... not in love with Kale Eddison

... not in love
with Kale Eddison

Joanne
McClean

This novel is
entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents
portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities
is entirely coincidental.

Published by
Joanne McClean at Smashwords

Copyright ©
Joanne McClean 2010

Discover other
titles by Joanne McClean at Smashwords.com

Smashwords
Edition, License Notes

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respecting the hard work of this author.

Ok, before I
get to all the thanks for those important people, I just want to
say that this book is dedicated to my Granny Dunn … she inspired
one of the characters in this book and even though she is gone, she
is not forgotten and is still missed … everyday of my life.

Ok, where to
start? Thank you Mum and Dad … I got my creativity from somewhere
in the genes, so thanks for being the reason that my head is
constantly buzzing with new ideas.

Thanks Paula,
without you to correct the grammar and punctuation etc. etc. I’d be
totally lost! Also, for a being a pain in the ass and always asking
me how my next idea is coming along … it makes me even more
determined to see it through!

Caroline,
thanks for all the encouragement and support you have given me when
I have been ready to give up … and also for continuing to want to
read my drivel!

Allison, thanks
for being you … I find a lot of my characters’ traits being based
on you! Also, thanks for having an influence on my sense of humour
… I do try my best when writing!

A few other
mentions … Rylee my adorable wee nephew, Richard – my great
brother-in-law and Barry – my future brother-in-law … you probably
don’t realise it but you have the power to give me a little
ego-boost when I need it most! Ok, and last but not least … all
those family and friends that have supported me from my first novel
… you all inspire me to keep going.

And finally,
again, thanks to you for choosing this book … I hope you like
it!

Foreword

Meet Izzie
Frank; seventeen years old, typical high school pupil who juggles
schoolwork with a part-time job and detests people who get it too
easy in life, daughter to housewife Maggie and shop-owner Isaac
Frank and granddaughter to Charlotte Frank – Granny Frank; who to
quote is ‘Frank by name, Frank by nature’.

Now meet Kale
Eddison; eighteen years old, actor who has never been to high
school in his life, son to singer Olivia Benson and director Victor
Eddison and has been earning millions since he was three years old;
he has everything he ever wanted … and at the same time, he
doesn’t.

What do you
think happens when these two meet and their worlds collide?

Chapter
One

“Dad, how can
you expect me to get good A-Level grades when you want me to work
practically every hour in the day?” Izzie Frank was pissed off; her
shoulder-length red hair was sticking up all over the place – no
doubt from all the frustrated tugging – and her normally pale face
was very red; her green eyes narrowed in a bad temper.

“Honey, I just
need an extra hand ‘cause Seth called in sick – that too much to
ask?” Isaac shook his head at his daughter; he really did admire
her fiery temper at times – just not now.

Izzie stormed
off and began stacking the shelves with the new order of books that
had just arrived. She was in a really bad mood; she knew she
shouldn’t take it out on her father but she felt like if she didn’t
vent her anger, she’d explode. Izzie just couldn’t believe the
nerve Stacey Johnson had at school today; how dare she say that
Izzie’s ideas on the upcoming Formal were useless – and especially
in front of Jake Greenberg! She was furious when Stacey had
announced this at the Committee meeting earlier this afternoon; she
had made her look really stupid in front of Jake – the school
hottie, of all people! Izzie shook her head to clear her thoughts
and resumed stacking the shelf marked ‘K – M’.

After all the
new books had been put in their rightful place, Izzie took over at
the till. She looked at her watch 5.30pm, another half hour and
then she would be free to do whatever she wanted. She smiled to
herself and grinned even more broadly when the bell above the door
tinkled announcing the arrival of a new costumer … in the form of
Jake. Izzie wiped the loony smile off her face and tried to look
like she actually was sane. Jake meandered around the stacks of
books and Izzie watched him make his way to the ‘Teenage’ section –
she was very shocked at this; surely a guy who had turned eighteen
over the summer didn’t read those childish books? There were all
aimed at readers whose average age was fourteen.

Jake selected
one and made his way up to Izzie, his wallet in hand. Izzie smiled
at him politely while she noticed the juvenile comic book in his
hand; she didn’t know if she should think that was sweet or really
worrying. She settled for an uninterested look and scanned the book
through the till.

“That’ll be
five pounds please.”

Jake riffled
through the wad of notes, extracted a ten pound note and handed it
to Izzie with a look of recognition on his face.

“Hey, you’re
Isobel aren’t you?” he smiled at her briefly as she nodded.

“Yeah, it’s
Izzie. Um, here’s your change.” she handed him the money and he
looked at her intently again.

“You were at
the meeting today weren’t you? You had all those ideas, right?”

“Yeah but
Stacey wasn’t shy about letting me know she hated them. Why, what
did you think?” she smiled at him and he looked taken aback.

“Oh well, we
all have to agree in the end, don’t we?” he avoided her eye and
looked uncomfortable.

Izzie was
confused, he really was very hard to understand; one minute he was
interested and the next he couldn’t get away fast enough. “Yeah, I
suppose so …”

“Well, I gotta
go, see ya.” Jake hurriedly left the shop, leaving Izzie feeling
really puzzled.

After work,
Izzie left the shop with her father and he dropped her off at the
local café. She waved him off and ran inside to meet to her best
friend, Madison Herring – Maddie. Izzie shook the rain from her
hair and sat down opposite her friend.

“You will never
guess who was in the shop just now.” Izzie told Maddie very
dramatically.

“Who?” Maddie
asked, tucking her long, curly black hair behind her ear and
listening intently.

“Jake
Greenberg.” Izzie beamed but Maddie gave her friend a disapproving
look.

“So? You really
still hung up on him? He’s the school hottie Iz … and he doesn’t
even pay you attention. Why do you waste your time?”

Izzie felt hurt
at her words but she couldn’t deny they were true; it was as if she
didn’t exist to him – in fact, she had been very surprised he had
known her name earlier. She shrugged it off as she noticed the
magazine Maddie had been reading, ‘Teen Weekly’. It was Izzie’s
turn to give her friend a disapproving look. She lifted the
magazine and waved it at Maddie, “Speaking of wasting time … why
were you reading this rubbish?”

Maddie rolled
her eyes, “It’s not a crime, besides it was already here … I was
passing time until you arrived.”

Izzie raised
her eyebrows, “Uh huh, so the fact that there’s Kale Eddison on the
cover with an exclusive interview has nothing to do with it?”

Maddie blushed
and shook her head ferociously, “No! I – there – ok yeah, I was
reading it because of him.” she admitted reluctantly.

Izzie laughed,
“I knew it! Why do you follow this guy obsessively? I mean anything
with his face, you buy it! You don’t even know him, he’s a world
famous actor … come on, the odds that you would meet him are slim
to none.”

Maddie nodded,
“I know, I know but come on, how can you resist those baby blues
and messy sandy hair, not to mention that tall, tanned and toned
physique?” She sighed and there was a dreamy look on her face.

Izzie rolled
her eyes, “Yeah, like he’s even like that in reality. He’s probably
airbrushed and told what to say … besides, he can’t even act that
well.”

Maddie looked
scandalised, “Hold your tongue Ms Frank! Let’s just forget the ‘boy
talk’ and get down to ‘Mr Rowntree’s English essay talk’, huh?”

Izzie agreed,
“Fine, fine. What you got?”

After the girls
had traded pointers for their essays, Maddie drove Izzie home; the
rain was very heavy now.

“See you at
school,” Izzie shouted back at the car as she ran inside the house.
She took off her soaking coat and walked by the living room; her
parents sat watching T.V. along with her grandmother.

“Hey guys, hey
Gran, I’m going for a shower and then bed - so goodnight.” They all
nodded their heads in acknowledgement; too engrossed in the
programme to say anything. Izzie sighed and made her way upstairs
to the bathroom, she thought about what Maddie had said about Jake;
she was right, she really needed to get over him. She shook her
head, trying to clear her thoughts and once she had put her damp
clothes into the laundry basket, she jumped into the shower.

When she had
changed into her pyjamas, Izzie sat at her computer and checked her
emails. She shot down a couple of pop-ups after seeing Kale
Eddison’s face with a dramatic headline one too many times and
wearily clicked open an email from Stacey; it was what she had been
dreading.

Stacey had
emailed her with a list of demands and tasks for the Formal; they
ranged from small ones like - ‘make sure the balloons are delivered
on that morning’ - to much bigger ones like; ‘book the band!’

That last one
was going to be a bit of a problem; the band that everyone had
finally agreed on had set a deadline – because there was such a
long waiting list, they needed to have booked them by last Friday …
and today was Tuesday! Izzie rubbed her eyes wearily and yawned;
she would have to figure something out later, at least she had a
good eight months to do something. Sighing, she turned off her
computer and got into bed; maybe everything would be solved by the
morning.

The next
morning, Izzie got up and after getting dressed; she made her way
to the kitchen and made some coffee for herself. She yawned and
poured out a second cup when she heard the familiar shuffle of her
grandmother’s slippers.

“Hey Gran, want
some coffee?” Izzie handed her the cup and smiled at Granny Frank;
she was dressed in her finery; navy linen trousers and a
long-sleeved pale pink blouse and her white hair was curled to
perfection.

Her grandmother
took the cup gratefully and smiled, “Is that a rhetorical question?
You look tired, you ok?”

Izzie stifled a
yawn, “Yep, just school and planning the formal and stuff.”

Granny Frank
smiled, “Ok, but isn’t that way in May? All I’m saying is don’t
push yourself too hard. See you later dear.”

Izzie nodded,
“I know, and yeah it is but they like to plan these things way in
advance! I’ll see you later.” She made her way to her car and she
pulled up outside Hartside High a little while later. Maddie was
waiting for her by the locker and she looked very happy about
something. Izzie strolled up to her and began to pack her
bag.
“What are you looking so chipper about?” Izzie studied her friend’s
face carefully.

Maddie grinned
widely, “Didn’t you hear? Oh my God it’s so exciting! Kale Eddison
wants to finish his final year of education in an actual school …
what if it’s ours?”

Izzie rolled
her eyes, “Come on Maddie, there’s like hundreds of schools … what
makes you think he would come to ours?”

Maddie looked
at her dazedly, “You never know, it could happen.”

“Yeah, don’t
count on it, come on, we’ll be late for class.” Izzie shut her
locker and made her way along the corridor.

Chapter
Two

“Come on honey,
why do you want to go to high school when you can finish out your
final year with your private tutor. It won’t interrupt your filming
or anything and there won’t be the paparazzi following your every
move. Think about it Kale.” Olivia pleaded with her son, trying to
make him see sense.

“Mother, I want
to do this; I’ve never had a shred of normalcy in my life. Please
let me have one year of a normal high school experience. Let me do
this.” Kale gave his mother a serious look; he wanted this more
than anything in the world. He was fed up of making fluffy films,
fed up of being constantly under the watch of photographers; he
wanted to go to an actual school.