Starring Me (5 page)

Chad laughed.

“So what’s next for you? Shooting a commercial with a model? Going to Hawaii for a concert?”

“Not even close.” Chad poured some chips onto a paper plate. “Driving up the East Coast in the RV.”

“Normal kid stuff, huh?”

“Yep.” Chad nodded. “Although I do get to stay at the White House for a couple days.”

“Oh, just that.” Will wiped his hands on his shirt.

“I’m going to hang out with Jonathon before he starts college.”

Jonathon Jackson, the president’s son, and Chad had become friends the year before. After Chad won
America’s Next Star
, he had been thrown into the spotlight. Because of his age and his looks, he had often been put together with Disney’s teen girl stars. At the time, Jonathon had been dating Disney star Janie Smart. While that relationship didn’t last, Chad’s and Jonathon’s did. They talked often and got together whenever their mutual schedules permitted.

“That’s part of your new normal?”

Chad could hear an edge of jealousy to his friend’s voice. He couldn’t blame him. Will was a great friend, but Chad imagined it would be hard on anyone to watch someone he’d known from childhood become famous.
At least Will still treats me the same
. Many of Chad’s friends had changed since he had become famous. They either treated him like he was from a different planet or constantly asked him for things. Like the phone numbers of some of the girls he’d worked with.

“All right, superstar.” Will stood from the table. “You owe me a rematch.”

The boys played for another twenty minutes, until Flora’s shrill voice interrupted the game.

“There you are. Playtime’s over, Chadster. You’ve got schoolwork to do.”

“Aw, Flora.” Chad threw the ball to Will. “I’m the only kid in central Florida doing schoolwork in June.”

“That’s a bit of hyperbolic rhetoric,” Flora said. “And what have I taught you about that?”

“Big words too?” Chad laughed. “This really isn’t fair.”

Along with assisting his parents with their personal business, Flora had helped educate Chad. Both his parents were involved in his homeschooling. But where their expertise waned, Flora took over. English was her specialty. Literature was her passion.

“
Hyperbole
, from the Greek, means ‘exaggeration.’” Flora wrapped her thin arm around Chad’s and pulled him back toward the house. The fact that she was a full foot shorter than her student didn’t bother her in the least. “And to say that you were the only young man in central Florida having to engage in schoolwork is a grand hyperbole. Will has summer reading for his school, don’t you, young man?”

“Thanks for reminding me. See ya, Chad.” Will waved good-bye and walked inside.

“But he doesn’t have to read
Pride and Prejudice
.” Chad looked down at Flora, a wide grin on his face.

“Do not speak unflatteringly of Jane,” Flora said, walking beside Chad. “She is the greatest writer to have ever lived.”

“I thought that was Shakespeare.”

“William was, of course, quite good,” Flora said. “But no one can compare to Jane Austen.”

“It’s all manners and balls and, ‘Oh, Miss Bennet, I daresay you have such fine eyes.’”

Flora stopped and stood on her tiptoes, making her eyes reach Chad’s shoulders rather than his chest. “There is no such line in the book. And if you persist in mocking Jane Austen, I’ll make you read
Persuasion
next.”

Chad laughed and patted Flora on the head. “Not that, please. Anything but more Jane Austen.”

Flora turned to say something else but tripped over a root and fell to the ground. Her tie-dyed jumper bunched up around her knees, revealing socks with yellow smiley faces.

Chad put his hand out to help her up. “Nice socks.” He smiled.

“I know.” Flora fluffed her orange hair and wiped the dirt off her socks. “I’ve named the faces, you know. Poor Geoffrey Chaucer has a stain right by his right eye. We’ll have to fix that up. Emily Dickinson is fine, though. So is Walt Whitman.”

“How about Jane Austen?”

“Jane Austen?” Flora stood and put her hands on her hips. “I would never name one of my sock faces Jane Austen. That would be crazy.”

Chad looked up at his house. Modeled after the turn-of-the-century Florida estates, it was a sprawling two-story wood home with a wraparound porch. The house was painted white—every year. That was one of Chad’s chores. Flora always worked with him, giving each of the two dozen shutters a new coat of red paint. The front door was painted red also, and the porch housed two large swings, rockers, and hanging plants.

The red door opened and Mom came out, wiping her hands on her apron.

“All finished with your pottery, Mom?”

“Almost,” she answered with a smile. “I just need you to load it into the kiln for me.”

“You got it.”

“Then it’s time for US history,” Mom said.

“Where’s Dad?”

“On his way. He said to read the next chapter in your textbook and be ready for a quiz.”

Flora released Chad’s arm. “And after that, Maria, I think he needs a little more time with literature. He said some shocking things about my Jane just now.”

Mom laughed. “Chad, you know better than to speak disrespectfully against the great Jane Austen.”

“Thank you,” Flora said. “And we’re just about to find out something scandalous concerning Wickham and Lydia. But that’s all I’m going to say. You’re just going to have to keep reading to find out what it is.”

“I can hardly wait,” Chad sighed.

“I know.” Flora clapped her hands. “No matter how many times I read Jane, I always experience a thrill. That’s what makes her the best.”

“Flora.” His mother stopped her assistant before she walked into the house. “I got a call from the executives this morning. They plan to have the top ten girls for Chad’s show chosen in the next couple weeks. Would you be ready to be ‘housemother’ on July first?”

“Of course. I have been praying every day that God will show me just the right girl. In fact, I believe he’s going to show me the one the very first day. I’m praying for a sign, like a spotlight on the right girl, showing me who she is. We won’t even need a whole month.”

“I appreciate that, Flora,” Mom said. “But it takes more than one day to know a girl’s character.”

“Perhaps,” Flora said. “But it doesn’t take long to see her true heart.”

“As long as you’re ready. A houseful of teenage girls will be quite a challenge.”

Flora smiled. “I am already reading up on teenage girls and their habits. I am even watching some of their shows so I can understand their language. I will be beast.”

Chad laughed.

“That means ‘really great,’” Flora said. “It’s being used as an adjective now. Which is quite humorous since that word has only been used as a noun since its first appearance in Middle English almost a thousand years ago.”

“Those girls are going to be in for a shock,” Chad said as Flora walked into the house.

Mom smiled. “Yes, but we both know Flora is an excellent judge of character.”

“True.” Chad nodded. “She knew right away that roofing contractor last year was a scam artist.”

“I just wish we’d listened to her then,” Mom said. “This time, we will. She’ll be able to spot the good girls from the fakes.”

“I just hope the girl she chooses is fun. And pretty.”

“And a Christian.” Mom patted Chad’s back.

“Of course, Mom.” Chad smiled. “That goes without saying. But a pretty, fun Christian. Who, preferably, does not want to sit around discussing Jane Austen.”

“We’ll see, honey. Now go down to my studio and put my pottery in the kiln.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Chad kissed his mother’s cheek and jogged inside, still thinking about his costar.

Chapter 6

W
here do we go next?” Addy looked at the subway map, trying to decipher the myriad colors and lines.

Kara snatched the map away from her friend. “Addy, just follow me. I know where we’re going.”

Ten minutes later, the girls came aboveground.

“You know where you’re going?” Addy looked down the dirty street lined with shops advertising items Kara knew Addy’s uncle wouldn’t want her seeing.

“I thought I did.” Kara put her hand to her nose to avoid breathing in the foul stench of the neighboring sewer. “The auditions are on Fifty-Third and Seventh. We should be right there.”

Addy looked up at a street sign. “That says Eleventh Avenue, Kara.”

“Great.” Kara smiled. “So we’re close.”

Addy groaned, and the two made their way down Fifty-Third Street.

“Aren’t you worried we’ll be late?” Addy asked. “The auditions start at ten o’clock. It’s nine thirty. We won’t make it.”

“Sure we will.” Kara pulled Addy into a faster walk.

“Hey, long legs,” Addy groaned, “I can’t walk as fast as you. Slow down.”

“I thought you said you didn’t want me to be late.”

“Why don’t we just hail a cab?” Addy said.

“For four blocks? We’d look like tourists.”

“I am a tourist.”

“Well, I’m not.” Kara stepped over a huge crack in the sidewalk. “Now, let’s go.”

“Maybe you should have let your mom come.”

“No way. She hated the last auditions. Besides, this is why you came to New York, Addy. To be my good luck charm.”

Two women stopped Addy and Kara before they could cross the street. “You two are from
The Book of Love
, aren’t you?”

Kara beamed. “Yes, we are. I’m Kara.”

“Could we have your autograph? My daughter just loved that show. I’m sorry you didn’t win.”

Kara signed the woman’s Playbill from a Broadway show. “We may not have won the show, but my friend Addy here won the boy.”

“Really?” The second woman leaned in. “Are you two an item? What about Lila? Did he dump her after he took her to prom?”

Addy didn’t speak so Kara jumped in. “We don’t kiss and tell, ladies . . . Oops, I guess we just did. Gotta run now.”

“Kara,” Addy said once the two crossed Ninth Street. “Why did you say that? I’m so embarrassed.”

“They are going to tell that story to everyone they know. We just made their day.”

“But you said I kissed Jonathon.”

“No, I said we don’t kiss and tell,” Kara said.

“Implying that there was kissing to tell about.”

“Addy, relax. So what if people think you kissed him. What’s wrong with that?”

“But I didn’t.”

“You want to.” Kara smiled.

“Kara McKormick.” Addy walked faster, forcing Kara to lengthen her stride. “I should just leave you to go into those auditions by yourself.”

“Right.” Kara laughed. “And how do you think you’d get yourself home?”

“You brought me all the way out here to hold me hostage?” Addy laughed.

“Hey, I can’t help it if you have a bad sense of direction.”

“Hey, what ‘New York City expert’ got us lost?”

“Who’s lost?” Kara pointed to a building the next street over. “The Holt. And we’ve even got three minutes to spare.”

Addy shoved Kara with her shoulder. “That was just dumb luck.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in luck.” Kara pushed Addy back. “And who are you calling dumb?”

Addy stepped off the curb just as a car was speeding through the red light, heading right toward the spot where Addy was standing. Kara grabbed Addy’s arm and pulled as hard as she could. Addy fell backward, crying out in pain and pulling her legs back just as the car sped past. The driver stuck a fist out the window and yelled something.

“Addy, are you all right?” Kara bent down. “Can you stand?”

“I don’t know.” Addy’s face was white, and Kara worried she was going to pass out.

“Deep breath.” Kara looked up and saw a crowd had gathered.

“I got his license plate numba,” a woman with big hair and bright red lips said. “You wants to sue him, I’ll testify for ya. He was a maniac. And then he yells at you for crossing the road when you had the green light.”

“No, no.” Addy pushed herself up. “I’m fine, really.” Kara knew from the grimace on Addy’s face that she was not fine. But Addy hated for people to feel sorry for her.

“Give her some space, folks.” Kara shooed the crowd away with her hands. “Let me help you up.”

“I’m fine.”

“Addy.” Kara grabbed her friend’s hands. “I am going to help you up, all right?”

Addy sighed and stood slowly. “Are my pants ripped? ”

Kara turned Addy around. “No, just some dirt. And you got a piece of asphalt in your hair.” She pulled the gravel out of Addy’s long brown hair. “You sure you’re okay? I pulled you pretty hard.”

“You are surprisingly strong for someone so thin.” Addy gave a half smile.

“And you’re even lighter than you look.” Relief flooded through Kara when she saw Addy’s smile. “I thought I was going to fling you up into the air.”