Contestant 157...
An envelope was stuck under the welcome mat to the Carter's house. Luke had disappeared once again after Nora's refusal to marry him again, while Eli on the other hand had spent the past week in his bed. Eli got up this morning to his phone ringing as Izzy was calling him; a new daily routine. Walking into the kitchen Eli remembered there was no food in this house and walked outside with the intent to go to the store. Ignoring it at first he turned around to lock the door, then before walking out to his truck he picked it up and jumped into his vehicle. Throwing the envelope with important stamped on the outside in the passenger seat he took his wallet out of the glove compartment and checked to see how much he had to buy food.
Reversing out of the driveway, Eli glanced over at the envelope imagining what was inside of it as he drove into town parking in the store's parking lot. Slamming the door shut, he walked into the store and grabbed the staple items and kitchen should have in it: milk, eggs, juice, bread, peanut butter, butter and a few other things. Paying the woman, she looked at him and asked how had he cut his face. Eli's injuries from that last episode were almost all healed except a few cut. Shrugging and saying, "just being a stupid teenager," and walked away.
Pulling into his driveway and parking he grabbed the envelope and opened it revealing a letter,
"Dear Mr. Carter,
In this letter..."
Eli finished reading the letter then slammed his fist on the steering wheel hard, letting off a loud horn blast. Vulgar language escaped his lips as he unleashed his anger out on the steering wheel before resting his head on it. He pulled out of the driveway again and drove back into town this time to a different place. Looking in the mirror before getting out of the truck, Eli mad sure he looked semi decent before walking through the double doors. Walking up to the counter, one, two, three. Introducing himself and asking where Mr. Cardiff's office would be located, four, five, six. Getting into the elevator, seven, eight, nine. Knocking on his door, ten, one, two. Sitting in the leather chair, three, four, five. With the slightest movement of his lips Eli told himself to focus, six, seven. The door opened and shut once more and an old man sat across of Eli, eight, nine, ten.
"I see you received the letter that is meant for your father," He looks at his clipboard, "Eli Carter, son of Mr. Luke Carter and deceased Mrs. Stacy Carter." Swallowing a lump in his throat Eli almost nodded his head, but managed to choke out a single word, yes. The man who was, Dr. not Mr. Cardiff was sitting across from Eli began to speak once again.
"Your father, I see is on a list for a kidney transplant. The reason I sent this letter out to you is because with the normal hospital he would have to wait longer than he would probably live for and we have a donor that in a month will be able to give up their kidney and Luke's dad was my friend so I wanted to give him the opportunity if he wanted, however I'm not sure if the expenses will be too much or not."
Eli wished he could have just seen Luke die due to his choices, but before he could truly think the words flew out of his mouth, "He'll take it and the expenses will be covered." Dr. Cardiff's face lit up like a street lamp lights a street. He then began to dig through his drawers pulling out paper after paper. "Bring these to me as soon as possible, either one of you, Luke or yourself." And with that he politely excused Eli from his office and his secretary June gave him the doctors hours and Eli was back out at his truck before he knew what had just happened.
Getting home once again, he grabbed a piece of bread making toast with apple juice for his breakfast. The papers were sitting at Luke's spot at the table and Eli was in the living room with the television on. Although, he was drifting off to sleep after eating and watching a random show. Today was one of the first time Eli felt like getting up and he now almost regret it. Waking up to a knock on the door, he got up and opened the door.
"Dude if you're going to do that contest I told you about you need to tell the people by today because they audition this Monday, which is in two days."
Then the kid hopped back on his skateboard and sped off before Eli could even say a single word. Then Eli reached into his pocket as he remembered these were the ones he wore on his birthday. The paper was folded in rectangle three times; Eli unfolded and read the paper.
"Think you can sing or play an instrument or both, if you received this then you have been hand selected by our recruiters to enter this contest. Grand prize is fifty thousand dollars and a guaranteed record label deal. Auditions will be held the Monday after you've receive this paper or the Monday after if you received this on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Please call us at least one day in advance before auditions so we can give you a number and tell you where the auditions are. Hope to see you soon!"
Closing the door Eli phoned the number and got a voice mail, so he left a message and asked to be called back. This was just what he would need to help pay for the surgery even if he truly didn't want Luke to go through it. Eli decided to ask Jeremy and Izzy what he should prepare to sing for the competition and he invited them over to his house for the first time in a while. A quick flashback to what happened last time started to cross Eli's mind, but he told himself that it's been almost a year since that happened and things are getting better, even it if was a lie to himself it stopped the flashback. About an hour later the brother and sister duo walked into the house scaring Eli as he walked out of the bathroom.
"(Whatever you would say in this situation), guys knock first, then wait for me to let you in."
"Best friends just walk in, read the rule book."
"Wait there's a book?"
"Wow someone's a little gullible."
"Izzy tell your brother to be a little nicer to his quote on quote best friend."
With that she shoved her brother and they all headed down stairs to wear Eli would consider his studio is. Jeremy asked Eli what songs he has sung already in any public performance and he wrote them down. Then Izzy ran back outside to grab her laptop to check what songs he sang with the videos she had taken. After watching hours, upon hours, of videos Eli's phone rang.
"Hello Eli, I'm glad you called which means you have been chosen and I hope to see you at the park in Glendale which is the town next to yours Monday at eight in the evening. Please visit this website that is being sent to your email you left us and fill out a waiver and application. Congrats on being contestant number one hundred fifty-seven. Don't forget eight pm sharp or you will miss your audition. Prepare one song you have never sang before to wow us with, good night Mr. Carter."
They ordered a pizza and spent finished watching the last video by seven in the morning. Yawning Eli and the gang took a nap until twelve and then went back to deciding what song to sing. Eli went onto YouTube and pulled up a song he was thinking about singing, but not playing since he wouldn't have enough time to learn the song successfully. Singing along with the intro Eli felt confidence he had lost in the past months.
"I'm a realist and optimist, but I swear to you I'm not getting over this. Walking tall in a small town, full of yourself when you're feeling down and that's all that matters to you. Can't pretend anymore. Talk is cheap, I've said that before, but you can still taste it and that's one more reason why you're never gonna make. I have enough of all the talk on how you're saving me. Talk like you're self-assured, but all you are is history."
"Eli that song is perfect for you, you have to sing it you'll surely qualify for the next round."
"I agree with Izzy that song is almost meant for you dude."
"So agreed All You Are is History is the winner."
Everyone nodded and Jeremy had to go talk on the phone with his girlfriend as they were having issues in their relationship and Izzy left to pick up lunch. Eli ran upstairs as the thought that life was beginning to return to normal in a sense that his normal wasn't the average normal. He grabbed his acoustic and returned to the basement to attempt to learn a different song on guitar in case he actually did make it to the next round of the contest.
When Izzy returned Jeremy left leaving his sister with Eli and the two of them rehearsed the song then watched a movie marathon of random comedies. In the middle of an argument about which Adam Sandler movie was better, Billy Madison or Water Boy. A head appeared around the corner of the stairs leading to the basement, Luke. He didn't say anything which was odd and left the two to the movie they were watching. Eli looked at Izzy and then focused back on the movie. The worst movie they decided to watch was American Psycho with Christian Bale and Jared Leto in it. Eli was just disturbed throughout the whole movie and then they watch a cartoon movie about a ghost.
Izzy went home around nine and then Eli grabbed the empty Chinese food containers and glasses to bring upstairs. Luke was sitting at the table filling out the papers Eli received a day ago. Neither one said a word to each other for the duration Eli was in the kitchen. Later that night, Eli heard a knock on his door then a paper or papers were slide under his door. Eli grabbed them putting them on the dresser beside his bed crawling back into bed to hopefully get a good night's rest before the contest tomorrow night.
"Monday morning, rise and shine to the beautiful world, today is going to be awesome, and you need to be ready for tonight!" a feminine voice yelled as Eli was stirring from sleep, "Don't you dare say oh god why is Izzy yelling at twelve in the afternoon mister." Jumping out of bed Eli ran to the bathroom to get a quick shower as she picked out his clothes for tonight and well for today. Getting out of the shower Eli was truly excited for today and couldn't wait to perform again.
When Iz heard the shower turn off she opened the bathroom door slightly and stuck the clothes into the bathroom with her hand and then shut the door giving him privacy as she went downstairs to finish fixing lunch for Luke and Eli. Making chicken quesadillas from her mom's sisters family recipe she had asked Luke if he would mind running to get some ingredients. Eli ran downstairs after getting changed to be welcomed to the smell of his favorite Mexican meal besides tacos.
Luke was sitting next to Izzy eating a quesadilla calmly which to Eli was an arbitrary sight, one he almost never knew could exist. Izzy pointed to the plate across from her and next to Luke and he sat down and began to devour the food, and boy did a home cook meal taste appealing to him. Luke disappeared shortly after Eli had come downstairs leaving him with Izzy to do whatever until they had to leave.
"Let's head over to the park and hangout their until it's show time." They both said and the two drove separately so neither would have to drive each other home after. Half an hour later Eli pulled into the park's lot and threw the truck into park shutting the engine down. A few kids were at the park playing baseball, one or two moms with little kids were there on what looked to be a playdate. It looked like the scene out of a movie from the 1990's, as Izzy went to swing and Eli rode around on his skateboard for the first time in a while and around five Eli left to grab some Taco Bell for dinner arriving back at the park by six to watch other people perform. Not to his knowledge, Eli was the only one performing tonight. After waiting two dreadful hours it was audition time. Exactly at eight a van pulled up and set up a small stage and he was told to perform and with just the guitar he prerecorded he began to sing All You Are Is History by State Champs.
"...speak slow, I want you to know that I'm a realist and an optimist, but I swear to you, I'm not getting over this. No, No, I'm not getting over this. You've got the right to be all that you wanna be and that's extraordinary. Is it worth the risk? (Can you handle it?) I can't pretend anymore. You don't wanna leave, you said that before. Oh, but you can still taste it and that's one more reason why you're never gonna make...Fall back in line, it's too much to expose. IT's your design and that's the way it goes. I think I know my limits. And how to make good decisions. It hits home, so just go..."
Eli reopened his eyes after the last note and looked at the people who he had just sung in front of, each one out of the five were looking at him with jaws on the ground. The taller woman was the first to speak, "I say he's awfully damn good, I'll give him a pass to the next round anyone agree." Another spoke and asked if singing was the only musical talent he had; Eli explained that he had prerecorded the guitar for this song, but since it was a short notice he didn't want to rush learning it and potentially messing up at his audition.
"He qualifies under the three g's. Good looks, voice, and talent. I say he's made it through the first round." The guy in the middle said, who Eli guessed was the director or person in charge of the contest. "Tune into channel 75 this next Monday and find out if you have made it to the next round, but I'm pretty sure you have already made it Eli Carter, welcome and hope to get to know you better." With that they all left and Izzy walked up to Eli hugging him saying he did amazing.
After telling Izzy to watch channel 75 at eight next Monday they said their goodbye and parted ways. Eli got in his truck when his phone began to play Angel's Fall by Breaking Benjamin and as an unknown caller appeared on the screen. Answering the call, Eli found out it was Dr. Cardiff calling saying that Luke had brought the papers in and next month from today he'd be going into surgery for a kidney transplant. After saying good, Eli spent the next half hour driving home, but stopping at a gas station to fill up the truck before pulling back into his drive way. Walking up to the front door all the lights in the house seemed to be turn off meaning either no one was home or Luke was actually asleep.
Cranking the doorknob clockwise, he took a step inside the silent abode and ran upstairs to the somewhat safety of his room. Changing out of the shorts and taking his shirt off, Eli climbed into bed and was asleep before he could even tell he was tired. That night he dreamt of a reality where his mom was still alive, Izzy was his girlfriend, Luke was an actual dad and nothing seemed to be wrong. That is until the dream took a violent turn as a storm came in and took Stacy away and Luke turned into a monster. Izzy at that point in the dream was just forgotten about and disappeared as he had to face the monster in front of him. The next morning Eli got up and went to the gym to work out, since he told himself that being on a televised show meant he had to keep up with an appearance.
Wednesday morning Eli got up and cut his hair to a reasonably medium length and decided he would have to keep it like that for a while. He fixed himself a decent breakfast and Luke managed a civil conversation with his son, which hasn't happened in a year or two. Later that day Izzy sent Eli the video from his audition she secretly recorded so he would be able to see what he needed to fix or improve on for the next round of the competition. Luke disappeared that night and Eli found out that Luke worked a night shift as a janitor at the clinic and applied to work at Frank's garage in town.
Thursday afternoon, Eli drove over to the King's to learn how to play his next song since Jeremy knew how to play it perfectly. Izzy sat and watched the boys for about an hour before she went to hang out with one of her friends she met from orientation. Eli wasn't sad that he wasn't going to college like everyone he could say were his friends were. Eli hadn't done the greatest in school since his mother's death and everything that resulted from it so he gave up on the college idea for now.
Friday Eli helped Jeremy and Izzy begin to pack for college while he was continuing this year working at the garage with Frank. The twins would leave next month for college and things would change for the three of them. She promised she would try to keep in touch with Eli, but he felt like that would change and she knew it too. Jeremy and his band was all going to the same college as he was the youngest and the others were a year ahead.
Saturday and Sunday, Eli picked up around the house and sat and had normal dinner's with "his father," Luke. Eli couldn't wait until Monday to see the show. On Monday Eli started working at the garage and learning the basics until he could begin to fix the cars. Frank told him by next month he should be able to do just about everything possible here if he wanted to. Done at seven and home by 7:30pm Eli turned on the television and watched it intensely until it gave the results. The video clips of all the selected contestants where shown; however, twenty were outlined with a green banner and the rest were with a red one. Eli inferred that the ones with green were the ones who advanced, although he didn't see his performance. Until the very of the show when the video Izzy took played for his performance instead of the one they took, nonetheless he had a green banner around his video. He made it like the people said he would.