Chapter 2: Dreams Turn Into Reality 

The drive to New York City was about an hour from Smithville, but Chance made it in half the time driving double the speed limit. She knew that she was cooked if she got caught, but for some reason she had the feeling that today nothing was going to go wrong.

Chance parked her car in a garage near the MTV studios. It was only 7:45, and she was beginning to get bored and lonely. She wandered around Times Square from one shop to another for a few hours wanting to pass the time doing something productive. As she walked through each one of the shops, Chance began to buy something that she thought would look nice at home in her room or would look good on her. After about 2 hours of shopping, Chance was worn out. She headed to a Starbucks for some coffee.

After her coffee, Chance dropped off the newly bought stuff in the trunk of her car. She walked back to the front of the studios to wait for a ticket into Total Request Live. Chance knew that if she was there early enough, she could sucker one of the producers into telling Savage Garden that it was her birthday today and have them autograph something for her.

One of the producers was already out there waiting for people to show up. Chance walked up to her and asked, "Hey, is this where I get tickets to TRL?"

"Yeah," the woman answered.

"Cool. Could I get one?"

"Yeah. Are you here to see Savage Garden?"

"Hell yes. I love them!"

"That's cool. Did you know we were doing a contest today?"

"No, what's the contest for?"

"If you win, you could do whatever you wanted with them."

Chance began to laugh. "I like the way you said that."

"Sorry, it came out wrong, but you know what I mean, right?" the lady replied.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"So, would you like to sign up for the contest? It's first come, first serve, which means you'll definitely be in it."

"Hell yes!" Chance nearly screamed. The lady handed her a slip of paper and Chance wrote all the necessary information that needed to be written on it. She handed the paper back and the lady looked down at it.

"Chance. What an interesting name," she commented.

"Yeah, it was my parents' idea. Long story," Chance replied as the lady handed her a green bracelet.

"My name is Gina. I need to tell you a few things before you enter the studio. You will have to go through a few sensors and for the contest you need to make up 7 questions you would like to ask the band. They're going to pick the girl with the most interesting questions," Gina explained as she snapped the bracelet around Chance's wrist.

"Okay, I got it," Chance replied. "Can I make up the questions now?"

"Yeah, by all means. Have fun. Be creative," Gina replied as she walked back into the building.

Chance sat down on the sidewalk to begin thinking of her questions. From her purse she pulled out a little organizer and a pen. She immediately began to think of questions that would attract attention.

Hours later and several pieces of wasted paper, Chance finally had her questions written down and memorized. Other people had already begun to line up behind her. There were three other girls that had entered, and she began to size up her competition. She knew by looking at each one of them she'd easily be able to outsmart them. One was a blond, one was a brunet, and the last one was a red head.

About an hour before the show started, three more producers came outside to bring everyone into the studio. Chance could feel her hands become ice cold. She couldn't believe that she was about to meet her idols in person. This was the moment she had been waiting for and it was finally here.

The minutes seemed to drag on until airtime when Carson Daily came out on stage to begin the countdown. Chance didn't bother to listen to him; she just wanted to see Savage Garden. Her heart was ready to explode when Carson finally announced them onto the stage. Chance jumped up from her front row seat and began to scream, jump and shout with joy. A camera focused on her as she clapped her hands. She waved into the camera as if she knew someone was watching her on TV at that moment.

Darren sat down on one of the high stools near Carson. He was wearing a long sleeved black v-neck shirt and a pair of gray leather pants. Dan sat down beside him. He wore a burgundy see-through shirt with a pair of black plastic pants, comfortable fit. They both looked out into the audience and waved to the crowd. Chance couldn't believe that she was this close and could possibly get ever closer.

Carson announced the break for commercials as Gina walked over to her and the other girls of the contest. She handed them nametags and told them to stand in front of four microphones on the stage. Chance ran to the mic nearest to Darren. She looked at him with a sweet smile, her chocolate brown eyes looking deeply into his ice blue ones. At that moment, her heart skipped a beat and she nearly fainted. Chance knew he'd be staring at her most of the day by that look.

Carson began to talk and Chance knew it was time for the contest to start. The blond girl, Susie, was up first. Her question was "So, where are you guys from?"

Chance knew immediately that she was out. The second girl, the red headed Monique, asked, "What do you guys like to do in your spare time." Chance rolled her eyes at the question.

The third girl, Bryce, was a little smarter than the first two. She asked, "If you had a chance to change something in this world, what would it be?" Chance knew that now she had competition.

It was finally her moment of truth. Chance took out the sheet of paper with her questions and began to read, "Have you ever watched 'Roswell,' and if you have, where do you think Max and Liz's relationship is going?"

Darren laughed lightly. "That was a really good question," he said with his Australian accent. Chance had always loved his accent. "I would have to say, I have watched maybe a few episodes of the show, but I do think that Max and Liz are going to get back together some time towards the end of season two."

Chance beamed confidently. "Roswell" was her favorite show and now that she knew Darren watched it, she was satisfied.

After a few more stupid questions from Susie and Monique, Bryce was up to bat again. "Where would you like to vacation?" she asked. Chance knew she was on top now. The last question was a sure sign that Bryce wasn't as smart as she though she was.

The contest went on for a few more minutes as all the girls asked their questions. Chance kept hammering out thought provoking questions at the others tried unsuccessfully to beat her.

Finally, it was the end of the contest and Chance asked her last question, "Would you ever consider taking a young, inexperienced musician and helping them get started on their career?" Immediately, she knew she was on top of her game and that she was going to win.

"Wow, that was a really good question," Dan commented. "I've never thought about doing anything like that, but I wouldn't mind helping someone onto their feet in the music industry."

"Yeah, as long as they don't get bigger than us," Darren joked. Chance laughed at his comment.

Carson stepped in and said, "Well, we'll be right back with Savage Garden and these lovely young girls in a few moments after these commercials."

Chance stood on the stage with the other three girls. Her nervousness had passed and she began feeling really comfortable with being in front of the cameras. She loved people watching her. There was something about being on stage that made her feel better and forget everything that happened to her. Carson stepped back on stage to signal that TRL was about to go live again.

"It's time to announce the two girls that are going to move on to round two," he said.
Dan smiled as he looked at the four girls that stood on stage waiting to hear their name being called. There was an uneasy silence in the room and he finally said, "Bryce." The audience clapped as she turned to hug Chance and the others.

It was Darren's turn to announce the other winner. A dead silence enveloped the room. It was so quiet that everyone could hear a pin drop. Darren gave a devilish smile and said, "The winner is..." The audience was at the edge of their seats as was Chance. She began to chew her nails becoming as tense as she ever was. Darren looked straight at her and said, "Chance!"

Chance screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't believe Darren, the hottest guy on earth, had just called her name. She hugged Bryce, Susie, and Monique all at once and began to do a little victory dance. The audience began to laugh at her. She pulled up her mic and replied, "Wouldn't you be this happy if it happened to you?"

Carson walked up to Chance and Bryce and brought them to two stools next to Dan and Darren. Chance immediately sat near Darren as if to say, 'Stay away from him, he's mine!' Soon after, the second round of the contest began. This time it was Savage Garden asking the questions.

Dan was first. His question was directed towards Bryce and was about things she liked to do. She said a few things that made her feel really stupid. Chance could see that she wasn?t good under pressure.

As soon as Bryce finished her answer, Darren asked, "Chance, what made you pick out that outfit?"

'This is going to be easy,' Chance thought. "Well, I was at home looking through my closet and I found this old shirt that I absolutely love because the fur. The skirt was a present from my grandparents on my 17th birthday, so they'll be happy to see that I finally wore it. By the way, hi Grandma, hi Grandpa. Anyway, onto the boots, which are the coolest thing I have because they go up to my knees and make my legs look great," she answered confidently.

Darren laughed at her last comment. "They do look pretty good on you, by the way."

Chance smiled. She loved the attention she was receiving from Darren. It was all she wanted today, even if she didn?t win the contest. After a few more questions, Dan and Darren were on their last question. Both girls got the same one, "Why are you here?"

Bryce answered, "I've always wanted to meet you guys, and I'm really happy that I did because even if I don't win, I'll always have this memory."

'Damn,' Chance thought. 'I'm screwed unless I can think of something better.'

Darren turned to her and asked, "So, why are you here today?"

Chance thought for a minute. "I'm here because meeting you guys was something I've wanted to do ever since my parents died. It was your music that helped me move on with my life after the tragedy, and I wanted to just tell you that I am forever grateful," she finally spilled out, tears nearly pouring from her eyes. Her shaky hand reached up to wipe them away before any could fall down her cheek. Darren stood up and gave her a hug.

Dan stood up and said, "I think we have our winner."

Chance and Darren parted when they heard the news. Chance's tears immediately became tears of joy as a smile spread across her face. Both her hands instantly went up to her face as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. Carson came up beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"So, what's your wish?" he asked.

Chance looked up to him with a clueless expression on her face. "I don't know," she said in a giggle.

"Well, you have time to think about it during the commercials. We'll be right back after this break," Carson said as the cameras cut rolling. He walked Chance back towards Dan and Darren. One of the crewmembers had already brought out a chair for her to sit between them. Taking her place, both Dan and Darren put their arms around her and congratulated her for a stunning victory.

"So, what would you like to do now that you've won?" Dan asked.

"You know, that was the last thing on my mind," Chance replied as she looked at him. "I never thought I was going to win. Now that I did, I can't think of a single thing."

"Can you sing?" Darren asked.

"Yeah, very well. Thank you for asking," she said.

"Good, because I'm looking for someone to record my solo album with. I have a duet written for me and a girl to sing. Maybe your voice would fit," he said. "Sing a few verses of something you like and I'll tell you if it fits."

"Okay," Chance replied as she began to think of a good song. "Got it." She cleared her throat and began to sing, "When I'm lost in the rain, in your eyes I know I'll find the light to light my way. When I'm scared, losing ground, when my world is going crazy, you can turn it all around. And when I'm down you're always there pushing me to the top. You're always there giving me all you got..."

Darren looked at Chance with an amazed expression on his face. "I never thought anyone other than Christina Aguilera could pull that off so well. I guess I was wrong," he quietly remarked. "You've got a beautiful voice. Why hasn't anyone ever heard you sing" You should be on a label with that kind of talent."

"Well, it wasn't until 2 years ago that I found out I had that gift. I started putting together demos in my parents' studio, but after the crash, I couldn't bring myself to sending them out if I didn't have representation," Chance explained. She looked down at her shoes to hide the hurt expression on her face.

"You're still upset about losing your parents, aren't you?" Darren asked as he slipped his arm around Chance's shoulders. "I know how you feel. It"s tough when you lose someone you love."

"Who did you lose?"

"I lost my wife through divorce. Our time apart was too much for her."

"I'm sorry." Chance laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe how close she was getting to someone she admired so much. The fact that Darren shared her loss was even more that she expected.

"You two look really comfortable together," Carson said as he walked over to the two. Chance immediately opened her eyes to discover that the cameras were on her and Darren. She quickly pulled away from him and straightened up in her seat.

"We were just sharing a moment," Darren said as his hand slid away from Chance's shoulders.

Carson looked over at Chance to see what she had to say, but her lips were sealed. Instead he asked, "So, have you decided on what you're gonna do now that you've won?"

"Yeah," she replied. "Darren invited me to sing on his new album, so I think I'm gonna do that."

"Cool. You can sing?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I can."

"Sing something for us."

"I'd love to." With that, Chance cleared her throat. Darren nudged her to get her attention.

"Sing what you just sang to me. That'll get people's attention," he said with an encouraging smile.

Chance repeated her performance from before, except this time, she sang only one line before Carson cut her off. "Damn, you're good," he said. "The next Christina Aguilera everyone." The crowd cheered as she stood up to take a bow.

Chapter 3: Thank You 

Home