Pick Your Arrows

The cameras were rolling.

On screen:

Name: Thalia Vettel

Age: 19

Occupation: Full time student

They were in a room and there was a screen in the middle of the room, showing the moment where six female participants were each perched on their own stool on the small podium stage. Just then, a brunette who sat at the far right suddenly stood up and quickly rushed down the stairs, running away for her exit. A few of the staffs were seen rushing after her, and calling her back before she eventually got dragged onto the stage back by a senior staff. The clip ended and it panned out to a black screen.

The host, a man who looked like he’s well in his late thirties, who’s sitting behind the camera in the room, asked, “Can you please tell us what happened there?” He shifted his cue cards in between questions.

It was Thalia’s turn for the separate commentary interview in the side room.

Sitting on another sofa in front of the camera was the said brunette, who now had her palms covering up her face. She reluctantly dropped her hands and a deep sigh was heard coming out of her mouth.

The camera that she felt was panning on her, made her shift uncomfortably in her seat.

“I wasn’t told that this is a dating show,” she said in a quiet voice. A game dating show, as how they tried to put it, nonetheless was still a dating show regardless. Her eyes looked left and right nervously before they landed on the calm-looking host. She fiddled the hem of her oversized sweatshirt.

“You weren’t? Then why did you come?”

“My mum said she got me a part-time job at her friend’s café that she wanted me to help out with and the interview today was supposed to be just a formality…” Her small bitter laugh came out. “Clearly I got scammed.”

The room chuckled at her response.

“Your mother sounded like a fun person, with her pulling pranks like this.”

Her response to the host’s statement was just a small strained smile. Her mother’s fun in a lot of other ways--JUST NOT THIS TIME.

“But you’ll get paid for participating in the show so isn’t this more or less the same as working at the café?”

“No.” There was a long pause after what seemed like the cogs were turning in her head. She then quietly continued, “I’m not really good with big crowds.”

Her eyes drifted to all the people in the room. There’s gotta be more than 15 people there. How big is the scale for this shoot? It didn’t look to be very big but at the same time, it didn’t look like it would be a small scale production either. “I’m bad with attention too, so all this makes me feel uncomfortable.”

The host nodded his head at her words. It did look like she felt uncomfortable based on her body language and voice tone but to his amazement, despite all that, she could converse relatively well with him. On top of that, her reactions and response were very interesting. So if he had to be honest, he had hoped she would stay throughout the show because her addition to the variety of casts that they already had would definitely add some unique sparks to the show.

A younger staff came next to him, whispered something to his ear and he then took the phone that was handed to him. “We received a phone call from your mother. Would you like to answer it?”

The look on the brunette’s face was pure horror. “Can I not?”

The man wriggled his brows in a teasing manner. “Well, that won’t be interesting for the show, won’t it?”

The brunette had to reluctantly accepted the call because they had already put it on speaker for her when she heard her mother’s voice on the other line. “Tilly, honey?”

“What kind of mother lie to their own daughter…” she went off almost immediately. Her exasperated remarks caused the staffs behind the camera to laugh.

“It’s just a white lie. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t go!”

“Of course I wouldn’t go! This is ridiculous! I’m quitting this—”

“You’re not welcomed back home this summer break if you quit this show, honey.”

“Just why are you doing this—”

“This is a good exposure for you. It’s time for you to date someone!”

She’s only 19! She’s still young, and not even in her twenties yet! so why’s her mother so fussy about her love life as though she wanted her to quickly date so she can marry her off. “This is too extreme for a beginner!” She hissed at the phone. “Why can’t you do things normally for once—”

Thalia’s whining were ignored as her mother chirpily cut her off with, “I’ll be seeing you on screen, honey, so goodluck.”

And her mother, the lovable person she most adored in her life, hung up the call just like that. No goodbye whatsover, just goodluck and then beep.

Thalia stared at the phone in utter dead silence. Her head hung low in exasperation. Her eyes searched the room for the senior staff who was responsible in dragging her back up the stage just moments ago and when she found her, she threw her meanest dissatisfied, accusing look she could muster. She wanted it to be obvious that she’s discontent with her but the lady only laugh at her seemingly adorable expressions of grievances.

Thalia sighed. “Are all the participants chosen for this show were scammed into it like me?”

The room laughed. “No, some of them purposely joined because of the prizes...”

She was quick to interject, “I don’t want the prizes though.” She didn’t know what they were either.

“But most of them just wanted to find someone to date.”

Again, she interjected, “Well, I don’t.”

“But I’m sure the rest of us here would say that your mother think otherwise.”

Thalia didn’t stop. She tried twisting it by giving whatever possible excuse she could think of at that moment. “I’m an introvert. It won’t be fun to have me in the show.” Which was true; she’s indeed an introvert, just not high up on the scale.

The host could see what Thalia was doing. But he didn’t budge. Instead, he joined in the flow and continued to play at Thalia’s pace. “So far, Miss Thalia Vettel, your reason for joining in is already the most interesting out of all the casts.”

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him. “How do you pick your casts? I didn’t go any screening for this. This is like backdoor hiring, right? Isn’t this unfair?”

The host was thoroughly entertained with her unexpected honesty of saying the most unhinged things point-blank. “Don’t worry. We aim this show to be very laid-back. All the casts put in the show are the people that the staff know personally or acquainted with so there was no need for any screening.”

“That’s nepotism,” Thalia pointed out in a low murmur.

The host laughed. “In your case, I believe your mother is your backdoor?”

Thalia’s eyes went wide, as though she found offense in what he had said. “I was scammed into this! If I have a choice--” A thought suddenly came and she then paused. “How much is the rate per night for the hotel around here?”

His lips lifted at one corner, a small, enigmatic curve that betrayed his amusement. “How much do you have for your budget?”

Thalia lifted up her hand and folded a few fingers.

The host ended up up bursting into laughter, the kind that starts deep in the belly and escapes in joyful, uncontrollable eruptions--which only leave Thalia puzzled at his reaction.

“I suggest Miss Thalia to just stay here for the show. Lodging and food are prepared for the casts, so if I’m being honest, this is the only best option you have...” he nudged his head towards her folded fingers, “given that’s the budget you can afford.”

Her brows furrowed deeply, knitting together in a hard, protective line. “I’m only a student, I can’t afford more!”

“Exactly.” A triumph smile stretched across his face, the kind that spoke volumes without uttering a single word. It was a sly teasing curl, a victory flag raised high and unspoken. He would have the girl stay.

Thalia found herself defeated--over the sole reason of her current lack of money for she would have had bolted out of the show and pay for a hotel if she were to have more money in her savings.

TBC.