We all feel as if our ears are going to explode...but in a cute heart warming way. I don’t want to be a jerk...I don’t want to be that jerk. The jerk that thinks he’s better than his fans. I love them, all of them. And honest to god when the producers and directors had gathered us all to tell us the news, we were thrilled. I flash back to that moment.

“We have partnered up with ten of the public schools across the USA. Some from Texas, New York, Alabama, Florida, Colorado, and of course California. It’s a way to reach bigger audiences and we think it will really benefit our company.”

“Dave, the suspense is killing me. Just tell us what it is! What’s going to benefit us?”

I look over at Jason. He looks back at me, shaking his brown hair from his face, and makes the signature weird face. And now I’m choking on my water because it’s hilarious.

“Bro, Dylan’s down. Someone give him CPR before he chokes for the millionth time.”

I try to glare at him while spitting out my water and feel someone’s giant hand clamp my back. OW. But at least I’m not choking. I grin at Jason. “Just wait. You’re next JasFace.” Then I trun to Cody, “Thanks man.”

We quiet down as Dave clears his throat and gives me a knowing look. Sometimes I forgot he’s the boss around here...oops.

“Basically we will be having a fan come work with us. The contract will be for three month. A little before their schools let out but we have been granted permission. They will be here to work with the producers and directors for any new skit ideas they would like to pitch. They will be here in three months for their interviews. We have already picked the top 50 resumes and we will have a casual five minute chat first to get to know them and see if they can handle working with actors on a daily bases. Then they will be presenting their ideas in front of four directors, three producers, any actors that would like to be present, and me. We will choose one fan to work alongside us and all of you.”

Everyone is quiet and then Jason and I hoot. “Niceeee.”

And then everyone is talking excitedly. I mean how great will it be to finally get to know a fan. Personally. Man, that’s awesome.

Now I’m not so sure. None of us are. I know it’s great for the company and we’ve had so many articles, newscasts, and interviews about this project for the past five months that TeenTV has got tons of attention. But as soon as the first fan walked in, she screamed for the whole five minutes. Jason and I loved it. I mean the girls are the sweetest. Maria was thrilled too, since she was snapchatting the whole thing.

But after the first fifteen where most of them couldn’t get coherent sentences out or just gushed about how green my eyes were or how beautiful Jason’s jawline was or how gorgeous Maria and Tammy were...I just don’t know. It’s still great though, to see all their faces and how they light up when they see us...or it was. Until Dave moved us to the media room.

“Look, we just aren’t able to get any questioning done with you all there. You stay in here, that way you can see and hear them and the mike in the room connects to Nick’s mike. So if you want to ask something just tell it to him. And then after the interview, we will have you meet them.”

At first we were all bummed. I mean, how am I supposed to hear how gorgeous I am now? KIDDING. Totally kidding...not.

So now Jason started the game to see which actor gets the loudest scream or excitement. Which is so stupid...and so frikin fun.

“Yo, Dylan. You’re down by one. Sucks to be you.”

“Uh Jason. I think you’re forgetting about me. Hello? Maria Anderson? The girl who is beating you by three?”

Jason does a sarcastic gasp. “Maria, how could you do this to me?”

“Hey, why is everyone forgetting about me? Tammy the girl who is sadly in last place right now.”

I sigh, “Phew at least I’m not last.”

Tammy throws a pillow at me which I totally deserve.

We quiet down as we hear Nick call in the next fan. Dave is doing the actual formal interviews in the other room to see the fans’ ideas so Nick is doing the casual chatting.

“Next please. Number 49.”

I swivel to look at Jason, “Dude. We only have one left after this.”

Jason’s eyes widen. “My bets on Alice...wait was it Alex...fudge. The girl with the red hair and really nice cheekbones. She was sweet.”

“You said that for the past 49 fans. But I don’t know. They all seem great.”

Tammy butts in, “Yah, even the 20 year old who snuck in and didn’t actually have a skit idea?”

I grin at her, “Yup, even her.”

We quiet down again as a guy walks in. And the Cody busts into the room. “Hey, what did I miss?”

We glare at him, “You left after the first 20 interviews and now you’re back? Jeez.”

Cody flashes me his crooked smile, “Missed me that much?”

“Yah I’m totally in love with you, how’d you know?” I laugh as he makes an awkward face.

Jason hisses us again and we turn to the fan. He seems fidgety and has curly black hair.

“Omg, he has the nicest jawline I have ever seen.”
Jason puts his arm around Maria playfully, “Calm down girl.”

We wait as Nick asks him questions but he barely mumbles responses and I can’t hear him.

“Did you guys catch his name?”

“No, darn it.”

“His ideas are probably amazing though.”

Tammy sighs, “I hope he gets it, his cheekbones are nice.”

I groan “Really?”

Before we know it his interview is done and we all rush out to meet him and he grins widely and hugs all of us. Man, I wish they could all come work for TeenTV. As he shuffles to his skit interview we all drag ourselves back to the media room.

“I feel as if this is our prison. I’m not Rapunzel. I don’t need to be tangled up in this room.”

I look at everyone, grinning.

“Did you get the pun?”

Sadly, Maria and Tammy’s groans are my only response. Jason and Cody just shake their heads.

Nick calls in the last one, “Next please. Number 50.”

I get comfortable in the couch as the last fan walks in. Her outfit is nice. She wears a rose gold bomber jacket with a fitted cropped top underneath and blue skinny jeans and black booties. I only know this because Tammy is gushing about it to Maria next to my ear. But what catches my eye is her smile. It’s huge and so...happy. Which makes no sense but whatever.

Nick smiles at her, “Hi! What’s your name.”

She takes his hand and shakes it firmly, “Jensen Miller. It’s a pleasure to meet you...Nick.”

Nick looks at her and she points to his nametag.

“Um...before we start, I just want to clarify. This is a casual interview correct?”

Nick nods, “Yup, the skit interview is afterwards and that one is formal but you will have a break to set up. This one is just a casual chat.”

Her voice is very formal but sweet and then...WHAM.

“OMG, Ok thank god this isn’t formal because I need to rant like ASAP. So, I was so excited to get here and I had the most adorable outfit for the plane and I was like, ‘Jensen, this is going to be awesome. You’re going to practice your skit on the plane and rock it.’ and then...I’m sitting on my plane seat right? And the most beautiful person...okay not beautiful, he was a pretty. Like one a scale of cute to beautiful...he was pretty but still. He takes the window seat RIGHT NEXT to me. And I was like OMG Jensen, this is fate. So I start talking to him, his name was Jarred by the way. And at first he’s super timid but then I told him, ‘Jared. Look, I love talking so you need to talk back or it’s going to get awkward.’ And he laughed but then he finally starts to open up and he’s hilarious. So I told him, ‘Jared, you’re literally a pufferfish. Like at first you were all lame and boring and then BOOM you puff up with awesomeness.’ And then the most horrible thing happened. The flight attendant brought me fish. And she was so sweet and amazing so I said thank you but I HATE FISH. And I had forgotten to take my medicine so I wouldn’t get sick on the plane so I was like crap. And Jared turns to me and says, ‘Ha, you really love fish.’ And then I look at him, grab a bag, and throw up. And that’s not even the worst part. I go to the restroom to freshen up and when I get back I say, ‘No. No I don’t like fish.”

Nick is staring at her and then he laughs, “Sorry, that was hilarious.”

Man I am so glad we are not in there right now. Because we are all laughing and Jason is snorting too. But she doesn’t get offended. She smiles at Nick, “Yah. It was pretty funny. But it just adds to my long list of embarrassing moments and it makes an awesome story.”

Nick grins at her, “Sure does.”

She nods, “Yup. I actually have a whole book of all my embarrassing stories. I started it last year and I already have 119 entries. It’s for my future husband. So after he asks me to marry him his gift is unlimited laughter.”

Jason is staring at her in amazement and he whispers, “Where has this girl been my whole life.”

I shake my head and we turn back, eager to hear more. The first time where we haven’t zoned out in one of the interviews.

After Nick is done chuckling she flops on the blue chair across from him, “Sorry, you can start the interview now.”

Nick nods, “So, first tell us a bit about yourself. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, and goals”

She sits up straight and looks at him, “Well, My name is Jensen Miller but my friends call me Jenny. I like lots of things. Clothes, my friends, family, travelling even though I hate the plane. The irony. And I like trying to new things. I don’t really dislike a lot of things because you never know the whole story. Like OMG I used to hate spiders but then I was like Jenny why do you have to be so judgemental, spiders are just trying to live like you were raised better than this so yah.”

Cody pokes me, “If all the interviews were like this you should have called me before.”

I shush him and we keep listening, I feel like I’m watching T.V.

“But I don’t like people who are narrow minded. I feel like you should always listen to what people have to say. Anyways hobbies. I love that word..hobbies. Right, I love to write and just get all my thoughts out, I love learning and just being educated but mostly I love making people laugh and smile. And my goal is to do something incredible and leave my mark somehow on the earth...or any planet.”

“Awww, she is so cute.” Tammy squeals next to me as she turns her head and I get a fistful of her blonde curls in my mouth.

And the interview continues and I feel as if everyone in the room is in awe of her. She’s so relaxed and happy. She goes through four more embarrassing stories about mistaking steph curry for a football player, falling, and so many others. Her interview has definitely exceeded the five minutes. Dave came into the media room a few minutes ago to see the holdup and he’s in awe now too. He’s sitting comfortably on the couch, squashed in next to Cody, listening intently. He is the youngest director I’ve ever worked with and he’s awesome.

The interview is wrapping up as Nick asks his last question, “So what is the hardest thing you’ve overcome. How do you deal with stress because if you do get this job it’s a lot of work and we need to make sure you can handle it.”

She nods, “Well, I haven’t fully overcome my hardest struggle but my life isn’t too complicated.”

Nick looks up from his notepad, “Alright, tell me about the struggle you’re working to overcome.”

She nods, “Well, I’m a robot.”
We all stop and Nick chuckles, “Excuse me?”

She nods, “Well, part robot. I have a robotic foot, see?”

She rolls up her jeans a little and I see a slimmer of metal, What the-

She sighs, “Yeah, I don’t really know how to tell people that I was in some freak car incident. A drunk driver almost ran over me and...So I had to get my foot amputated and I still have this huge infection in my left arm...I guess it just wasn’t...right. SEE WHAT I DID THERE.”

Nick is quite, and so is everyone in the media room. But she’s so happy…

She clears her throat, “Uh right. So I’m going to be getting surgery on that soon as well but if they amputate it it’ll be almost impossible for me to go into medicine as a career. It’s all about precision and well not having an arm kind of ruins it.”

Nick whispers, “I’m so sorry.”

She waves him off, “No, it’s fine. Everyone has troubles and I’ll be fine soon. It's more mentally hurtful.”

Nick nods and says, “Well, you seem to be handling it pretty well.”

She nods and then stops. Then she whispers, “That’s not the hardship I’m still overcoming.”

Everyone in the media room looks at one another. What?

She takes a deep breath and looks up at Nick, “Sorry, it’s just if I say it out loud...well, then it becomes real.”

Nick looks at her, “You don’t have too really-”

“No, I do. Um...my brother died two months ago. Well two months and four day to be exact. In the suicide bombing that happened in Turkey. He was on a trip and he just-”

She stops and looks down at her hands and when she looks up her voice wavers.

“It was his last trip before he started Med School. He was 22. And then we heard about the news in Turkey and we didn’t think it could be him. Because he wasn’t even suppose to be in Turkey. And on the news they showed pictures of some unidentified bodies and I thought I was hallucinating. Because how could my brother, the one who had turned his entire life around to go to college, how could he just be gone? And just because he had taken a detour on his trip. It wasn’t fair...but it happened anyways.”

She stops talking and Nick whispers again, “Jenny, I am so sorry.”

She looks up and gives a small smile, “Me too.”

This story may be fiction but the killings, bombings, and hurt happening around the world are not.