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Last time on Starry
Love Dream! Melanie, Hazel, and Justin’s narration: Melanie: “My name is Melanie!
I’m 9 years old and I attend Grade 5 and I’ve become a famous
idol pop singer!” Hazel: “And I’m her number one
fan, Hazel!” Justin: “And I’m Justin, her
other number one fan.” Melanie: “Hazel, thank you so
much for checking out the Christmas play that we had. What did you think of it? Your Mom said that it made you cry.” Hazel: “Mom told you that?
Oh, well, it’s okay. Yeah, it was really great! I loved it so much! That was the greatest school play I’ve ever
seen and it’s the greatest Christmas play the school ever did, too. I wish it was all on video so I could watch
it over and over again.” Justin: “I thought you took some
pictures after the play.” Hazel: “Yeah, I did, but not
during the play. You’re not allowed
to take pictures during the play, because it’s distracting.” Melanie: “What did you think
of Justin, Hazel?” Hazel: “He did so much better
than I thought! He was really
good! And that part when he slapped your hands, he
looked so scary!” Justin: “Really? Sorry about that. I hope I didn’t overdo it.” Melanie: “No, it’s okay. You were just acting, and you were acting really
well, Justin.” Justin: “Thanks, Melanie. But what did you guys think of Kelsey? I didn’t expect her to be in the school play.” Hazel: “She’s a really good actress
and sings pretty good, too. But
I don’t think I can accept that! I
still think she’s an evil witch!” Justin: “I guess some things
will never change.” Melanie: “It’s time for Starry
Love Dream! I wonder what’s going
to happen next! Stay tuned!” Opening theme song “Starry Love Dream”
by Starry~en~Luv (Happy dreamy love, wings like a dove) (To the starry night, in the starry light) A dream can’t just stay a dream in my mind It would just be a waste and I would be
in a bind No matter where and how far you have to
go You’ve got to chase your dream so much so Never ever lose sight of the love, of the
dream Let your dream flow like the never-ending
stream I know things are tough and it’s easy to
get sad But as long as we’re together, even if things
go bad I want to sing like a lovebird and touch
your heart (touch my heart) Please stay with me and stay close to my
heart (close to my heart) Starry love dream! I wanna be your
happy dreamy love I wanna spread
my wings like a dove Fly with me all the way to the starry night
Fly to the sky and bask in the starry light I wanna be your
happy dreamy love (happy dreamy love) I wanna spread
my wings like a dove (wings like a dove) Fly with me all the way to the starry night
(to the starry night) Fly to the sky and bask in the starry light
(in the starry light) Starry love dream Hold my hand tight and always stay by my
side Let’s hold onto the dream as we go along
the ride Stay with me, my love, and don’t try to
look back If we lose our way, we’ll always try get
back on track There are so many obstacles to fight your
way through But as long as you believe, your dream will
come true Oh, my love, even if things don’t always
go right We have our love, our dream, never lose
our sight I want to sing like a lovebird and touch
your heart (touch my heart) Please stay with me and stay close to my
heart (close to my heart) Starry love dream! I wanna be your
happy dreamy love I wanna spread
my wings like a dove Fly with me all the way to the starry night
Fly to the sky and bask in the starry light I wanna be your
happy dreamy love (happy dream love) I wanna spread
my wings like a dove (wings like a dove) Fly with me all the way to the starry night
(to the starry night) Fly to the sky and bask in the starry light
(in the starry light) Starry love dream (Happy dreamy love, wings like a dove) (To the starry night, in the starry light) Starry love dream, I love you! The Prologue Melanie and her manager Christina had arrived
at the Regal Records building. There
was a thin layer of snow on the ground today and the weather was around
the freezing mark. It was winter.
When Melanie got out of Christina’s car, she looked up and watched
the light snowflakes coming down. She
smiled with delight as she held out her gloved hands and caught some
of them. Christina joined her as well and caught a few
in her gloves. “It’s
the first snowfall of the winter, Melanie,” said Christina, smiling
also with delight. “It’s
so pretty. I like it when it
snows like this.” Christina
giggled at that. “You won’t be
thinking that when you start driving.” “I
know. But if it’s only light
snow, it should be okay. If it’s
very heavy snow, then that’s like a totally different story,” said Melanie. Melanie
and Christina headed for the front entrance of Regal Records. They passed through the front lobby and they
ended up at the elevators. Christina
summoned the elevator and when it came, they went inside and rode it
up a few floors. When they exited
the elevators, they headed for a large waiting room.
Inside the waiting room were about 2 dozen girls, most of them
a little older than Melanie. They
were also accompanied by their managers. “Looks
like we’re not late,” said Christina.
“How does it feel, Melanie?” Melanie
looked up at Christina. “How
does what feel?” “You’re
here to audition for a television commercial and it’s going to be your
first TV commercial, too. How
does that make you feel?” Christina
looked pretty excited, as if she was the one who was auditioning, and
when Melanie noticed that, she thought it was funny. Melanie
thought about what she felt for a moment.
“I’m not nervous, because I’ve done auditions before now. But I do feel excited, because it’s my first
commercial,” she said softly. “I’ve
never been in one before.” “Well,
yeah, obviously.” Christina laughed
a little. Starry Love Dream Episode 27: New
Year’s Eve party! My first commercial! Melanie looked at everyone that was in the
room. There were a few girls
who were a little younger than she was.
“All these kids are auditioning for the commercial?
There are a lot of them. It’s
not like the audition for new singing talent that I was in, is it? Back then, people auditioned and it didn’t matter
if they were not part of Regal Records.
If I wasn’t part of Regal Records, could I still be in this audition?” “This
one is different. You have to
already have experience being on television to be able to audition for
this commercial. A huge company is behind this audition and they’re
partners with Regal Records. The
people who will be running it are not Regal Records staff. But all these girls are either models or actresses
who are just starting out. For
about half of them, it’s their first job offer.” Melanie
was intrigued by that. “Oh, okay…”
she whispered, and then she smiled.
“I think everyone’s going to have a lot of fun.” “And
check out their hair! You’ve
probably never seen so many people in one place with beautiful hair,”
Christina said and she laughed. “It’s
an audition for a commercial about a shampoo and conditioner combo,
so I guess everyone has to have beautiful hair,” said Melanie. “Don’t
worry. Just do your best. Your hair is way better than mine. I can never get it as soft and smooth, there’s
just no way. I guess I’m starting
to get old or something.” Melanie
looked surprise. “Old? What do you mean? You’re still a kid like me,” she said and giggled. Christina
giggled, too. “Oh, thanks. That makes me feel so much better.” Melanie
looked at all the girls again and she was thinking about the fact that
there were a lot of them. She
pulled on Christina’s sleeve. “Christina,
there’s a lot of them, so…do you think I have any chance in this audition? I mean, some of them are way prettier than I
am.” “What
do you mean? Everyone here is
pretty in their own way, and that includes you.
You’re beautiful and you’re a pop singer. In this room, you’re definitely the most famous
person. Don’t worry, Melanie. I think you’ll do fine, as long as you do your
best, and I know you will.” Melanie
smiled at that. “Okay.” She
and Christina found some seats and they sat down as they waited. Both of them noticed that there were a few girls
looking at Melanie or staring at her.
Some of them were whispering to each other as they looked at
her. Melanie started to feel a little shy and uncomfortable. “You
okay, Melanie?” asked Christina. Melanie
looked up at her and nodded. “I
think so. They’re all looking
at me.” A
couple of girls started to approach Melanie and Christina. Melanie felt even shyer while Christina just
stayed calm. “Hello!”
said one of the girls. “You’re
in the audition, too?” Melanie
blushed slightly and she didn’t know what to say at first, but she recovered
herself somewhat. “Oh, um...yeah,
I’m here for the audition, too.” “That’s
so cool,” said the other girl, and both of them were giggling happily. They seemed really excited about something.
“You’re Starry~en~Luv, aren’t you?” Christina
smiled at that. Melanie looked
up shyly and she smiled and she nodded.
“Yeah…I guess I kind of stick out like a sore thumb in here right
now…” she said softly. The
two girls smiled. “Oh, don’t
worry about it. Everyone here
is working to become famous one day.
The only difference with you is that you’ve already made it there,”
said the first girl. “This is so cool, being in the same audition
as Starry~en~Luv.” She extended
her hand for a handshake. “My
name is Monica Dale.” “And
I’m Jennifer Marcelino. We’re
all auditioning for the shampoo and conditioner commercial,” said the
other girl. Melanie
shook hands with both of them. “Pleased
to meet you,” she said and she smiled.
“This is “Hello,”
said the two girls. Christina
smiled at them and shook hands with them as well. “Pleased to meet you,” she said. “Since you’re going for the audition, I’d like
to wish you good luck. I hope
everyone’s going to have a fair chance at it.” “Oh,
we’ll definitely need a lot of luck,” said Jennifer, and she giggled. “Yeah,
we need lots of it,” said Monica. Melanie
was a little puzzled by that. “Have
you both been actresses before or models?” she asked. “I’m
a model. I pose for Sears and
since they sell a lot of clothes for kids, I work with them,” said Monica. “It’s really cool trying out all those really
cool new fashions. This will
be the first time that I get to be in a commercial.” “And
I’m an actress,” said Jennifer. “Well,
I’m trying to be an actress. I’ve
been in one commercial and I’ve been in a couple of big plays. This would be my second commercial.” “And
you both work for Regal Records?” asked Melanie. The two girls smiled and they nodded. A
young woman entered the room and she called out for people’s attention. “Okay, everyone, can I have your attention,
please?” Everyone turned to her. “We’re going to start the audition now. I need everyone to go into the studio. Could you all please come with me?” Christina
turned to Melanie. “Well, here
we go,” she said. Melanie
smiled and she nodded to that. They
both stood up. Jennifer and Monica
turned to them and gave thumbs up. “Good
luck to you,” said Monica. “You,
too,” Melanie told her pleasantly. There was a large room that had been made
into an interview room. There
were several ladies and gentlemen standing behind a long set of tables
at one side of the room. The
girls who were auditioning for the commercial and their managers were
all together seated on the seats that were arranged at the other side
of the room. Every single girl had to be interviewed and
this was going to take a long time.
Each girl was called to the front of the audience in alphabetical
order by their last name, which meant that Melanie would be one of the
last ones. Monica
Dale was one of the first ones to be called up and the interviewers
were asking her many questions that tested her. “So
you’re a model, right, Monica?” the interviewers asked. Monica
smiled and she nodded pleasantly. “Yes.
I’ve been modeling with Regal Records for 2 years now,” she answered. “That’s
good. That means that you’ve
had some good experience then. Who
do you model for right now?” “Right
now, I’m modeling for Sears. I
model for their girls’ clothing line.” “How
is it? Is it a lot of fun?” “Oh,
yes, Sears is a great company to work with.
Modeling for them is a lot of fun, especially since you get to
try out so many different things with them.
It’s also a lot of fun being one of the first to try on some
fashions that haven’t been released to the public yet.
I get to work with a lot of great people, too.” “I’m
sure it is. It’s a lot of fun. So why do you think you’ll be good for this
commercial, Monica?” “I’ve
had lots of experience in modeling and I think the most logical next
step that I should be taking would be to start appearing in commercials,
such as this one.” “That’s
good, Monica. You’ve read the
whole script of the commercial, haven’t you?” “Yes,
I have,” said Monica. “Can
you act out it out for us now?” “Sure,
I’ll be glad to.” Monica got
ready to act out the commercial. “Every
girl has to take care of her hair properly.
Did you know that a girl’s hair is very important to her? It’s just as important as her heart. But every single minute of every single day,
it’s getting beaten up by everything around you! That’s why you have to take care of your hair. And to do that, you’ll need this. Silky-Soft for Kids! It’s a shampoo and conditioner in one! It has a fun and lovely fragrance and it won’t
hurt your eyes! Use it everyday,
and you’ll have beautiful hair that is silky soft, soft as silk, just
like mine!” Monica tossed her
long, beautiful hair outward and showed off her smooth-as-silk hair. “Silky-Soft for Kids! You have to take care of your hair properly,
even if you are a kid!” “That
was very good, Monica. Thank
you very much.” Monica
smiled and she bowed slightly. “Thank
you!” Several
minutes later, it was Jennifer Marcelino who was being interviewed by
them. “Jennifer,
I see that you’re an actress. How
long have you been an actress with Regal Records?” the interviewers
asked. Jennifer
smiled sweetly. “I’ve been an
actress for 2 years now.” “That’s
good. What are some roles that
you’ve played as an actress?” “One
of them was a commercial, just like the one that I’m auditioning for. The commercial that I did was for Sara Pocket
Twins, which is a really cute little doll set.
That was last year. Also,
I’ve been in some plays and musicales.
One of them was Lion King and another one was Beauty and The
Beast.” “You
love acting, isn’t that right?” “Oh,
yes, I really love it. It’s what
I’ve always wanted to do since I was very small, and now I’m doing it. It’s really a lot of fun,” she said with a very
sweet smile. “Great. So why do you think you would be good for this
commercial we’re doing, Jennifer?” “I
think I would be a good choice because of my acting abilities. Lots of people have given me good reviews, like
the ones in some entertainment magazines and newsletters. And I’d like to do more commercials.” “I
see. That’s good, Jennifer. Can you act out the commercial for us, please?” “Okay,”
Jennifer said excitedly. She
began to act out the commercial. “Every
girl has to take care of her hair properly.
Did you know that a girl’s hair is very important to her? It’s just as important as her heart. But every single minute of every single day,
it’s getting beaten up by everything around you! That’s why you have to take care of your hair.
And to do that, you’ll need this.
Silky-Soft for Kids! It’s a shampoo and conditioner in one! It has a fun and lovely fragrance and it won’t
hurt your eyes! Use it everyday,
and you’ll have beautiful hair that is silky soft, soft as silk, just
like mine!” Jennifer made her
long beautiful hair fly around her as she twirled around, showing how
shiny and smooth it was. “Silky-Soft for Kids! You have to take care of your hair properly,
even if you are a kid!” “That
was very good, Jennifer. Thank
you very much.” Jennifer
smiled and she nodded. “Thank
you so much.” Several
more girls were interviewed and they acted out the commercial in front
of the ladies and gentleman who were running the audition. Much later, it was Melanie’s turn. Christina looked on very carefully and hoped
that Melanie would satisfy the interviewers as best as she can. She looked in anticipation as Melanie was being
interviewed. “Melanie,
I think everyone here knows that you’re the famous idol pop child singer
named Starry~en~Luv. I’m really
flattered that you’re joining us for this audition,” the interviewers
said. “Thank
you so much. I’m very happy to
be here,” Melanie said to them with a cheerful smile, the usual smile
that she gave as a pop singer, the cute and sweet smile that a lot of
music fans have grown to love. “So
will this be your first television appearance if you are accepted?” “I’ve
been on television. My first
major appearance was on YTV and it was on a talk show. It was a television interview. I also sang a song called ‘Starry Night’, which
is a song I wrote and released on the radio. It is number one on the pop charts right now.” “That’s
very impressive, Melanie. So
I guess that means that you’ve had a lot of exposure on television anyway
because you’ve had your first TV interview and you’ve had your concert.” “Yes,
that’s right.” “Do
you like being on TV, Melanie?” “I
think it’s just as fun as singing. I
mean, you get to sing anywhere and on television is one place to sing. If I can sing on television, that’s just as
fun as singing in front of my best friends.
The only difference is that I’m reaching people’s hearts and
it’s not just my friends. It’s
everyone else, too.” “That’s
good, Melanie. So why do you
think we should choose you for this commercial?” Melanie
thought about that very carefully and as quickly as she could. She got a lot of advice from Christina regarding
these questions, so she felt good about being able to answer properly.
“I want to do everything that a pop singer has ever done.
Being on television is one of them.
It’s part of my dream of reaching people’s hearts.” “That’s
great. Could you please act out
the commercial in front of us now?” “I’ll
do my best,” said Melanie. She
began to act out the commercial. She
did her best to show emphasis to her long and beautiful dark brown hair. She showed them how soft and silky and smooth
her hair was, perfect for the commercial.
“Every girl has to take care of her hair properly. Did you know that a girl’s hair is very important
to her? It’s just as important
as her heart. But every single
minute of every single day, it’s getting beaten up by everything around
you! That’s why you have to take care of your hair.
And to do that, you’ll need this.
Silky-Soft for Kids! It’s a shampoo and conditioner in one! It has a fun and lovely fragrance and it won’t
hurt your eyes! Use it everyday,
and you’ll have beautiful hair that is silky soft, soft as silk, just
like mine!” She made her long
beautiful hair move about as she turned around and she tossed it back
with her hands. “Silky-Soft for Kids! You have to take care of your hair properly,
even if you are a kid!” Christina
looked like she was in heaven. Melanie
did a very good job! “That
was good. Thank you very much,
Melanie.” Melanie
gave a slight curtsy. “You’re
welcome. Thank you for giving
me this chance.” All the girls and their managers were back
in the waiting room. Christina
was extremely excited as she held Melanie by the shoulders. “Melanie,
that was really good! I think
you really showed them,” said Christina. “You
really think so?” asked Melanie. “I
just did my best, that’s all. Since
I did my best, it’s okay whether or not I win or lose, I think.” “Well,
I guess you’re right about that, but I think there’s a pretty good chance
you’ll win this one. You were
really amazing there and you answered all their questions really well. You have a big talent for singing, but I think
you also have a big talent for acting, too.” Melanie
blushed and she giggled. “Thank
you, Christina.” The
young woman who had led the girls into the audition room came back into
the waiting room. “Can I have
everyone’s attention, please?” She
was accompanied by the people who were doing the interviews, the ones
who were in charge of the audition.
Everyone paid attention. One
of them was a middle-aged woman who was in charge of the audition. “I’d like to thank everyone for coming and trying
out at this audition. It was
a long one, I know, but everyone did very well.
If I had as many commercials as there are this many of you, I
would love to choose all of you. But
we have only one commercial, and I can only choose one person. However, you are welcomed to try out at future
auditions and I would strongly suggest that you do. You all have wonderful talent.” After
a long pause, the woman announced who she had chosen. “The
vote was unanimous. We have chosen
one girl for her impressive abilities and even though she hasn’t had
much experience on television, we are confident that she will do her
very best and succeed very well. We
have chosen…Melanie Thompson, also known as Starry~en~Luv.” Melanie
gasped and Christina beamed with excitement.
All the other girls turned to her and they all looked happy for
her and they started to clap their hands, applauding her. “Melanie,
you got the part for the commercial.
They chose you!” Christina said excitedly. Melanie
took a deep breath, her hands clasped together at her heart. She smiled delightfully. “Thank you so very much. I’ll do my best for you!” she said out loud. “Congratulations,
Melanie,” said the middle-aged woman who was in charge. The
two girls, Jennifer and Monica, who were talking to Melanie earlier,
went over to her and they seemed really happy. “Melanie,
congratulations!” said Jennifer. “I
knew that they would choose you.” Melanie
looked puzzled. “You knew?” “Yeah,
I mean, I don’t think anyone in this group would be able to compete
with you, Melanie. They’re not
at your level yet,” said Monica, and she giggled. Melanie
blushed again and she shook her head, looking slightly embarrassed. “Oh, no, that’s not true. I think anyone could have won on this one.
There were a lot of girls who had way more experience than I
did. They could have been chosen,
too.” “Maybe
you’re right, but still, it’s pretty hard to win against you, Melanie,”
said Jennifer, and she smiled. “You’re
really great, you know. And I
really love your songs.” “Yeah,
me, too, and I think you’re perfect for this commercial.” Melanie
smiled at them and she sighed. “Thank
you so very much.” About a couple of days later, shooting had
started for the commercial. Many
people were working in one of the video studios at the Regal Records
building. There were video and
sound equipment everywhere, and there was a stage on which Melanie was
acting out the commercial. “Okay,
here we go for the flower scene!” said the director. “Melanie, you’re going to be at the flower garden
part of the stage and you’re going to be touching the flowers and inhaling
their fragrance.” Melanie
nodded to that. “Alright,” she
said. She was dressed in a long
white gown that was very smooth and made of silk and was very soft. It was perfect for this type of commercial.
Christina was looking on and Joseph King, Melanie’s producer,
was standing with her in the back. “Okay,
guys. Take one!” The cameras began to roll. Melanie bent down to the flowers and she did
her best to look extremely pretty while she was there. She gently touched the flowers and she was about
to inhale their fragrance. But
she slipped and she fell down! “Whoa! Cut!” The
cameras stopped. The director
called out to Melanie. “Are you
okay?” Melanie
looked up and she straightened. She
looked embarrassed. “I’m okay! I’m so sorry!” she said nervously. Christina
looked like she was in agony. “Oh,
my gosh, I hope she’ll be okay up there.” Mr.
King sighed for a moment, and he looked quite serious. “I’m not sure she will be. You can see that she’s really nervous about
what she’s doing right now.” “But
she did so well at the audition. What’s
wrong with her?” asked Christina. “The
audition and the actual shooting are two very different things, Christina. I’ve seen this happen lots of times,” said Mr.
King. The
director sighed and he yelled out instructions to his staff members. “Okay. Now
we’re going to have the big fan blow to make her hair move around.
Melanie, you’re going to turn around slowly towards the camera
and the camera is going to move as well.” Melanie
stood still at another part of the stage and the fan that was close
by began to blow wind. Her hair
was blown by the wind. The camera
closest to her began to move towards her and then towards the side.
Melanie turned around slowly, but her hair began to tangle slightly
because she turned too fast. Her
own hair totally covered her face. The
director sighed loudly with frustration.
“Oh, man, this is not going too well, is it?” he said. “Cut!” “I’m
so sorry!” Melanie cried out as she tried to fix her hair. “Somebody,
please fix her hair,” said the director.
Melanie’s hairstylist, Lisa Rosiak, rushed onto the stage and
began to help Melanie with her hair.
Lisa made sure that Melanie’s hair was perfect once again. All it needed was some brushing to make it perfect. Mr.
King rubbed his forehead slightly as he closed his eyes and he sighed. Christina looked really worried. “Come on, Melanie, I know you can do it right,”
she whispered. “I
don’t think she can. I need to
have a talk with her,” said Mr. King. Christina
was surprised by that. “Do you
want me to talk to her?” “No,
that’s okay. I know you’ll say
the same thing. The only difference
is that you haven’t thought of it yet.
Don’t worry.” Mr. King began to approach the director. The
director was rubbing his head with frustration.
“I have no idea how we’re going to do this. She’s messed up every single part of the commercial
so far,” he said. Mr.
King put a hand on the director’s shoulder.
“I think she’s doing fine, but she is very nervous. I’m going to have a little talk with her.
That should make her feel better.” “Is
that all you’re going to do, Mr. King?” “That’s
all I need to do. Just wait here. This is her first acting job, after all.” “Oh…okay…”
said the director, who was very puzzled. Mr.
King went up to the stage just as Lisa had left the stage. Melanie looked up at the producer and she was
feeling nervous again. Mr. King
could see it in her eyes. “Melanie,
how are you feeling?” he asked. Melanie
shook her head. “I’m messing
up everything. I’m so sorry. I’ve never done anything like this before and
I’m really nervous. I don’t know
if I can do it.” “That’s
not what you said before.” Melanie
was puzzled. She looked up at
him. “I’m sorry…” “You
said before that you could do it. What
happened to that confidence? You
know what it’s like to be in here, having all this equipment around
you. You know how it’s like having thousands of pictures
being taken of you by your photographers and having video cameras watching
your moves in those promotions that we did for your new music CD. So what makes this any different?” Melanie
thought about it for a while. After
some silence, she looked down slightly and she shook her head. “There’s no difference. It’s all the same, so I’m supposed to be used
to it already,” she said softly. She
looked up. “That’s so silly. How come I didn’t think of that?” Mr.
King began to laugh. “You just
forgot. That’s all. To you, it felt different, but that was only
an illusion. How are you feeling
now?” Melanie
smiled and she giggled. She noticed
that she felt a lot more relaxed now.
“I feel much better. Thank
you, Mr. King.” “Good. It looks like you’re really ready this time.”
Mr. King left the stage and as he was passing the director, he
gave the director a pat on the back. “She’s all yours. I think she’ll do her absolute best now, and
you’ll be really surprised.” And
Melanie did do her best. The
shooting for the commercial continued.
They started from the very first part of the commercial and when
they were finished with every single part of it, the director seemed
very ecstatic. Melanie performed each part of the commercial
perfectly! It was late afternoon and it was the very
last day of the year. It was
New Year’s Eve. Melanie was in
her room writing letters for her parents Mark and Sarah Thompson and
for her friends Jenna and Janice who lived in It
was her first commercial and her first acting job as well. The commercial was done and it was also past
the editing stages. It was schedule
to start appearing on television after Melanie’s
door was opened slightly and Grandma Annabelle walked past her door. She looked inside and saw Melanie. “Melanie, are you almost ready for tonight?”
she asked, and it looked like there was no expression on her face. Melanie
was all dressed up already for the New Year’s Eve party at the house
of her friend Justin. She was
wearing a pretty dress that was dark blue and black.
She looked up at Grandma Annabelle.
“I’m ready, Grandma. I
think people will start coming to their house at “That’s
good. I see that you’re ready
to go. I will ask Mr. Wilkins
to drive you to their house.” Melanie
was puzzled by that. She also
noticed that Grandma was not dressed at all.
“You mean, you’re not going to the party,
Grandma?” “No,
I’ll be staying at home tonight,” said Grandma. “Why? I wish you would go with me. I’m sure it’s going to be fun. And I’ve never met Justin’s family, except for
his little sister Helen. This’ll
be the first time that I get to meet them.
My friend Hazel is going, too, with her brother and mother.” “I’m
afraid that parties are not my thing, Melanie.
I know that they’re fun, but I’m not the kind of person to attend
parties. It’s always been that
way.” “Oh,
I see.” Melanie smiled anyway. “But I hope you won’t feel lonely here or anything.” “Do
not worry so much about me, child. I
will be fine. I would rather
stay at home and be comfortable than go to a social event like that
where I wouldn’t know what to do. That’s
just not my way. I hope that
you’ll understand that.” Melanie
nodded. “I understand, Grandma.” “In
the meantime, continue to get yourself prepared for the party. I will ask Mr. Wilkins to take you to the Lagazo
residence.” “Thank
you, Grandma,” Melanie said sweetly with a bright smile. Grandma left and she proceeded to do what she
was going to do for Melanie. Melanie
looked down at the letters that she had just finished and she put them
in envelopes. She smiled to herself. On the envelopes were cute stickers that said
“Merry Christmas & Happy New Year”. Justin heard the doorbell ring and he went
to the front door and he opened it.
One of his first guests for the New Year’s Eve party was there
in front of him and he smiled slightly.
Melanie was standing at his doorstep in her winter coat. “Melanie. Thanks for coming,” he said. “Please come in. This will be your first time in my house.” Melanie
walked into the house and she removed her short boots. She looked around and noticed that Justin’s
house was quite large. She knew
it was large from the outside but the inside seemed even bigger somehow. It was very beautiful. “Thank
you so much, Justin,” she said to him softly and she smiled. “Happy New Year!” She offered to give him a hug and the two of
them hugged each other for a few seconds. “Thanks. So how do you like the house?” “Your
house is so pretty and so big!” said Melanie. “Come,
Melanie. I want you to meet everyone
in my family. There are a few
guests here already. You probably
don’t know most of them. Most
of them are relatives and others are neighbors.”
Justin took Melanie’s coat and put it away in the coat closet. “Come,” he said. Justin
led Melanie into the living room where there were a few small kids playing
and adults were talking. “Dad,
let me introduce you to one of my best friends at school,” said Justin. “This is Melanie. Melanie, this is my Dad.” Justin’s
father looked up. His name was
John Lagazo, so we’ll just call him Mr. Lagazo.
He looked like a very pleasant man.
He smiled like a refined gentleman.
“How are you, Melanie? It’s
good to meet you.” Melanie smiled
and shook hands with him. “Thank
you for having me, Mr. Lagazo,” said Melanie in a very polite way. “Oh,
it’s not a problem. Besides,
Justin has to invite you, not just because you’re friends with him,”
said Mr. Lagazo. A
teenage boy from a different part of the living room was approaching
them. “That’s right, Dad. Justin’s friend is a famous child pop singer,
so he has to invite her,” he said and he started to laugh. “Man, you must be really lucky to be friends
with her, Justin.” Justin
introduced Melanie to the teenager.
“Melanie, that’s my big brother.
His name is Jake. He goes
to college.” Melanie
smiled pleasantly. “Pleased to
meet you,” she said. Jake
shook hands with Melanie quickly. “Thanks
for coming to the party. Man,
having a celebrity in your house really is something, huh?” he said,
and it made Melanie giggle. Next,
Justin took Melanie to the kitchen.
There were a few adults there and they were all helping each
other in preparing the food. Justin
approached a pleasant-looking woman who looked very refined.
In the kitchen, she was telling everyone exactly what they should
be doing, but in a pleasant tone of voice. “Mom,”
Justin called out. His
mother smiled at him. “Oh, hey,
Justin,” she said. “I
want you to meet one of my best friends in school. Her name is Melanie,” said Justin. He turned to Melanie. “That’s my Mom.” Justin’s
mother went to Melanie and shook hands with her. Her name was Esther Lagazo, so we’ll just call
her Mrs. Lagazo. “Wow, so you’re
Melanie. And you’re also Starry~en~Luv.
I really loved your concert.
Justin and I and everyone in the family were there.” Melanie
smiled sweetly. “Oh, thank you. I’m glad you liked it,” she said. “I’m
really happy to finally meet you personally.
It’s really great!” said Mrs. Lagazo.
“Why don’t you kids go play?
We still have lots to do in the kitchen.” “Okay,
Mom. See you later,” said Justin. Justin
took Melanie to the basement where there was a playroom. Helen, Justin’s little sister, was there.
“And, of course, you know my little sister Helen,” he said to
Melanie. “Hi,
Helen!” said Melanie. “Melanie!”
Helen called out and she ran to Melanie and gave her a hug, and Melanie
hugged her back. Helen grabbed onto Melanie’s hand.
“Come here. I want to
show you something.” Melanie
giggled. “Okay.” She looked up at Justin as Helen dragged her
to a small table that had a doll set on top of it. “Justin, thank you so much for introducing me
to your whole family. They’re
really nice. I like them a lot
already.” “Oh,
not a problem,” said Justin. He
looked at his watch. “I guess
Hazel’s coming soon.” Melanie
nodded. “Yes, she’s coming with
her mother and her brother. They’re
going to be bringing some food, too.” Pretty soon, many more people came to the
party and it was in full swing. Lots
of food was on the big table in the kitchen because it was like a potluck. Melanie noticed that a little more than half
of the guests in the party were Justin’s nationality, which was from
the People
who came to the party were making a big fuss over Melanie being there. They recognized her as the pop singer Starry~en~Luv,
but she was introduced to them as Melanie, so that was the name that
they called her most of the time. At
one point, all the children were gathered around her asking for autographs
and Melanie blushed but she was happy. “Okay,
everyone, this is the official New Year’s Eve party autograph session
for Starry~en~Luv, so everybody, please line up!” Hazel announced. She had Melanie sit down behind a small table
and the kids started to give Melanie items to sign on. There were a couple of kids who even had copies
of Melanie’s first CD. “That’s
so cool!” said one little girl who was probably Helen’s age. “Thank you so much, Starry~en~Luv!” “You’re
welcome!” Melanie said cheerfully and smiled sweetly. “Looks
like wherever you go, you can’t escape your fans, Melanie,” said Justin,
in a slightly joking way and he was smiling, too. “That’s
okay,” said Melanie. “It’s a
lot of fun for me, too.” “That’s
right, Melanie,” said Hazel, and she gave a quick wink. “Lots of people, especially kids, adore you,
so you can’t disappoint your fans now.
They love you very much.” Melanie
signed the CD case of one of the children.
She had a copy of “My Heart”, Starry~en~Luv’s debut maxi single. She signed her stage name with a cute smiley
face beside it and then gave the CD case back to the little girl, who
was probably a year younger than she was. “Thank
you, Starry~en~Luv,” she said. “I
can call you Melanie, too, right?” “Yes,
of course, you can call me Melanie, if you want.” Melanie smiled at her. In the living room, the adults and some
of the older children were participating in karaoke! It was a lot of fun for everyone that was taking
part in it. There were some awful
singers but everyone just laughed, but some were actually very good
singers. When they did sing,
people were cheering them on. When
Justin, Hazel, and Melanie entered the living room from the kitchen,
several mothers immediately saw the pop singer Starry~en~Luv. “Oh,
Melanie, go sing over there now, I think it’s your turn!” “Yeah,
everybody wants to hear you sing!” Hazel
started to laugh while Melanie blushed.
Justin just smiled slightly. “Go
on, Melanie,” said Justin. When
Melanie looked up at him, he nodded with his smile still on. “Melanie,
why don’t you go for it? You’re
the pop singer!” Hazel shouted with excitement. Melanie
couldn’t resist saying yes. “Okay,
I’ll do it,” she said, and because of that, everyone was cheering loudly. Justin’s family and relatives certainly was
a happy bunch of people. It felt
good to be with them, because they seemed like a lot of fun. “What
are you going to sing, Melanie?” asked Mrs. Lagazo. “Are
you going to sing something from your CD?” asked Mr. Lagazo. Melanie
laughed at that. “The karaoke
songs you have are great. I want
to sing them, actually,” she said. She
was made to sit down among the grownups on the biggest couch and she
held a microphone. On the big television screen, there was a peaceful
and romantic video and there were words at the bottom of the screen.
Melanie sang one of the karaoke songs very well and everyone
was cheering loudly and clapping their hands. “Wow,
Melanie, that was awesome!” shouted Hazel. Melanie
looked up at Hazel and Justin. “Both
of you should try, too. It’s
a lot of fun.” There
was a duet karaoke song and Hazel and Justin were the ones singing it. Melanie was a little bit surprised. Hazel had a pretty good voice and Justin was
the same way. They both knew
how to sing and they were pretty good at it.
Hazel and Justin were singing a love song and when they were
done, everyone was cheering and applauding. For the next few hours, the party continued.
Some would get more food from the dining room and eat.
Some others played games, like card games or chess, but those
were mostly for the adults. The children were playing their own games all
over the house, including the basement where the playroom was. Some of the adults in the living room turned
off the karaoke and they began to watch the New Year’s Eve celebration
on television. In
the downtown area of “So
how long is it does it say there?” asked Justin’s brother Jake. He went over to the couches were adults were
sitting around. Mr.
Lagazo pointed at the clock display that was shown on the bottom left
corner of the TV screen. “Only
1 hour, 32 minutes, and 27 seconds before New Year,” he said. Mrs.
Lagazo clasped her hands in front of her and looked happy. “I hope everyone’s ready to scream ‘Happy New
Year’ and make lots of noise when Melanie,
Hazel, Justin, Helen, and Lawrence were in the basement and they decided
to go back upstairs. They started
to walk up the stairs to the main floor and they went to the living
room. On the TV, there was a group of pop singers
singing very lively songs. “Hey,
check that out, Melanie. Don’t
you think it would be cool if you were singing with them at the big
New Year’s Eve party downtown?” asked Hazel. Melanie
smiled and she nodded. “Yeah,
I think that would be cool. But
I’d rather be here with my friends.
That would be more fun for me,” she said with a soft voice. “That’s
a good attitude to have, Melanie,” said Justin. Helen
saw the TV screen and saw that it switched into a commercial. Her eyes went wide open. “Hey, look, Melanie, that’s you!” Melanie,
Hazel, Justin, Helen, and Lawrence rushed closer to the television and
the adults behind them were also very surprised.
It was the commercial for the Silky-Soft for Kids shampoo and
conditioner! Starry~en~Luv
was dressed in this long white gown and the wind was blowing at her
hair, making it wave gently. There
was a gentle pop song in the background.
Different shots of her being very beautiful and feminine were
shown as she was advertising the Silky-Soft for Kids shampoo and conditioner. “Every
girl has to take care of her hair properly.
Did you know that a girl’s hair is very important to her? It’s just as important as her heart. But every single minute of every single day,
it’s getting beaten up by everything around you! That’s why you have to take care of your hair.
And to do that, you’ll need this.
Silky-Soft for Kids! It’s a shampoo and conditioner in one! It has a fun and lovely fragrance and it won’t
hurt your eyes! Use it everyday,
and you’ll have beautiful hair that is silky soft, soft as silk, just
like mine!” Starry~en~Luv
made her long beautiful hair move about as she turned around and she
tossed it back with her hands. “Silky-Soft for Kids! You
have to take care of your hair properly, even if you are a kid!” Melanie’s
eyes were wide open. “They showed
it before “You
look so cool, Melanie!” Hazel shouted.
Everyone in the room was cheering loudly. “Whoa! That was very cool, Melanie!” shouted Jake. “You
really are a star now!” said Mr. Lagazo. “That
was a really beautiful commercial!” said Mrs. Lagazo. Melanie
smiled and blushed at the same time.
She felt a little bit shy but she was also very happy. “Thank you so very much. I tried my best,” she said. Hazel put an arm around her and it kind of weighed
her down a little. They smiled
at each other. “You
did great, Melanie,” said Justin, and the two of them held each other’s
hands for a couple of seconds. “That
was really cool.” “Now
every kid’s going to want to buy Silky-Soft,” said Hazel and she giggled. “Yeah,
probably,” said Melanie and she laughed.
Then she looked slightly puzzled for a second. “But I wonder why they showed it before “Oh,
who cares? Maybe they changed
their mind. And if they did change
their mind, that’s good, because I wanted to see that commercial.” Melanie
laughed at that. “Oh, okay. Maybe that’s it.” The host and the hostess of the New Year’s
Eve party on the television seemed to be very excited. It was now just a few more minutes before the
year was about to end the next year was about to begin. “Do
you hear that? Everyone’s shouting
and cheering and having a great time out there!
Just look at all those people!
They don’t care how cold it is out here!
They’re having too much fun,” said the host of the live show. “Yeah,
that’s right! There’s plenty
of fun out here to warm up everyone!
And check out the clock! It’s
now just 5 minutes before Happy New Year!” said the hostess.
“Soon, we’re going to get ready to countdown and I hope everyone’s
pumped up!” Everyone
in the party was starting to gather in the living room and it was getting
a little crowded. Most of the
children sat on the floor around the living room table and between the
table and the large TV screen. Some
of the people in the party at Justin’s house were already showing signs
of starting to make a lot of noise with horns and other noisemakers. “Hey,
Melanie,” said Hazel. Melanie
turned to her. “Is there anything
you want to do in the New Year?” “Oh,
you mean like a New Year’s resolution?” Melanie asked. “Yeah,
like that.” Melanie
thought about that for a moment. “I
haven’t really thought about it.” “I
have an idea,” said Justin. “Maybe
you can make a New Year’s resolution of becoming an even better pop
singer than you already are. That
might be a good resolution.” Hazel
looked excited about that. “Yeah,
that’s a really good idea. What
do you think, Melanie?” Melanie
smiled and she shrugged. “Okay. I’ll try even harder for the New Year then.
What about you two?” she asked. “I’ll
do a little more homework so I can get better grades,” said Hazel. “Not that my grades are bad or anything. They’re pretty good. I just want to be better, that’s all.” Melanie
turned to Justin. “Justin. What about your resolution?” Justin
shook his head. “I don’t have
any.” “You
don’t have any?” said Hazel, frowning slightly.
“Oh, come on, be a good sport.” “I
don’t really need one. I’m happy
with the way everything is right now with me.
I have a good family and I have good friends and school is really
good for me. I don’t have to
make anything different just because other people want to make things
different.” Melanie
smiled. “Oh, okay. I think I understand.” Hazel
looked like she was in awe for a second.
“Wow, Justin, you sounded really cool there. You really are one of the coolest boys in the
school.” Justin
smiled slightly. “Thanks for
the compliment.” After
few more minutes, Jake saw the timer on the TV screen. “Okay, check it out, it’s almost there,” he
said. “Mom, Dad, I hope you guys
don’t have a heart attack on me.” He
said that in a joking way. Mrs.
Lagazo gave him a gentle slap on the shoulder.
“What are you talking about?” “Everyone
get ready!” Mr. Lagazo shouted. “The
countdown is starting!” said Helen, and she looked very excited. Isabelle,
Hazel’s mother, rushed into the living room from the kitchen and quickly
came closer to Mrs. Lagazo. “I
hope I didn’t miss anything. I
didn’t miss anything, did I?” she asked. Mrs.
Lagazo smiled at her. “Oh, no,
you didn’t miss anything.” “Thank
goodness,” said Isabelle, and she giggled. The
host of the New Year’s Eve party on TV directed everyone’s attention
to the clock. “Alright, everyone,
it’s almost here! Let’s start
the countdown!” “Ten
seconds to go!” shouted the hostess.
People started to countdown as well.
In Justin’s living room, everyone was also stating to countdown
the seconds to the New Year! “Nine!” “Eight!” “Seven!” “Six!” “Five!” “Four!” “Three!” “Two!” “ONE!” And
then, everyone shouted at the same time in celebration! “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” The
people attending the New Year’s Eve party at Justin’s house were celebrating
loudly. There was lots of cheering
and noise-making. There were
lots of hugs and handshakes being given to each other.
Melanie gave hugs to Hazel, Justin, Melanie
held hands with Hazel and Justin and she smiled at both of them. “I’ll
do even better this time. I promise,”
she said to them. “We’ll
be with you, Melanie, so don’t worry,” Hazel said to her. “Happy New Year, my friend.” “That’s
right. If you need help with
anything, we’re here for you,” said Justin.
“Happy New Year to you, Melanie.” Melanie
was very happy and she nodded to them with a very bright smile. “Thank you!
Happy New Year to you, too!” The
cheering from inside Justin’s house could be heard from the outside,
but there was also much cheering from the houses in the neighborhood. Some people even went outside and celebrated
loudly on the streets. It
was a New Year in It
was a New Year…for Starry~en~Luv…and also for those people who were
touched by her lovely songs. And
very soon, there would be new chances for a few people to fulfill their
dreams once again… The End (to be
continued) Ending theme song “Family Love” by
Starry~en~Luv The love of family (the love of family) Always be in your heart (in your heart) Forever and ever (family love forever) Good memories of fun little things Bedtime stories read while in your bed They come tuck you in with a goodnight kiss Sweet dream wishes always said If you get hurt, they will always take care Make you feel better, always be at your
side Staying with you when things get unfair Stories of wisdom from generations’ wise Old times and good times, nobody else will
know Telling the little ones unforgettable stories To be loving to you and to be caring for Times of family love, those are real treats Children who live in a very happy home (very
happy home) But for some, it’s something they can’t
have (they can’t have) If I had the power to make people happy
(make people happy) I’d show them there’s always family love
(always family love) Even if you might have done something bad They’re always going to love you Even if they think you’re bothering them They’re always going to love you Even if they say things you don’t like They’re always going to love you You can have all the friends that you want But you’ll always have one family Always be together and support each other Because you’ll always have one family For the love of family (for the love of
family) We shall always be together (we shall always
be together) Forever and ever (forever and ever) Living so far away from each other now I haven’t seen my parents for a long time They’re busy with lots of things and lots
of work I wonder how they’re doing, if they are
fine I don’t have a sister, I don’t have a brother I wish I did so I could play with them I have friends who care for me and love
me But family is different and it’s just not
the same I don’t know my grandparents because they’re
gone All that I have left is one grandmother Even if she gets mad at me for so many things That’s okay, no matter what, I’ll always
love her I must never forget them no matter what
happens (no matter what happens) Memories of togetherness that we’ll always
have (we’ll always have) If I had the power to make things better
again (make things better again) We could be together again with our family
love (with our family love) Even if you might have done something bad They’re always going to love you Even if they think you’re bothering them They’re always going to love you Even if they say things you don’t like They’re always going to love you You can have all the friends that you want But you’ll always have one family Always be together and support each other Because you’ll always have one family For the love of family (for the love of
family) We shall always be together (we shall always
be together) Forever and ever (forever and ever) (The love of family) The love of family (Always be in your heart) In your heart (Forever and ever) Family love forever Oh, we’ll always have our family love For the love of family (for the love of
family) We shall always be together (we shall always
be together) Forever and ever (forever and ever) For the love of family We shall always be together Forever and ever Preview for Next
Episode Melanie, Hazel, and Justin’s narration: Melanie: “Hi, everyone!” Hazel: “Hey, hey, hey, guess
what day is coming up soon.” Melanie: “Can I take a guess?” Hazel: “No! You’re not allowed to take a guess! You’re too modest! Justin, I want you to guess what day is coming
up soon.” Justin: “Hmmm…well, New Year’s
Day already passed. The next
holiday I know about is Valentine’s Day, but that’s next month, so that
probably doesn’t count, does it?” Hazel: “No, it doesn’t count.” Melanie: “Oh, my…for some reason,
I’m a little embarrassed now.” Hazel: “You’re so shy, Melanie.
Come on, I’m sure you’re very excited about that day.” Melanie: “I am excited. I’m just really shy about it.” Hazel: “Don’t be so shy!” Justin: “Can you guys give me
a hint or something? I don’t
know any other holidays that are coming up this month.
Is it someone’s birthday?” Hazel: “Hey, you’re getting close!” Justin: “I see. It’s someone’s birthday. Whose birthday is coming up?” Melanie: “Awwwww…Justin…I
don’t know what to say now.” Hazel: “Okay. I’ll say whose birthday it is if you and Melanie
do the next part of the preview for the next episode together, Justin.” Justin: “Oh, you mean like this?” Melanie and Justin: “Next time
on Starry Love Dream!” Hazel: “Episode 28: Happy Birthday, dear Starry~en~Luv!” Justin: “Oh, so that’s what it
is. That’s pretty cool.” Hazel: “Is that all you have
to say?” |
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