December 5, 2010. It was the first day of the rest of their lives. The hopefuls for the tenth season of American Idol shuffled into the Pasadena Sheraton. This is where they would reside for the remainder of the Hollywood rounds. The contestants were packed like a can of sardines as they moved in the large pack.
As they entered the hotel, there were two boards posted in the middle of the lobby that informed contestants what room they would be staying in. They also revealed with whom they would share these rooms. The area was densely populated, so many contestants decided to wait before approaching the board.
After about five minutes, the contestants dissipated and twenty year-old Haley Reinhart, from Wheeling, Illinois, walked up to the girl's board. She searched tirelessly for her name with no luck.
"Wait, is this the girl's board?" a nineteen year-old Casey Abrams, from Idyllwild, California asked as he approahced the young lady and scratched his brown-orange beard.
"Uh, yeah," Haley replied as she turned to him, "the guy's board is the one right next to this one."
"Oh, of course!" he playfully hit himself on the head, "Thanks. My name's Casey Abrams, by the way."
She laughed at his silliness and stuck out her hand, "I'm Haley Reinhart."
They shook hands and shared a gaze for a few short moments, which felt like an eternity. Casey could get lost in those gorgeous brown eyes of her's. He took the time to search her face and explore her hair. She was the most beautiful woman he ever saw. He was breathless. They continued to hold hands as Haley was discovering his face. She loved his out-of-control, brown-orange curls that made his bright blue eyes stand out. She definitely thought he was intriguing and believed he could make a great companion.
The two finally broke their hand shake and took a moment to regain their thoughts. Casey finally restarted their conversation.
"So, uh, what was your audition song," Casey stuttered.
"'Oh Darlin' by the Beatles," she replied with a grin plastered to her face, "what was yours?"
"'I Don't Need No Doctor' by Ray Charles," he said as flashed a smile revealing his little teeth.
"So we're into that old stuff aren't we, Mr. Abrams?" Haley flirted.
"I suppose we have a similar taste in music, Ms. Reinhart," Casey replied equally flirty.
Just then, there was an announcement coming over the loudspeaker that commanded contestants to get to their rooms within the next ten minutes. The new friends we obviously disappointed and frowned. They didn't want the sun to set on the dawn of a new relationship, but they accepted.
They exchanged their room numbers and Casey asked for a hug. Haley accepted as she wrapped her arms around his neck and Casey wrapped his arms around her waist. They felt electricity penetrate their bodies and they were breathless. They didn't want to let go because of this surge of warmth and emotions.
They finally let go, took a deep breath, and looked away as they giggled to themselves.
"When will I see you again?" Haley near whined as she grabbed his hands, recovering from her feelings.
"We'll see each other during the whole audition provess," Casey smiled at her churlish attitude, "which starts tomorrow. So, I might see you in the audience."
She smiled and nodded as she turned away to pick up her bag. She bid him a reluctant farewell and took off in the direction of her room. Casey stood there, awe-stricken. He can't believe he had met an insanely beautiful woman that didn't immediately reject him. He had to get to know her; he was not going to let such an accepting woman slip away from him.
While walking off to the elevator, Haley thought about how she longed for her new friend. Despite just meeting him, she knew she needed to get to know him better. Casey Abrams. She knew she would never forget that name, or that face.