A few days later, Katy got her email.
In the email, her program was named 'Elite Actor Program', which was different compared to the 'Special Actor Program' Samantha was part of.
"Gosh! Your program name is so much better than ours. I wish I were in your program as well," Samantha remarked on the phone.
"Well, they both have their ups and downs. Your training program will happen in Neon City only, and you will be able to visit your home at weekends…as for me," Katy sighed.
"Hey, what are you worried about? I'll also visit Aunty from time to time to keep her company, so you don't need to worry about her," Samantha said, sensing her worries.
"…Thanks," Katy said gratefully. If not for the faraway location, her training program was supposed to take place, and she too would be able to visit her mother on weekends.
"Yeah, yeah," Katy rolled her eyes when she heard Katy thanking her once again and asked, "So wanna go shopping together? There are a lot of things we need to buy."
"I'll pass. I want to shop with my mom instead and spend some time with her while at it," Katy answered after a thought.
"Hmmm, well, I'll do that as well then. Good night," Samantha said.
"Yeah, do that. Good night," With that said, Katy put down her phone and made plans for tomorrow. They had been told to take a week's worth of clothes with them, so Katy needed to shop for other essentials as well.
The following morning, she told her mother about it and in the evening, after she had helped her mother in the vegetable shop, they left for shopping.
Katy got herself a few clothes and also recommended some good ones to her mother. With shopping done, they took some pictures around the place and had some snacks before returning back home.
They followed the same routine for the next few days as Katy deliberately delayed buying all the goods. As a result, she watched a movie with her mother, enjoyed various entertainment sources at the mall and made some fond memories together.
….
"Bye, mom!" Katy waved towards her mother, who was a little teary-eyed, and got inside the taxi. Inside, Katy wiped away a little tear that had just come out of her eyes and took a deep breath as the taxi started moving.
She popped her head out of the window and, with a cheerful face, waved at her mother.
The taxi soon reached outside Samantha's house.
A woman in her forties was standing beside Samantha. Her dark brown hair resembled that of Samantha's, and her intimate act of hugging Samantha made it clear that it was her mother.
"Study well and become a good actor, got it?" She said lovingly as she hugged Samantha.
"I got it, Mom. Why are you acting so sentimental? I'll make it to come in the weekends anyway," Samantha said in an embarrassed manner, knowing that Katy was observing all this from the side.
Katy enjoyed Samantha's reactions for a while before her mother finally let her go.
"Katy, please take care of her. You're much wiser than her, so I'm depending upon you," Samantha's mother requested Katy.
"Mom, I told you that we'll be going to diff-"
"I'll do just that, Aunty, don't worry." Before Samantha could finish her words, Katy butted in and placated her mother's worries.
"I know I can always trust you," Samantha's mother said in relief and turned towards Samantha, "you better obey your friend, you understand?"
"Yea yea…" Samantha rolled her eyes while thinking, 'What's the point of me even talking when you guys aren't even going to listen?'
The taxi driver soon loaded Samantha's luggage in the cab's trunk, and they were ready to go. Samantha got in with Katy, and it was only when the taxi had started to move that she looked out the window to say goodbye to her mother.
"Bye, mom," she said while waving her hand and got an enthusiastic wave in return from her mother, which made her embarrassed.
"You really should appreciate your mother more," Katy told her after a while.
"I do…it's just I can't help but feel embarrassed when she so openly shows love towards me," Samantha muttered under her breath, and Katy could just shake her head, seeing this.
It took them an hour, and by half past ten in the morning, they had reached Gior's Headquarters.
With their luggage in tow, they soon got out of the taxi. Next to the entrance, a large poster was placed.
'Selected actors to have snacks at the cafeteria and wait for further instructions in the waiting hall on the first floor'
The poster read.
Katy and Samantha pulled their trolley bags with them. The receptionist told them guided them to the luggage room before the two finally entered the cafeteria.
"The smell's good," Samantha muttered the moment they entered and was about to rush to the counter, but her footsteps paused the very next moment as a gasp escaped her lips.
"What? Why did you stop?" Katy asked with confusion on her face.
"S-So handsome…" Samantha muttered while her gaze was fixed towards the food counter.
"Hm?" Seeing this, Katy too followed Samantha's gaze, and her eyes subtly raised the next moment.
'Kevin Hardrock,' the name popped up in Katy's mind as her gaze fell upon a young, dashing man who was dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans, yet had an aura that pulled everyone's eyes towards him.
"Is he also a new actor like us?" Samantha asked in a whisper with her gaze still stuck on him.
"How about you go and ask? You might even get a chance to converse with him." Katy said in a teasing manner.
"Good idea!" Samantha's eyes brightened the next moment as she rushed towards him.
"Hey, I was kidding…" Katy tried to stop her, but Samantha had already approached the man and had started conversing with him.
Just a few seconds later, she could see Samantha chuckling and giggling with Kevin as a weird expression appeared on her face.
'Wai,t what…is this really the 'Ice Prince' I'm familiar with?' Katy was at a loss for words after seeing the exchange between the two.
Katy saw Samantha pointing towards her the next moment and calling her over.
'Whatever, it never hurts to get on good terms with a future star,' Katy soon threw those thoughts away and walked towards them.