V & V - Rageous Road to Fame

Gold Gifts

When we get home, I sit in my new car briefly to take in everything. I follow after Velv, leaving the card on our table. We've only been living in this apartment for three months, but I'm sick of it, and if I'm sick of it, Velv can only be disgusted by it.

I follow her to her room, watching her pick up the troll. She places him and his bottle in a clear box, moving to put him on a high shelf in her closet. A part of me feels bad for keeping him hostage, but we're not killing him... or eating him... plus, we're just going to be using him to make other Rageons happy with our songs... so it's not all bad.

Velv hands me my box, moving to her mirror to put on her earrings. I have worn earrings before, but nothing of the same weight as real, high-quality gold.

Putting on my hoop, my heart picks up a little. I stare at Velv through the mirror, excited. Our phones buzz simultaneously, and looking at what's on the screen, I drop my phone in shock.

I can't move my hands away from my mouth as Velv jumps up and down. 

Ven: "I- I didn't realize they meant a million each... oh my gosh."

Velv squeals, grabbing my hands while jumping up and down. She hugs me, crying excitedly, before running to her computer. She lays beside me on her bed, pulling up photos of our competition... Rollie Roy.

I have never told Velv, but I think he's dreamy. As I stare at him, Velv types down his discography and notes what fans typically like about him.

Velv: "He's our biggest competitor; we need to bring him down. We must pay attention to whatever makes him special... and apply that to ourselves." 

As she types, our phones buzz again. An unknown number introduces itself as Management from MRS.

Management: *There is a party tomorrow evening, and you two will be our closing act. This is set up to introduce you two to the world, so be ready to shine! We have taken the liberty of sending your outfits straight to your door. Be ready by 8! - MRS. Management*

I stare at Velv, excitement coursing through me. Then with worry, as I realize we know nothing about being performers, let alone popstars.

Ven: "What should our song be? How are we going to prepare for this? We've never done anything besides the fifth-grade talent show where we lost, and you had to hold me when I started crying!" 

Velv rolls her eyes, pulling up our playlists. We skim through, weighing down options before landing on "Sweet Dreams." We play the song a few times before trying to devise choreography and parts for each other. We work for an hour and record a take before watching back and realizing we look horrible.

Velv sighs, frustrated. I watch sadly as she closes her computer and tosses it across her bed in defeat. Even though I'm panicked, I need to try to maintain some peace. 

Ven: "Hey, I'll cook us dinner. We can take a break and eat, then return to it." 

Velv nods, climbing into her bed to watch TV.

Heading to our kitchen, I start the stove, sighing as it flickers and flickers... before eventually sputtering to life. I make a simple pasta using the few ingredients we have. When I'm done, I plate the dishes, calling for Velv to come downstairs. I fail to notice her good mood, only picking up on her vibes when she skips to her seat, which is something I don't think I've ever seen her do. 

If she's happy, I'm not going to question it. Velv sits, thanking me before we dig in. It's quiet, "Sweet Dreams" ringing through our heads, yet mine feels like it is mocking me. Just as we finish and Velv starts the dishes, a ring on our doorbell clangs.

I look at Velv, momentarily forgetting the new arrival. I head to the door, an audible gasp leaving my mouth as I see just how big and how many boxes are outside our door. I call Velv, barely able to speak. She comes behind me before grabbing my shoulder. We look at each other before grabbing the boxes and bringing them inside.

We sit in the middle of the floor, surrounded by boxes up to our heads. I grab my phone and start playing music before grabbing a box labeled Veneer. Velv does the same, going through each box.

We have five gigantic boxes each, filled with clothes, makeup, jewelry, and so many shoes. Through the end of it all, there is one smaller box left with both of our names sprawled across. Opening it, a card similar to the one we got from the Head Director lays on top of clothes and two pairs of shoes. While Velv sorts through the clothes, I read the card out loud.

Management: *Here are the outfits for tomorrow. While you two are the last act, you will mingle and talk with the guests before we pull you two aside to perform. Remember, be ready by 8. We hope you enjoy your gifts; you have to look the part for Rageons to take you seriously. Good luck, be shining starz! - MRS. Management.*

Velv: "I am so ready for this! Ven, help me move all these into my closet!"

Even though we should probably get back to practicing, I've never gotten this many things at once. It can't hurt just to spend a few minutes putting all of this away. We get up, taking the next two hours to organize our new things. Just as I'm about to put the last pair of shoes into Velv's closet, I notice the troll. I forgot about him; I feel bad now that I can see him more level-headed.

He looks sad and hungry. I run downstairs, quickly bringing up leftover fries from my dinner last night. I carefully unscrew the lid, dropping in some fries. I watch as the troll cautiously looks over the fries before eating. While he eats, I take the lid from my water bottle, filling up the cap before lowering it inside.

I watch him until Velv walks over to see what I'm doing. I show her how I'm taking care of our new pet troll, to which she responds by rolling her eyes and walking away.

Once the troll is done, I refill his water before putting him on Velv's shelf. I look at his sad face one last time before shutting her door. It's only temporary, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

As I go to check in with Velv before heading to bed, she spots me, waving me over. She grabs my hand, painting my nails.

It's quiet, giving me time to think. I never get this much one-on-one time with her, so if this is what it's like to be a star, count me in. As she paints, I think of our attempt earlier, panicking once I realize we still have nothing.

Ven: "Velv, we don't have a good performance. What are we going to do?" 

She finishes my hand, smirking at me. I appreciate her confidence, but I feel like we are over our heads here... we don't know the first thing about putting on a show.

Velv: "While you were downstairs cooking, I used the troll to... inspire me. I sprayed him and wrote down all the ideas that came to me." 

She reaches over to her nightstand, pulling out her diary. She opens it to a page filled with lyrics and notes. She finishes my other hand while I read it over... it looks good... and could be a solid performance.

Velv: "First thing tomorrow, we'll use a little troll and do a test run. Then we should be good to go for the night. Don't worry, Ven, I've got this all planned out."

She pats my head before heading to her bathroom. I look over the page once more before heading to my room. Once I'm in bed, I think over everything that's happened today, realizing the weight of the world is on my shoulders to do good tomorrow night.

I grab my favorite stuffy, holding him close so I can fall asleep. Just as I'm about to drift off, I picture everything I could ever want, with me and Velv standing on top of the world.