Convergence - The Last Science #2.2 - Heroes and Villains

B2: Chapter 24 - Two Interviews - I

  Why did I pick German?

  Hailey didn't bother trying to talk to the crowd of reporters. For one, she'd agreed that her interview was going to be inside with Russ. No sense ruining a budding relationship for the sake of the paparazzi.

  I wonder how many magazine covers I'll get.

  Waving and smiling, Hailey made her way up the carpet and through the doors. The show staff waited just inside, and to her surprise, most of them seemed unimpressed. She was herded straight into makeup, since the show was set to go live in thirty minutes. The make-up girl just stared for a minute under an array of lights, utterly confused. Hailey shrugged, bemused, and soon enough she was sent off to the stage for sound checks.

  "Everybody looks so annoyed," she wondered aloud to the guy who was helping her strap a battery pack and transmitter onto her belt for the microphone.

  "They don't usually do live shows."

  "They?"

  "I'm from another studio. They brought us in to help." He shrugged. "Honestly, no offense, but I don't even know who you are."

  Hailey smiled. "That's okay. Nobody really did til a few days ago."

  "Huh."

  "So they're usually taped?" she prompted.

  "Yeah. I dunno if Wallace even does live. You better hope he can carry the show."

  "I'm sure it'll be fine."

  "This whole fast turnaround with no warning's pretty nuts too."

  "I kinda had to show up as late as possible and not tell anyone when I was coming," she explained apologetically.

  "Why's that, then?"

  "Security. So nobody crazy could try to shoot me out of the sky."

  The guy raised his eyebrows. "What, you flew here?"

  She grinned, and murmured a little spell under her breath, floating up into the air a few inches. She didn't want to use her wings inside and blow everything around.

  His eyebrows vanished into his bangs.

  "What the fuck..." he muttered.

  Hailey released the levitation spell, dropping to the floor with a soft thump. "So why's the turnaround so hard?" she asked, after he didn't say anything for thirty seconds.

  He managed to get back to professional really quick, to her relief. "For international TV? No one wants to be the guys who screwed up the mics, or the broadcast, or sound balance, lighting, whatever. We can do quick, and damn did makeup work fast on you, but still. Pressure's on, you know?"

  "Sorry about that," she said honestly—all while glowing from the inadvertent compliment he'd given to her. No makeup, all me. "I didn't really want to be doing this in the first place."

  He shrugged. "We're getting paid really well for this show."

  "Cool."

  He picked up a walkie from the folding table. "Check two please?"

  "Check ready."

  "Say something," he added, nodding to Hailey.

  She took a deep breath. "I'm absolutely terrified to be doing this."