#Chapter 11 - Escape

The only thing that could describe everything around me was one word.

Chaos.

Several of the staff members rushed away from the stage without hesitation no doubt to look for Ava. They acted as if an emergency had just taken place. Of course the winner forfeiting her title and the chance of a life time of be considered an emergency.

I could hear the announcer in a shocking voices state, “ This is a twist that no one could have saw coming.”

“ "Oh, an unexpected scene happened."”

As I walked off stage I knew that the look of confusion and shock could be read across my face.

However, I was more intrigued by this little newbie's actions. I could hear the judges and even some of the contestants discuss what had unfolded just minutes ago.

"What's the situation?” Where you all that blind.
"This woman has been teasing our boss recently." You were upset because your tricks failed against me.
"We should have given her the boot a long time ago." You skills left a lot to be desired.

All of a sudden a woman had stood up. She was almost as beautiful as Ava, but the expressions that played on her face were that of resentment and disgust.

"Who is this Ava? What is she doing? Humiliation! I need an explanation."
That was the voice of the second placed winner in the competition: Lily.

One of the members got her attention and explained. “Ava was an impromptu addition to the competition. She did not had any training with any one else before.”

I could see Lily's eyes begin to bulge in shock. "What? Is there any mistake? How can this match be temporarily added?"

“Well Lily, the truth is--”
The staff tried to calm her down but Lily's voice grew.

She began to yell, “I do not accept this at all. Aren't there rules against matters so these things do not happen?”

I had more important matters than an overly dramatic Lily. I had to find Ava. I followed the rising voices of the crew members. Apparently they had found Ava and began to mob her with questions and demands.

I licked my lips as I whistled to gather everyone in the areas attention. “Leave it to me.” My words made the lot of them disperse.

It was clear that Ava was having a break down by the hiccups along with her sobbing. As I approached her I could see panic in her eyes.

"Oh sorry, I was so excited just now.” She took deep breathes with the words she spoke to me. “I didn't expect such a follow-up at all. I did not expect to...."

I exhaled a deep breath of frustration to the woman. I shrugged off her explanation. I crossed my arm and glared down at her. Even though she picked herself up from the hunching position I still towered over her.

“I did warn you, did I not? This is not a game for you to play at your whim. This is show biz, So what do you want?”

She did not answer me. Tears where still falling down her face.

“Are you playing so little revenge game? Were you trying to make everything this company worked for a year and half a mockery. A complete laughing stock?”

She was still sobbing. I could feel my wolf, Neptune try to calm me down. I could not place why, but he wanted me to kinder to Ava. Gentler.

“Please Ava, tell me why you do not want to sign a contract with my company? We will do everything we can to develop you." I tried to softened my tone with her to get her to talk to me.

Apparently it had worked. She looked at me and stammered. “I just...I don't want to be looked down upon... I was in the game to build my confidence up, I didn't think about being sign."

“And why is that,” I asked. I never heard of anyone competing without a thought of reaping the rewards after winning. She truly had me stumped.

“ I did not want anything else but to know that I could do it.” Ava said. But I was not buying it.

“I wanted to participate in the competition with the idea of being on the side of actresses that had higher qualifications. I never thought about what would happen after participating in this actor competition.”

The more Ava opened up to me the more I found it hard to believe the petite woman in front of me.

“I just wanted to give it a try and see if I could win some opportunities. However, when the opportunity was really presented to me, I froze. I ….I can't do this... I am sorry.”

She must have been waiting for me to get angry with her, but I couldn't, because I knew there was more to what she was telling me. I tried not to laugh at the young woman.

“You're lying to me.” I said flatly.

I said Ava freeze. “What?”

“You're not telling the truth.” I stared at her to see that she was staring back at me with the same intensity. “Your eyes give you away kitten.”

I continued when she did not interrupt me. “I can see in your eyes that kind of love and glory for acting, that's rare. I don't think you're just doing it on a whim."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ava's POV

I knew everything would be in chaos. I had just walked away from a contract. It was something that I had wanted since I was a little girl. But I could not bring myself to take it.

Even with the crew standing there convincing me that I was an impressive actor. I could not bring myself to take it. That's when I heard his voice.

The crowd dispersed from me when he said, “Leave it to me.” I watched as he came towards me. All I could do was panic. Of course he thought I was still playing a game/ He thought I wanted to make a joke of the competition, but that was not it entirely.

“Please Ava, tell me why you do not want to sign a contract with my company? We will do everything we can to develop you." Through my tears I had explain to him why I could not take the contract.

“I just...I don't want to be looked down upon... I was in the game to build my confidence up, I didn't think about being sign." That was a lie.

I competed to prove him wrong; both of them. Jacob was a selfish bastard that only thought about his needs. He never believed in my dreams.

Elijah was an arrogant prick that thought I was just another pretty face that could not act her ay out of a wet cardboard box. I wanted to show them both that I could still be a shining star.

“I just wanted to give it a try and see if I could win some opportunities. However, when the opportunity was really presented to me, I froze. I ….I can't do this... I am sorry.” That was not a complete lie. I did freeze I did not expect for him to offer me a contract.

What I did expect was Elijah to get angry at me. I wanted him to sneer at me; to yell for the bouncers to have me thrown out, but that was not the case.

“You're lying to me.” Elijah said

“What?” It felt as if time stopped.

“You're not telling the truth.” He stared at me. I stared back at him waiting for what he had to say next.

“Your eyes give you away kitten.” This time I blushed at his nickname for me. Damn emotions.

When I did not answer him back he continued with his observation.

“I can see in your eyes that kind of love and glory for acting, that's rare. I don't think you're just doing it on a whim."

That's when I realized that Elijah looked different today. Ever since he apologized on stage, he seemed to have changed. He was not that annoying jerk that I first met.

I felt like I could not lie to him any further. I could feel the tears flow down my face. This time the tears refused to stop no matter how hard I tried.

“Okay, honesty time: it's not that I don't want to. I can't."
Elijah raised an eyebrow. I knew that his was confused by my words.

"What does that mean?"

I worked up the courage to tell him "Because, I have a history of not being able to show myself in public. I... I was wanted."

Elijah's eyes filled with wonder.