The Quantum 5

Chapter 1

Beep beep beep' rang the alarm at Cindy Campbell's bedside table, dragging her out of an adventurous dream.

'Arghh' she yawned, rubbing her sleepy eyes with the back of her right palm.

Groaning, she rolled towards the direction of the sound, groggily pulling her hand out of the warmth of her bed to hit the alarm off.

Once she had successfully turned off the incessant beeping of the alarm, she settled back in her bed sighing. She reached her arms out towards the ceiling, stretching and yawning.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, her blurry vision quickly adjusting to the surrounding.

The morning sunlight that came through the window beautifully highlighted the features of her room. She could hear the melodious chirping of birds in the background and could feel the warmth of the sunlight.

Sunlight?

She shot a dirty look at the alarm clock.

8:05

'Oh shit! I am running late'. Last night, she hadn't been out late. The problem had been falling asleep. She had been too excited, thinking about the auditions. It has been her and Sam's childhood dream and it was about to come true.

Scrambling out of bed, she dashed to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, took a quick shower and changed to a knee length and a sky blue crop top with a black 4 inches heel. The guys were wearing same colors of cloth but a shirt and trouser instead.

She pulled her hair into a bun and applied some mascara, nude lipstick and a little blush. She picked up her black clutch which contained her mobile phone, credit card, some money and other girlie stuffs. Looking at the time and realising that she had only 30 minutes left and no time for a breakfast, she hurried to the elevator and rushed down to the bus station.

*****

Cindy sat waiting impatiently for the bus at the bus station. She took her phone out of her bag and checked the time.

Damn bus always takes forever, she thought.

She proceeded to check her phone for any notifications.

Nothing. No missed calls. No messages. Why would there be anyways? Ashley would be mad at me right now. Sighing, she tossed her phone back in her bag.

Her thoughts drifted to her first day in Empire State College. After the tragic death of her dad and Sam, her twin brother, her and her mom couldn't cope with the memories and the pain. They decided that they needed a fresh start so they moved from Madrid to New York, closer to her grandma and her aunt Maura.

She made a vow to herself to avoid socials on her new school, especially the music department because it reminded her so much of Sam and the acapella group they created in Western college. And those memories still hurt. A whole lot.

Unfortunately, her hopes were shattered when she was discovered in an art exam where she had to do a duet with Blake Thompson. The duet became the talk of the whole school and all the music groups started trying to audition her.

Lauren Parker, the most popular girl in Empire States and leader of 'Spicy gurlz' wasn't left out either. Lauren and her minions pressurized her but she didn't budge because she couldn't stand Lauren's sassy and arrogant attitude. Besides, becoming one of Lauren's 'dolls' didn't quite cut it. All they knew how to do was gossip about boys and becoming the next head cheerleader like it is their only aim in life.

However, when the pressure became much, she decided to join her cousin, Brittany Jones' group which was led by Ashley Cameron. Brittany had invited her to watch their rehearsals and she had really enjoyed it. It was the unity and love she witnessed that helped her decide. They were like a family and she felt a connection with them. Coincidentally, Blake Thompson, her 'famous' duet partner also belonged to the group. It really wasn't a tough decision to make.

It has been a year now and she was glad she made that decision.

She checked her time again and sighed. Today was the auditions for regionals. They have been practicing for this day for the past 5 months. This has always been Sam's dream and she wants to live that dream for him. But how would she do that if she's late?

Lost in her thoughts, the red bus suddenly appeared and she was all too happy to push her thoughts away.

*****

'I can't believe this. It's finally here'. Brittany was full of excitement. This was the long awaited day. Their chance at fame.

'Yeah it is too good to be true'. Ryan Reynolds smiled as Ashley made her way towards them.

'Okay everyone, gather round'. She looked around noticing Cindy's absence. 'Where is Cindy?'. The blank expressions on their faces told her that Cindy was late.

'What the hell is wrong with her. We were all expected to be here by 9 and we have been called in. What are we going to do?'. Pacing up and down, frustration clearly etched upon her face, she kept on mumbling and cursing.

'I guess she's running late. I know she won't...' Brittany was cut short when she noticed a familiar brunette running towards them. 'Speaking of the devil, here she is'.

'Look who finally decided to show up'. Ashley sighed, her face etched in a despondent manner.

'I'm so sorry Ash,... you know... I'm not like this... I... It's just... The alarm... I had a problem with the...'. Cindy looked at her apologetically while huffing and puffing. Her hands were placed on her hips as she tried to calm her breath. Her heart was pumping so hard and sweat ran down her spine. She hadn't done much exercise lately so the little run took a toll on her.

'Only when we pass this audition and make it to the next round, would your apology be accepted'. Ashley said, her resolve melting. Keeping up her leadership act, she turned to the others. 'Everyone get your acts together and lets go in'.