A few days later, Cat was hanging out with Jade in their lounge, just relaxing on the couch. Jade was scrolling through her phone, occasionally showing Cat some random videos, when Cat's phone started buzzing. She looked at the screen and saw a number she didn't recognise.
"Should I answer it?" Cat asked, her brow furrowing.
Jade shrugged. "Could be a telemarketer. Or your chance to win a free cruise. Up to you."
"Ooh a cruise." Cat giggled, knowing she was joking but playing into the bit. She hesitantly reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, is this Cat Valentine?" a warm voice asked on the other end.
"Yes, that's me," Cat replied, sitting up straighter.
"Hi, Cat, this is Lucy from Radius Records. I work with Linda and Steve on our artist development team. We'd love for you to come in for a test session. It's just to get a sense of your range and style on a professional setup. Would you be available sometime this week?"
Cat's eyes went wide. "Oh! Um, yeah, I think so!" she stammered. But a thought crossed her mind, and she quickly asked, "Wait—did you call Andre too?"
There was a slight pause on the other end. "No, this is just for you, Cat. We'll be focusing on your vocals for this session."
"Oh... okay," she said quietly, suddenly unsure. "Let me think about it?"
"Of course. Just give me a call back as soon as you know. We'd love to get you in as soon as possible," Lucy replied before they ended the call.
As soon as the line disconnected, Jade gave Cat a look of intrigue, but the redhead didn't reply. She was focused on scrolling to Andre's number, her heart racing a little. After a few rings, he picked up.
"Heya Cat," he greeted, his tone casual.
"Did Radius call you about, um, a test session?" she asked quickly.
"Nope. Just you, I guess," he replied, sounding slightly confused.
Cat bit her lip. "I don't think I'm going to go, then."
Andre paused. "What? Why?"
"I don't want to be a singer, Andre!" Cat said, a hint of frustration in her voice. "This is your thing! You're the one who's supposed to be on the radio and performing on big stages. I just... I don't know if this is right for me."
Andre sighed, clearly trying to understand her hesitation. "Look, Cat, you've got a whole summer before College starts. Why not try it out for a little while? Just for the summer. It's not a commitment, just... see where it takes you. What's the harm in giving it a shot?"
Cat sat in silence, his words hanging in the air. He made it sound so simple, but it felt like a huge decision to her. She glanced over at Jade, who was watching her with a curious expression.
"You think?" she asked softly.
Andre chuckled. "I know. You've got something special, Cat. Just try it, and if you hate it, then fine. But at least you'll know."
"Okay." Cat gulped. "I'll call them back." She decided, ending the call with Andre and going instantly to call Lucy again.
"Hold on- catch me up?" Jade interrupted, sitting up now, trying to make sense of it all before a 3rd phone call was added to the mix.
"Oh right-." Cat realised Jade had missed most of that. "Radius called me back for a test session." She explained briefly, clicking the number and ringing it, tapping her foot nervously as the line rang.
"Radius Records, this is Lucy," the same warm voice answered.
"Hi, Lucy! It's Cat... Cat Valentine. Um, I thought about it, and... I'll come in for the test session," Cat said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Oh, fantastic, Cat!" Lucy replied, sounding genuinely pleased. "We'll schedule you for Wednesday afternoon, if that works?"
"Yes, that works!" Cat replied, her heart pounding. It all felt so sudden. Why did she say yes? She just told Andre that she didn't want to be a singer? Did she want to be a singer? Or was this everyone else telling her she wanted to do it? Chiz, all this stuff didn't mean she would be a singer... just that there was more of a chance if she did go in.
"Great. Just come to our main studio, same place as before, and we'll have everything ready. You'll just need to bring yourself," Lucy said with a smile in her voice.
Cat managed a small laugh. "I can do that."
"Perfect! Looking forward to meeting you in person, Cat."
They ended the call, and Cat set her phone down, exhaling as if she'd just run a mile. She turned to Jade, a hesitant smile on her face.
"So... I guess I'm doing it," she said, half-nervous, half-excited.
Jade smirked, crossing her arms. "Just remember, it's only a test session. If you hate it, you can walk out, no strings attached. But if they think you've got something... well, don't say I didn't warn you when they start calling you the next big thing."
Cat laughed nervously, glancing at her phone, as the reality of it all began to sink in.