“What do you want, Austin?” I really just wanted to get back to my story. Ryker and I were at the good part.
He stood up and turned around to face me. He took a hand and tucked my hair over my shoulder and caressed my cheek. “You’re my girlfriend. I came to see you. Is that too much to ask?”
I blew out a puff of air. My mom would probably scold me if she saw the way I was treating Austin. “I’m sorry, I know I’m being rude. I was just caught up in my story.”
Austin wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. I let him kiss me, but my heart wasn’t in it. I kept thinking about the big plot twist I’d been planning with Ryker over burgers and shakes last night.
My door exploded open. “I know how to fix the plot hole! We just need to have our characters kiss before they talk it out.” I turned away from Austin to see Ryker standing in my doorway.
I grinned. “That’s genius. Why didn’t I think of that?”
Surprise crossed Ryker’s features when he saw Austin standing close to me with his arms still around my waist. “Am I interrupting something?” Ryker asked.
“Not at all,” I said, stepping away from Austin. “Have you heard anything else about your audition?” I asked. Ryker was pretty much perfect for the part. I’d never really stopped to think about it, but with his longish, curly blond hair and bright blue eyes, he really did look like he could be Prince Charming. He was a highly attractive guy beneath all the nerdiness. I always thought of him as just a friend, but I wasn’t blind. I knew a hot guy when I saw one. It wasn’t surprising that Ryker was handpicked by a Hollywood director.
He had a pretty killer British accent, too. We used to make silly videos when we were younger, and he went crazy with different accents. I always thought we were just kids messing around, but now I realized that it could end up paying off big for Ryker.
The problem was, I didn’t know what I’d do without him. I really had to figure out how to be a better, more supportive friend, but I was seriously struggling with my feelings. I felt like I had a big battle inside me. One side fought to support Ryker, and the other side fought to be more selfish and keep him all to myself. I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of going to college without him after we were so excited about going together.
Austin scowled. “You get after me for barging in, but when Ryker does the same thing, you don’t care?”
“Ryker’s different,” I said.
Ryker acted like he hadn’t heard Austin complaining. “I got an email with some instructions and a date and time.”
“Are you going?” I asked.
Austin folded his arms and shifted his weight to his other foot like he was already bored with the conversation. He probably wanted Ryker to leave so he could get back to making out.
“Yep. It’s next Saturday. I’ve already picked out some lines to audition with.”
“Let me know if you need help running through your lines.” I’d helped Ryker run lines for his musical. We’d had a lot of late nights with popcorn and Twizzlers and a lot of ridiculous nonsense. My mom was pretty strict with my curfew with Austin, but she didn’t mind letting Ryker stay over a little later. Our families were so close he was practically a son to her.
Maddie pushed open my bedroom door and climbed onto my bed, helping herself to the package of gummy bears on my nightstand.
“How is it that you’re the nerdiest girl at school, and you have two guys in your bedroom? And here I am over here, completely single, and not half as nerdy as you.”
My cheeks heated up. Maddie loved embarrassing me as much as possible. “Can I help you with something, Maddie?”
“I’m bored. I came in here to be entertained.”
“Don’t you have another werewolf book to read?”
“I just finished the series. I have to let the story marinate for a while before I can start a new book.”
“Well, you might want to go watch Netflix or something. We aren’t all that interesting.”
Maddie popped another gummy bear in her mouth and looked between the two guys standing awkwardly in my bedroom. “Looks pretty interesting to me.”
I wasn’t in the mood to be the butt of her joke. Plus, it wasn’t like there was anything going on between Ryker and me. The idea was laughable. Everyone knew we were just friends. I’d been dating Austin forever anyway. Maddie just loved a good love triangle and had an overactive imagination. There wasn’t a love triangle here—only the one she’d conjured up. It was definitely fictional.
“So,” Maddie said with a naughty little-sister smile. “Do you want to turn this love triangle into a square?” She patted the spot on the bed next to her. “Ryker, come sit next to me. I’m not in a complicated relationship.”
Ryker tugged on the collar of his shirt like it was choking him. “I was just leaving, actually.”
“Oh, come on. I don’t bite. Well, not very hard anyway.”
“Your sister’s crazy, Shannon,” he said, glancing over his shoulder at me as he made a beeline for the door.
“I am well aware of that,” I called out to him as he went down the hall. “I have to live with her every day.”
I walked down the hall at school with Austin, our fingers entwined. He waved to a bunch of the baseball team and fist-bumped Jimmy Alston.
Austin and I were that couple that no one seemed to understand. We were nothing alike, but opposites attracted, right? I was the shy nerdy girl of the school, and Austin had to talk to every person he passed in the hallway. I just wanted to read manga, draw, and write my fan fiction. Austin cared about sports and friends more than grades. I was uncoordinated and obsessed with getting straight A’s. I had to. If I hadn’t worked my tail off, I wouldn’t have gotten the scholarship to UNC.
Logan Cartwright and Bella Davenport stood together at her locker, and she popped a grape in his mouth. They were so adorable. Austin and I weren’t like that. We weren’t really the romantic type. But we’d been a staple of Sweet Mountain High. That iconic couple of nerd and popular guy. I didn’t even know how or why we’d gotten together. It had just kind of happened.
We were assigned as partners in biology freshman year when we were dissecting frogs. He took his tweezers and poked at the frog. He asked me what he was poking at, and I told him it was the frog’s heart. He said he wondered if the frog had ever had his heart broken. I thought he was a weirdo in an adorable sort of way. At the end of the class period, he asked me out. Now we were close to graduation, and we’d lasted all four years.
Sure, we’d had our ups and downs like any couple, but we’d stood the test of time. Unlike my parents. Sometimes I wished they’d tried harder to work through their problems. Yeah, my dad cheated, but I wished my mom had found it in her heart to forgive him. But she just gave up. I refused to let that happen to Austin and me. No matter how hard it got. That was why I was still with him now.
Austin had plans to go to UNC with Ryker and me. I hoped to get into advertising and graphic design. I had an aunt who made good money and worked for several big name brands. She’d ended up traveling the world because of her career and could work from home if she felt like it. It was a win-win situation. I’d get to pursue art and make money while getting to see something other than Sweet Mountain. It wasn’t that I had anything against our little town; it was a darling place to live. But it was all I’d been able to see. My parents never took me on vacation, and my dad hadn’t once asked me to come see him at his home in California with his new wife. He’d pretty much moved on from us like we’d never existed.
Although I’d faithfully stayed by Austin’s side for the past four years, with a few hiccups here and there, we didn’t really hang out much outside of school. He tried to, but I usually ended up daydreaming about all the nerdy stuff I wanted to discuss with Ryker. All Austin wanted to do was kiss. I honestly didn’t see the appeal. Kissing was okay, but I got bored with it.
I could sit and talk to Ryker for hours on end, though, and we did on
a regular basis. There was always so much to talk about. We never got bored. And Ryker was really good about responding to my texts. He always answered right away and usually said something to make me laugh. Sometimes Austin took an entire day to respond. It drove me nuts. How could anyone hold a conversation like that?
My relationship with Austin wasn’t perfect, but whose relationship was, anyway? Every couple had their struggles. We just had to work through them.
3
Ryker
I walked into the auditorium at Sweet Mountain High that Saturday afternoon. I smoothed down my white button-down shirt. I’d never been so nervous for an audition. I kept telling myself that it didn’t matter if I got the part because I wasn’t sure I was going to accept it anyway, but I still wanted to make a good impression. This was Stephen Christopher, after all.
His name hadn’t meant anything to me when I first heard it from Camille after the musical. But I went and did some digging around on the internet when I picked my audition piece. To say he was intimidating was a massive understatement. This guy was uber-famous. I’d seen almost every single one of his movies and loved them. I just hadn’t paid attention to who the director was.
He sat behind a folding table set up on the first row of the auditorium seating. A camera was set up on a tripod and pointed at the stage. I had a feeling I was the only one auditioning for him in Sweet Mountain. Which meant he went through the trouble of setting this all up just for me. Maybe it really was just a formality. For some reason, that didn’t make me feel any better.
I was still terrified.
Stephen Christopher turned around and smiled at me when I came close enough for him to hear me coming into the room.
“Ryker! Glad to see you made it.”
“Do you want me up on the stage?” I asked.
“No. Why don’t you just stand right here in front of the stage for me?” He pointed to a spot a few feet in front of him.
“Do you have a headshot and resume for me?” he asked.
“No, sir,” I said. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to have one.” I felt my cheeks growing hot. Was that going to ruin my chance of landing the role? I should have researched this stuff better. I didn’t even know a photographer who did headshots.
“Don’t worry about it. I should have put it in the email for you. We’re just glad you were able to make it today.”
I set my backpack down on one of the seats in the row behind him. Mr. Christopher made it sound like I was doing him a favor by just showing up. I headed to the spot in front of the camera and launched into the audition.
When I’d gone through my lines, he scribbled on his notepad. Then he looked up, smiled at me, and said, “Very good. Well, it looks like we’re done here, Ryker. I’ll have someone reach out to you within the next few days.”
“Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Christopher.”
“It’s been my honor, Ryker.”
I left the school and drove home. I parked on the street and walked into the house. My little brother, Parker, and my sister, Ava, were sitting on the couch watching Netflix and eating a bag of potato chips. Ava was thirteen, and Parker was ten. They were both pretty young when Mom left. Parker couldn’t even remember when she lived with us. It seemed like a lifetime ago when I thought about it now. Now that they were older, they could look after themselves, but I spent a lot of time taking care of them.
“Where’s Dad?” I asked.
“He went to the grocery store,” Ava said, shoving a chip into her mouth.
“I’m surprised we have any chips left with you two smashing through all the food around here,” I said, swiping the bag away from them. “Make sure you’re not just filling up on snacks and eat actual meals. I have to get some homework done before I have to go in to work tonight.” I shoved a handful of chips into my mouth and dusted off my greasy hands before handing the bag of chips back to Ava. I turned to go down the hall to my room.
“Wait,” Ava said. “You forgot to tell us how your audition went.”
“It went all right, I guess.” I shrugged. “Mr. Christopher said I should be hearing back from them in a few days, so we’ll see. It’s hard to know what people are thinking during auditions.”
I went back into my room and studied for my economics test. About an hour into my studying, my phone rang.
“Ryker? This is Allie with Big Films Casting Company.”
“Hey,” I said.
“I’m calling to congratulate you. Mr. Christopher has decided to cast you as the prince in his upcoming Cinderella film.”
I almost dropped my phone in shock. “I’m sorry. What?” Was I hallucinating?
“You got the role! You’ll get an official email within the next hour, but I wanted to call and let you know personally. All you need to do is respond to the email and let us know if you’ve decided to accept the role. Once you accept, you’ll need to sign some paperwork, including a contract. Do you have a talent agent?”
“No.” It had never crossed my mind that I would ever need an agent. I’d always wanted to get into film acting, but I hadn’t taken it that seriously.
“Between you and me, I recommend you find an agent to help you navigate the contract. Those contracts can be a bit complicated.”
“Thanks for the tip.”
“Sure thing,” she said cheerfully. “Hopefully we’ll be seeing a lot more of you in the near future. We’ve been looking for someone just like you for a long time now. We were getting a little bit desperate. Filming begins on the first of June.”
That was a week after graduation. This was all so hard for me to wrap my head around. We ended the call, and I checked the clock. I had work in ten minutes, and I still hadn’t changed into my uniform.
I hurried and put on my navy polo shirt and black apron and said goodbye to my brother and sister on the couch. I was about to leave, but I hesitated by the door, looking back at Ava and Parker.
“I just heard back from the casting company,” I said.
“Already?” Ava said, pausing her show. “I thought they were going to reach out to you in a few days.”
“I guess they changed their minds,” I told her.
“Well, did you get the part?” she asked.
“Yup.”
“No way! You’re going to be totally famous, Ryker!” She jumped up and threw her arms around my neck. “Does this mean we all get to move to Hollywood? I’ve always dreamed of living there.”
“Dude!” Parker said. “That’s awesome!”
Dad came into the room from the kitchen. “Did I just hear you say you got the part?”
“Yeah.”
He crossed the room, and Ava stepped aside from our embrace. He enveloped me in a bear hug. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. I know you’re going to do an incredible job. Just don’t forget about us little people when you’re rich and famous.”
“Hang on, guys. I don’t even know if I’m going to accept the role or not. I haven’t decided.”
“How is that even a decision?” Parker asked. “Someone wants to make you rich and famous. There’s only one answer.”
If only it was that simple. “I have to go to work, guys. I’ll let you know as soon as I make a decision.”
As I drove to work, I thought through the implications of accepting the role. Would I lose my scholarship to UNC and postpone my education for the start of a promising film career? It would mean a complete upheaval of my life, something I wasn’t planning and hadn’t foreseen at all. I never thought I’d actually get this role. It seemed too easy. I hadn’t gone to years of film classes or thousands of auditions. This was my first film audition. I didn’t even know I was supposed to bring a resume and headshot.
How could I go to Hollywood and pursue this unexpected career? It would probably mean I’d have to give up my relationship with Shannon, and I wasn’t sure that was something I was willing to sacrifice. How could I abandon her at that school? And especially with Austin lurking arou
nd. It was bad enough she was with him in high school. Would he get to be with her in college, too?
If she didn’t want me, she could at least pick a guy who treated her better. But I didn’t think Shannon knew anything different. Austin was the only guy she’d ever dated, and it wasn’t like her dad was a shining example of manhood either. From what I gathered, he’d been emotionally abusive to Shannon and Maddie and their mom. His behavior had only shown Shannon that it was acceptable to treat a woman like garbage.
I pulled into the parking lot behind Skippy’s and climbed out of the car, locking the door behind me. I went inside and greeted my aunt Kristen. She stood behind the bar, wiping it with a rag. The diner wasn’t very busy tonight. A few of the regulars sat in their favorite booths, and a couple with a baby in a high chair sat back in the corner where Shannon and I usually sat. I checked the board to see where my section was for the night. I opened the folder from my apron pocket, where I kept my notepad and tips and receipts. I ripped a few scribbled-on pages from my notepad and tossed them in the garbage can behind the counter.
Usually, Skippy’s was my happy place, but today, not even the smell of burgers sizzling could cheer me up. I normally told Aunt Kristen everything. She was the only person I’d confided in about my true feelings for Shannon. She was like a mom to me. I’d been just a kid, but I still remembered telling her about how I’d been crushing on Shannon secretly.
“Are you okay?” Aunt Kristen asked, following me back through the kitchen to the break room area. “You seem a little off today.”
I considered whether or not to tell her about the results of my audition. I already knew she would try to talk me into accepting the role. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to do that.
My Best Friend Prince Charming: A Sweet YA Romance (Sweet Mountain High Book 6) Page 2
