Chapter One

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- Author's Note (19/10/23) : I'm currently in the process of re-reading and editing so if you see any mistakes they will be fixed soon! -

She reached out her hand that was pulsing with anger and covered the glass disk which had single handily defined her teenage years. The glass disk was attached to a hunk of plastic, other wise known as a camera and attached to that were the people who seemingly ruined her life at every turn. They were always there and that was no different now, despite the five years she'd spent out of the business. Gripping the cool glass was an action she hadn't done before because she didn't want to ruin her public image, but in that moment, Leigh Danvers was past the point of caring. She wanted to feel the normalcy that she did before writing and performing that damn theme song but doubted she could ever get that back. 

"Leanne, will you take part in the five year reunion show of 'At The Top?'" One member of the press shouted and walked hurriedly alongside her without a care in the world that he was standing on the edge of the pavement.

Another with a microphone in hand held it out in her direction without a thought to her personal space. "What do you say Leanne, will we see you there?"

She pushed past the group of paparazzi, grateful that it was only a small one and made quickly in the direction of her apartment. Being in a small town in rural North Carolina, Leigh wondered how on earth they knew she was there, especially as she'd logged out of all social media the moment she left LA and hadn't once looked back. The locals treated her as if she were one of them and never batted an eyelid when the built, bearded men jumped out on her. But, then again, Leigh considered that her drastic change in hair colour from a beautiful platinum blonde to a chestnut brown could have had the desired effect on her appearance that she had hoped it would. The groups of paparazzi had grown smaller and smaller over the years Leigh had been out of the business realising the wasted time they'd spent chasing a woman who gave them less than an inch. But there were still a few, a few money hungry photographers wanting that money shot. They were always there waiting for her to slip up. Best case scenario, she freaks out and hits one of the paparazzi and worst case- the case she was constantly working on- she goes about her life, being the perfect citizen until they go away. Even though she'd changed her name from Leanne to Leigh there was still a connection. She knew that the similarities were too obvious to fool people but it was either use her nickname or lose her identity completely and despite everything that she'd been though in her life she was and always will be Leanne Danvers the daughter of her mother Leanne Danvers senior.

As the weeks progressed throughout her life in Oak View, there became less and less photographers around and eventually there was one, maybe two at most per week. Finally, Leigh felt as though her life could begin, she didn't have to stay cooped up in her apartment all day and paint her face in thick layers of makeup before heading out to the store. She finally felt as though she could live the life that she had always dreamt of and she was about to begin her life as a small town girl in rural North Carolina away from the Hollywood lights and the Los Angeles stardom.

"Morning Leigh." An older woman who lived on the first floor greeted her as she held open the glass door. "How was your run?"

  "It was...you know...it was okay," Leigh told her with a shrug giving the same answer she did most mornings.

  "They were still there, huh?" The older lady, Jean asked. She hadn't been shy to ask Leigh why she looked so familiar when she first moved into the apartment building and without any reason, she told her exactly who she was. Leigh was sure an eighty-year-old woman wouldn't be on social media and so she realised her privacy would be kept safe.

  Leigh gave a half smile, a nod and a small shrug then carried on with her day. Her plans for that day were simple because her schedule rarely differed from day to day; wake up, go for a run, have a shower, eat breakfast and then begin work from home. Her job was easy enough, that's the way she thought of it. Leigh Danvers had a passion for creating music and she had ever since she was little. After her big break came to an end people wanted her, she became the person writers and producers would call when they were stuck and out of ideas, although that was not the way her mother had planned her future. But regardless was how she made her money and so, she spent most of her day sitting in front of her laptop taking Skype call after Skype call from frustrated producers needing help on that one note that they just couldn't seem to get right.

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