Fame's Revenge

Chapter 16: Now

Liz

The pilot announced that the plane was getting ready to land. I closed the notebook and sat it on my lap, pen in hand still. This was it. In less than 24 hours I'd be performing live in front of millions of people.

I was nearly shaking from it all, but writing about my past was helping me to keep it together. How, I wasn't sure. But it was, and I knew I didn't want to forget.

Soon enough, I was walking through the gates and meeting up with my manager. We found seats and waited for Gavin to show up, as he was unable to get a seat on my flight and was arriving a bit later. So I sat there, humming away and idly making small talk.

About fifteen minutes passed and she sighed. "Elizabeth, I listened to your new song," she said, a little hesitance in her voice.

"Yeah? What did you think?" I felt the blush creeping up on me. It felt weird to have someone talk to me about it.

"I'm very happy for you. It's about time you found some happiness." I looked at her, surprised. She just smiled fondly at me. "I know I'm your manager and not really a friend, but I hated that you seemed so down all the time and like I told you before - I hoped you and Gavin would get together. It makes me glad to see you perk up. I've never heard music like that come from you. It's really good."

I blushed all over at her words. It was the only time in a year someone other than Gavin made me feel good about myself and my work. I beamed at her. "Thank you."

She smiled back at me. "You're welcome."

Silence occupied us for a long moment. Checking my watch, I broke it and said, "His flight is almost here."

Shay

Just walking into her bedroom was something Shay could barely stand anymore. Liz's room smelled like that traitor. She was still using that same perfume she'd been using a year ago. To think she'd wanted the same perfume because she liked the smell! She wanted to vomit now every time she smelled it.

She walked into the en suite bathroom and began going through the bottles. She began opening the bottles and pouring them out one by one - Chanel, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Dolce and Gabanna, and another name she'd never heard of.

She had a sense of satisfaction as she watched them all go down the drain. She left all the bottles sat right on the counter and stared at herself in the mirror. Not for the first time, she found a stranger looking back. Her eyes looked flat and there was no emotion in her face. That cheerful person she always was growing up - there wasn't any trace of her. The only part that was still there was her features. The same nose, same mouth.

Shay sighed and looked down into the sink. It was nothing less than Liz deserved, and that was her only consolation. Whatever it was that made the reflection a stranger could be dealt with later. She didn't feel like thinking about it.

Liz

Gavin kept looking at me and smiling the whole way to our hotel. I think I was blushing on the whole ride. It was almost unnerving. The last time someone had looked at me that way, they'd died.

I immediately pushed thoughts of David out of my head and thought about what I'd been planning to do that weekend. Once we reached the hotel, I reached for his hand. He gave me a shy smile and ducked his head. I couldn't help returning the smile because he was being so cute.

Once our managers were checking us all in I pulled him aside and put a hand in my pocket. "I have something for you," I told him quietly.

He nodded. "Small and metal?"