Martin pressed play. Cassandra danced and sang provocatively in front of him. This was the 5^th time today he had watched the new video for pop star Cassandra’s single " What you want is not what I have got"

He had recorded it from "the Chart Update" and loved it instantly. He could not wait ‘til Monday when he could but the single. He would get both CDs and on cassette too if that had a bonus track. A week later he was reading the paper, when he came to the entertainment pages, to see Cassandra was going to release a new album in a month and to promote it, would do a tour. She was playing Leeds. He was ecstatic.

He had all her singles and now he could see her in the flesh. He wondered if she was as beautiful as in pictures and in her videos. He rang up the credit card hotline and booked a ticket. Only 5 weeks and she would be in Leeds.He could barely wait.

The weeks crept by and surely enough like snail the dated slivered into view.

He wore a pair of combat trousers, Nike top and as it was a special occasion applied a moisturiser to his face. He even dyed his hair black to look more striking.

Cassandra arrived on stage looking sexy and poised. She wore a camisole top and tight jeans with sandals, her auburn hair hung loose.

She performed all her singles plus new tracks off the album, which Martin had learnt and sang loudly along.

At the end of the concert Martin waited outside the backstage door until she came out to give autographs.

He loved her, he knew what her favourite colour was, what she did on a Saturday, how many GCSEs she got and yet she looked at him like he was just another fan. This annoyed him.

"Can I come to your dressing room?"

"Well,uh, I don’t know. Let me ask security."

"OK> They said for 5 minutes as long as you don’t mind them being there."

He couldn’t believe his luck. His hands were shaking and his voice trembly.
She spoke to him in standoffish fashion, and only for a couple of minutes, then asked him to go.

He waited outside her room and pretended to leave but loitered outside. When he was sure security has gone he pushed his way into her dressing room. She was visibly alarmed; not to say de-masked as she had take off her make-up and her long auburn hair, which was apparently a hairpiece.

She was weaning a baggy t-shirt and jeans with no shoes and looked to say the least-plain.

Martin said "I’ve waited weeks to see you and you can’t even be bothered to talk to me for 5 minutes. On top of that your whole act is a sham. Look at you, you’re superficial, a lie. And I’ m sure you mimed during the show"

"What do you want of me? Clear off. I’ll get security"

"Not until I know why you do this when it’s all so plastic"

"That’s what this industry’s like darling, now get out"

Security came in. "Any problem, Cass?"

"No, this man’s just leaving"

He was and the very next morning would phone up the paper to tell them what a deception Cassandra was, so that others could be as disappointed as him.

WENDY 16-5-00