Untouchable

“Do you think she saw us in the newspaper this morning?” Emma asked, pushing on her flats. She pulled her hair to the side in a wavy, low pony-tail.

Selena shrugged. “Em, I’m pretty sure that all of Hollywood saw us in the newspaper this morning.”

“I don’t want to go to the set if everyone’s going to know the wrong story about what happened last night.” Emma ran a hand through her loose bangs. “They’ll laugh in our faces.”

Selena laid her hand over Emma’s. “I won’t let them laugh at you.” She smiled encouragingly at her. “I promise we’ll have fun.”

“I hope we’ll fit in. Isn’t it like…a vampire movie?” Emma asked, laughing at herself.

Selena giggled as she hugged Emma. “Let’s go.”

As they entered the studio, Ashley Greene smiled widely. She fast-walked her way over to them. “Hey girls!” Selena and Emma smiled and managed to murmur a greeting. “I saw the papers this morning.”

Emma sighed. “Fantastic.” She paused. “How bad is it?”

“Bru-tal.” Ashley handed them a semi-crumpled newspaper. Emma took the paper and scanned over the two articles.

Confusion crossed Selena’s face. “But wait…how did you know what happened before this morning’s paper?”

“Some of my friends were at the same restaurant you two were at. They, um…told me it was horrible.” Her voice indicated that she left something out.

“I don’t know whether to be angry or embarrassed or depressed!” Emma yelled in a low tone.

Ashley frowned and then her face lit up again as she spotted something in the distance. “I think I have something that will brighten your day. I’ll be right back!” She winked and walked off to the farther end of the studio.

Selena tossed a pebble around with her foot. “I think I’m going to try and find the bathroom.”

Emma barely glanced up from the paper. “Call me if you get lost.”

Just as Selena had walked off, Emma could feel Ashley standing in front of her again. “Emma, I have someone I want you to meet.”

Emma broke her gaze from the paper and found herself staring into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes she had ever seen. She had to concentrate on standing up to keep her mouth from hanging open. She could tell that the boy had noticed.

“I’m Taylor,” he grinned, flashing a set of perfect white teeth.

She smiled like a complete idiot. ‘Jesus, could this guy get any more gorgeous,’ Emma thought to herself. As if she hadn’t embarrassed herself enough, she blurted, “Isn’t Taylor a girl name?”

Taylor sent Ashley a nervous glance and after a few seconds, they started laughing so hard Emma thought the ground might shake. He grinned widely. “I guess it could be. It’s Emma Roberts, right?”

“Yupp, that’s me!” Emma rocked back on her heels. “The one with her face all over the morning paper,” she murmured.

“I know how that feels,” he whispered. She looked over at him, surprise clear on her features. He gave her an upward smirk.

Ashley sighed and cocked her head to the side. “Way to make me feel like part of the conversation! Are you guys going to keep whispering to each other like I’m not here?” Emma and Taylor exchanged a glance and nodded their heads. Ashley giggled and started walking away. “You’ll thank me for this one day,” she yelled over her shoulder.

Taylor smirked again. “I’m thanking her already.”

Selena had wondered around the halls of the studio for about fifteen minutes until she finally found the bathroom. The boys’ restroom door was first, followed by the girls’. She glanced down at the time on her phone and when she brought her gaze back up, her face collided with the open boys’ restroom door. A small scream of pain emitted itself from her mouth and Selena fell to the ground, clutching her nose.

“Shit!” A voice yelled above her. “Are you okay?”

She hadn’t realized her eyes were closed. She opened them cautiously. “I think so.” Selena lifted her head slightly and met with an unbelievably beautiful face. “Or not. Am I in heaven?”

The boy laughed and kneeled down beside her. “Are you this pretty and funny when people aren’t hitting you with doors?”

“Maybe? I can’t think right now.” She rubbed her forehead.

The boy thought for a moment and smiled. “You’re Selena Gomez.” Selena nodded slowly, rubbing her forehead. “I’m Kellan,” he stated, a smile in his voice.

Without thinking first, Selena opened her mouth. “You look like an angel.” Her words came out in a rush.

Kellan smiled warmly. “Um, thanks. I’ve never really heard that one before.” He found the dark bruise on her cheek. “Did…did I do that?”

Selena put a hand over her cheek. She made an attempt to get up and when she faltered, Kellan caught her and stood her upright. “I have to go.”

Kellan looked confused and upset. “What?”

Selena willed herself to walk fast and found her way back to the entrance room of the studio. She found Emma sitting next to a boy, flirting like crazy. Selena sighed. “Emma, can we go now?”

Emma turned her head sharply at the sound of Selena’s fear-filled voice. “Sel! Why are you bleeding?” She stood up and touched a finger to her friend’s bloody nose. “How did this happen?”

Selena looked away. “I don’t know,” she lied noticeably.

Emma’s mouth shook as if she might cry at any second. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve never left you.” She looked back at Taylor. “I’m sorry. I need to leave.”

Taylor nodded somberly. “I understand. Just make sure you get her home safely.”

Emma kept a hold on Selena’s waist and led her out of the building. “What happened to your nose?”

“I was hit with a door by Kellan Lutz.”

Anger flashed on Emma’s face. “Why would that jerk do that?”

Selena smiled, despite her horrible appearance. “He’s not a jerk. He’s really hot.” She put extra emphasis on ‘hot’.

Emma released a deep sigh. “You should be careful, Sel.”

“What about you? You sure looked pretty happy with that guy!” Selena accused.

“It’s Taylor Lautner…and so what if I was?”

“I thought Taylor was a girl name?”

Emma burst out laughing. “That’s what I said!”

Selena tightened her grip around Emma’s shoulders. “I think I just made a really big mistake.”

Emma glanced back at the studio that was shrinking into the distance. “Ditto. But you know what they say: things have a way of finding their way back to you.”