by Betsy Haynes
"Quiet on the set," called the assistant director. Taffy grabbed Tess's hand and watched for their cue. When Jerry signaled, the two girls crossed the lawn and climbed the front steps, knocking on the door. Paige opened it and began speaking her lines. "Tiffany Stafford! What are you doing here? And what are you doing with Kara! Did you kidnap her?"
Taffy answered her, putting all the emotion she was feeling into the part. Paige was trying hard, also, and as they got to the hardest part of the scene—the part where Taffy would have to tell her that it was partly her own fault that they weren't friends—Taffy's mind flashed back to The Merry Chase Acting Studio.
The secret of great acting, Merry Chase had said over and over again, is not to act, but to become the character you're playing.
Deep down, Taffy knew that she wanted to make up with Paige now that she understood the other girl better. I see her differently now, Taffy thought as she waited for her turn to speak. I understand why she's so down on herself. And since I'm playing the role she wanted, I'm the only one who can make her feel better.
"Do you mean that you went out in this storm to look for my little sister?" Paige asked.
"Of course," said Taffy. "When I found out that she was lost, I had to help find her. It didn't matter whose little sister she was."
"I owe you an apology," Paige said. "You're a much nicer person than I thought you were."
This is it, thought Taffy. This is my chance to change things between Paige and me. And I can do it in front of the cameras, and when the movie comes out, in front of the whole world. All I have to do is become the character I'm playing. I can do that now. I want to make up with Paige.
Taffy could feel her heart pounding. She had never done anything like this before. But she had to do it. She lifted her head and looked straight at Paige, but when she began speaking, she didn't say the lines from the script.
"I feel the same way about you," she began. "I guess the trouble between us was that we didn't take the time to try to understand each other or find out how much we have in common. I can see that now, and I'd like to be friends."
There was absolute silence on the set as Paige stared at Taffy. Total surprise registered on her face, and it looked as if tears were about to bubble up in her eyes. "Do you really mean it?" whispered Paige.
Taffy nodded. "Cross my heart," she said softly.
A smile broke across Paige's face, and she opened the door wide. "Come on in, Tiffany," she said. "We have lots of things to talk about."
Paige closed the door, and the two girls stood looking at each other in silence. Outside, they heard Jerry call, "Cut!" but neither of them moved.
"Did you mean what you said out there?" Paige asked. "Is that why you made up your lines instead of following the script?"
"That's right," said Taffy. "I started thinking about what you said yesterday, and I realized that our lives are a lot alike. We've both had trouble making friends because other kids were jealous of us. They didn't understand that we weren't really different. That made me understand that we're both perfect for the part of Tiffany Stafford." Taffy paused and took a deep breath. "I can't give you the part back, but I can tell you that I really do want to be friends."
Before Paige could answer, the door burst open, and the director strode in.
"That was terrific!" he cried, grinning so broadly that his cigar nearly popped out of his mouth. "I knew both of you could do it." Then he turned to Taffy. "I don't know where you came up with those lines, but they were perfect. I even had a lump in my throat."
"Oh," said Taffy casually, "I was just following my acting teacher's advice."
Then Taffy and Paige exchanged grins and walked off the set arm in arm.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
For the next few weeks on the set, things got better and better for Taffy. She had long talks with Paige and learned that there was another tragedy in the red-haired actress's life. She had a younger brother and sister who had not come back to California with Paige and her mother, and she missed them terribly.
With all that, it's no wonder that she was so crabby all the time, Taffy thought. I was a big threat to the last thing she had going for herself: her career.
One afternoon when there was no filming, Paige and Taffy explored Rodeo Drive with Tess, Megan, and Chelsea. The girls had a great time wandering around the world-famous street packed with expensive shops where movie stars and rock stars and celebrities of all kinds do their shopping. Another day they visited The Walk of Stars, where star-shaped pieces of stone are set into the sidewalk.
"Just think, guys," Taffy said, looking at the hundreds of Stars, each one containing the name of a famous actor or actress. "Someday we'll all have our names in The Walk of Stars."
"Right on!" shouted Tess, raising a fist into the air.
To her relief, Taffy received no more presents from the mysterious Len, either. She was sure he was the cameraman who always acted so friendly on the set. She felt certain that telling KJ that she already had a boyfriend had finally done the trick.
But by the end of work on the movie there was still one thing that hadn't worked out the way Taffy wanted. Raven Blaine. When they played scenes together, he flirted and acted the way he did when she had first gotten to Hollywood. But off camera it was another matter. If anything, he was more withdrawn, paying less attention to her now than ever.
With Raven acting so uninterested, Taffy's thoughts turned more and more to Cory Dillon. Even though he had written two more letters to her, saying that he missed her and hoped she'd be home soon, she couldn't help worrying. Especially since Shawnie had not returned her telephone call. She hadn't written, either. Were Cory and Shawnie going out together? Had they gotten together so often to talk about missing Taffy that they had fallen for each other?
Then one evening near the end of shooting the phone rang.
"I'll get it, Mom," Taffy called out. As usual, she hoped it was Raven, but she knew it was probably Paige or Tess.
"Hi, Taffy. This is Shawnie. How've you been?"
Taffy was speechless for a moment. "Ummm . . . okay. I mean great," she finally managed to say.
"I guess you've been wondering why you haven't heard from me in such a long time," said Shawnie.
Uh-oh, thought Taffy. Here it comes. She's going to tell me that she and Cory are dating. Maybe she'll even say they're going steady.
Taffy cleared her throat. "Yeah," she said slowly. "I was wondering why you haven't written. Is something wrong?"
"Not anymore," Shawnie said, and the tone in her voice made Taffy more nervous than ever. "You'll never believe what happened."
Taking a deep breath, Taffy said, "Go ahead. Tell me."
"Well, it all began when Cory and I started getting together to talk about you," Shawnie began.
Taffy's heart dropped into her shoes. This was it. Cory and Shawnie really had started liking each other.
"We were both so lonesome for you that we just had to get together to talk about it." Shawnie paused, and when she started speaking again, her voice had a breathless quality. "Then one Sunday afternoon—the afternoon you called and talked to my mom—Cory invited me to his house to listen to The Dreadful Alternatives practice. I can't believe that they're only a junior high rock band. They're terrific!"
Tears were starting to form in Taffy's eyes. It really was true. Her best friend and her boyfriend. It happened all the time in soap operas, but this was her life. This was real.
"Anyway," said Shawnie, "while I was watching them practice, I kept noticing the drummer. Do you know him, Taffy? His name is Craig Meachem, and he's totally gorgeous!"
"What?" asked Taffy. Was Shawnie talking about another boy?
"I said his name is Craig Meachem. He's the drummer in Cory's band. Surely you know him."
"Oh, sure," said Taffy. She almost collapsed with relief. "So, did he notice you, too?"
"Did he ever!" cried Shawnie. "And after practice Cory introduced us, and Craig and I've been spe
nding practically every waking minute together ever since. That's why I haven't written, or even called. I've wanted to. I've been dying to tell you everything that's been going on, but I've been so busy! I hope you can understand."
Taffy couldn't help smiling. "Of course I understand," she said softly. "And that's okay. I've been busy, too."
The girls spent a few more minutes talking about what they would do when Taffy got back home, promising each other to double-date the very first weekend. When they hung up, Taffy was walking on air. She still had her best friend and her boyfriend, too.
"Did you know that the wrap party is going to be tonight at Raven's Malibu beach house?" Paige asked on the last morning of filming.
"Wrap party?" asked Taffy. "What's that?"
"It's a big party for the whole cast and crew that's always held after all the filming is finished. You know, when everything is wrapped up."
"Oh," said Taffy. "And it's going to be at Raven's? I didn't know he had a beach house on Malibu. Wow! It sounds like fun."
"It will be sad, too," Paige said wistfully. "It's when we'll all say good-bye."
Taffy felt a lump rising in her throat. Good-bye? she thought. But I'm just getting to know everybody. I can't stand to say good-bye to Tess or Chelsea or Megan or KJ and especially to Paige. She sighed and thought about Raven. I'll probably never see him again, she thought.
That evening Dollins let Taffy and her mother out in front of a gorgeous beach house. It was perched on stilts, and the entire wall facing the ocean was made of glass. As Taffy got out of the limousine and headed for the front door, she glanced toward the mailbox and stopped, staring in amazement at the name on the side.
Len Butterworth
"Len Butterworth?" she whispered. Was it the same Len who had been sending her presents? Did he live here with Raven Blaine? Maybe the two lived together, and they put Len's name on the mailbox so that tourists wouldn't discover that Raven lived here, too. Taffy was still shaking her head when she went inside.
"Hi, Taffy. Hi, Mrs. Sinclair," Tess called out across the crowded room. "Isn't this the greatest party ever?"
Taffy had to admit that it was. Everyone she knew from the set was there, wandering around among tables laden with every kind of food imaginable. She could see through the windows overlooking the beach that a small band was playing on the deck, and the strains of their music floated in to her, putting her in a dreamy mood.
Her mother spotted some other parents on the deck and went toward them, leaving Taffy standing alone. But not for long. KJ wandered over, putting an arm around her and planting a big kiss on her cheek. "We're going to miss you, kid," he said.
"Maybe we won't have to miss her for very long," said Paige, who had strolled over to stand beside them. "Jerry just said that there's a good chance this movie will be a pilot for a television series. If they do decide to film a series, then we'll all be working together again."
A cheer went up from the group of friends.
Taffy's heart leapt, too. "A pilot for a series?" she said. Then glancing toward Paige, she added, "I think you should have the role of Tiffany Stafford if it becomes a TV series, Paige."
Paige looked at Taffy, and tears glistened in her eyes. "Thanks, Taffy," she said softly. "I know you mean that, and I really appreciate it. But I think you should keep the role. You're a good actress, and you play the part just super. Besides," she added with a grin, "I don't need that particular role anymore. I'm perfectly happy being Jillian Morris now."
"Hey, everybody," cried Tess before Taffy could respond to Paige. "Here comes our host. The one and only Len Butterworth! Ta-da!"
Taffy whirled around, frowning. Our host? she thought. But when she glanced in the same direction that everyone else was looking, the only person she saw was Raven Blaine.
"Who's Len Butterworth?" Taffy whispered to Tess. "The only person I see is Raven."
"Oh," said Tess, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "You haven't met Len? Well, come along with me. It's time you two were introduced."
Bewildered, Taffy followed Tess across the room. "Len," Tess called out. "There's someone here who wants to meet you."
To Taffy's surprise, Raven turned to face them as Tess gave her a little shove toward him and then disappeared.
"You're Len?" Taffy whispered in amazement. Suddenly Raven's face turned bright red. "That's right," he said. "Raven Blaine's just my stage name."
"Then you were the one who sent me the roses and the necklace?" she asked, still unable to believe that it was true.
Raven nodded, and Taffy watched the color creep up his face. He's blushing! she thought.
"I wanted to tell you how much I like you and what a great actress I think you are, but every time I started to say the words, I . . . I just got too nervous."
"But you're an actor," Taffy insisted. "You sign autographs and talk to reporters all the time." She couldn't believe what he was saying.
He looked toward the floor. "That's different. That's when I'm Raven Blaine. But when I'm just being myself, like with you . . ." His voice trailed off.
Taffy thought her heart would burst. He was telling her that he was shy. That he had trouble talking to a girl he liked. It didn't matter that he was a superstar. Deep inside, he was just like everybody else.
She reached out her hand and touched his. "Thank you for the roses. They were absolutely gorgeous. And the necklace! I love it." Then she added softly, "I wish I'd known before that they were from you."
"KJ said that you already have a boyfriend," said Raven. "Is that true?"
Taffy thought a moment before she answered. "There is a boy at home that I go out with," she admitted. "But we're not going steady."
"Then if you come back to Hollywood to make the TV series, would you go out with me?"
"Oh, yes!" she said breathlessly. "I'd love to go out with you."
It was a wonderful party, and when it was over, Taffy went back to her hotel room filled with excitement. Tomorrow she would be going home. Back to Wacko Junior High, and Shawnie and Cory. Back to her old life. Would she fit in now that she had been to Hollywood and had become a movie star? Or would she get to come back to California to make a television series and become the girlfriend of superstar Raven Blaine?
She crawled into bed and turned off the light, but even in the darkness her eyes were filled with stars. She could hardly wait to find out what the future would bring.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Betsy Haynes, the daughter of a former newswoman, began scribbling poetry and short stories as soon as she learned to write. A serious writing career, however, had to wait until after her marriage and the arrival of her two children. But that early practice must have paid off, for within three months Mrs. Haynes had sold her first story. In addition to a number of magazine short stories and the Taffy Sinclair series, Mrs. Haynes is also the author of Spies on the Devil's Belt and the highly acclaimed Cowslip. She lives in Colleyville, Texas, with her children and husband, a businessman who is the author of a young adult novel.
