From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel

The photographer Anna asked as she stared at the slender young man whose entire body was vibrating as he held a large cat above his head.

Seeing the green eyes practically begging her to do something, she hid a smile before asking,

"Would you like a break?"

"Please."

"Alright! Let's all take 10 while I send this copy of the photos to the boss. Feel free to let the cat down."

With his arms shaking from holding Fat Boi up in various poses, Ari gently put the cat down and solemnly spoke to him.

"I think I agree with Pink Puma. You need to lose some weight. Even if you're a Maine coon, you're too heavy. Don't you want to drop the Fat from your name?"

- nyaa

It was an unmistakable sound of refusal, and to enunciate the point, Ari got a fluffy tail smacked across his face as Fat Boi stalked away in anger.

Laughing to himself, Ari walked over to Anna, and she began showing him some of the shots she had taken over the past couple of hours.

Ari had started out in a green screen suit, then pivoted to multiple variations of casual and sports clothing, formal clothing, and was now in a strange leather and fur get-up that was causing him to sweat like crazy.

And while wearing those clothes, he was forced to carry Fat Boi in different poses while trying to keep the cat cooperative.

Needless to say, he was tired, his body hurt, and he was heavily dehydrated and half blind from the bright studio lights.

But the photos actually looked pretty good.

"You're actually quite good at posing. Do you have modeling experience?"

"No, but I've seen a photographer shoot a few times. I've heard that if your body is uncomfortable, you're probably posing correctly and you should hold that position as long as possible." Ari replied while stretching his limbs.

His entire body ached, and he was coming to the realization that maybe he actually needed to put on some muscle.

Constantly carrying a thirty-pound animal was harder than he thought, but he couldn't exactly complain after pocketing 10 grand.

Making that much money when he was working part-time would take almost a year, yet he had made that in less than a day.

"Ahaha, that's true. Flattering angles are rarely comfortable for the body, but you have great proportions that fit the high-fashion model standard, not to mention your face, so it came out amazing. Speaking of which, do you mind if I post your photos on my social media account or website? Some of these shots are great if I do say so myself."

"Uh, if it's only a couple, then sure? I'm not someone who wants an excessive amount of pictures of myself on the internet."

"Aren't you trying to be a model?"

"No. I'm trying to be an idol."

Hearing that, Anna immediately gave him a pitying glance.

"You do realize that you'll have no privacy from paparazzi, especially with a face like that? I'm surprised people don't take photos of you now."

"Mask, hat, glasses, hair in face, and hoodies. I think it's been working fine." Ari proudly listed his cover items.

Anna glanced at him once more, noting the beautifully distinct features that really couldn't be hidden, before shrugging.

It was a typical situation she dealt with where beautiful people weren't aware of their beauty because they saw it so much.

"Hmmmm. Well, still look into modeling. You might as well make money from your image if people won't respect your privacy."

"I'll consider it. If the money is right, anything is possible."

"Well, if you book gigs like this, I can see it happening. And Martin is a great job to have on your portfolio."

"Who is he, by the way? Some sort of entertainment Manager?"

"The CEO of Pacific Records."

At her words, Ari did a double-take.

"I beg your pardon? He's who now?"

"You know, Pacific Records? The record label and music distributor? You mentioned wanting to be an idol and were talking about his cousin Pink Puma earlier. So I thought you knew. I think one of the labels under him is running a survival idol show along with other labels. You know the boy group BTZ? They're signed to them. I think it's Sunwave, sandwave?"

"Soundwave Music."

"Yes, exactly! He's the guy above their CEO." Anna slammed her fist on her palm in excitement.

Oh.

So he was a big shot.

Ari thought over their interaction from asking about illegal passports to up-charging excessively for a photo shoot and basically calling the guy a pervert to his face before shrugging.

What was done was done, and his first impression is what it was.

"So, why does a big, hotshot executive want so many photos of Fat Boi and models that look like me?"

"That…is above my pay grade and yours, too. Head to the makeup artist to get the sweat off your face, and let's get back to the photos. He's sent his revisions, and we should get it done before the sun rises."

"You really think it will take that long?"

Anna gave him a pitying look before laughing darkly.

**************

It did, in fact, take several hours, and by the time they got approval to stop shooting, packed up the set, and stuffed all the clothing Ari was being gifted into a suitcase, it was close to 3 am, and Fat Boi had been carried away on a plush cushion, fast asleep.

Anna had also packed her equipment and was on her way out, leaving Ari alone with the hairstylist.

"Ari! Please follow me back on social media! I would absolutely love to work with you again, and I'll make sure to tag you when I post the photos."

"Okay. Thank you again. Bye."

Both physically and mentally tired, Ari dragged himself into the hairstylist's chair, adjusted his Otterly Adorable Headband, and just stared at the man for a second.

It was a gigantic Samoan man, who said his name was Tusitala. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt that exposed the tattoos covering both of his muscular arms, and long curly hair that fell down his back.

His hands were so large that the scissors in his hands looked like a child's toy, and his facial expression was very stern.

As their eyes met in the mirror, Ari bowed his head politely.

"Hello again."

"Hello. You only wanted to dye your hair red, or did you want a haircut as well?"

"Is the haircut included in the price?"

"Yes."

"Then a cut as well, please."

Tusitala walked over, running his fingers through Ari's hair and stretching out the curls before muttering to himself for several seconds before speaking in a deep, rumbly voice.

"So what kind of cut do you want? Are you growing it out? And what's your usual routine?"

"I'm not picky, so that you can cut it however you please. I just want something that's low-maintenance and looks good. My routine is to shampoo and condition daily, and let it air dry."

"No mousse? No gel? How do you handle frizz?"

"I don't add anything, and if it frizzes, it frizzes. Since the humidity isn't too bad here, it rarely does that."

"Hmmm. And the hair color? Any particular shade of red."

"It's this one," Ari said, bringing out the envelope he had received a while back, which was bright, almost blinding, fire engine red.

"Hmmm," Tusitala muttered to himself for several more seconds before speaking again.

"Your hair is very dark, and will take many rounds of bleach to lift before being dyed this color. Since it's curly, I don't want to process it too much at once because it might damage it. I recommend partially doing it today and coming back in a couple of weeks."

"I don't have time to do it later, so if you could get it all done today, I would be grateful. Even if you have to cut it short, it's fine. But I think my hair is pretty strong."

More importantly, Ari believed in the Otterly Adorable Headband that he had been wearing diligently.

"Okay. I'll do my best to make sure your hair doesn't melt, so get comfortable. We're going to be here a while."

"Sure. I'm going to sleep, so just wake me up when you need me to move around."

[Aren't you forgetting something?]

Go away.

"Hmmm."

[Something very important?]

No, I'm not, my memory is great.

Having heard the agreement, he needed and pretended he didn't see NOVA's message, Ari immediately dozed off, only waking up when he was prompted to walk to a washbowl or sit under a dryer.

[Your loss.]

By the time he was shaken awake, he had lost all track of time and had a horrible crick in his neck.

"We're finally done. Take a look."

A hand mirror was shoved in his face, and Ari just stared at himself in shock.

Fire engine red curls that were looser than usual were cut in a layered style that flowed around his face and barely brushed the back of his neck.

"Thankfully, your hair is quite strong, and the curls survived the three rounds of bleach. I tried giving you a variation of a wolf cut. As it gets longer, it should grow out nicely, and you can tuck it behind your ears or easily put it up. If you add a mousse and scrunch it, it might look better and be less frizzy. What do you think?"

"I look hideous. I can't go out like this."

"You don't like it?"

Ari glanced back at the buff stylist, who had a grim expression, before looking at himself again.

If he pretended not to see the red color….

"It's a great haircut and the color matches exactly, so I think you did a great job. Thank you."

"You don't like it?"

"No, it's my first time dying my hair in 18 years. I'm a bit shocked. It doesn't look like me."

"Ah…I'll give you some time alone."

When the hairstylist stepped away, Ari just kept staring at himself.

The haircut was fine, it was nice, even.

It was just that….

Who the heck was this strange red-haired person looking back at him?

The hair color was so bright and blinding that Ari really wanted to buzz his hair off immediately.

But remembering that this was for a fan request from people who were constantly supporting him when they didn't have to, Ari restrained the urge to request that it be dyed black or cut off.

Once he was done with the show, he planned on reverting to his original hair color immediately.

But for now…

Digging through the suitcase of clothing that he planned on selling at the first opportunity, he found an oversized fur hat that he liked and plopped it on his head.

From now on, he would become one with the hat so he wouldn't accidentally scare himself by catching sight of the brightly coloured hair.

"Weeeeeee!"

As Ari sat there, spinning mindlessly in the hairstylist's chair, while wondering when the hairstylist would come back, he spotted a blonde man dressed in a suit just staring at him in the mirror.

Just as he began contemplating throwing something at him and running away, a calm voice sounded out.

"Mr. Matisse?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"I'm Mr. Martin's assistant. I'm here to assist you with your passport appointment. Shall we depart?"

"Let's go."

***

Surprisingly, the shortest part of his day was getting his passport.

He was in and out of the American passport office within 2 hours with his passport in hand, and would get his French passport hand-delivered the following day.

Once again, Ari vowed to amass enough money and resources so that such things would be possible for him in the future.

For now, after being dropped off, he planned on handing his passport over to the PD and asking for more information about what had actually happened to Jelissa.

As Ari was about to turn the corner and go through the side entrance, he heard a familiar sharp tone talking to a softer, feminine voice.

"What exactly do you want? I'm busy."

"Levi, sweetie. When are you planning on leaving this silly show? I allowed you to take a break from college and do this for the semester as a favor to the Forbes boy, and since it will look good on your resume, but now is the time to be serious. You've gone above and beyond, have done well, gotten your name and face out there, but now there's no value in staying since you have no plans to debut anyway."

[Oh?]

[I love gossip.]

[Get closer so we can hear more clearly.]

Ari moved accordingly, tiptoeing closer as he tried to hear the discussion.

There was a pause before Levi's sharp voice sounded out, "So? There are 4 months until the fall semester."

"Why waste time here? You've missed so many auditions, and there was a perfect role that could have launched your Broadway career. I've called in a favor, and there's still time for you to pick up a small role for the summer. You know I'm paying a lot of money for your university, and you're not even taking proper advantage of being in New York to make your own connections. Don't you think it's time to quit? It's not like you're serious about rapping, right? It's so crude."

There was another pause before Levi's voice sounded out again. "Fine. Whatever. I'll quit."

"There's my sweet boy. Should I speak with the director, or will you do it?"

"I can do it. Just go."

"Okay. I know you're quite strong-willed and will get it done in no time. Just make sure not to let them convince you of anything, okay? Then I'll contact the musical director and have them give you a private audition. For now, you need to stop cutting your hair so short and let it grow out for the role. I'll tell that silly father of yours to buy supplements. Actually, I'll just send them to his house myself. Make sure you take them, understand?"

"Fine."

"Alright, sweetie. I'll see you later."

"Mom."

"Hmm?"

"Have you gone to see grandma?"

"What?"

"I said, have you gone to see grandma or talked to her? Do you even know where she's living now?"

"Why would I do that? That person's not my mother; she's just an egg donor and a stranger. I'll see you later, sweetheart. Mwah."

The sound of heels clacking on the ground echoed in the outdoor space, and Ari quickly grabbed his suitcase and began walking forward as if he hadn't been eavesdropping.

A gorgeous woman with flowing long blonde hair, wearing a leather trench coat and high heels, walked past him without saying anything, and when Ari turned the corner, he just saw Levi standing there, staring blankly into space.

Hearing the sound of wheels on the pavement, the blond boy stared at Ari with his usual sharp look.

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"Accidentally. Are you really quitting?"

"Yes. Problem?"

Ari looked him up and down before shrugging, "Nope. If possible, quit now so we don't have to redo our song parts later."

Levi: ಠ_ಠ

"You're not going to try and stop me?"

Ari: ಠ_ಠ

Why the hell would I do that?

Not one to mince his words, especially with Levi, Ari just said how he felt.

"No. Why would I do that?"

"You've done it before. For the guy who sings well."

"Who? Carlos? Well, obviously, because he's a friend and we're close. Are you and I supposed to be close or even friends?"

At the question, Levi just stared at him blankly before turning away and entering the building.

[Wow.]

[You've become a bully.]

[I think you hurt his feelings and broke his heart.]

[Maybe he thought you guys were close?]

Since when were we close?

Ari could only scoff at NOVA's words; when had he and Levi ever been close?