It's always good to know the competition

Looking around nervously Bria headed over to the other girls, telling herself that it was just good strategy to get to know the competition. Not because she was afraid of all these black people. No way.

"Hi, I'm Bria," she said brightly, thrusting out her hand.

The three girls, who'd been locked in frosty conversation, turned all that chilliness towards her.

"Barbie," one finally said, but didn't make a move to shake.

"Candi," said the second, following the lead of the first.

"Bambi," said the third, also not shaking.

Bria kept the smile pasted on and the hand outstretched for just a moment more.

"Wow, great names," she said, fighting back a smirk as they looked at her with suspicion.

"So you're here to become famous?" she asked.

The three stared at her, then each other. "Uh, yeah," Barbie said with a smirk. "A chance of a lifetime. I'd kill to get this role."

Bambi and Candi stared at her before something clicked and Bambi nodded vigorously, her brittle hair flopping about her pasty face. "Yeah. I just hope none of you rigged this somehow."

"Rigged?" Bria asked.

Bambi smirked. "You know, made nice with a producer or something?"

"Ooh," Candi said with a yellow smile. "Casting couch, you mean? Well I'll never tell just how far I went to make sure they pick me."

"I bet it wasn't as far as I went," Barbie retaliated.

"They'll pick me,"Barbie said, her hard features settling into utter confidence after a wink.

"You, uh, you know who the producer is?" Bria asked, brain whirling. She was no stranger to currying the judges votes with sexual favors. It had been something her fellow contestants were rather frank about, and she soon got to know every judge intimately at every show.

"Oh sure," Barbie smirked, her thin lips twisting. "He was with some of the crew..." she started to motion to a door not too far away, but the other girls grabbed her.

"Don't tell her!" Candi hissed.

"We don't want her to, you know..." Bambi muttered, but Bria caught every word and her eyes fastened hungrily on the door. So that was where the powers-that-be were, she thought.