"Okay so let's think this through. Who do we know that will most probably, basically definitely, make Now United?" Noah pulled out a notebook from his backpack and a blue G-20 pilot pen, definitely the best pens ever made.
"Well that's easy." Hina stuffed some popcorn into her face, pausing to chew. "Any from Brazil."
"Really?" Noah raised his eyebrows.
Hina nodded. "Definitely. Rumor has it she is the voice of Moana in Brazil and that she can really sing. Also she's the only one left from Brazil."
Right now Noah, Hina, and Shivani were sitting in Hina, and now basically also Shivani's room. They were eating some snacks that Noah had brought from his room. It had been an hour since the first round of eliminations had been announced, and now Noah and Hina were trying to make sense of these groups.
"I mean I'm sure there aren't any guarantees. Besides we're not even done auditioning yet!" Shivani sat down next to Hina and Noah on the floor.
Hina patted Shivani's head. "Oh little one...So innocent. So pure."
Shivani gave her a strange look, "What do you mean?"
"I mean...not all of us are auditioning at the same level of uncertainty. There are some people who are pretty much guaranteed a spot on Now United...we just have to figure out who they are." Hina said it so matter-of-factly that for the millionth time Shivani wondered if she should tell them about Josh being a "lock."
Noah nodded. "Exactly." He wrote down Any's name and the letter A next to it as well.
"Also write down Sina," Hina said.
"Really?" Shivani raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah I mean think about it. We started the week off with three Germans which means that they really want someone from Germany in Now United and now she's the only one left." Hina shrugged. "Besides, I think Simon think she has a certain amount of swag and...well, it doesn't hurt that a certain someone is starting to be shipped with her."
Hina winked at Noah who was turning bright red. Shivani smiled. That meant that Josh probably wasn't a lock for Now United and if Shivani continued playing cupid between Sina and Noah, she could help them fall in love and help him be in the group. Wow this was perfect! Except Noah didn't really seem to agree with that...
"You know I don't really get where people are getting their information from. There's really nothing happening between us!" He looked nervously over at Shivani, but he couldn't hold eye contact for long.
Hina laughed, "Well, duh. I mean realistically if you do get into Now United, the last you want is to be dating someone...I mean, hello? Major drama! It's just the perception that you can be shipped by fans that matters."
Huh? Was Hina right? That sounded awfully similar to what Bailey had said. Bailey...who Shivani was now fake dating for the shipping. This was a strange journey to say the least.
"Okay anyways...I think Diarra and Krystian are probably locked in too," Noah said.
Hina nodded, "Yes for sure. I heard Diarra won a bunch of singing competitions in Senegal and she's the only one Simon brought back from Senegal so that's looking good."
Shivani was now acutely aware of the fact that Arshia was still here also competing to represent India in Now United. At this point, Shivani had started to accept the fact that maybe she wouldn't be in the group, but...she could at least help her friends make it into Now United.
"Okay so that leaves us with...," Noah glanced down at his list, "Any, Sina, Diarra, and Krystian and they are all... well, they're all in Group A."
"Are you sure? Wait let me see that." Hina took the list from Noah and furrowed her brow. "Hmm...you're right."
"Well, that means Hina, you're safe! That's a good thing." Shivani smiled.
"But...that means you guys aren't." Hina shook her head, "Maybe you're right. Maybe this doesn't mean anything."
Noah shrugged. "Well little Shiv, we're in this together I guess." He shrugged and held out his hand for a high five.
She laughed and gave him a high five.
"No guys stop! I'm not making it without you both with me, okay?" Hina looked around and Shivani and Noah both shrugged. "I said, okay?"
"Yeah sure Hina." Noah seemed a little disheartened.
"Okay stop. We really don't know what's going to happen and if we're still here, that means Simon still sees something in us and there is no way that you won't impress him Noah!" Shivani put her hands on his holder to shake him back to happiness.
Noah started laughing, "Ah! Okay okay okay fine. I won't give up if you don't. Besides, after seeing your dance, there's no way Simon won't pick you over Arshia."
"Okay now that we've got that figured out, I think we should talk about you and Sina." Shivani wiggled her eyebrows at Hina as Noah turned red again.
"Yeah Noah... what's going on with that huh?" Hina started laughing. "Dude if you could see your face right now!"
Shivani started laughing too and Noah look so embarrassed. "Guys, nothing is happening! I don't like her!"
Hina looked at Shivani, "Do we believe him?"
Shivani shook her head, "Nope! What's their ship name?"
"Hmm...Nina?" Hina thought about it for a second.
"Actually I think it's Noart!"
"Yes, Shivani you're a genius!" Hina looked over at Noah who was staring down with a lot of intensity. "Noah? Do you approve?"
"Guys, there's really nothing going on between us! I swear!" Noah said. "Besides, if there's anyone we should be grilling, it's Shivani!"
What? Why? Oh shoot...Bailey. She'd forgotten about that for a second. "Me? I'm just chilling. No drama. No boys. Rice purity score? Basically 100!" Thanks to Bailey it was probably a 97 now.
"You have a 100?" Hina said, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, anyway...yeah Shivani what's with you and Bailey?"
"Me and Bailey? Whaaaat? Um nothing. Friends. Not even friends really, you know? More like a couple of acquaintances who can stand each other now and have decided to be cordial and now that we're in the same group especially we figured, uh, that we should talk." Shivani realized she talking too much. She decided to shut up. "So, uh, yeah."
"Dude we were totally kidding, but uh clearly we hit a nerve." Hina laughed, "So do you like him now?"
"What?" Noah said. Well, it was pretty loud so he might as well have yelled it.
"Uhh no." She couldn't exactly tell them why she was pretending to have a romantic connection with Bailey because she didn't want to hurt Noah's feelings. "But I realized, he's not...the worst person in the world."
"You're talking about Bailey! He is the worst person ever!" Okay now Noah was yelling and Hina realized it too.
"Okay Noah, ha, just calm down a little bit." Hina laughed a little awkwardly.
"Sorry. Look, I'm just looking out for you Shivani."
"I get that Noah, but...I don't need you to look out for me. I'm not some bright-eyed, gullible little girl!"
"Okay, but you don't know guys! Guys like Bailey will hurt you!" Noah used his arms to emphasize the hurt or something. It would have been kind of funny, but Noah was being weird and Shivani really didn't want to have this conversation or to fight.
"Guys like Bailey? What does that mean? Do you even know him? No, you don't! But you make all these assumptions about people. I don't think judging him makes you any better of a guy!" Shivani had no idea why she was defending Bailey, but Noah's snap judgements were making her uncomfortable.
Hina tried to diffuse the tension once again. "Hey maybe we should-"
"Are you seriously trying to compare me to Bailey? Bailey? I'm nothing like him! And honestly, I didn't think you were the type of person to fall for the typical rockstar boy!"
Hina stood up. "Okay, I'm going to go talk to Ylona. You guys better sort this out before I come back!" She left, but Shivani barely registered her words because she was too busy because confused about why she and Noah were fighting.
"Are you serious? I don't like him! He's not even my type!" Shivani really didn't know what was happening and why she was arguing with Noah. Noah! Her best guy friend who was really wholesome.
"Really? What's your type then?"
"I don't know! Not a douchebag? Someone nice and someone I'm friends with and someone like...like, I don't know! Why are we talking about this?"
"Someone like who?" Noah took a step towards Shivani and his voice had gotten a lot softer now. "Someone like who, Shivani?"
What was it with guys taking steps towards her to intimidate her? This was weird. She had to make this less weird somehow. So naturally she jumped and yelled, "NOAH CENTINEO!" Which clearly caught Noah off guard and then Shivani realized she picked the one celebrity with the same name as her Noah. Well not her Noah, but her friend Noah. What was happening?
"Cool. Well, just be careful okay?" Noah said after a minute, clearly confused. What answer was he expecting?
Shivani nodded. "I think I maybe need to practice, but...see you after auditions tonight?"
Noah nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'll tell Hina we're done...talking." He walked out and Shivani sat down in the middle of the room. What had just happened?
This was weird. She didn't know who she could talk to. Well... there was one person. She grabbed her phone and went to the one person whose room she had promised herself she wouldn't go back to - Bailey May.