The first week of training was relaxed and honestly reminded the girl of summer camp. Each girl was woken up in fifteen-minute intervals. They were told to line up for the shower and then handed their outfits. Since they would be sweating all day, they had been given tank tops and gym shorts. The woman who gave them their clothes stated that dance practice might seem difficult and overwhelming at first, but would soon become fun. Fern believed her and gladly accepted the free clothing. She managed to meet up with Ariya, who stuck to her side like glue as they walked into the practice room. Fern hoped that Ariya would stick around long enough for them to become friends. The teenagers sat on the floor, legs crossed in a circle around their instructor.
Some of the girls appeared to recognize the woman as they gasped and stared. Others blushed before bowing their heads in a sign of respect. Fern unfortunately didn't know who the older woman was and waited for her to introduce herself. She was slim and reminded the teen of a model, looking as if she had to be six feet, if not taller. Her hair was up in a bun and she wore a similar get-up of sweatpants and a tee shirt. Before coming over she looked at each girl, silently judging them. Her gaze was intense enough to send shivers down every single girl’s spine. Seeing this made the blonde gulp nervously and squeeze her thigh. She was really here. Experiencing the life of girls she had followed on social media for years upon years. It was truly surreal.
Her instructor walked over, her footsteps echoing in the barren room. She smiled. "Hello! It's nice to meet you all! I'm going to be your contemporary dance teacher and I will judge you during evaluations.” The girls all clapped their hands as she stood in the middle of their circle.
With a huge grin on her face, she continued with the introduction. “When we are in class, please call me either Mrs. Song or Teacher Song. All the other instructors will expect the same, as it shows you respect us and know how to behave with your seniors. Always look me in the eye when I am addressing you and bow your heads when I walk into the room. It’s a simple sign of having manners and not doing so will earn you a scolding.”
The blonde felt ashamed at hearing the stern tone the woman had. Song almost sounded like the fact she even had to say this annoyed her. Fern made sure to note to bow the next time she saw the woman. Or else her grade for the class might suffer. Which made her stomach become sour just thinking about it.
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Throughout the day, Mrs. Song went over the basics of the class and allowed the girls to ask questions. She then left the room for their next instructor, Ms. Wade, who taught hip-hop dance, to take over. This happened repeatedly as more dance teachers came to meet them and explain what they’d be doing. In the end, the teenager found herself having six different dance instructors and one vocal teacher. Different styles of dance need specialized teachers, but vocals are easier to teach. This didn’t mean singing wasn’t as important. They would spend all night focusing on it. Fern was shocked, along with some of the other girls, to find out they’d go to bed at eleven and get up at five. Their entire days would be dedicated to lessons, and they hadn’t even met their weekend instructors yet. They would spend Saturday and Sunday undergoing fake interviews, selfie lessons, language, and dieting.
“You each will be put on a diet.” They handed the girls a pamphlet that detailed what they’d now be eating at the company cafe. Fern was alarmed by how insane the portion sizes were. “For breakfast, you will be eating bagels with spread or cereal without milk. Lunch is a salad with a side bowl of fruit and dinner will be different depending on the progress of the group. We will check your rooms for any junk food stashes.”
"What happens if we don't like what's served for dinner?" One girl asked hesitantly. She looked scared of being yelled at by the domineering man.
He shrugged his shoulders and handed the girl a pamphlet. The man pointed at the back of the paper. "You can then request a private meeting with me to discuss it. Or have your team leader speak to us about wanting an alternative to the assigned meal."
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The blonde sat with the pamphlet and frowned. It didn't feel right to participate in a diet so dangerous. She would be eating a meal big enough for a middle schooler. And then the dinner options were worse, with it being mainly soups or salads without any toppings. There wasn't enough protein and nutrients for them to stay healthy with all the dancing they were doing. But she knew better than to voice these doubts to anyone else. Fern was a brand new trainee and held no power in the situation. With this in mind, she folded up the paper and pushed it down into the bottom of her pocket. She bit the inside of her mouth, chewing on her cheek as the man began to drone on about the diet some more. He stated that breaking the diet without a proper reason (doctor's note or religious obligations) would earn you a strike. Three strikes led to you being knocked down a grade in each course automatically. This was terrifying and made everyone pale in complexion.
"This is serious business. You will be under constant surveillance by cameras throughout the building to ensure you behave."
He walked around the girls with his arms behind his back and a sour look on his face. "You also will be given specific times you can use your phones. I didn't think I had to tell you this, but we have already caught SOMEONE using theirs. Numerous times since last night."
Fern gasped, and Ariya quickly hushed her. It was clear the brunette knew what was to come and wanted to avoid any focus their way. The others looked just as shocked by someone being so careless. The culprit was easy for anyone to point out. A girl who looked like she had to be no older than fourteen had froze. She didn't look up from the ground, her hands clamped together. Fern realized she was shaking, the girl's tiny braids falling down in front of her face as she trembled. Everyone was looking at her now, which made her panic grow. The poor girl was starting to tear up, and the instructor walked over. He stood behind the girl with a scowl, grinding his teeth. He cleared his throat, making her jump and turn around. And immediately she went as pale as a sheet seeing him.
"Kimmie. We specifically told you not to post anything online once you were accepted. Not only did you do that, but you FaceTimed someone in a practice room you snuck into. You broke my trust and the trust of every other participating here by doing that. What do you have to say for yourself?" The man was really aggressive when speaking to the girl. He looked like he was about to scream her head off as she stuttered and struggled to explain.
Because what the girl had done was so incredibly idiotic, Fern was at a loss for words. Kimmie would have to have known about the rules the company had with phones. And even if she forgot them, the girl had to know that sneaking around was a recipe for disaster. She could have accidentally walked into something that could have put her in a situation for contract violation. She wasn't a potential idol, but a liability. This could be the end of the girl training with them. With only one day to spare, the group could go from eleven to ten. And it was clear that the girl was thinking this now. The sudden realization hit her like a truck as she started tearing up.
He kept going despite this, making Fern feel downright nauseous at the display of emotion. "Do you want to go home? I can call your mother to come from Hawaii to pick you up right now, this very minute. We will void your contract and send you on your way. What do you have to say, Kimmie?" His tone was stern, but the disappointment was clear as day. It was the type of berating you got only from your mom and dad.
By now, poor Kimmie was crying and desperately trying to apologize for her actions. Seeing this made Fern's body react despite Ariya's warning, and she hurried over. Seeing the tiny form of Kimmie under the man made her neck hair stand up. The blonde took the crying girl into her arms and the girl instantly hid her snotty face in Fern's chest. Doing something so risky and careless had put the teenager in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Her heart was racing as she felt the man's gaze melt a hole practically in her head. He was so animated that he filled her with fear. It was obvious what she did had ruffled his feathers. He wanted an obedient trainee, not another troublemaker, to deal with. If she just sat here, the instructor might cut her, too. Not sure what else to do, she started to negotiate for them both.
"Sir, Kimmie is one of the younger trainees, so I think she didn't know the gravity of her actions. Please don't send her home because of one simple mistake. I'll watch over her as one of the oldest and make sure that she follows your instructions properly." Fern spoke extremely fast, sweating profusely. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton as the man looked her up and down.
He leaned back with a strange look in his eyes and huffed. "If you're offering yourself up already for so much responsibility, I might as well make you a team leader. You're going to be responsible for most of these kids from now on. Good luck."