% CHAPTER 1 %

I look at him with all the love I can muster. Pull through Taylor, pull through. You can do this. Just say the words.

"You came back," I say in disbelief. My voice comes out in a slow whisper, like a woman who thought she had nothing left in life once her lover left her.

His brown hair is thrown around his head in a stressful manner, as if he had run his hand through it a countless amount of times. I can't help but think it actually looks kind of... cute. Oh stop it Taylor. Quit checking him out.

"Why wouldn't I? You're the love of my life Emily. I will always come back for you," he says with an intense gaze. I can feel my heart melting like butter at his words. His voice is so smooth and angelic. I just want to run my fingers through his hair...Focus!

I cock my head to the side in a worried manner. "What about Stacy?"

Yes, what about Stacy. I knew what he was going to say next. Something about how he was always going to choose me over her. Ya-dee-ya. Same old, same old. So it's to my surpise when he looks at the camera for a split second before giving a devilish grin and saying, "Eh it was just a fling. You know how women are these days. They just can't keep their hands off of me."

My slightly open mouth drops down to the floor. Did I just hear him right?! Just a...! Did he just say 'just a fling?!' My once worried expression turns into a horrified one. What kind of an idiot is he?! I mean what kind of a jerk says that to the girl he wants to be with for the rest of his life?! Just a fling... I'll 'just a fling' your ass you conceited little bastard, I think to myself while curling my upper lip in with disgust.

I hope he knows that means I'm through with his behavior. I've actually been through with his behavior since the very first day I laid eyes on him. If he wasn't so damn good looking, he probably wouldn't have even gotten this stupid role. Every day, he does something ridiculous, like change one of his lines, just for fun, or flirt with every single girl in a fifty foot radius of him. It's ridiculous!

"Cut!" The cameras turn off and the lights dim. "Bret! Stay in character!"

"Yeah jackass! You ruined the whole scene!" I yell whilst throwing my hands up in the air. I just want to kick him and throw a whole bunch of books at his face! He is such a freaking imbecile! No one should act the way he does. It's immature and revolting. He doesn't even deserve a part in the movie as good as this one. How he became the leading male role, I have no clue. He must have bribed somebody.

"You're the love of my life!" Bret mocks his own character before sneering in disgust. "As if! I can't believe I uttered those words. To you of all people!"

I scoff. "Oh yeah?! Well now you have to utter them again! Do you think I like this scene?! Because I really don't!" ...and I really don't like you, I want to add, but I stop myself.

Bret smirks that lopsided smirk of his, one that I've come to hate. Oh no. This isn't a good sign. He raises his eyebrows and states, "It looked like you were all over it." I fume as Bret starts laughing. Oh, so he thinks this is amusing! I'll show him amusing when I knee him in the freaking balls. I can already come up with several scenarios of how I'm going to beat his ass. Bret continues to laugh, oblivious to the thoughts I'm having right now. "I couldn't resist! I mean come on. Every story needs a twist. I was just spicing things up!"

Derek, our director, crosses his arms. He looks anything but happy. "I'm the director here, not you Bret. I make the rules. Now get your ass back in position and start over!" Bret let's out one last laugh before calming himself and dawdling back to his side of the stage. "Lights." Lights brighten. "Camera." A tiny 'ding!' is heard. "Action."

I hold in my anger. Repeating a scene is hard. Especially when you want to rip off the head of the bastard your character is in love with. This isn't fair. I just can't understand why Bret can't be a good little boy and follow directions so we can get this scene over with. This isn't his house. This is a movie set. He can't just stroll around like he owns the place. I release a small sigh. There's nothing I can actually do about it, so I push all the angry thoughts aside and focus on my character. I look at him with those lovey dovey eyes again. Who you're looking at isn't Bret. It's Hayden, and I'm Emily. Hayden is my lover. This boy standing in front of me is my lover.

When I was little, all I dreamed about was being in a movie so that everyone could see the talent and passion I held for acting. It's every little girl's dream to be a superstar, but not every girl can fulfill that dream. I'm on my way to achieving it right now. Then people will know that I, Taylor Bradwick, am a talented girl! This is my big break and I can't have someone like Bret Mendoza ruining it for me.

I will admit, Bret's acting isn't too shabby, for an amateur. He does know how to act, but only when he puts in the effort, which he's not doing at all. He needs to learn that there is a time to take things seriously and right now is a great time to start.

"You came back," I repeat the same way as before. It takes all my willpower to keep my teeth from gritting.

"Why wouldn't I? I left the Doritos in the bedroom. Had to go get them before they expired!"

I scowl while a few snickers are heard off of the set. That wasn't even funny! I throw my hands up in the air. I'm done with the world! That wasn't even a good comeback! The girls were obviously only laughing because Bret made that joke. If it would have been anyone else, they would have looked at them like they were dumbasses. Fucking skanks.

I huff in frustration at how ridiculous he is. If you want to mess up your lines, you have to do it with class. Something Bret will never have. It's really a shame that he's too blinded by his huge ego to see that. Boys. I'm done with boys. I hate boys. Actually, I just hate Bret.

"Cut!" Derek screams. "Bret, one more slip up and..." He shakes his head. "I'm not paying you to fool around. I'm paying you to act a role in this movie so I can make money as well! This is my career Bret."

Bret nods understandingly. "Yes sir, although I wouldn't necessarily call it a slip up. You see I wanted that to happen..."

"Bret," Derek says warningly.

Bret just sighs and looks down at the floor as if he were getting bored. Wow. If I were the director, that would be intolerable and I would have Bret replaced immediately. Then again, I wouldn't have chosen Bret as a main character in the first place. He doesn't even fit the part! The male character is supposed to have smoldering brown eyes that can win over any girl's heart, like a teenage Tom Cruise. Bret doesn't even stand a chance.

I'm not trying to put Derek down though. He's a very great director. When I first met him while I was auditioning for this role, I couldn't help but be relieved. He didn't look like the type that just gave orders and didn't have any fun with the movie and the acting. I just don't see what he saw in Bret and frankly, if Bret wasn't in this movie, I'd probably love being here. Acting is my career now. It will be for a long time, hopefully.

"May we work on a different scene?" Bret asks, turning his face into that of an innocent kid. I hold in my sneer. Bret is anything but innocent. He shouldn't even be allowed to give that look to anyone. It should be banned from his facial expressions entirely.

Derek sighs and mutters something under his breath. "Yes but just this once." He flips a few pages in the script. "Servant number two and Stacy! Get up here!"

A petite girl with a mischievous smile comes out of the dark first. Her brown hair is twisted up into a bun and her lips are smothered in pink lipstick. A purple Gucci tube dress hugs her curves while purple Prada heels click on the ground. It's Jenna Chavez, the girl that plays Stacy. She usually sticks to modeling, but every once in a while she tries out for a role in a movie. And when she does, she gets the part. She's a great actress, but the real her is a nightmare.

I can't help but wonder where her outfit for the scene is. What she's wearing is modern day Cali, not 1930 Wisconsin. Is anyone else seeing this?! No one else is saying anything. Is this supposed to be her costume?!

"You're really teasing me today, aren't you sweetheart?" Bret says to her in a dashing tone of voice.

Jenna rolls her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself kid. You'll have to wait before you can get a little bit of this."

She sashays over to him before lifting her dress just a tad so he could see more of her thigh. Her face turns a little to the left to look at Bret before she gives a little wink. I shiver in disgust. She's a fake. Too bad she doesn't have the died hair and plastic surgery to prove it.

Jenna has always been a problem to me. I've just never liked people like her. It's like she's an adult trapped in those demon child bodies, you know? The kids you babysit that when in front of their parents they are pure angels, but as soon as the parents are gone, they're the most horrible child on the face of the Earth? That's Jenna for you. She's definitely not the responsible kind.

"I think I could handle you. I'm a big boy after all." He gives a wink.

Jenna chuckles one of those flirty but superior chuckles, like she's looking down at him or something. She always had been a chauvinistic person, from what I could tell. She had craved fame, and when she got it, she left everyone else behind in the dust.

"Please. Don't get ahead of yourself boy."

Then she continues to sashay over to her set piece. Bret licks his lips as he openly stares at her thighs before running after her to follow her. I gaze at them in horror. That was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life. Jenna was like five years older than Bret and he just flirted with her?! Boys are pigs.

Another girl steps from the shadows. She has light brown hair that is put in a French braid around her head before it wraps around in a bun. Her servant dress is long and loose, completely the opposite of what 'Stacy' is wearing. She doesn't hesitate to get to her position. Now that's a girl who knows how to listen.

I smile at her confidently before rolling my eyes at the two brats over there. "Come on people! Get a move on!"

$_$_$_$

I roll around in my bed covers. Work has been such a drag today. Bret kept flirting with Jenna and she would return the favor. We hardly got anything done!

I later found out that Jenna complained too much about her original outfit, so Derek let her wear the purple Gucci dress. People are very observant in this world. I'm pretty sure someone is going to catch on that Gucci wasn't making purple tube dresses in the 1930s. I don't think Gucci was even in the US until the 1950s!

I'm that organized kind of girl. I like things planned and orderly. Everything has to be exactly like in the schedule. Today practically went against all my beliefs. Bret and Jenna could have done that elsewhere. Work is work, not a time to hang out and stuff. That is done off the set.

Derek had given up for the day and made us all go to our quarters so here I am, waiting for my private tutor to show up. It was all Bret and Jenna's fault! They really messed things up for everyone. We definitely could have gotten more done today. I almost feel nauseous thinking about the fact that it's going to be like this for the entire movie. The finishing date might have to be postponed! Then all my plans with my best friend and my family will have to be postponed as well!

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose to keep cool. It's school time now. I need to think about math things. Maybe I could review before the tutor actually comes in. I'm sixteen, meaning legally I still need to be in school, so a private tutor that Derek hired comes in to tutor me and Bret. It's not too bad. I actually enjoy the talks Ms. Simmons and I have.

I could actually go to regular school since I'm not a hit sensation...yet. I mean this movie, Love Sighting, is the first movie where I have a huge role so not many people know me. This movie could be my big break through, as long as I stay focused and work hard. I can do it; I know I can.

As far as I know, this is also the first big role for Bret. I honestly don't think he should ever have a main role at all. Well, I don't know. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I just have no idea how he got this part. I feel like he should care more about this role. Not everyone manages to become the lead role in a movie that's bound to be a big hit.

I hear a faint knock on my door before Ms. Simmons strides into the room. She's wearing a white button-up blouse tucked into a gray pencil skirt. Her thin hair is held together with a shiny black clip. The black pumps she's wearing match the shine in her hair. Despite her great fashion sense and petite body, Ms. Simmons always had a knack for academics. She could have been a model, but she decided to become a teacher instead. I do admire how fashionable she is. Girls that wear things like she does usually care more about which of the 15 outfits they picked out for the day look better than how high their GPA is.

"Hey Taylor. Waiting as always." She smiles at me and sits down in her usual spot, the seat closest to the door. Her fingers tap silently on the table. She hasn't admitted it to anyone, but secretly Ms. Simmons tries to please everyone because she's really shy. Sometimes she just ends up running from things because they're really stressful. I know because I picked up the signs that I learned in my psychology class I took last year at my old high school in Oregon.

I get out of bed and give Ms. Simmons a friendly wave. Then I walk over as I flatten down my shirt. It's gained a few wrinkles. My legs find their way to the chair facing her. I press my palms flat against the table.

"How was your day?" I ask and I rub my lips together. They feel sort of chapped. I hate dry lips. I also hate unbrushed teeth and ashy skin.

"Oh terrible," she moans. "Bret was going on and on about bikinis. Summer is over! I couldn't shut him up either. He wouldn't listen so I just had to endure..."

Poor Ms. Simmons! It must be absolutely horrible tutoring Bret. I could never do it. I give Ms. Simmons props for that. She has to tutor the both of us. She must be so relieved that I'm the last one. They say to save the best for last. I would hate to end a day with Bret's immature behavior fresh in my mind. To me he seems like the kind of boy to drop out of school as soon as he turns the legal age. He never seems to pay attention to anything, unless it's in his best interest. I'm pretty sure he tried flirting with Ms. Simmons a few times too.

I just want to roll my eyes. He would be the type of person to do that, just for the fun of it. I'm sure Ms. Simmons just wanted to die. I know I would want to if I was in her position. I think she's 28 anyways. Goodness! That's gross! Bret is gross! I shove that thought out of my head as fast as possible. Back to poor Ms. Simmons.

"Wow that's terrible. Bret just has to ruin everything," I state out of sympathy.

Ms. Simmons nods. "What about yours?"

I roll my eyes. "Today was just horrible. We barely got anything done! Bret kept messing up his lines on purpose until we finally changed up the scene and then he kept flirting with that bitch Jenna... I just don't understand what Derek saw in Bret, and Jenna for that matter! All they do is waste time."

Ms. Simmons moans again. "And Jenna too! He kept talking about her! She is turning 18 in less than a month and- hey wait! No curse words!" She sighs with closed eyes and rubs her temple with her fore finger. "Ah who cares. A little slip up is okay once in a while and by the sounds of it we've both had a bad day today."

I give her a small smile. It's good to have a teacher like Mrs. Simmons. She's very understanding. I'm sure she's taught loads of actors before so she knows how stressful the job can be. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes either though. Being a tutor for so many snobby rich kids must become tiring. I wonder how she does it. Maybe the pay is too good to give up?

"So what are we learning today?" I ask. Hopefully it's math. I really like math.

"Well, we're going to be getting into some geometry today. I hope you don't mind."

I smile in satisfaction. "Oh I don't. Geometry is just fine."

I've always been a hardcore math lover. I honestly could do better in geometry, but that's what this is for. It's good practice. Besides, geometry just uses the formulas from algebra and applies them to shapes. I just wish it were actually that simple. It seems so much harder when it's down on paper.

Ms. Simmons hands me her personal whiteboard while I bring out my purple Expo marker. Time to get into some math.

Just as I'm about to write something down, I sigh. The white board is covered in smiley faces and rainbows with this sideways u... Ew. What could Bret have possibly been thinking?! I mean sideways dicks?! Forreal. Although its obviously erased, you can still make out the faint red lines.

Bret. What a loser.

***