Chapter 5 – A horribly mistimed challenge!

Arrived at the Studio, Kate hooked her arm around her mother's and walked with her ​​towards the entrance, behind the boys from 'NSYNC. Kate was this time not as nervous as the day before, but her knees were still like jelly-o and threatened to give in at any moment. She clung so much on the arm of her mother that Sandra would turn towards her daughter and asked.

"What is it, Marie? You were here yesterday already? Or, why are you this nervous even?"

"I do not know, Mom! Maybe because I have no idea what they intend to do with me!" Kate replied in a whisper.

"Do not worry! You'll find out in a few!" said Chris, who was holding them the entrance door open, though they could walk through.

When they entered the studio room, Alex and Johnny greeted Kate and Sandra nicely, in welcome. Kate looked suddenly open mouthed, when she did see Britney Spears in the receiving space, standing behind a microphone, singing. Without that Kate could hear some of it even. When her mother saw that her daughter was staring at Britney like that, she pinched her a little in the side and looked at her daughter in seriousness. Johnny, who caught Kate's look also, went to the console with an build-in intercom system installed, and called Brit out for a moment!

"Kate! You do know Britney? - Brit, this is Kate. She has been here yesterday, to audition!" Johnny introduced them to each other.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you! Alex and Johnny told me earlier already that you do sing already like a pro!" Brit greets her.

Kate swallowed briefly and replied.

"Hi! No, I do not sing like a like that, Mr. Wright! Yesterday I was not good at all! Guys, do you remember yesterday at Justin's when I was singing Don't Judge? Then I was good!"

"Do not always be so humble when someone wants to praise you for your voice, Marie!", Sandra says to her daughter.

"Oh, she's always, like that?" asked Lance. "And I thought she's doing it just because of us!"

Sandra shook her head in answering him, only.

"Marie? I thought your name was Kate?" asked Alex then.

"It is!"

Alex looks confused towards Kate only.

"Marie is only my second first name," Kate explains to him and the others.

"But you listen to Kate?" Asked Alex her.

"Yes! It's just Mom, who calls me Marie, from time to time. Especially when I've been up to something no good, but then she calls me by my full … Kathreen Marie!"

Everyone started laughing when Kate had finished. Alex asked Kate then.

"And you feel like singing some now?"

"Er. What?"

"Singing, in there!" Johnny responded.

Kate thought it over, for a moment. But Britney already takes her with in the receiving space. While `NSYNC went to meet Wade Robson to do rehearse some new choreography steps with him.

Sandra chatted meanwhile with Max and Johnny about her daughter.

- “And it's really true that your daughter has no vocal training at all?" asked Alex and was absolutely surprised when he learned that Kate had told the truth yesterday.

"Mrs. Timber! So, we have to do something about it. Otherwise, it could happen that your daughter might one day lose her beautiful talent, maybe? And we do not want that, do we?" Alex said, and already sounded now as if he would have Kate under contract.

"Listen! I know that Marie is some excellent singer, but I also want her to be happy with what she does and she is graduated from school first." said Sandra, in some kind of imperious tone.

She knew, she could not tell her daughter, how this one has to live her life, but Sandra trusted nevertheless that she taught her daughter well enough, that she could make that decision for yourself!

"But, you surely would be a mother, who stood one hundred percent behind her daughter and her decision to be a singer, wouldn't you?" Johnny insisted and his wish to get Kate her own record deal also.

Meanwhile, in the receiving space, with Kate and Britney.

"Kate, you're great! May I ask how long you're been singing?" Brit wanted to know just.

"Um … I don't know exactly, but Mom always says that she never could silence me, when I was six or seven years! And deliberately? Well … maybe, about three or four years! Why?�

"One might really think that you have had a professional vocal training! I do not know what Alex meant, where I could help you with even!" said Britney.

"I do! For example, when I sing to any song on a CD: The double takes, when an artist is singing only one line or two and another at the same time also. Which always messes me up completely! You understand?" Kate told her.

"Oh! That's easy, huh?" Britney said.

"You do not, when you sing along alone, sing both voices! You sing, for example, the first voice you hear and just ignore that overlaid voice completely. Okay?"

"All right! Thank you!" Kate said.

"No problem!"

"Britney? Would you sing one song from you latest album, with me? Please!"

Britney just asked which one Kate had in mind, and agreed. They did sing Just One Kiss From You, after they had found the lyrics then.

Middle of their singing Alex's voice suddenly came flowing through the intercom.

"Hey, you two! That sounds really great! Would you two like to sing a real duet then?"

"We just did, Mr. Martin! You stopped us." Kate said, stepping out of the receiving space.

"How about, if I write a song with Britney for both of you, Kate. And you can take a break? Or give us some input, if you feel like it?" Alex suggested.

Marie agreed and when she let her look wander around the room, she noticed that her mom and Johnny were no longer around. She frowns.

"Mr. Martin? Where's my Mom?" She asked.

"She and Johnny are at the other end of the last corridor, in Johnny's office."

"Why?", Kate wanted to know, but Alex just shrugged his shoulders.