The Obscure Downsides of Fame

74 // a first impression

Hi! I'm back to wrap this story up ;)

All of the story will be fleshed out and fixed in the new version (which is already out on my profile). Especially the first half is very different from the original because I started writing in 2019 and now have a better insight with where the story is supposed to go. I hope you'll check it out! <3

Little recap: Nolan is currently in Texas filming a series, they're currently shooting the pilot episode and he'll be back in California after about 2 weeks.

•••

Things didn't exactly go as planned. I wasn't planning on finding a new best buddy in Texas in my week of filming, but I also didn't expect to be basically the only person to not be at least somewhat part of the group.

After about a day of being there, I already felt like an outsider. Maybe it was because I looked unapproachable. Maybe try had judged me before I could even show them what I was like. Either way, I already wanted to go home to California where Oakley and Ava were.

"Why are you staring?" Jane asked, looking at me through the mirror. I hadn't even noticed I was staring. I was stuck in thought for way too long. This wasn't helping my case.

We were currently the only two people in the room. I was waiting for the hair stylist to well... work on my hair. But she's left to get her equipment only a minute before. Jane had been working on her own hair in the meantime, which I'd seen her do a few times before, but I never questioned it. I figured the hairdressers didn't know how to work with her hair type properly, which wouldn't be the first time I'd seen a situation like this on a set.

"Oh, sorry," I said, turning away so if I zoned out again, I wouldn't be staring straight at her.

"Whatever. I'll just finish this in my room," she said, collecting her stuff in her hands.

"Wait, you don't have to. Don't move for me."

"I'm not moving for you."

"Oh, uhm, I- I'm sorry."

She looked at me for a few seconds longer than I'd consider comfortable, but then she sighed and sat back down.

"I heard horror stories about you, but you seem pretty alright to me," she said. She continued on with her hair, struggling to get straight lines in the back.

"Horror stories?" I was weird and awkward, but I'd never heard someone say I was a nightmare to work with.

"Yeah," she said casually. "Ella says you have a tendency to stare, but it's Ella so I didn't think much of it anyway. It's Hunter and Kennedy mostly. They showed me one of those videos circling around."

"Oh, which one?" I asked. Not because it would matter, but because I was curious.

"I'm pretty sure it involved a certain white powder and a clear liquid."

I wasn't sure how to react. I wasn't going to laugh it off, but I also didn't want to make things awkward. Maybe I was quiet for too long, because before anything could come out my mouth, she already beat me to it.

"I mean, they thought you must be one of those guys that think they can do anything, you know? Rich, famous and loud. But you don't actually talk that much. And you seem kinda nice, actually."

"Oh, thanks," I said.

"Not much of a compliment. Just a first impression."

"Sorry."

It was almost as if the stylist heard us talking and noticed the awkward silence that was brewing, because she came back a second later with a blow dryer and one of those round brushes. She didn't look at Jane at all. Instead she walked straight towards me and started working on my hair.