The Truth About Hollywood

"And...action!" Levi called out, pointing toward the set.

Danny's hand clasped around my shoulder while I was at my locker. I turned around and glared at him. "What, Logan?"

He sighed before continuing, "We have to finish the project, whether you like me or not." Our characters had a blowout fight the episode before after his little show at Diana's house.

"Unfortunately, I know that," I sighed. "We're just not doing it at my house ever again."

"That sounds dirty," he smirked. "Well, we can do it anywhere you want, sweetheart."

I turned around, my face flaming with anger, though I knew that it wasn't going to show through the makeup. It was a curse for scenes like these, yet a blessing in scenes where I had to show some interest in Danny. I didn't want my face turning to a tomato then.

"Listen," I snapped. "I don't want to do anything with you, I'm forced to. So we're going to finish our project today in the library. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I actually speak English sometimes," he responded, his face not removing that annoying smirk. It was weird how well he could do that.

"Good. I just wasn't sure if you understood what the word library meant."

"Well, I do. It's the place with the books."

"Good." I slapped his cheek twice with a cheesy grin plastered on my face. "So I guess I'll see you after school."

"Yeah..." he replied, shooting me a confused look. I continued down the hallway and stepped through a door that actually led to nowhere.

"CUT!" Levi's voice sliced through the acted tension. "Good, guys. Now just do that again as we shoot close ups."

I rolled my eyes. I hated having to re-do a scene after it was perfect just so there could be different shots taken.

A while later, though I wasn't sure exactly how long, I got to relax on the outskirts of the set and rest. The scene was now between James and Stella, who, last episode, were at a party and hooked up, and Stella thought she was pregnant. Ah, all the drama on Darwin High.

"Well, you played being pissed at me pretty well," Danny came out of nowhere and whispered in my ear.

"You played being a perv well," I shot back with a smile. I knew what he was inferring, and he was right a little. "That mean that you're really like that?"

"'Course not," he responded, acting like such an idea was ridiculous. "So...I was just wondering something, now that we're cool again."

"What?" I wondered, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Does Stella really...like me? I know you were kind of ticked off when you yelled that, but I was just wondering if there was any truth to it."

My heart sank into my stomach. Oh, great. Just what I needed. I told him that I liked him, and he went after Stella. It was bad enough that he was almost not acknowledging what I'd told him, but it was another thing entirely that he was going to go after her instead.

"She told me to stay away from you because you were going to be hers," I confirmed. If he wanted to go out with that blonde slut, he could. Good riddance to him.

"Wow..." he trailed off, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. "I'm quite the hot-ticket item, aren't I?"

"Shut up," I snapped, hitting him good-naturedly in the stomach.

"That hurts," he whined, putting a hand gingerly on his midsection.

"Sucks to be you," I taunted, sticking out my tongue.

"CAN YOU TELL THEM TO STOP?!" Stella screamed.

Danny and I exchanged glances before looking at the set, where Stella was glaring at us angrily. "I can't even hear myself think. All I can hear is them giggling."

Levi looked at us like he just couldn't be more tired of Stella's outbursts. "Guys, will you please leave the set?"

I got up without looking at Stella's smug face again and left, going straight to wardrobe. After I changed, I just hung out in there. Terri wasn't in the room, so I knew that she wouldn't mind me being there; I wasn't going to be in her way or anything.

"Want company?" Danny questioned as he closed the door behind him.

"Guess I don't have a choice, huh?" I joked, adjusting my position so I was sitting Indian-style on the floor. This way, I took up less room and Danny could sit down too.

"Sure you do," he replied. "There are just some things that you don't have choices about...like me giving you rides to and from the set. That's going to happen."

I smiled at him brightly. I still liked him, that I knew, but it was good that we were just acting like friends again. He hadn't made things awkward by avoiding me or anything. He just wanted things to stay as they had been, like he'd said.

"So...your mom..." He bit his lip like he was afraid to say anymore.

"Yeah?" I urged, waiting for him to elaborate.

"She's...it's definite?"

"Yup. She yelled at the table the other day that she only had a month left, but I don't know if that's true or not.

Danny let out a low whistle. "It must have been pretty far along when she got diagnosed, huh?"

I nodded. "I just don't know how it could have gone so long without getting noticed..." I thought, staring at a speck on the wall, for a while before something clicked. "I hate her. I hate her so friggin' much."

"What?" Danny questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"She's had bad headaches for years now. What if that was the first sign? She's dying because she didn't bother to get her head checked out when the headaches started. She could be alive right now, but she refused to take care of herself."

I felt tears starting to gather in my eyes, but I wiped them away quickly. There was no way that I was going to start crying again.

Danny bit his lip, not knowing what to say, before a grin spread across his face. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I think we should get out of here." I gave him a look like, 'Are you crazy?' "No, I'm serious! Come on! Let's go hang out. It's not like we're filming anymore today anyway."

"I don't know..." I trailed off, but I didn't have time to object. He grabbed my hand and yanked me to my feet, running out of the room. He asked Levi in a rush, since Stella had demanded a break, it looked like, and Levi approved.

"Told ya," Danny grinned as we walked out of the studio and to his car. His hand was still entwined with mine, and I pulled my hand away first. It felt awkward, knowing that he just didn't feel the same way about me.

"Skee ball?" he joked as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"No way," I laughed. "Just...surprise me where we go."

"Let's see if we even end up anywhere." With that, he pulled out of the parking lot quickly, and we were on our way to the highway.