Celebrity Skinned

I sat on Lara's bed, with her opposite me, her eyes were sparkling like a child's and she only had that one question in her mind; "What's it like being famous?" she smirked.

"Well that’s funny, I want to know what it’s like not being famous?" I retorted tilting my head to one side. That was the one question that I always wanted answered. The thought was always floating around in my mind. What was it like walking to a store without being swarmed by tonnes of paparazzi.
What was it like being able to go shopping without a body guard but with your friends?
"It's boring, there's no excitement, it's the same old same old every single freaking day," she sighed tilting her head back in frustration as she explained, "You wake up, go to school, scare the popular kids, be bored, think you're doing alright in your subjects, be bored again, come home eat dinner and sleep, that's it. Lame."

"Well fame's the complete opposite," I explained, "It's just really lonely," I frowned. Lara shed a nervous smile for me.

"Well consider me your best friend," she smiled, "But why doesn't anyone at school recognize you if you're so famous?"

"Well," I began, "The last film I starred in, I was 12 years old, after that, I took some time off, I didn't want to grow up in the spotlight, before I moved here, I actually just finished shooting my latest movie," I explained, "But I hope to keep it this way, you know, that nobody recognizes me."

"Your secrets safe with me," she grinned pulling me into a hug. It felt amazing. The thought that someone you knew for so little could keep a secret so big away from so many people, "When's this big movie released anyway?" She smiled.

"In six months," I nodded. Six months of keeping everybody in the dark. Not telling anyone who I actually am. That's when everything goes out the window I guess then.

"Not to sound patronising, but what are you gonna do when everybody finds out?" She asked flicking through her Cd's.

"I don't know, I guess I'll take it as it comes," I shrugged not really knowing what my options were.
"Oh here it is," Lara sighed in relief, "I thought I lost my favourite CD," she frowned. I let the music run through my ears, the synthesizer mixed in with the guitars perfectly, creating its own unique sound, "You like it?" she asked bobbing up and down to the beat of the music, "It's Deadstar Assembly, one of my favourites," she grinned singing along Dejected! For most of my life! she practically yelled, making me smile.

"Hey shut up! Some people are trying to practice!" I whipped my head around and saw Brian leaning on the door frame, looking pissed as anything. I've known him for a total of a day and what two minutes and I haven't seen him crack a smile or say a sincerely nice comment to anyone. Ass. Lara simply just rolled her eyes and turned the volume of her stereo down. Turning that punching techno/metal sound into nothing but a mutter.

"Practice eh? What exactly?" I asked actually trying to be nice to Brian.

"Why do you care?" he scoffed turning around about to make his way out of Lara's bedroom.

"Well excuse me for being curious."

"Oh well, since we're being curious, why the hell are you in my house?" he snapped back turning around, giving me the cockiest grin I had ever seen before.

"Well Brian, incase you haven't noticed, Amber's my friend and she's staying here for dinner," Lara stepped in, defending me, "Oh and by the way, before you start bitching to Dad, he said it was okay."
Brian walked off muttering a load of crap because he didn't get his own way. Pathetic.
"Ignore him hun, but trust me, he's not always that bad," she reassured.

"Really?" I questioned, "He's been nothing but nasty to me since I got here. "

"I know, but you've known him for a few hours, I've known him my whole life, he's a big teddy bear," she explained. I laughed at her trying to convince me otherwise. But I've learned this from countless of fellow actors, celebrities or even the directors or producers. Nobody changes. They're an idiot by nature.

"Hey kids," Lara's dad faintly knocked on the door, "Dinner's ready," he smiled.
"Okay, we'll be down in a minute," Lara smiled, "Okay, I'll give you Brent's seat, he sits the furthest away from Brian."

As we walked down the stairs, I spotted Lara's family. They looked so close, well, minus the diva. I could see her other brother and what looked like her younger sister.

"Hello Lara, I didn't see you come in," A tall, brunette lady beamed, "Who's this?" She asked curiously.

"Oh hey sorry, I didn't know you were in, this is my friend Amber, she's just moved back to Huntington Beach from LA, Amber, this is my step mom, Suzy."

"Nice to meet you," I smiled nervously, Actress or not, I didn't want to seem rude to my only friend here's family.

As we sat down for dinner, Lara kept her word by giving me her brother, Brent's seat. But that really didn't mean that he couldn't glare daggers at me while I was silently eating my pizza.
"So, Amber, why did you move here?" Lara's dad asked curiously.

"Well…Erm…My…" I stumbled over my words.

"Her mom's a plastic surgeon, to the famous am I correct?" Brian raised his eyebrow in the most sarcastic manner. I suppose that was a nice thing for him to do, even if he doesn't know anything about me.

"Yeah," I agreed, "She got transferred and we just missed the old house so I thought, why not?" I smiled.

"Do you have any brother's or sister's?" Suzy asked.

"No," I frowned slightly, "But my Dads fiancée going to have a baby really soon." I beamed making Suzy smile. Even though she was my Dad's new girlfriend and I hardly knew the woman, I couldn't wait for the baby, just so I could go around and tell everyone that that's my little brother or sister, protect them with all my might and be the best big sister ever.

"Oh congratulations," Suzy clapped her hands.

“Boy or Girl?” Lara’s dad asked.

“I don’t know, but either way, it’ll be wonderful,” I smiled taking a bite of my salad. I looked at Brian who rolled his eyes. Everyone broke into their own separate conversation.

“Hey, do you wanna go to the park after this? We’re meeting the guys,” Lara nudged my arm.

“We?”

“Me and Brian,” as much as Brian hated me, Lara’s my friend and I wanted to hang out with her, I’ll just steer clear from Brian as much as possible.

“Yeah, I’d love to, I’ll just have to call my Mom,” I told her.

“Right, it seems really chilly outside, do you want another jacket?” Lara asked flicking through her hoodies.

“Please,” I smiled. There was a loud knock at the door, “I’ll get that,” I told her.

“Hey Amber!” The guys all shouted.

“Hi guys,” I giggled,

“You coming to the park?” Matt asked as Johnny belly flopped on Lara’s bed.

“Of course,” I smiled.

We all ran out of Lara’s house heading straight for Central Park.
When I think of Central Park, I think of swings, the monkey bars, the huge twirl slide and the see-saws that I used to go on with my dad all the time.

10 years later and I see Central Park as the ground for illegal drinking, no swings, slide or see-saw, just a bundle of trees and the guys using each branch to swing from before taking more gulps of their beer. Yep, alcohol and some seriously funky smelling smoke coming from where Jimmy was sitting.
I could finally see some personality trying to break through from Brian right after his fifth beer and the ninth toke of Jimmy’s well gone off cigarette.
“Want some?” Brian waved it in front of my face, the smell was getting stronger and stronger each wave. I furrowed my eyebrows and took a small sip of my beer. Still my first.

“I don’t smoke,” I told him looking around nervously.

“Come on,” he grinned. Okay, there was some personality, but he was still a total ass and peer pressure is not an option.

“No,” I told him firmly.

“You don’t have to be a smoker to have a joint,” Jimmy laughed over Johnny who was spluttering and coughing up his lungs.

“I said no!” I snapped. Silence took over suddenly.

“She doesn’t want to, just leave it out,” Lara shrugged. Noise surrounded us yet again, “hey, do you want some Vodka?” she nudged. I nodded my head and she passed me a bottle filled with coke and I’m guessing vodka. I took a swig and felt a burning sensation at the back of my throat.
“You like it?” She asked.

My eyes widened and I automatically nodded my head, “What’s the time?” I asked wiping some coke from my mouth.

Matt moved his arm from around Lara’s shoulder and looked at his phone, “11,” he told me.

“Oh no, I need to be getting back home,” I said in a panic, I stood up quickly and grabbed my bag.

“Wait, you can’t get home on your own, it’s not safe at this time of night,” she cautioned, “Brian, could you take her?”

“What? Fuck no,” he scoffed. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Please, you’re the least drunk-”

“Oh yeah and because I haven’t been smoking a joint,” he reminded her.

“Oh because you are stoned as fuck like Jim over there,” she retorted. He shook his head and groaned in frustration, “Fine, come on you, just don‘t say a fucking word to me,” he poked my shoulder and I followed him dodging the branches.

“I’ll see you at school, babe,” I heard Lara’s voice before we completely left the ’spot’ as they called it.

“Thank you for-”

“I said don’t talk to me,” Brian snapped. This is going to be interesting.