Paper Dolls

Chapter 14

"Jina, I need to see you in my office now," Mr. Oh shouts above the throng of voices currently flooding the Firefly lobby area. 

It's usually crazy here on Monday mornings but today the building seems more crowded than usual. Trainees make up the bulk of the crowd but there are a few executives milling about and some office folk that work in the offices above.

Bina and I have been here since 6am. We couldn't sleep so we decided to go through some dances before our evaluation results were revealed. 

The announcement board in the lobby is usually updated everyday by 10am and now we are standing here tapping our feet. Something we've been doing since 9.30. 

All twelve of us girls form a crowd of raging nerves and anxiety as we wait for the results of our performances from last week. Today the line up will be announced and each of us will know if we are going to perform or not. 

Anyone left out will be terminated, which means we will be out on the streets by noon. Okay, maybe not that dramatic but in my case I would be packing my bags, ready to go back home to Hadong, where I will not only have to face my family but my entire community about my failure to debut as a singer. 

The mere imagination of this scenario is enough to paralyse me with fear. 

"Jina! Hello, I'm calling you. Don't pretend like you didn't hear me," Mr. Oh snaps as he nears us. 

The girls part for him like the Red Sea but I don't miss their annoyance when he only focuses on me. He's been doing that a lot since I've been making headlines and it's becoming increasing obvious. 

"Sorry, Mr Oh," I quickly say, barely paying attention to him. If my nerves could burn me I would be a pile of ashes on the floor by now. 

"What are you girls hovering over here for anyway?" He stares at the board all of us are looking at and then laughs to himself. "Oh yes, the results. Can't believe I forgot about that." 

"It's fine. You must be so busy managing all of our schedules, Mr. Oh," Grace beams at him like the perfect suck up that she is but he ignores her. 

"Come with me. I have to discuss an upcoming event." He urges impatiently. 

"Can I just see our results, please? I really need to know if I made it," I beg. There's only five minutes to go and I don't think I can take another minute not knowing. 

He lets out a snort and looks at me. "Come on. As if you don't know you made it." 

I do a double take at his words and thank God he said them softly because JinJin and her group would have thrown a fit at his insinuation. What does he mean by that? 

Before I can ask, a staff member approaches from the lifts, carrying some colourful pieces of paper in her hands. Everyone falls silent as she walks past us and begins taking off last week's news clippings from the old fashioned cork board on the wall in front of us.

She begins to put up the new ones with small multicoloured thumb tacks and I hold my breath in anticipation. 

We wait for her to finish and leave before we rush to the notice board like a pack of starving vultures. 

Binna being one of the taller ones sees her name in the line up and screams in happiness. She turns to me happily. "I'm in the dance performance! I made it!" 

I'm thoroughly happy for her but the impatient side of me can't really celebrate right now. I push through the crowd of girls till I am at the front and my eyes focus on the large printed piece of pale pink paper. 

JinJin got a duet with Chan and a spot in the group dance. No surprise there. 

The other duet went to Rachel.