“I’m sure we’ll get another chance,” Gabi said.
“Well,” Ryker said. “Should we head out?”
“Absolutely,” Mr. Christopher said.
They waved goodbye to Ava and me and exited through the front door. I went into the kitchen for a glass of water and spotted Ryker helping Gabi into the limo before climbing in himself. A flood of bitter emotions threatened to encompass me, but I pushed them all down and embraced the emptiness instead.
That was when it hit me. Maybe I did have something to write about on my own. What if I wrote a story about a girl with a best guy friend who gets sucked into a Hollywood career? That was a story worth writing about. I’d change around some of the facts, so it didn’t resemble reality too closely, but it would be a good way to process what I was feeling. Because right now, I was wallowing, and that was never a good thing.
I went home and opened my laptop to a blank document and began typing. It looked like I had a story for Mrs. Drake, after all.
7
Ryker
The limo pulled up to the front entrance of Charter, and the driver got out to open our door. The sidewalk was lined with people with cameras. Paparazzi. How had they found out we were going to be here tonight?
Lights flashed in my eyes, momentarily blinding me. I climbed from the limo first, smiling and waving. Gabi followed next, taking my hand.
“Hey, guys!”
“Happy Birthday, Ryker!” someone called.
A woman with blonde hair hairsprayed into a helmet shoved a microphone in my face. “How does it feel to know you’re going to be one of the most desired men in Hollywood?”
“I don’t know about that.” I chuckled. “I think I just need to worry about getting there first.”
“Gabi! How do you feel about being onscreen with Ryker?”
“I’m sure Ryker will be fantastic. I took a look at his audition video, and he’s amazing in front of the camera.”
She’d seen my audition video? That was so embarrassing. Gabi wasn’t what I’d expected at all. I thought she’d be a spoiled, pampered princess. But she actually seemed down to earth and cool. She and I had video chatted a few times. She’d begged Mr. Christopher to fly out with her to have dinner with me on my birthday. She insisted she needed to see where I grew up to really understand who I was. She said it was integral to her process of getting into character and building onscreen chemistry with me. She was privately tutored instead of going to a normal high school, so she could hop on a plane anytime she felt like it and just keep her tutoring sessions to long-distance video chat.
Mr. Christopher leaned into the microphone. “That will be all for tonight. Thank you.”
We walked into the building together, where security personnel guarded the doors to keep out the riffraff. I’d never even been inside Charter, and now I had guards to protect me.
Soft lighting hung low over tables scattered around the room. A hostess greeted us and led us to a table in the corner.
“How did they know we were going to be here tonight?” I asked Gabi when we’d settled at the table and had given our orders.
“Who knows? It probably has to do with the fact that Stephen announced your role in the film yesterday. They probably sent people to Sweet Mountain right away. It’s not a stretch to guess that you’d go to the nicest place in town for your birthday. Especially since I came to visit. They follow me everywhere. It can be annoying, but you get used to it eventually. I usually just smile and wave.”
“You have a really good attitude about it. Don’t most celebrities hate the paparazzi?”
“I don’t have a bunch of dirty secrets to hide.”
“Gabi hasn’t had to work very hard to keep up her squeaky-clean image. It comes naturally to her,” Mr. Christopher said. “It’s one of the reasons I cast her as our Cinderella. She already has the perfect image for it. So many people are easily corrupted by this industry, but if you focus on working hard and staying out of trouble, you’ll see that the paparazzi won’t bother you too much. They’ll have much bigger, juicer stories to pursue.”
“You’re so sweet, Stephen. Thank you,” Gabi said.
“What’s it been like not going to regular school?” I asked Gabi.
“It can get pretty boring and lonely.”
“Do you ever wish you could go to a normal public high school?” I asked.
“Well, all I know is what I’ve seen on TV and movies, but yeah. I definitely feel sad that I’ve missed out on all the fun stuff like football games and prom. You’re lucky to have a good friend like Shannon. For all the fame I seem to have, I’ve actually led a pretty isolated life. It’s hard to find people who understand what my life is like.”
“That’s what I’m worried about,” I admitted.
“What do you mean?” Mr. Christopher asked.
“I guess I mean, I’m worried that I’ll lose my identity now that I’m going to be so well known.”
Mr. Christopher nodded thoughtfully.
“Are you worried about losing your friends?” Gabi asked.
“The only friend who really matters is Shannon.”
“What’s the deal with you guys anyway?”
“What do you mean?” I asked, taking a sip of my water.
“Why aren’t you dating her?” Gabi unfolded the linen napkin wrapped around her silverware and spread it across her lap.
I choked on my water, letting out a cough.
Mr. Christopher laughed. “It’s that bad, huh?”
“You want to know the honest truth?” I didn’t care if Mr. Christopher knew how I felt, but I had no idea why I was admitting this to Gabi. Maybe it was because I knew we had to perform onscreen together as a romantic couple in love, and I wanted her to understand where my heart stood.
Her eyes sparkled, and she nodded. She reminded me of a little girl getting ready to hear about a good fairy-tale romance. She was about to be sorely disappointed. Our romance was clearly one-sided.
“I’ve been in love with Shannon for a very long time.”
She clapped her hands. “I knew it!” she squealed. “I could tell when you introduced her to me.”
“Why didn’t you introduce her to us as your girlfriend then?” Mr. Christopher asked.
“Because she doesn’t know how I actually feel.”
“Ouch,” Mr. Christopher said.
“Yeah,” I said.
“You need to tell her the truth,” Gabi said, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed.
“Believe me, that wouldn’t go over well.”
“That’s just your fear talking,” Gabi said. “You’re brave enough to get up on a stage and perform. And now you’re putting your privacy on the line with a film career. Most people would be way too terrified to do that. It’s just a simple conversation.”
“A simple conversation? It could ruin my relationship with my best friend in the entire world. I’d rather at least have her as a best friend than lose her altogether.”
“Or you could be dating her,” Mr. Christopher said. “It’s a risk, but the best things in life usually require a leap of faith.”
He was right. But was I ready to take action?
“You have to talk to her,” Gabi pleaded. “You’re about to go off to California. What if you leave, and you never get the chance to tell her the truth? You could end up regretting that for the rest of your life. You never know, Shannon might like you back.”
“Until recently, she had a boyfriend, but she caught him kissing another girl at school last Monday. So she broke it off with him.”
“Now’s the perfect time to make your move then,” Mr. Christopher said.
I thought back to Monday when I hugged her in the lunchroom, and I’d sensed that she might actually be interested in me. Maybe I had a better chance with Shannon than I thought.
Over the next week, a steady stream of packages arrived at my house. My agent, George, recommended that I start stocking up on a new wardrobe since I�
�d be in the public eye so heavily. I guess he wasn’t really thrilled with my ratty, stained t-shirt collection. He helped me order a bunch of stuff from stores I’d never even heard of. He insisted it would help my image.
I didn’t even want to know how much George had spent, but, thanks to the huge advance George had negotiated for me, my bank account was so huge now, I wasn’t sure it even mattered at this point. George insisted that it was an investment in my future career and could be written off as a business expense on my taxes, whatever that meant.
I didn’t wear them at first. I was happy in my old clothes. I stacked up the boxes in the corner of my room, but then when I went to school one morning, my house was swarmed by paparazzi.
Before noon, my picture was viral on Twitter with loads of comments on how I was dressed.
My phone blew up with texts from George, asking me if I’d gotten the new clothes he’d helped me order. I went home that afternoon and began opening the stack of boxes.
Shannon came into my room as I ripped open my third box.
“What’s all this?” she asked.
“Clothes my agent wants me to start wearing.”
She walked over to my bed and picked up a pair of ripped-up jeans. “How is this that much different from what you’re already wearing?”
“It doesn’t have grass stains on it?”
“You paid five hundred dollars for this?” Shannon squeaked.
“Oh, did I? I’m trying not to look at the price tags. George ordered them all for me.”
“You don’t even like skinny jeans.”
“I guess I do now.”
She put the jeans back on the bed. “This isn’t you, Ryker.”
“George said, it’s important to get my image right for the fans. It’s part of getting future film work. I’m just thinking of it as a work uniform. When I’m chilling out at home, I can wear whatever I want.”
“You’re really planning to make this an entire career, aren’t you?”
“You have your paycheck from Toppings that you can use to help out your mom. This is what I have, and it’s a lot better pay than what I was making working part-time at Skippy’s. I have to help take care of my family, somehow.”
“I get that,” Shannon said. “I guess I’m just trying to absorb all of this. I didn’t see it coming, you know?”
“None of us saw it coming. But it’s here, and it’s a better opportunity than most people can ever imagine.”
Shannon looked up at me, her bright blue eyes studying me like she was still trying to process all the changes at once.
Oh, how I wanted to kiss her. The pull to take her in my arms and taste her lips was hard to ignore. I’d been thinking a lot about my conversation with Gabi and Mr. Christopher at Charter. I wanted to tell Shannon how I felt, but I still hadn’t gathered the courage to do so. I wanted to get a better gauge of her reaction to me.
On impulse, I reached up and tucked a wavy blonde strand of hair behind her ear. She froze, keeping her eyes on me. I dropped my hand, letting it trace down her arm. I felt goosebumps rising up on her skin, and I lifted my hand away.
She looked away, her hair shading her reddening cheeks. “I should get back home,” she whispered.
“Why?” I asked.
“I’m writing a book,” she said.
“What?” I pulled away. “Like, on your own?”
“Yes. For this contest Mrs. Drake told us about in English class. I went to her today and told her I’d decided to enter.” Her blue eyes were serious.
“That’s incredible, Shannon.” I could kiss her all over again. I was so proud of her. “What’s it about?”
She blushed. “I’m not ready to share it with you yet, but maybe one day.”
“I understand.” I turned back to the next box and sliced it open. It hurt that Shannon didn’t want to share her new book with me. We’d always shared our stories together. Did this mean she didn’t want to write the fan fiction with me anymore?
“I just . . .” Shannon had her hand on her opposite arm over the spot where I’d felt her goosebumps. “I just wanted to stop by to see how you were. It feels like we hardly talk anymore.”
“Hey, I’m just next door. You know where to find me.”
“For now,” she said.
“Yeah. For now.” And then I was moving to the other side of the country. Right when it seemed like something might actually happen between Shannon and me. Sometimes the universe really was cruel.
8
Shannon
I left Ryker’s house, my head swirling with confusion. What was happening between us? Ryker was changing, and quickly. First, all his new clothes, which would probably end up looking incredible on him, and now, the way he’d been touching me lately. I couldn't say I didn’t like it—because I did like it. A little too much, and that was what scared me. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face what it might mean for Ryker and me. I was comfortable with the way our relationship had been. It was safe and predictable. Routine. But this? We were entering uncharted territory, and I didn’t know how to navigate this terrain.
When I saw Ryker coming home from Charter, Gabi had gotten out of the limo to say goodbye to him, and she’d ended up hugging him so naturally, I’d thought Ryker was interested in her. I mean, regardless of the hug, what guy wouldn’t be?
She was a drop-dead gorgeous uber-famous movie star. The kind of girl every guy dreamed about. Poised, gracious, and well-spoken. She didn’t even come off as fake. She seemed genuine and down to earth. How was that even possible? Would I be that nice if I had that much attention and money? Gabi didn’t have to worry about barely scraping by financially. If Ryker’s new spending habits were any indication, she could spend the entire day at the mall and not even come close to making a dent in her bank account. I had no idea what that must be like. I’d spent so much time ensuring I had every last penny accounted for. I had to, or we wouldn’t have been able to survive. Most girls my age spent their money on new clothes or the newest shade of lipstick. I saved up every penny to help my mom put food on the table.
I pulled open the screen over my front door and then the door itself. Mom still wasn’t home. Maddie was sitting at the table, painting her nails.
“What’s up, Shannon?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“You just come from hottie’s house?”
I made a face. “Don’t call him that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s weird.”
“That’s what half the school is calling him. And now there’s a rumor going around that you’re dating him since Austin is sucking face with Tabby Lewis. I have to say, you really dodged a bullet on that one. Ryker is a way better catch, and I thought that before he got rich and famous.”
“There’s a rumor going around that I’m dating Ryker?”
“Oh yeah. People are shipping you big time. Just give it a few days, you’ll have a hashtag trending.”
“I don’t even know what any of that means.”
“You don’t know what a hashtag is?”
I rolled my eyes. “I know what that is. Just not the rest of that gibberish.”
“You’re the biggest nerd in the school, and you write fan fiction. How do you not know about shipping and trending hashtags?”
“Because I write my fan fiction. I don’t hang out on social media. It’s not my thing.”
“It’s only a matter of time, and you’ll be hanging out on there, whether you like it or not,” Maddie said.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Haven’t you noticed the crowds of creepsters outside our house with the cameras, or are you really that disconnected from reality?”
I scowled. “Of course, I’ve seen them. I just don’t know what they have to do with me.”
“Duh, you’re always with Ryker. If half the school is shipping you two, then it’s only a matter of time before your face is plastered all across the internet with him.”
/> “You mean the paparazzi is going to start writing articles about me and speculating that I’m dating Ryker?”
“Obviously.”
I opened my mouth to speak but shut it again. I hadn’t thought of that. “But I’m not dating him. We just have to let them know that.”
“Yeah, like that will work. Those people are vultures, looking for whatever piece of juicy gossip they think will get the most attention. Everyone loves a best-friends-to-lovers story, especially when the lovers are next-door neighbors who grew up together. And they’ll be more than happy to create that story for the masses.”
“You mean they won’t believe me.”
“Um, I don’t even believe you. I knew you were crushing on Ryker before all this movie stuff went down.”
“Except I wasn’t. I was dating Austin, remember?”
Maddie busted out laughing. “Oh yeah, I remember. You always spent all your time with Ryker and practically ignored Austin.”
“That’s just because we’re writing a fan fiction together. As friends.”
“Is that what you still are?”
I hesitated. “Yes.”
“Hm. That sounded convincing.”
“You’re so snarky. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pushed past her to get an apple from the fruit basket on the table. “You should have seen him with Gabi. That’s who the media will be shipping or whatever you call it.”
“You’re jealous!” Maddie started laughing so hard she almost fell off her stool.
“Calm down. You’re going to get nail polish everywhere, and then I’m going to have to clean it up. Because you’re not exactly known for cleaning up your messes around here.”
“You’re cranky. You just need to chill out, Shannon.”
I rubbed my forehead. Maybe I did. I didn’t know what had gotten into me lately. Everything was changing so fast I could hardly keep up with it.
The problem was, I was jealous. Ryker was going off to California to go see the world. UCLA had been my dream school, and although I’d been accepted, I couldn’t begin to afford the out-of-state tuition. UNC was in a bigger city than Sweet Mountain, but it wasn’t as much of a change as UCLA would be. I’d be in the state with basically the same culture. More or less. UCLA would have been like another planet compared to Sweet Mountain. And I could have gone to the beach on the weekends, and the weather would be amazing year-round.
My Best Friend Prince Charming: A Sweet YA Romance (Sweet Mountain High Book 6) Page 5
