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Chapter 5
"It's time!"
Simon Fuller shouted from the stage as he looked at his watch, signaling the twenty-four contestants stuck in the makeup rooms. The building audience stirred at the announcement, anticipating the show to begin in a few minutes. The group was already prepared, most of them nervous and chatting up a low din. Henry and Achibe, however, appeared fully relaxed, with Achibe blabbing loundly with animated movements, and Henry experimenting with a powdering pom-pom thingie.
"Do I look okay?' Isabella asked Bettine. All of the girls, and Paige, were adorned with sleek red V-neck dresses, so they all pretty much looked alright. No one would really stand out when all drssed alike, and thus the cannon fodder wouldn't be remembered later on.
"Uuuum, your bra strap is showing," Bettine pointed out. Isabella corrected the error quickly. Meanwhile, Charsi made small talk with Toya and Ernest, the latter two in black suits. Again, neither would stand out among the other 10 identical men.
Ryan rushed in though the doorway, and stood on his tiptoes as he looked for a particular face. "Janet? Janet..." she didn't hear him. "Janet? Oh, there you--"
"Shut UP!" she shouted into the conversing crowd.
"Na you shut up bitch!" Achibe retorted as the rest of them shut down their talking.
"Fuck you little...who the fuck made you queen?"
"Who made you, whitey?"
"Damnit, I'm gonna--"
"BREAK IT UP, LADIES," Ryan raised his voice, trying to stave off a catfight. "Anyway, Janet..." he stepped towaards her, weaving through Leon and Aviva ("Watch it,") and whispered something in her ear as the noisy talking returned. Anyone who crossed the line between Achibe and Janet would probably get fried by ionic doom-o-lasers. You know, their deathglares at each other would cross and all that.
"Alright, guys and girls," Ryan spoke up after he was done whispering, "We're gonna start in like two minutes so be ready." He adjusted his tie before heading back out the door to take the stage.
"Someone hold me..." Bellatrix whimpered as her eyes rolled up. "I'm about to faint..." Nearby Taki immediately hugged the rad-head's shoulders as best she could with that back wall in the way.
"You'll be fine, trust me..." Taki spoke softly into her ear. Bellatrix smiled weakly in appreciation.
"TOGA! TOGA! TO...yeah, moment," Alexander added when everybody started looking at him funny. He shrugged. "I had to break the tension." Cue general laughter. Some band members wondered what was going on back there.
"Would, you, shut..." Janet began over the laughter, but the spotlights suddenly came off. That was the cue: Time to head out to the area behind the stage.
"Let's go let's go let's go~" Leon ushered as he waved his hand towards the other door.
3. 2. 1.
"You voted, America. Twenty four contestants bettle for the top, but only ten boys and ten girls can get to the next round. Four results coming up. This...is American Idol!"
Cut to the flashy computer generated intro, and then some commercials. A Worster commented on the generic cheesiness. The show returned after the moneymaking crap, with Ryan Seacrest giving a random toolish speech about the "talented" top 24. Finally, he let the audience actually see them:
"America...this, is your top 24!"
The oval screen ripped open as the contestants stepped through and the tweenie/frau audience roared, the contestants' matching outfits making them difficult to distinguish. Ryan held his hand out towards the crowd of 24.
"So, let's get down to business. We only have half an hour here." Actually, it was less than half an hour due to the commercials. The contestants stirred, unorganized and still nervous. Taki visibly craded bellatrix's shoulders, Janet scowled at the surrounding people, Ester shuffled his feet as he gazed down at them, and Bettine smiled blankly.
"First up," Ryan began, looking down at his card. The lights immediately dimmed and the suspenseful music creeped onto the stage. "Toya and Henry."
Two black suited figures stepped out of the crowd, one shorter and much wider than the other. Tall Toya fixed his eyes on the ground.
"We're going to do things a little differently," Seacrest announced, turning to the crowd. "I'll put the duets into two groups. One, the proup with the higher vote totals, and the second, the one with the lower vote totals." He nodded solemnly and turned back to Toya and Henry, even the latter now without a smile.
"Toya, Henry...America voted, and you are in the top half!" Henry's eyes widened. "Take a seat, you are safe."
Toya and Henry high-fived and grunted at each other, and joyously stepped to the couch. The other twenty people watched, wondering if they'd be in the bottom half."
"Next...Taki and Janet, would you please come up?" Seacrest asked. Taki reluctantly released Bellatrix, ad Bell gave he a "please don't leave me" look. Janet fixed a cold gaze at Achibe as she walked towards Ryan. The tension between the two staring women could garrotte someone who ran between.
"Janet...where's Taki? Oh, there you are," Ryan added as Taki stepped up. Janet elbowed her partner as she reached her position beside Janet. Seacrest didn't seem to notice, and Taki clutched her side with one hand as she took a step to the side, away from the crooked-smiled plant.
"Taki, you and Janet...are in the top half. You are safe." Taki hugged herself in glee, but Janet's expression gave the vibe that she expected this, and turned and walked to the couch. The audince yelled appreciation, but didn't much react to Janet amlost dragging her asian partner to the safety couch. Toya high-fived Taki, but was met with a reluctant and timid hand.
'She's not even trying to hide her bitch-itude. :chile Is that even a word? I want to stab her in the face.' Worsters bitched about Janet during the next commecrial.
Later, "We're back," Seacrest announced, "And we've got an elimination coming up!" He pointed upward to flourish his point. "Now," he began while turning, "Can the following come up...Adolf and Ernest..." The crowd roared for the two who had given the country-rock performance, both waving to the crowd.
"I must say, it is a great pleasure to have performed for this great audience!" Adolf commented to the fans in the building, generating a din of cheers. Ernest basked in the noise.
"Bettine and Isabella," Ryan continued. Isabella tramped forward, dragging Bettine behind like a little girl. The latter had not paid any attention to what was going on.
"Is it my turn?" she whispered to Isabella.
"...and Gerald and Leon," Ryan finished. The davidesque plant and the guy who looked like he sucked at shaving headed towards the other four people, Gerald moving a lot slower than Leon.
"Two of you are in the top half...two of you are in the bottom half...and the other two, are going home." Seacrest gazed sternly at the small army of singers. "The duet in the top half, is Adolf and Ernest."
No realist failed to see that coming. Adolf's light pang of anxiety faded as he patted his buddy on the back, and the two walked to the couch.
'Get to Achibe. I want to use one of these -----> :victory'
"Leon and Gerald...either you two, or Isabella and Bettine are going home...
...Leon...Gerald..."
Leon fidgeted with his curls.
"...Bad news. It's the end of the road."
The "fail" sound effect solidified their departure. Leon and Gerald would sing on the show no more, and the audience clapped for them. Gerald sniffed as he clapped for himself. The two walked in the direction opposite the couches, leaving the stage to basically be never seen again. Until the end of the results show, that is.
"One more elimination," Seacrest verified as he shooed Bettine and Isabella to the couch with a hand motion. "Please, come up, Alexander and Antonio."
Developing Febertards on Vote For The Worst worried about this part. Perhaps Poster Boy was done for? Mallon fist-bumped Alexander as they walked up. Alex slicked his long hair as he stood in front of Ryan, indicating the calmness shared by his fake-tanned partner.
"Mallon, Feber..." a small clonking noise coming from the still-waiting contestants interrupted Seacrest, but he ignored it. "You two gave a good show, but what did America think?" He paused for dramatic effect. It didn't faze the pair.
"Pretty good, actually. You are in the top half." The audience cheered and Mallon and Feber shouted and high-fived with pride. The beginnings of a chant in the audience stirred up, but this was silenced quickly as Ryan announced two more pairs. "Achibe and Juana, and Madison and Paige!" he called up. Only eight people remained in the waiting group, with Karl's headphones and Bell's red hair out of sight.
"What up, Ryan?" Achibe greeted. Ryan tried to respond, but the words were lost on Achibe as she met Janet's ocular laser beams of HAET.
"The four of you are in the bottom half," Ryan told them. "And half of you is going home."
Worsters BAWWWWWWWWed on the PBP thread at the realization his that either their pick or supertranny was going home. "ROBBED" emoticons already etched themselves onto the page by concerned Worsters.
Madison just bitchfaced Ryan, and Achibe shouted "Aw HELLS naw!" as she stomped a foot on the stage. Juana almost jumped at the outburst. Paige looked downwards, trying to stave off negative thoughts.
Ryan chuckled in nervousness at Achibe. "Well, we'll see how this goes," he almost-murmured. "Dim the lights." The stage darkened.
"Paige...Achibe...both of you turned out some buzz for the show, as you may have noticed," Seacrest began. "Neither of you have been very calm for the media."
"Damn straight," Achibe interjected, then gave Paige a noogie.
"Stop it," the hermaphrodite whispered, and pushed away the tan-black's offending hands. The audence approved of the humor value with some laughs, Seacrest giggling along with them.
"Well, we're almost out of time, so let's go through with this...Juana..."
The glasses-wearing blonde pressed her lips together and looked downward.
"You and Achibe...
...are safe."
Achibe almost-screamed "YEEEEEAAH," simultaneously raising her arms. Juana pumped her arms in triumph. Meanwhile, Madison glared around at the people near her, her small-featured face growing red.
"We're sorry, but this is the end of the road for Paige, and Madison." Ryan confirmed. "Let's review their journey."
TVs changed to a small montage of the four rejects, mostly behind-the-scenes. When it ended, Leon and Gerald had returned to the stage and the non-eliminated contestants had all moved to the couch, Taki once again holding the apparently-sleeping Bellatrix. The audience's clapping inundated the stage as the credits began to roll.
"Remember America--keep voting for your favorites. Say goodbye to Paige Klockmann--" heavy cheering, "Madison Ellner," not-so-heavy cheering, "Leon Whinney," moderate cheering, "and Gerald Barley," no cheering, just clapping.
"I'm Ryan Seacrest, signing off, this is your Top 20!" the camera panned to the clapping Top 20 quarterfinalists. Belltrix was back awake again, but barely. The camera view zoomed and panned across Ester's, Antonio's, and Alexander's face, and the 19E screen and sound effect closed off the show.
