Mating Call

Part 2

The time period for the singing trial had come to an end and the hostess announced the next trial was for modeling. A large screen descended from the ceiling of the stage and a slideshow was projected onto it. A professional photo of the first candidate, Elliot Abbey, was displayed for a few seconds, before switching to a topless image of Zach Abel. Girls whipped out their phones and began making note of the names of the "hottest" guys and even taking pictures to keep the visual at hand. Henry Kamsdeli's was clearly the most elaborate and displayed his riches more than himself. He was draped across a black velvet sofa with his hand resting on an elegant snow leopard. He wore a burgundy silk robe and gave a sinful smirk to the camera. I had to squeeze my eyes shut in horror, but most of the girls were squealing with delight.

Talia nearly fainted when Zander's updated picture was displayed, and I took the opportunity to tease her some more. Cassian's picture popped up shortly after Zander's and I looked around to catch any of the reactions of nearby girls. Cassian's picture was classy and defined him quite well. He stood leaned up against a brick wall with a huge grin on his face, clearly the result of someone telling an amazing joke right beforehand.

The rest of the presentation went on for over an hour. At some point around the last names starting with "N" I had dozed off. Talia shook me awake and pointed back up at the stage. The hostess explained that we would, once again, connect our listening devices to the code of each of five boys and would be listening to their explanation of why they should be selected. I typed in Cassian's name in the first slot of my five, followed by four more possible options. I then connected my listening device to Cassian's code and awaited his harmonious voice.

"Hi there!" Cassian began with a tone that sounded to be a mixture of cheer and nervousness. "I'm Cassian and I'm 16-years-old... although, I'm pretty sure you already know that," he laughed, causing my cheeks to tingle slightly.

"All my life, my mother and father have been preparing me for this moment, so I should know what I'm doing, right? I'm sorry, I'm getting off-topic... I'm just so nervous. It feels weird advocating myself out to girls I might not have even seen before, but I guess that's just how the system works. If you are looking for someone who will always be honest and who will always be there to support you, I'm your guy. I want to be your best friend, not just your mate. I feel like some bird, flaunting off my body and trying to win you over with an impressive mating call. If you are seriously considering picking me, I ask you to forget about everything you have seen and heard from me; just focus on this last message. If you want someone who will raise a family with you as an equal, choose me. If you want someone who will laugh with you until three in the morning, choose me. If you want someone who will tease you, but also care for you, choose me. But, most importantly, if you are willing to love me for a person and not just a trophy, then choose me. I'm tired of being objectified, so if you are willing to break the status quo with me, then I'll say it again... choose me."

I didn't even notice the tears rolling down my burning cheeks, and luckily none of the other girls did either. I wanted to live the rest of my life with Cassian-- my best friend. I feared losing him to some stranger who's opinion of him was based solely on his appearance and voice. I didn't even listen to the arguments of the four other boys, for I knew that the only person in Kamsdeli-- the only person in the entire world-- for me was Cassian.