Someone I Used to Know - By Blakney Francis Page 0,33

whatever he was about to tell me was about to make it very hard for me to view him how I needed to.

“I never attended school a day in my life. I was already riding my father’s coattail by the time I could speak, taking bit parts in whatever blockbuster he was filming. I had a tutor just like my sisters, and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on something a single moment when I was traveling the world, getting to have grand adventures.”

He looked at me sternly, as if daring me to feel sorry for him. “I don’t regret it. Haven’t ever. But sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to just be a teenager. I wouldn’t want to trade lives, but it would’ve been cool to get to have both…So I like teen soaps. They remind me of home, and let me experience a different life.”

I didn’t know what to say. He’d shared something personal, and I was uncomfortable with how comfortable I felt hearing it. It set me on edge.

“You know that’s not what being a teen is really like either, right?” I tried to grin. The mood lightened considerably.

“Like you’d know anything about having a normal teenage experience, Ms. 16 and Pregnant,” he scoffed.

I responded to his dig with an arrogant smirk. “Oh and by the way, you were due on set like an hour ago.”

With a little wave, I left him cursing behind me.

***

The next morning was the earliest call we’d had during production. They really were trying to kill me.

It was a miracle that I made it out of bed, and if one person said a word about my rubber ducky shorts, they were going to be in for a rude awakening. Everyone was just lucky I’d taken the time to brush my teeth even if I hadn’t changed out of my pajamas or brushed my hair. I made it halfway to the sleek limousine before I realized I was barefoot and had to backtrack to retrieve my shoes. The clock on the oven glared the hideous time at me. It wasn’t even four AM yet.

When I finally slid into the seat beside Declan, I didn’t bother with pleasantries, instead shoving one of the items I was holding at him.

“What the hell is this?” He was holding the innocent piece of food like it was a live grenade, and eyeing me like I’d sprouted a second head.

Was it that hard to believe that I could do something nice?

“A muffin. And don’t forget about that club opening you told your agent you’d attend tonight.” I’d already begun the process of curling my body into a tiny ball so I could try and pretend I’d never left the comforts of my bed.

I could feel his penetrating gaze burning the back of my head that I’d presented to him.

“Shut up,” I commanded though he hadn’t said a word. “Just eat it.”

“Oooh, I see now. This is just a ploy to keep my mouth otherwise occupied. Entice me with chocolate chip muffins, which you know are my favorite, and expect me to keep quiet. Well, let me tell you, I could think of much more beneficial ways to keep my mouth occupied…” He kept talking, but his sweet melodious voice became nothing more than a lullaby.

I didn’t wake up until we arrived at the studio. There was nothing left of the muffin but the wrapper.

Madeline was oddly reserved throughout the day, which was a welcomed rarity, and even Alfred barked out a hello to me in greeting (I viewed this as a huge step in the right direction). For lunch, Fran drove all the way to Pasadena to get take-out from my old favorite organic restaurant. And no one even said a word about my rubber ducky shorts.

All around it was turning into a great day.

I was sure it couldn’t get any better when I checked my vibrating phone and found “FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS DRINK AND SEXT” calling.

“Cam!” I answered cheerfully. He’d be gone for a little over a week, but with the time differences and his newly hectic schedule, the most we’d managed to communicate was through a few texts.

“Why can’t you always greet me like that?” He pouted.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder?” I spiked the end of my statement up until it was a question.

“I was just expecting something a little more…ominous,” Cam admitted, on top of the busy city noises I could hear in the background. A taxi honked,