I Find Myself in You

“Oh my gosh, you’re Lainey Peters,” the girl in the chair next to me said as I sat down at the audition. Well it wasn’t really an audition for me. I was pretty sure I was going to get the spot, no matter what. It was what I was born to do, get these meaningless spots one after another. The way I figured it, might as well do what I was meant to do if I had absolutely no choice anyway.

I pushed my sunglasses more up on my nose to hide my eyes as identity as best I could. They wanted an actress? I would act. I smiled at the girl. “Hi,” I said.

“I can’t believe it,” she gasped. “The magazines all said you weren’t coming out to anything anymore. And you’re here. And you’re auditioning. And oh my gosh.”

I smiled slightly. This girl was hyper than Demi. And until now, I hadn’t thought that was possible. “I wouldn’t call it an audition exactly,” I told her.

“Oh right,” she said understandingly. “Obviously you’re going to get it. Why wouldn’t you? I mean, you’re Lainey freaking Peters. You could be doing your worst performance and it would be the best thing ever.”

“Um, thanks?” I said, combing my hair out with my fingers. My reputation preceded me. Oh joy. Didn’t they know? I was just as fake as any of the others. I sighed. No, I wasn’t. I wasn’t fake. But wasn’t I? I groaned silently. My whole being here was fake. I was only here because the distance would be good for me and Joe. This was what we needed. I needed to keep him as a best friend and this seemed the best way to do it.

“Lainey, we’re ready for you now,” a man said, coming out into the lobby.

I smiled at the girl one last time before getting up and following him through the door.

“So,” he said, smiling at me as he led me down a hallway. “You’re the legendary Lainey Peters?”

“I wouldn’t say legendary,” I said.

He laughed. “Well the way I hear it, you are. It is an honor to meet you. My girls are huge fans.”

“Thanks,” I smiled. Wonderful. A parent with fans. That should be fun. “Well tell them I said hi.”

He nodded, still smiling.

“There she is,” someone said loudly. We both turned around and I saw Phil walking towards us, a smile on his face as well. He pulled me into a hug. “Lainey Peters. I swear. I thought you were never coming back. I’m ecstatic to know that those were just rumors.”

“Um, right,” I said, still smiling. If only they were true. I sighed. “So line reading?”

Phil nodded apologetically. “I mean, it’s just a formality. Everyone knows you’re going to get the spot.”

“What if someone is better?” I asked.

Phil laughed. “Like it matters. You’re Lainey—“

“Freaking Peters,” I finished for him. “Yeah, I got it.”

He laughed. “Still got that wit, don’t you? Yes, you are definitely perfect for the part.”

I sighed. “Who am I reading lines with?”

He grinned. “He didn’t tell you?”

“Who?” I asked, feeling my stomach tighten. If it was someone who could have told me, it had to have been one of the Jonas boys. I hadn’t seen anyone else for weeks.

Phil laughed again. “Funny boy, he is. Must’ve wanted it to be a surprise. Can’t ruin it, now can I?”

“Hmm, I think you can,” I told him eagerly. If it was Joe, I had to run the other way. And I’d prefer warning before I had to take my pumps off and make a dash for it.

He laughed as he stopped in front of a door. “You’ll see. And just remember. It’s a formality, but act like you want it, okay?”

I nodded, and walked into the door he had opened. I stepped in and almost froze. “Jesse?”

“Hey baby,” he grinned as he got up and walked over to me, planting his lips on mine.

What the hell? I heard the people coo behind us. I pulled away and gave him a weird look. What the hell was he doing?

He leaned in close to my ear. “You wouldn’t want everyone to hear about your little romance in Wyckoff, New Jersey would you?”

He wrapped his arms around my waist. Begrudgingly I wrapped my own arms around his neck. Was he serious? He was going to blackmail me? What the hell for?