Reality Check Read Online Free

audience, shifting her focus to the door. Mr. Day walked toward her, nodding and smiling. “You are something else, Charly. Like Ryan said, the cameras are going to love you.”
    â€œThank you,” Ramone said, proudly taking credit. “We told her.”
    Mr. Day gave a dismissive nod to Ramone.
    â€œWhatever . . . Charly will be the hottest thing in front of the camera. Period,” Ramone mumbled, loud enough for Charly to hear but low enough to escape Mr. Day’s ears.
    Charly’s eyebrows drew together while she waited for the girl to finish rolling her hair. With all hands finally off her, she pushed her palms against the chair’s armrests to stand up. “Mr. Day. Listen. Enough is enough is enough, already. You told me you’d fill me in. Now, fill me in. What’s this show about?” she asked, exasperated. “And where is Marlow?”
    Mr. Day smiled, then snapped his fingers. “What’s wrong, Charly? Afraid of getting what you want?” he whispered, then smiled, turning away. “I’m ready for her. Please get her and send her in,” he said to someone Charly couldn’t see, who was standing in the trailer’s three-step stairwell. He pointed to the style trio and their assistants. “Give us five.”
    â€œGet who? Tell me why I’m here again?” She felt as if she were parroting herself, but she had to know.
    Charly watched as the small group, whom she referred to as her village, hustled out of the trailer with an “Oh! Excuse us,” then mumbled, “This is going to be interesting. Clash of the divas.”
    Mr. Day adjusted his baseball cap over his electric grayish-white hair, then crossed his arms over his chest. A huge smile spread his lips. “Well, getting familiar with the set was the plan. But plans change . . . and, fortunately for you, so do reality shows. This one is way better, and the studio is behind it. Big-time. In fact, there will be no pilot. This is the real deal and there are already sponsors. We’re talking commercials, products, you name it, we got it. They’re even beginning to market it.” He nodded. “Yep. And we’ve also got big names attached to it too. A big one-named star who’s getting ready to shine again. Some people just can’t be held back.”
    Charly tilted her head, trying to grasp what he was saying. The show she’d been slated for had been cancelled, which had been a huge disappointment. They’d shot a pilot, even a commercial, but then, nothing. The network had changed their mind, and Charly was left waiting. And Mr. Day had kept hinting about another show, but never revealed anything. “Okay . . . ?” she began, then her jaw hit the floor as his words sunk in. Really?
    â€œYep,” Mr. Day said as if reading her mind. “And since your contract has that option clause, your mother pretty much sealed the deal. By law—though it’s not as simple as I’m going to make this sound—you owe the studio a show,” he began, then filled Charly in on the show while they waited.
    Charly was so excited. The show was going to be huge. She knew it because she felt it. “So I get to help teenagers? That’s cool. But what do they have to do to qualify?”
    Mr. Day looked her dead in the eyes. “Think of a great Samaritan—not a good one, but a great one. Think of someone who helps everyone else, is deserving of a good life but hasn’t had a break. Well, that’s what you’ll be, Charly. You’ll be the break they’ve been waiting for.”
    The beautiful girl Charly had grown up watching on television and on the big screen entered the trailer, interrupting Mr. Day, then walked over and stood in front of her. She wore jeans with stylish rips in them, courtesy of a high-end designer, a plain white baby tee with spaghetti straps and a long, red summer scarf that danced in the air. On her head