A/N: Hurrah! We finally finished up Scarlett Fever. I owe it all to you guys with your reviews and fabulous ideas. Thanks you also to my expert team of colleagues for putting up with me! I finally decided on the title Bombshell. My second choice was Blonde Ambition. *Takes deep breath* …Here goes nothing…

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter 1: Offer Of a Lifetime

Scarlett Browning was doing what she did every morning. She woke up (8:00 AM), sent a text to her best friend (Mercedes Griffin), took a quick shower (Irish Spring soap), and headed out of her apartment all before her aunt woke up. She almost never broke this ritual. It was constant, easy, and reliable.

She lived in the Upper East Side in her aunt Nova's apartment instead of in the home she'd grown up in. She only went there a couple times a month, to have tea with the housekeeper or check out the rooftop garden. The size of it overwhelmed her; it was practically a mansion. She'd kind of left it behind, along with the rest of her past.

Scarlett sat down on her stoop and retied the laces on her glittery black Keds. Mercedes has sent them to her, custom-made with a lyric to one of her songs embroidered onto the sides. Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world, she'd said. She sprang from the cement steps and joined the hectic crush of Manhattanites rushing down the sidewalk.

She fiddled with the strings on her lightweight backpack and pulled at the hem of her black track shorts as she stopped at the corner, waiting for the light to change before venturing into the street.

Don't hit me, don't hit me, don't hit me, she thought as she stepped. Even though she had thought-pleaded, a bright yellow cab came plowing down the street, almost mowing her down. The cab's brakes screeched on the pavement and the driver leaned out the window yelling, "Get out of the freakin' way!"

"Piss off, moron!" she screamed back, scurrying to the other side. I hate it here, she thought, even though she loved it. She walked for about a block before getting to the coffee shop on her route. She hurried inside, sighing in joy when she felt the AC hit her. New York could get pretty hot in the summer.

There was only one person in line; the rest of the customers were seated at tables, chatting away with each other and sipping coffee. Scarlett jumped in behind the guy and pulled her Ninja Turtles wallet out of her drawstring bag. It was slightly lame (okay, really lame), but it was special because her mom had owned it.

The guy in front of her was feverishly debating on what drink he should get. Scarlett rolled her eyes and stepped in front of him. "Café macchiato, extra foam. Cream, sugar, two percent milk." She handed the barista her ten dollar bill and he smiled gratefully. "Coming right up, Scarlett," he said. Being a regular had its benefits.

"Dude, I'm right here!" the man in front complained. Scarlett gave him her fakest smile and grabbed her cup from the man behind the counter.

"Then hurry your ass up next time, 'kay?" She took a sip of her coffee, blew a kiss to the man in the nonexistent line, and left the shop. She sealed the sip-top on her cup and started towards Central Park. She suddenly remembered to pull the hood of her cardigan up. She'd forgotten once and someone recognized her, coming up to get an autograph. Most New Yorkers didn't think it was that big a deal to see a celebrity walking their streets, but the rare few went crazy over them. She didn't want to risk it.

She'd been done with Hollywood for almost a whole year, but she still found herself in the tabloids at times. She hated that people still cared.

Gustavo Rocque and Kelly Wainwright were walking down the sidewalk, trying not to get trampled over by the fast-walking, fast-talking citizens. They stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs in there bright, trendy clothing. Most of the passerby was dressed in various shades of black and gray. Every so often, white.

"Ugh, tourists," a teenage boy muttered. Gustavo glared, shutting him right up. He jammed his fists into the pockets of his tracksuit and continued walking.

"When the HECK are we gonna get there?" Gustavo whined. Kelly rolled her eyes. He'd asked the exact same question just two minutes before. She couldn't blame him, though. It was sweltering. The Big Apple was turning into the Baked Apple.

"The apartment building's right around the corner," Kelly replied. Working with Gustavo could be a hassle at times, but she couldn't deny that she kind of liked it. She got to work with four troublesome yet incredible boys and scope out talent.

Kelly pushed the bar on the front door of the structure, letting Gustavo amble in. She pressed down on the number "6" door bell and there was a buzz.

"Hello?" a high, feminine voice came through the intercom. Gustavo leaned towards the buzzer, clearing his throat excessively.

"Yeah, this is Gustavo Rocque of Rocque Records." Kelly rolled her eyes at her boss. The proud, arrogant way he referred to himself was ridiculous. He wasn't a god or something. "Is this Nova Spade?"

"Can we come up?" Kelly added. There was a long silence on the other end, but breathing could be heard. She was contemplating.

"Uh, sure," she answered. "The door is unlocked." There was a click and the lock was broken. Kelly and Gustavo headed up the stairs to room six. When they arrived, Nova was waiting in the hallway, dressed in Victoria's Secret sweatpants, an oversized v-neck, and bunny slippers that had clearly seen better days. "So...what are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to speak with Scarlett," Kelly said quickly before Gustavo messed anything up. "Is she here?"

Nova shook her head. "Actually, she just left for her morning jog. She's in Central Park at the moment." Gustavo groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. "You're welcome to stay here until she gets back. I could make some coffee-"

"I'd love to see Central Park," Kelly cut in. "I'd be happy to go there and see her. But there's only one thing I ask." Nova was all ears. "Can we take your car? We were almost cooked alive out there."

Nova laughed, running her palm down the back of her head. "Sure, let's move." Kelly started following Nova down the stairs until she realized Gustavo wasn't moving. "Aren't you coming with Kelly?"

"Were you planning on changing first?" he asked. Nova shook her head, waving her hand dismissively.

"This is Central Park, not church. Come on!"

Scarlett was running through Central Park, bobbing her head up and down to the beat of the music blasting through her ear buds. It was turned up so high, she couldn't hear herself think. She couldn't hear her shoes slapping on the pavement or her heavy breaths. She was speeding past everybody, weaving between the other joggers.

She thought she heard the singer in the song she was listening to calling her name, but that was ludicrous. Scarlett pulled the buds out of her ears for just a second, slowing down to a slow jog. She noticed that her name was still being called and turned around, confused.

"Oh my God!" Scarlett was surprised (more like shell-shocked) to see her aunt, Gustavo Rocque, and Kelly Wainwright racing towards her. She stood, frozen, as they approached her.

Nova stopped in front of her niece and doubled over, attempting to catch her breath. "Gustavo…Kelly…sing…California…label," she wheezed, coughing. Scarlett's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. She averted her eyes from her dying aunt and up at Gustavo and Kelly.

Kelly took Scarlett's appearance in, staring. It looked as if she'd grown practically a foot since she'd last seen her. Her once waist-length corkscrew curls were gone, replaced with a stick straight, a-line bob that cut off near her shoulders. A stray black streak zipped through her almost white hair. Her bangs were cut bluntly above her dark eyebrows. A pair of hip Buddy Holly-esque, horn-rimmed glasses were perched on the bridge of her nose.

She was covered in various tattoos. The ink colored her legs and arms. Kelly was pretty sure the legal age for getting tattoos was eighteen and Scarlett was only seventeen. She also took note of the scar that ripped across her forehead.

"Oh my God!" Scarlett repeated, astonished. "What the fuck are you guys doing here?"

"Scarlett, language!" Nova exclaimed shrilly. Scarlett bit her lip. She'd developed quite the trucker mouth when she moved back to New York, reforming to her old ways.

"Sorry. I meant, what the fudge are you guys doing here?" Scarlett immediately wondered if the members of Big Time Rush were with them. Even seeing them brought up bad memories. She'd tried to keep in contact with some of them, but they were world famous. They didn't have time for her anymore. "Are the guys here?"

Kelly shook her head. "Uh, no. We didn't tell them." Scarlett looked confounded. "You see, Arthur Griffin wants to expand our music division."

"Why? You've already got BTR. They're one of the most popular bands in the world right now." Scarlett said it a bit snidely, instantly regretting her tone.

"Well, we've just been thinking it would be better if we had some variety on our label," Kelly countered.

Scarlett nodded slowly. She still didn't know why this concerned her. She looked over at Nova, who widened her eyes, giving her a look. Scarlett frowned, then suddenly knew what she was getting at.

"Are you implying that I come work with you guys in California?" Kelly nodded.

"You know, my voice and my style had changed since then," Scarlett stated. "I might not be what you want." Nova nodded in agreement.

"Which is why you would just be auditioning. You might get rejected," Gustavo put in. He tried to smile, but his face just wouldn't listen. "So what do you say? Will you come with us back to California?"

Everyone looked to Scarlett, who fell silent. Their expectant stares burned into her. Then she knew exactly what to say.

"Hell, no." Scarlett readjusted her bag on her shoulder and started down the path again, walking away from them. Nova caught up with her niece and put her hand on her shoulder. Scarlett faced her with watery eyes. "Please don't make me do this."

"I'd never make you do anything you didn't want to do, hon'," Nova assured her. She put an arm around her and rubbed her back comfortingly. A man in spandex bike shorts shoved Nova as he ran past her.

"Move out of the way!" the man yelled, running backwards. Scarlett flipped him the bird, but the man didn't look affected in any way. He just continued on his way.

"What a douchebag," Scarlett murmured. Nova snorted, looking at Scarlett with tired eyes.

"Don't call the moron a douchebag," she scolded. Then her expression softened. "Scarlett, I want you to seriously consider this offer. I know you've said you never wanted to this again-"

"Never ever."

"Right," Nova sighed, grabbing a fistful of her blond hair in annoyance. "I know you miss it, though. I hear you screaming song lyrics in your bedroom every night. It comes naturally to you. You said it was the only thing you were good at." Scarlett glanced over at Kelly and Gustavo. The both of them were pretending they weren't listening to their conversation.

Nova grabbed Scarlett by the shoulders, forcing her to listen. Nova's eyes were pleading. "You are freaking talented. I wish I had as much talent as you did. And I can't watch you throw something this amazing away. Don't let it go to waste." Scarlett began to object, but Kelly interrupted her, stepping in.

"It's only an audition," she pointed out. "Even if Griffin decides likes your music, you're allowed to choose whether or not you'd like to work with us. We'll never bother you again." Gustavo made a face and Kelly elbowed him roughly.

Scarlett stared at the dark asphalt, trying to determine if Kelly was sincere. She just didn't want to be manipulated. The thought of how everything could end up made her stomach hurt. "Why would you want to work with me after hearing about what a nightmare I am to work with?"

After Scarlett had been fired, her old boss had made it her mission to make sure everybody knew how horrifying she'd been. Scarlett could have retaliated, taking up the interview offers given by talk show hosts, but she'd been too mortified to show her face on television again. No one would believe when they saw all the the tantrums she'd staged that were posted on YouTube.

After she moved back to New York, she could barely ever go outside without being blinded by the flash of paparazzi cameras. It was scary. For what seemed like forever, you could only hear the sounds of people screaming and you could only see white light.

Scarlett looked back up at Kelly, shaking herself from her thoughts. "Scarlett," Kelly began, "You were great to be with on tour. Usually." Scarlett's lips curved into the tiniest smile. "We know everything Meredith said about you was bogus. And we'd love to get the opportunity to work with you." Scarlett knew she was being buttered up, but she didn't really mind. Butter away, she thought.

"I just...I don't know if I'm ready," Scarlett confessed, looking Kelly in the eyes. She realized Kelly was staring directly above her eyes at the two rings in her left eyebrow. She smirked and covered her eyebrow. Kelly realized she'd been caught and looked away.

Scarlett whirled around to face Nova. "And what about your job? I can't just make you up and leave. They need you at the bar."

Nova snorted. "Being a bartender isn't exactly my dream job. And you're like a daughter to me. I want what's best for you. And I think this is it." Scarlett reached over and squeezed her aunt's hand.

"I'll think about it, okay?" Scarlett promised, rolling her eyes. Gustavo rolled his eyes back at her behind his sunglasses and Kelly pulled a business card out of her purse. It had a fancy logo on it with a phone number under it.

"Call us as soon as possible," Kelly ordered, taking on a business tone. "Let's go, Rocque." Gustavo followed Kelly down the path, away from Scarlett.

Scarlett stared at the calling card, reading over the cursive once more. Her knuckles were white from how tightly she was squeezing the paper and she realized she was holding her breath. She breathed out, stuffing the card into the back pocket of her neon-trimmed track shorts. She could decide later.

A/N: I hope you guys liked this. If you have any comments/feedback/criticism, just leave a review. Sorry to anyone that had a title. I was just so antsy and wanted to start this as soon as possible. I don't have time to waste. And don't you worry, BTR will be in the next chapter. Toodles!