Fame (32 page)

Kelly’s eyebrows came together in a puzzled look. “Who’s the girl?”

Dayne moved between Kelly and the television screen. “Katy . . Katy Hart.” He grabbed the remote and turned off the set. “She’s the newcomer.” He pointed to the TV. “That was a pilot she filmed a few years ago, something that didn’t pan out.”

“So why’d you turn it off?” She flopped down on the sofa and patted the spot beside her. “Sit down and let’s watch it.”

Dayne wanted to tell her no, that the night was going to be just him and Katy, and so maybe she should just leave. But Kelly was his friend, so instead he dropped to the spot next to her and aimed the remote at the television. After pressing a couple of buttons, the film was back on again. “There, you happy?”

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FAME n “Depends on how good she is.” Kelly crossed her arms a smiled at him. Then she focused on the screen.

They watched the movie in silence. With Katy in living color before him, Dayne forgot he had someone sitting next to him. What was it about the Bloomington kids theater director that was so appealing, so fresh? He studied her, and he began to imagine. How new and wonderful it would be to make a film with her. She would be different from the Hollywood girls he knew, the ones who would agree to coffee and wind up in your bed a few hours later.

Katy was one of the real people. Maybe that was it.

He was still thinking about her, still mesmerized by her actions, her voice, her emotions on-screen, when beside him Kelly turned off the television.

“Hey …” He took the remote from her. “What’s that all about?”

“Dayne Matthews, I can’t believe you.” She didn’t look angry but rather amazed.

As if something she couldn’t quite understand had just occurred to her. Her mouth hung open for a few beats. “You’re in love with her!”

“What?” Dayne slid to the far end of the sofa, putting distance between them. He angled himself so he was facing her. “What’re you talking about?”

She pointed to the television. “That… that whatever her name is. Katy something.” She laughed, but it sounded more like shock than humor, “I was watching you during the last scene, and I’d know that look in your eyes anywhere.” She stood and looked down at him. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

“Kelly, that’s ridiculous.” Dayne rose and stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “I don’t even know her.” He nodded toward the screen. “I was watching that more for research than anything else.”

“Fine.” She walked past him through the dining room and 271

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the kitchen. ‘I won’t stay, Dayne. I get the feeling you don’t want me here.”

He followed slowly behind her, and while she poured herself a glass of water he wondered again if she was on something—cocaine maybe or some mood-altering drug. He steadied himself, i:’: digging deep for the patience he didn’t feel. “I thought we were ::i friends, Kelly. Wasn’t that what we decided? Things wouldn’t work between us, right? That was you, wasn’t it?”

She whirled around. “That wasn’t how things were the other night at my house.”

Her voice was low, but it was filled with

i.::; hurt. She spread her fingers on her chest, “I felt something, Dayne.

Didn’t that mean anything to you?”

….. Yes.” He went to her, took the glass of water from her, set it on the counter, and caught her hand. “It means I care a lot about i.:, you, Kelly,” He released her fingers. “I can’t offer more than :,?) that.”

Her shoulders eased a little, and she pulled him close, slipping her arms around him in a hug that was different from the

i: first one. “I’m sorry.” She peeked up at him. “I probably sound . ‘.i: like a raving maniac,”

….. He stroked her back, This was better, the Kelly Parker he knew and cared for—not the one demanding something he :::iI couldn’t give. She couldn’t be on drugs. Kelly wouldn’t stoop that low, not even in her worst hour. “Hey ” He remembered the call from the police.

“Speaking

of raving maniacs, . .” His voice was low and calm. He didn’t .!i(i want the news to scare her. “Remember the yellow Honda Civic and the lady with the knife?”

Kelly shuddered and leaned back enough to make eye contact with him. “Of course.”

:’; “Well—” he pursed his lips—”the police called today. This stalker person who’s been sending them crazy letters about me—remember I told you?”

“Yes.” Her eyes were wider now, her lips parted.

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“The police think she drives a yellow Honda Civic.” “Wonderful.” She lifted her hands above her head and let them fall. Then she snatched her glass and dumped the water into the sink. “Where’s your wine?”

He took the cup from her again and set it back down. “Look, Kelly, no wine. I’m turning in early tonight. I just wanted to tell you about the Honda lady. You know, so if you see that car again you can call 911.”

For a few seconds she stood silent, shocked. Fear and anger taking turns with her expression. Then she spotted something, and he followed her gaze. The magazines on the dining-room table. “I thought you said it was better not to read them.” She passed him, walked to the table, and picked up the first one.

‘I said you were better not to read them.” He came up behind her and tried to take the magazine from her.

But she jerked it out of reach. “It’s okay, Dayne. I can handle it.” At that same instant she saw the photo of the two of them on the cover. “Great.” She flipped the magazine open to the section where their photographs took up the two-page spread.

She muttered something under her breath and then turned to another story a few pages away. This one referred to the six worst-smelling people in Hollywood. She was number five. “What?” She made a sound that was more like a cry than a laugh.

“‘Kelly Parker’s penchant for Italian foods gets the best of her in this poll.

Our advice: Lay off the garlic!’”

Dayne wasn’t sure if she was going to drop to the floor in a heap or explode in rage. Then, with a burst of emotion, she ripped the page from the magazine. She tore the page apart the way he’d torn apart the magazine at Ruby’s that day, only Kelly cried as she did it.

“Kelly, c’mere.” He held his hands out to her. “I told you not to read that garbage. None of it’s true.”

“It’s not true, is it? We’re not getting back together!” In a frantic whir of motion she crumpled the pieces of paper into a ball.

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you.., don’t.., want me.” She wiped at her tears, then stormed back to the kitchen and stuffed the paper in the trash beneath his sink.

As she turned around to face him, her eyes filled with desperation.

“I hate this, Dayne.” Her arms were shaking, but the anger i ‘left her, She crossed her arms and stared at the floor. “I hate everything.”

“Kelly, you can’t think like that. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Forget it.” She pulled her keys from her pocket and headed toward him. “The magazine thinks we’re an item; isn’t that a joke?” She choked on a sarcastic laugh, one that was part sob. Then she walked past him. “If they only knew.”

Before she left she turned to face him once more. “I’m losing a starring role to a nobody, the guy I want doesn’t want me, the public knows my private life, and if that’s not enough, they think I smell like garlic. I haven’t eaten Italian food in years. Too many

She twisted her expression and lifted one hand in the air. “Go figure,” She forced a smile. “But at least the fans are entertained. Especially the crazy one in the yellow Honda,” She bit her lip. “Excuse me—” her voice fell to a whisper—”if I can’t believe everything’s going to be okay.”

She marched back through the family room and grabbed her purse near the front door. But as she turned the handle, her purse slipped and fell on the floor, spilling an assortment of business cards and pens and coins and something else.

Something that made sense of every strange thing Kelly Parker had said and done all evening.

A bottle of unmarked pills.

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! …….p>

THE TOM SAWYER CAST was working on the schoolroom scene, and Katy could feel things slowly coming together. The point of this part of the play was to show Tom’s increasing interest in Becky and the fact that Tom’s gang was not made up of stellar students.

They were attempting to do the scene with props—even though they wouldn’t have all props in place until the week before opening night, when they would move into the Bloomington theater. But props were needed for this one. It included an apple and Tom’s rowdy friends tossing it across the aisle to one another every time the teacher turned around.

In the midst of the chaos, Tom was supposed to slip from his side of the classroom and zip over to the other side to sit by Becky. Tim Reed knew his lines, and Sarah Jo had come into her own, showing the same striking ability to get in character that Katy had seen at the callback audition.

Relieved, Katy sat near the front of the sanctuary. At least that much was going right. She stood and made a circular motion with her hand. “Okay, let’s run it again from the top.”

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Half the kids took seats in the mock classroom, while the others disappeared through a door into the hallway. The teenager playing the schoolteacher took her place at the front of the classroom and began talking in a whiny, nasally voice.

“Now, class, today’s lesson will be on mathematics.” She turned toward the blackboard.

As she did, Tom and his gang came sneaking into the classroom and quickly took their seats.

The teacher spun around, her face beet red. “Tom Sawyer! Late again! I do say, Tom, you’ll need a paddling before the day is through.” She turned back to the board.

This time, Tom tossed an apple to Becky to get her attention. The way they’d blocked the scene, the apple was supposed to land nicely in Sarah Jo’s hands.

But Sarah Jo was whispering to the girl next to her, something about where they were supposed to be sitting by the looks of it. The apple flew across the aisle and hit SarahJo square on the head.

“Ouch!” Sarah Jo rubbed her temple. The apple rolled off to the side of the classroom, and more than half the kids started giggling.

“Okay.” Katy wanted to laugh, but she kept her tone serious. She stood and made eye contact with the kids who were smirking. “If that happens during the show, what’re we going to do? Sit here and snicker?” She kept a straight face so the kids would know she meant business.

One of the little girls in the front row raised her hand. “Maybe we should run after the apple if it gets away like that. Then we could give it to Sarah Jo.”

“Good…”

The morning dragged on, but they managed to block three scenes, enough to get back on schedule. The group ran through two of the songs until Katy was satisfied. She glanced at the clock every few minutes. She’d finally made up her mind. She

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was going to call Dayne when practice was over and tell him that She was taking the part.

Alice Stryker pulled her aside after the break and frowned. Sarah Jo needs to be upstage more; don’t you think? Everyone

knows she has the prettiest voice. If you want your show to be a people will need to hear her sing.”

Katy only stared at the woman, baffled. How could the mother ‘such a sweet little girl be so awful? She cleared her throat. “I’ll the blocking, thank you. If I need your help, I’ll ask.”

Mrs. Stryker smoothed out the wrinkles in her blouse and her head. “I’ll work with Sarah Jo when we get home.

,be if she projects more you’ll be able to hear her better. I’ve t near the back of the room, and she simply isn’t loud enough.”

[ared at Katy. “If you won’t move her up, I’ll get her to sing r.”

Never had Katy been tempted to ban a parent from practices, Alice Stryker was pushing her. She ignored the woman’s last :nts and set to work on the second half of practice. Krissy Schick, the program coordinator, found Katy a few

; before it was over. “We’re sold out for the first five perShe grinned. “Way to go, Katy. I don’t know what do without you. The whole community’s talking about

Katy felt her heart sink. How upset would Krissy be when she out Katy was taking a part in a major motion picture, that miss the next show, and that her future with CKT was in She hesitated. “Thanks, Krissy. That’s good to hear.”

Krissy was a wonderful person, kind and warm, the mother of kids. Whenever Katy had been discouraged about a certain or a performance, Krissy was the one she went to. The had an innate ability to read Katy and offer just the right to lift her mood.

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This time was no different. She studied Katy. “Is everything okay? You look a little distant.”

Katy leaned in and hugged her. “You’re so good, Krissy. Always sensitive to what I’m feeling.” She drew back and smiled. “I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind.”

“Okay.” Krissy didn’t look sure. “I’m here if you need me, remember that. I’m always here.”

Guilt stabbed pushpins at the center of Katy’s conscience. Krissy had done everything to make Katy’s time in Bloomington nothing but wonderful. She would have to tell the woman about her decision very soon. Otherwise it would feel like she’d been hiding things from her. Katy couldn’t let that happen.

When practice was over, when she’d answered fifty-two questions about costumes and rehearsal times and made thirty-eight suggestions about how to improve a line or a scene, she looked at Al and Nancy Helmes and Rhonda Sanders and took a deep breath. “Well, how do we look?”

Nancy grinned. “Everything’s shaping up great, Katy. You’re working your magic again.”

“I’m surprised, frankly.” Al winked at her. “This one had me a little worried.”

Rhonda pointed straight up. “God’s on our side—don’t forget that. Of course, it always comes together.”

“God and Katy!” Al linked arms with his wife, and they headed for the door. “Off to get her a half cup of coffee. See you next week.”

Rhonda waited until they were gone. Then she turned to Katy. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you?”

Katy couldn’t lie to her friend. She could feel the way her eyes danced, even before she said a word. “The part?”