From Skid Row to Superstardom: An Idol System Novel-Chapter 173: Journey to Las Vegas (3)

Jamie was snoring loudly, his long hair tied up in a messy bun, with half his body out of his covers in an atrocious sleeping position on the bottom bunk.

After shaking him repeatedly with no luck, Ari just pulled his sheets until he fell to the ground.

Thud-

"Snorreeee huh huh what’s happening? Earthquake?"

As confused blue eyes stared up at him, Ari snapped his fingers to get his attention.

"Come with me."

"Why?"

"It’s a surprise."

"Oh... okay. I hope it’s a good one."

Although he looked very confused, Jamie got up and sleepily followed Ari out.

"What’s the surprise? Midnight breakfast party?"

"No. Our team is having issues." Ari replied dryly.

Jamie: ".....?"

Ari: "Surprise!"

"That’s a terrible surprise. Why am I being called over? I’m not even on your team, even though I tried to be." As Jamie began sulking, Ari started the praise barrage.

"I need your help and you’re my only friend..."

"Yay." Jamie said with a touched smile as he perked up.

"With a car."

"Awww!" as Jamie’s shoulders slumped and he began looking like a kicked puppy, Ari continued.

"But seriously, you’re my closest friend here."

"Yay!"

"That is willing to lend your very expensive car to me."

"Awwww."

"So help me, by lending your car. I’m even willing to do one thing in return."

"Gym-"

"I’ll end both of us just to show the depth of our friendship," Ari said, completely serious, before Jamie put him in a headlock.

After wrestling for a bit, Ari tapped out, and they continued walking.

"I don’t mind you borrowing it, but why do you need my car?"

"For a road trip?"

"Right now?"

"In a couple of hours."

"To where?"

"Vegas."

Jamie: "...?" Wasn’t the bus taking them?

"All secrets will be revealed if you follow me."

"You sound like a kidnapping genie."

"Ooohhhhhhhh~, I won’t grant your wish."

"That voice is almost as terrible as this surprise."

Ari: ಠ_ಠ

Since Jamie wasn’t wrong, he didn’t really have anything to say in return.

As he led Jamie to the practice room and sat down, Ari began speaking slowly

"I’ve assembled you all here today-"

"To tell us how much you love and care for us?"

"No."

"To join the pop star academy weight lifting association?"

"Definitely not. Is that even a thing?"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

At Jamie and Benjamin’s enthusiastic response, Ari gave them a strange look, wondering when they had the time to form such a nonsensical group before shaking his head.

"Hell no. I brought Jamie because Carlos needs a car to get to Vegas. Jamie has a car he won’t be using. Ergo, Jamie, please lend Carlos your car."

"...why? I thought it was for you?" Jamie asked as he glanced between Carlos and Ari.

While he was on friendly terms with Carlos, he didn’t think that they were close enough for him to lend his car to him.

"He has some family circumstances, and he needs it to get there."

"He can’t rent a car?"

"I’m under 25 and it’s expensive," Carlos explained.

"Can you lend it to him?"

"Uh...this is going to sound a bit harsh, but no."

Shocked at the refusal, Ari looked at Jamie, who shrugged apologetically before explaining slowly.

"I’m sorry? I like y’all, but we’re not that close for me to lend you my car to go to Vegas and back on short notice. If it was Ari, sure, it’s a bit..."

"No, that makes sense. Thank you anyway." Carlos replied with his characteristic gentle smile.

The room was silent, with Jamie slumping because he felt bad, but Ari just patted his back while thinking.

Carlos absolutely had to come to their performance, and if Jamie wouldn’t lend the car to Carlos-

"What if I go with him?"

"Absolutely not. We can’t afford to lose Carlos, but in case something happens, we definitely can’t afford to lose you, because who’s going to sing? The prince?" Benjamin snorted sarcastically.

"I’m serious. We’ll leave early, Jamie can lend me the car, and Carlos and I will come together. We can start looking for a babysitter in both places now, and if we still haven’t found somebody, we can continue searching for a babysitter on the drive there, and if we have, then we’ll get on the bus no problem."

"It’s fine. You guys don’t have to-"

"Jamie, block his mouth. I’m not listening. Ben? You’re helping, right?"

"Does it matter even if I say no? You seem to have made up your mind."

"Not really? So, cover for me being missing."

Benjamin glared at Ari before sighing, "Argh. Fine. Fine. But you’d better make it on time. And you!" Benjamin pointed a long finger at Carlos, "Cut this out, bruv. Either talk to your family or just drop out, cause it’s not fair to your teammates if any little family thing that’s not an emergency will be prioritized over your team. I understand that it’s difficult, but it’s not fair to us. We’ve spent hours practicing and perfecting everything, and now, you’ve got the youngest on the team, the person who chose you, mind you, scrambling to come up with an idea to keep our performance together because you come and announce you might not be able to make it right before it. Does that sound okay to you?"

"Benjamin."

"Don’t interrupt me, Ari, I’m not being mean, I’m being realistic. I get it, it’s a tough situation, and it’s your family. You don’t want to turn your back on them and prioritize yourself, I get it. But you’re harming another group of people who’ve done nothing to deserve it. We could figure something out this time, but what about next time? And the time after that? It’s not fair to the rest of us who team up with you, thinking we’re getting a teammate who’ll be there full time."

"I’m sorry." Carlos simply bowed his head, and seeing it, Benjamin sighed before softening his tone.

"I’m not looking for an apology. We’re a team, and I don’t mind helping out, but this is not fair, and you know it. Really think it through and stop half assing it. Because even though I think you’re one of the best singers on here, and I would love to debut with you if I make it, if I’m being honest, unless I’m forced, I won’t team up with you again. Because the fact of the matter is, you might flake at the snap of a finger, and I really can’t deal with that. It might not be for you, but this is the last opportunity for some of us."

Since he secretly agreed with Benjamin’s words, Ari didn’t add anything more.

He simply switched to patting Carlos’s back instead of Jamie’s, who still looked confused as to why he was involved in another team’s drama.

"Moving on, Carlos and I will drive to Vegas with our outfits if need be, Ben will cover for us being missing, and as a last resort, we’ll buy concert tickets for his siblings and deal with it from there?

"Fine."

"Okay."

"I’m sorr-"

"Stop apologizing and just say thank you." Benjamin interrupted with another sigh.

"Thank you, guys. And sorry once again."

"Cool. Pile up on three. One, two, three. Team Super Nova."

"Team Super Nova!"

"And Jamie!" Jamie added as he placed his hands on the pile.

"And Jamie. Who’s the real MVP."

"I know." Jamie smiled his characteristic bright smile before yawning once more.

"Well- yawn, we’ll talk about this later. Ari, drive safely. Carlos, you too. Make sure you both pack all of your equipment. Don’t forget anything. I’ll deal with his royal pain in my arse and production. See you both in a couple of hours." Benjamin muttered before getting up with another yawn.

With a casual wave, he left the practice room, and Ari turned to Jamie.

"Let’s grab our stuff and leave?"

"You really don’t have to-"

"We’ve already decided it. Double J. Keys?"

"I’ll go get it. The car only takes premium gas in case you need to fill it up." Jamie quickly staggered to his feet, stepping out while Ari went to his own room, grabbing his stage outfit, his paint, and dumping it in a duffle bag.

He grabbed the keys from Jamie, fist bumping him, before going to meet Carlos and sneaking out to the parking garage and finding Jamie’s white truck.

Ari loaded his things into the bed of the truck before handing Carlos the keys and entering the passenger side.

"What are you doing?"

"I don’t have a license. So you’ll have to drive."

Carlos: "....? Didn’t you say you would drive?"

"No. I said I would come along."

[Isn’t that lying?]

"It’s not lying, I just didn’t say everything."

Carlos: Isn’t that just lying by avoiding the topic?

Since he was the reason for the lie, Carlos dutifully got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

"You can sleep while I continue looking for a babysitter. I can offer you our living room couch, or you can have my bed."

"If anything, you should sleep, since you might have to drive. And production has my phone, so I’ll have to use your stuff anyway."

"...okay."

Since it made sense, Carlos didn’t say much, driving the large truck in silence as Ari dozed off against the window.

"You know..."

"Hmm?" he snapped awake as he heard Carlos begin speaking.

"What Benjamin said, do you agree with him?"

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