THE
STRANGER
I FELL
IN LOVE
WITH
Tesla Publishing, North Carolina
An imprint of Sherlock Circus LLC
A Sherlock Circus Book / Published by arrangement with authors
Copyright 2016 by Sherlock Circus LLC
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310 Arlington Avenue, Suite 420, Charlotte, NC, US
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Version_1
NC mass-market edition/2016
Cover Images: by Angela Saunders
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter 5:
Chapter 6:
Chapter 7:
Chapter 1:
Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to act. I wanted to be famous and a star. I know, it sounds a little too impractical, right? There are thousands and millions of girls in this world who have this same vision and dream. But I knew that I would be able to achieve my goals because I was not like any one of those girls, I was different.
I was born in a small town in Maine and my parents thought that I would be just like them. They wanted me to live on a farm and grow up with the same values that they had provided me. I loved them immensely, but my idea of the future was entirely different than theirs. I wanted to act and be in movies. I wanted to play some of the most iconic roles that have been ever written for an actor. I wanted to be remembered and leave an everlasting impression on this world. I wanted to travel it all and do everything. Everything.
I wanted to have my best chance and I knew that it was definitely not in Maine. When I turned 18, I realized that I had to move out and live my life. The road ahead was tough and I knew that it would an uphill climb. I would be all alone and chances were that I would have to struggle a lot, maybe for the years to come without getting any rewards at all. But it was a risk that I was willing to take. I knew that in the end, it would be worth it.
I left my home and bid goodbye to my parents. They thought that I was losing my mind and was chasing something that was never meant to happen. The entire town thought that I was being possessed. There were not able to comprehend the dreams that I had for myself. I was not born to stay on a farm for the rest of my life. I was born to be a star. I knew it. I could feel it running in my veins. I know that everyone thought that they are special and you know what – maybe, that’s true. We all are irreplaceable and are born to serve a purpose, maybe be my purpose was to act.
There were times in my life when I used to second think every action of mine. I was not sure if what I was doing was right or not. My parents and friends used to think that I was making a mistake. But what was I supposed to do? Live my entire life with full of regrets. What would I tell my kids or their friends – that you should never take a risk in life because of your fear of failure? No. I knew that it was a path that I had to take. I could come back home and be a laughing stock for the entire town, but it would be worth it. At the end of it all, I would have no regrets. There were plenty of bad things that could have happened, but that one great thing was worth every risk.
I got admitted to an acting school in Boston and decided to build my circle around. I was pretty good with it and was getting appreciated by people all over. I used to audition for plays and small roles in ad commercials. There was a friend of mine who used to run a YouTube channel and was pretty big there. He made me cast in a viral video that gained more than a million views. I became a small celebrity in the blink of an eye.
That was my first encounter with fame. My Twitter and Facebook were flooded with messages and notifications. In a week, my follower count was increased from 500 to 82,000. Yes, that was big. The video was all about our perception of beauty and I had to convey everything from my eyes. My natural blue eyes were able to do their magic and made me a local celebrity in just a day. I was gaining popularity with every passing day and landed a few roles in plays as well.
As I finished my acting school, I realized that if I really wanted to be successful, then I have to move to LA. It was the place to be and if I have come so far, then I have to go all the way. I finally took a leap of faith and moved to LA in order to find my place in the city. It was the city of dreams and the hub of entertainment. As I looked at the iconic “Hollywood” sign when I landed in LA, I realized that I was in the right place at the right time. I was coming to take over the entire Hollywood and there was no one who could stop me.
Chapter 2:
I knew that accommodation would be a problem in LA and from day one I started looking for an apartment. I was staying at a friend’s place for a few days and I knew that I had to look for my own place really soon. My bags and stuff that I got from Boston were still packed and I knew that without a place in LA, I can’t really start auditioning. I needed my own space and thus, the house hunting started.
The most prominent hurdle was the rent. Getting an individual apartment for rent in LA was like a dream. I couldn’t even think of getting a villa or a mansion for myself because that felt like n impossible thing to do. Every day, I would see those huge mansions and villas as I could cross them, and I would wonder if one day, I will also have a villa like that or not. I knew that I was aiming too far, but there was no harm in dreaming, right?
Reality struck me in the hardest way and I realized that it would be better to look for a flatmate with whom I could share my apartment rent. I saw a few ads and finally selected the one place that seemed the most reasonable. It was in my budget and was in a nice and secure locality. I decided to visit it in order to have a look at the apartment.
It was a fine Sunday morning and I knew that the girl who was staying at the flat would be home. I was in touch with Avery, who was the other girl staying in the flat. I never got a chance to talk to her over the phone. I was simply messaging her and from the way she used to message me, she looked like a pretty decent one. She was working as an assistant director in one of the famous TV shows and I liked the idea of us living together. We were in the same business and I knew that she would be able to completely understand me. That was one of the many other perks of living with Avery.
I finally reached the address and figured out that the place was certainly better than my expectations. There was a coffee shop just adjacent to the apartment and the building itself seemed pretty secure. I figured out that it would be a nice place for two young girls to stay together. I could already get some positive vibes coming from Avery with the way she used to message me.
As I knocked the door and waited for her to open it, I couldn’t stop smiling. I couldn’t figure out why, but I was pretty excited to meet her and see the place. I somehow knew that I would be living in that apartment from now and that it would be
my new home. After a few seconds, a guy opened the gate and I thought that it must be one of Avery’s friends. Though he certainly looked pretty dashing and I figured out that it would be one more treats of living in that place.
He had a fair skin and black hair. I looked at his strong black eyes and they were capable of engulfing every living soul in this world. He was wearing a peach colored Henley t-shirt and a pair of rugged jeans. He had a little stubble and a face that could haunt you for nights. Without a doubt, he was one of the most handsome men that I have ever seen. I was pretty sure that he was either a model or an actor. I was just somehow now able to recognize him.
“Hey! How can I help you?” he asked me as I kept staring at his handsome face.
“Hi! I am here to see Avery,” I replied.
“Yes. I am Avery. You must be Madeline?”
“What?”
No. That just didn’t happen. I couldn’t believe it at all. Avery was a guy. I thought she was a girl – he was a girl. I mean. Oh! No. No. No. It was the one apartment that I got after such a relentless chase and I was certainly not ready to let it go.
“What? What were you expecting?” he said as he signaled me to come inside. I didn’t want to be rude and have the entire conversation while standing at his front door and decided to check the apartment.
“I thought that Avery would be a girl. Why didn’t you tell me that you were a boy?” I asked him. But I knew the truth – I never asked him that question. We messaged only a few times and that too only to discuss the apartment. We never asked anything about each other’s lives.
“Well, you never asked me that. Plus, it wasn’t the best conversation starter. Also, I don’t think it matters. It shouldn’t be a big deal. You can live with a guy; you can live with a girl. As long as you have a decent place to stay in the city, go for it!” he said as he gave me a tour of the entire flat. It was decent enough and I certainly wanted to move in, but the thought of living with a strange guy was certainly not there in my plan.
“I don’t know. I have never lived with… a guy. It just doesn’t feel right!” I said as I tried to confess him the truth.
“See Madeline, you are new to LA and after a while, you will figure out that there is no such difference here between a guy and a girl. You will find men running the best fashion apparel stores and women heading a unit of construction workers. You should just feel comfortable in your own skin and that is what matters the most. If the rent and the location of the place seem nice to you, then I don’t think you should resist the offer. I know that the apartment is pretty good and my flatmate has just moved to New York so I have got an empty room.
It is not like that we would be sharing a single room. You would be having your own space, your own room, and your own life here. You can invite your friends and other guests and I can do the same thing. We both will have our individual lives here and I don’t think me being a guy should change anything at all,” as he said those words, I realized that he had made a very valid point. The apartment was certainly a great deal and I didn’t want to pass it just because of my orthodox thinking.
“Okay! I just need to ask you one more question. Are you gay?” I had to ask him. I needed to know if he would be turning the place upside down with other men around or not. Although, having some unwanted female guests was also a bad idea, but I wanted to know what I was getting into before moving in.
“No. Unfortunately, for you – I am not gay. You can’t have a gay best friend and roommate. I know this is every girl’s dream but you have to look for someone else,” as he said, I realized that I had no gay friends, which was certainly a bummer. But him being straight was definitely not an unfortunate incident. I couldn’t stop looking at his perfectly crafted jawline and how gorgeous his face looked, and at that moment, I thanked God for making that marvel of the man straight.
“Are you gay?” he asked me.
“No. I am not gay, Avery. I still can’t believe that your name is Avery and that you are a dude!” I said in order to crack a joke. I thought it worked because it made him smile.
“So what did you think? Would you like to move in?”
“What?” the way he asked me, it sounded like a proposal. I knew that he was pulling my leg and I realized that living with him would be fun. He seemed like a great guy. Yes, he was a complete eye candy and I knew that I would be having a great time with him in the long run. I knew that it was a risky affair and that my parents could never know that I was sharing a flat with a guy. If I really wanted to excel in LA, then I had to say goodbye to that girl that I had left in Maine. I couldn’t carry those ethics here anymore. I had to come up with my own moral compass and at that moment, living with him certainly felt right.
“Well – I mean, would you like to move into your room in this apartment,” he smiled as he realized how cheesy his previous statement sounded.
“Yes. I will move in with you, Avery. I will be here with my stuff in the evening if that’s fine with you?” I asked him.
“Of course. It’s your flat now. You can come anytime you want!” he said as he handed me an extra key to the flat.
I knew that the rest of my life has just begun and I couldn’t wait for it. I knew that the road ahead would be tough. Chances were that I had to face some bad auditions and might have to struggle for months or even years before landing a role, but I knew that I was strong enough to handle it. I knew that I could do it. It was a part of the whole deal – the good and the bad, and I was ready for each and every bit of it.
Chapter 3:
It had been almost three months since I moved to that apartment and living with Avery was without a doubt the best thing. It was certainly one of the best decisions of my life and I loved it to the core. There were a lot of perks of staying with Avery. He was a morning person and used to wake up at 6 every day. By the time I used to leave my bed, he would be done with his morning jog and his fitness routine. I was finally able to figure out the reason behind his bulging biceps and insane physique. He used to work out for almost two hours in the morning every day.
By the time I would get up and have my shower, he would already be ready and be making some pancakes for the two of us. He would leave by 9 and by that time, I would start hunting for auditions and other things from various places. I got an agent who would let me know about every kind of small or big audition that I could attend. I could watch a few sitcoms in order to sharpen my knowledge and will try to visit as many places as I could to get some lead.
It would get quite frustrating at times and I knew that I was juggling too many things together, but I had to do it. I knew that I was supposed to give my best if I truly wanted to succeed. There in LA, I was no one. I was not a star, not a local celebrity. I had to find myself from the scratch there and was not able to land even a single lead. It has been more than three months since I was looking for a role, but none of my auditions were giving any desirable results.
I would receive a callback sometimes, but I won’t be shortlisted for the final part. I would always be the “almost girl” who was able to land up a lead but was not getting the kind of role that I wanted. My agent started suggesting me secondary roles instead of leads. She told me that one can’t get a lead role just like that and I had to climb up the ladder in an age-old way. I asked Avery about his opinion and he seemed to agree to it. I finally told my agent that I was up for almost anything. I was not able to make any kind of money and frankly, was getting a little desperate to get any kind of role at all.
“Anything would work!” I told her after struggling for three months to get a lead role. Things were certainly not going fine, but it was Avery, who was able to keep me motivated. He would cook delicious meals for me and would make sure that I was feeling right. He knew that I was struggling and was not going through the best phase of my life, but even after that – he was always there to help me.
He would take care of every small and big thing related to me in order to make sure that I would feel comfortable.
In those three months, he became a great friend and I was proud of our friendship. We were able to understand each other in a way that can’t be imagined. When I moved in with him, I had no idea that in such a short duration, Avery would end up becoming such an integral part of my life – but he did.
It was one of those Friday evenings when I came home with a heavy heart. I had a really bad audition and even though it was not for a lead, but I knew that I had blown it away. There was no chance for a callback and I knew that I was going to regret saying the wrong things during that audition. As I came back home, Avery welcomed me with a hug. He had already ordered some pizza and was watching Grease as I entered the apartment.
“How did it go?” he asked me the moment I stepped in.
“Negative,” was all I could say. I didn’t have the energy or the will to narrate him the entire incident. I felt broken and dejected. I started to believe if all of this was even worth it or not. I could be in Maine and be with my family and would be having my life sorted out. I had no regrets, but there was a very strong “what if” that started to haunt me that day and I knew that no one really had the answer to that.
“What’s wrong?” he asked me as I switched off the TV and passed me a slice of pepperoni pizza.
“I don’t know, Avery. I can’t take it anymore. I have too many rejections. I don’t know if I am even worth it or not,” I said as I realized that I had no one else to talk to. I knew that Avery would be able to understand and would support every decision of mine.
“No one gets a lead just like that, Madeline. You really need to struggle. It has been just three months. I have seen people struggling for as long as three years. This is just the beginning. Don’t give up like that. They don’t know how special you are. Don’t let your sparkle die because I know you good you are. You just need to show them the same thing,” he held my hand in order to make me feel better.
ROMANCE: ALIEN: The Stranger I Fell In Love With (Alien Invasion Abduction SciFi Romance) (Fantasy Anthologies & Collections) Page 1
