people just rolled over and told her everything.
‘This isn’t rude,’ Star said pointing at herself as if she could increase her rudeness levels at a finger click.
‘It is from where I’m standing.’
‘Listen, if I were being rude, you’d know about it. Anyway, I haven’t come here to find a new best friend. I’ve come here to win.’
‘Well, good for you.’ Catherine shot Star a look as she made her way over to the bathroom door, ‘I’m Catherine by the way,’ she said as Star grabbed the door handle.
‘What?’ she asked, stopping in her tracks.
‘My name’s Catherine. I know you don’t care but I’m just saying.’
‘Oh. Right. Hi.’
‘Enjoy your bath.’
‘I will.’
What a witch
, Catherine thought, throwing her suitcase on her bed and unzipping it. She hoped that the other girls in the room had a bit more charm about them than that stage-school brat.
‘Here you go …’
Catherine turned around. Jesse and Andy were standing in the corridor again.
‘Found another one for your room looking a bit lost …’ Jesse said.
Catherine peered over his shoulder hoping the new girl would be better company that Star was shaping up to be.
‘Oh my God!’ Catherine exclaimed, ‘Kim!’
‘Catherine!’ Kim ran towards her and gave a genuine hug. They then pulled apart and, slightly embarrassed by their own enthusiasm for seeing one another, tried to explain themselves to Jesse and Andy.
‘We met at the auditions in Manchester,’ Kim said.
‘I didn’t think I’d see you again.’ As soon as she’d said it, Catherine put her hand to her mouth. ‘I didn’t mean it like that, I didn’t think I’d get through is what I meant to say, and I didn’t know if you had …’
‘Don’t worry, I know what you meant,’ Kim said kindly. ‘Thanks lads for the tour. Oh and Jesse, you’ve got to stop with the full-on flirt! It’s exhausting!’ Kim said, winking.
‘Me, flirting?’ Jesse turned to Andy as if he was genuinely shocked.
‘Bye!’ Kim said, waving them away.
Once Andy and Jesse had departed, Andy smiling and Jesse with his tail between his legs, Kim turned her attention to Catherine. ‘He’s something else, isn’t he?’
‘He’s friendly enough, just a bit. …’
‘Much?’ Kim asked.
‘Yes, I suppose.’ Catherine admitted. When she had walked to the room with Jesse and Andy she had wanted Jesse to pipe down a bit so that Andy could get a word in edgeways.
‘His mate’s quite cute in that Oh-my-God-girls-scare-the-living-daylights-out-of-me way.’
‘Is he?’ Catherine said pretending she hadn’t noticed.
‘So, tell me, has it been mad at home? My mum and dad are all over the shop because I’ve got through to Boot Camp. My mum’s had posters made up and forced everyone to put them in their windows saying Vote Kim! The shame, I’ll get kicked out tomorrow and have to go home and say, “Er,
‘But what I mean is was it good for you, did you enjoy it?’
Star glared at Catherine as if she thought this girl really needed a few lessons in life. ‘You don’t get anywhere in this business by just enjoying yourself.’
Catherine paused for a moment and then said exactly what popped into her head, it seemed to be good enough for Star so she thought she’d try it. ‘Are you having a bad day?’ It wasn’t often that Catherine came across people like Star and she was really hoping that the rest of the people in this competition weren’t like this or she might have to go home.
‘Am I what?’
‘You’re being really rude. So I’m just wondering if you’re having a bad day?’
Jo always said that Catherine could get the truth out of anyone; that she was like a CIA interrogator. Jo seemed to think that when Catherine was riled she didn’t lose her temper she just tried to find out what was wrong with the other person and did so in such a calm and systematic fashion that people just rolled over and told her everything.
‘This isn’t rude,’ Star said pointing at herself as if she could increase her rudeness levels at a finger click.
‘It is from where I’m standing.’
‘Listen, if I were being rude, you’d know about it. Anyway, I haven’t come here to find a new best friend. I’ve come here to win.’
‘Well, good for you.’ Catherine shot Star a look as she made her way over to the bathroom door, ‘I’m Catherine by the way,’ she said as Star grabbed the door handle.
‘What?’ she asked, stopping in her tracks.
‘My name’s Catherine. I know you don’t care but I’m just saying.’
‘Oh. Right. Hi.’
‘Enjoy your bath.’
‘I will.’
What a witch
, Catherine thought, throwing her suitcase on her bed and unzipping it. She hoped that the other girls in the room had a bit more charm about them than that stage-school brat.
‘Here you go …’
Catherine turned around. Jesse and Andy were standing in the corridor again.
‘Found another one for your room looking a bit lost …’ Jesse said.
Catherine peered over his shoulder hoping the new girl would be better company that Star was shaping up to be.
‘Oh my God!’ Catherine exclaimed, ‘Kim!’
‘Catherine!’ Kim ran towards her and gave a genuine hug. They then pulled apart and, slightly embarrassed by their own enthusiasm for seeing one another, tried to explain themselves to Jesse and Andy.
‘We met at the auditions in Manchester,’ Kim said.
‘I didn’t think I’d see you again.’ As soon as she’d said it, Catherine put her hand to her mouth. ‘I didn’t mean it like that, I didn’t think I’d get through is what I meant to say, and I didn’t know if you had …’
‘Don’t worry, I know what you meant,’ Kim said kindly. ‘Thanks lads for the tour. Oh and Jesse, you’ve got to stop with the full-on flirt! It’s exhausting!’ Kim said, winking.
‘Me, flirting?’ Jesse turned to Andy as if he was genuinely shocked.
‘Bye!’ Kim said, waving them away.
Once Andy and Jesse had departed, Andy smiling and Jesse with his tail between his legs, Kim turned her attention to Catherine. ‘He’s something else, isn’t he?’
‘He’s friendly enough, just a bit. …’
‘Much?’ Kim asked.
‘Yes, I suppose.’ Catherine admitted. When she had walked to the room with Jesse and Andy she had wanted Jesse to pipe down a bit so that Andy could get a word in edgeways.
‘His mate’s quite cute in that Oh-my-God-girls-scare-the-living-daylights-out-of-me way.’
‘Is he?’ Catherine said pretending she hadn’t noticed.
‘So, tell me, has it been mad at home? My mum and dad are all over the shop because I’ve got through to Boot Camp. My mum’s had posters made up and forced everyone to put them in their windows saying Vote Kim! The shame, I’ll get kicked out tomorrow and have to go home and say, “Er,
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