Stardom

Play the Part

I felt like I'd barely been asleep for an hour when my alarm rang out the next morning. I felt around my desk for my phone, fighting to open my eyes as the cool, crisp sheets threatened to lure me back to sleep. When I finally found a way to shut up the deafening bells, I forced myself into a sitting position, rubbing my eyes to wake up. Today was not the day for a lay-in, today was the first day of the rest of my life, the day to put my best foot forward.

A smile crept onto my face as I combed my fingers through my long, chestnut curls, brushing my fringe away from my eyes then stretching my arms over my head. Plucking my phone up from beside me, I checked the screen, finding a series of texts waiting to be read. I scrolled through them, ignoring the bunch from my mother, asking for details on my new place and telling me to call her. I'd sent her a quick message last night to say that I'd gotten here safely, but so far, I had no intention of giving over to her guilt trip and questioning that I knew she was dying to subject me to. However, the further I scrolled, the clearer it became that I wasn't going to be able to avoid it for long. She'd drawn both my father and my brother in on the case, and both of them had sent similar texts asking for me to pick up the phone and call back. I laughed as I finished reading my brother's plea, where he explained that our parents were driving him crazy and to please have sympathy for him, then I tapped out a quick reply:

Tell them I'm fine, and that I'll call later. Day of auditions lined up... Wish me luck!! X

Hitting send, I moved to the last message and slid my thumb across the screen without reading it, watching the green light appear as it began to call the number.

"Morning baby," My boyfriend, Ross, answered after a few rings.

"Morning. Are you at work yet?" I asked, mentally noting the three hours time difference between us now.

"Yeah, but I can talk for a minute or two. I've missed you."

I could hear the sadness in his voice and it tugged at my heartstrings. Ross had been nothing but supportive over the move the entire time, agreeing to transfer as soon as he could in order to be by my side. But no matter how much he tried to hide his true feelings, I knew how he really felt, and how much he was struggling with the upheaval that was set before us because of my chosen career.

"I've not even been gone a day yet, we've been apart longer than this before," I teased.

I heard his groan on the other end before he replied:

"I know, but that was always different. You were only a couple of minutes away. I could stop by after my shift. Now I can't."

I wasn't sure how to answer that. I hated being away from him too. But this was what I had always wanted, the glitz, the glam, the cameras and the stardom. And I had to be here to get it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-" I heard him sigh on the other end, and when he spoke again his voice was much cheerier, a typical trait of his to make me more at ease. "How's the apartment?"

"It's actually pretty great. Tiny, but I sort of love it," I said happily, casting an eye around me at the newly decorated, cosy room.

"You know your mom's been calling me all morning right? She said you sent a one-word text last night."

I cursed under my breath at the typical dramatic attitude of my mother's.

"It was not a 'one-word text'," I explained, before remembering typing it, and wincing as I realised just how short it must have seemed, and mumbled, "It was at least five words."

"Selena, you know how hard this is on everyone," He scolded me, "You said you'd make an effort. You're her only daughter, and you've gone to a huge city that's hours away. Call her, please. For me?"