Free Reality Check by Jen Calonita

And Boston is beautiful. You'd love it. Do you know what you want to major in yet?”
    “Communications or journalism,” I tell her. “I really like to write. I just wonder,” I hesitate, worrying that this is too much information, “if doing the show will mess that up.”
    Addison shakes her head. “I doubt it. If anything, it could open a ton of new doors for you. Maybe they'll want to work a writing internship into the show for you.”
    “You think?” I gape.
    “You never know where you'll get your big break,” Addison points out. “I was going to switch my major to communications junior year and then I got a summer internship here. After that, I was hooked on TV. I do miss writing though.”
    Addison starts telling me about college and the do's and don'ts of freshman year. Do join some sort of activity to meet more than just your roommate. Don't do something crazy like try out for rugby. Addison says she practically broke a rib during the tryouts. Then we move on to talking about my other favorite topic: guilty pleasure TV shows (mine is, fortunately,
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
; Addison's is
Jon & Kate Plus Eight
). We enter a large studio and I recognize it immediately. It's the
Firing Up!
countdown set.
    “What are we doing here?” I ask excitedly.
    “Your interview,” says Addison. “The show doesn't tape till four so we're borrowing the set.”
    “Are you serious?” I freak. Brooke is going to flip out.
    Addison laughs. “I had the same reaction the first time I was here. It's pretty cool seeing it in person, isn't it?” She walks me over to the camera crew, which is setting up in front of the funky pink leather chairs that are a signature on the
Firing Up!
set. The show's logo, bedazzled and sparkling, is in large letters on the wall behind the chairs. Autographs cover the walls—it's customary for stars to sign the wall when they come on the show—and there are beanbags littering the floor where the audience sits. Addison quickly makes the introductions. “You're going to be seeing these faces a lot,” she tells me. “This is going to be
The Cliffs'
crew—Hank, Phil, Kayla, and Steven. Sometimes we'll all be together, and sometimes we'll split up.” I guess Addison can tell I'm confused, because she explains. “If you four girls are shooting a scene together, we'll be with you. If you go to different places, the crew will break up too so that all of you are covered.” Addison looks at a duo standing nearby. “And this is Anthony and Bruce, two of our other producers.”
    I notice everyone looks a lot more relaxed down here. They're in jeans and tees, talking loudly, joking around. It reminds me of a party, except this one has video cameras and Cliffside's parties don't. I instantly feel at ease.
    “Charlie, we're going to be asking you a bunch of questions, based on interviews we've done with the other girls,” says Bruce, a stocky twenty-something who has short blond hair and a Bob Dylan shirt on.
    “I thought I was the first one down here,” I say.
    “Since everyone has been waiting for Susan, we pulled the girls down here earlier,” Addison explains. “We didn't get enough time with Brooke, so she'll finish up after signing contracts.”
    Anthony pulls me aside. “Do you mind your parents being here for this? Because we can find somewhere for them to sit if you want.”
    “Why?” I ask, alarmed. “What exactly are you asking me?”
    Bruce smiles. “Nothing
too
personal. School, friends, boys. That kind of stuff.”
    “We're not using any of this, “ Addison assures me, and pulls out her BlackBerry. “We just need it for background purposes.”
    “Unless you say something so spectacular that we have to use it on the season one DVD.” Anthony winks.
    “We're getting a DVD?” I ask excitedly. The thought hadn't even occurred to me. I picture my face staring back at me from the Netflix website.
    “Probably,” Bruce says. “Along with a lot of other