Someone I Used to Know - By Blakney Francis Page 0,74

could, and a very scary episode in the small viewing room that Georgia and the other actors used to watch Dailies. Georgia had walked in while Declan’s hands were down my pants. After some very creative explanations on his part (I was too mortified to speak), the film director might have actually bought his story about helping me check something on my upper thigh. I didn’t even care that he made me seem like a hypochondriac, fearful every bug bite was cancerous.

Cam and I delved into one of the most extensive matches of phone tag ever played. I hadn’t spoken to him since Declan and I had started sleeping together, and so while I really did miss him, I had to admit the lack of communications wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Was I supposed to tell him about Declan? I didn’t think it was protocol to keep ex-boyfriends in the loop about those sorts of things, but Cam and I had always operated under a special set of rules.

I definitely wasn’t interested in hearing about his sex-capades, that was for sure. And it was just sex with Declan, after all. If it didn’t mean anything, surely Cam wouldn’t want to know about it.

The day-to-day stress of Madeline and confronting my past weren’t quite as horrible as they’d once been. The evolution reminded me of a girl I’d taken ballet with in elementary school. She was diabetic, and every day during break, when the rest of us would rush to the water fountain, she’d excuse herself to the bathroom to check her blood sugar. I’d been astounded, horrorstruck, the first time I watched her prick her own finger.

How could she do that? Didn’t it hurt her? I knew it sure hurt me whenever the doctor did it at my check-ups, like a wasp sticking his fat stinger through my unprotected skin. The girl had explained to me that while it never felt good, and she wished she didn’t have to do it, she’d been doing it for so long that she had just gotten used to it eventually.

I’d gotten used to my life there…And it didn’t hurt that, thanks to the many talents of Declan Davies, I’d found a way to take the edge off.

Maybe, Madeline just really needed to get laid too.

“Why are you so…smile-y lately?” The redheaded actress wrinkled her nose like she’d just smelled something foul. It wasn’t the first time I’d caught her eyeing me with suspicion, but it was the first time she’d voiced her concerns.

“Pills,” I deadpanned.

She stared at me blankly. Interpreting sarcasm was one of those human skills Madeline hadn’t bothered with. Apparently method-acting cyborgs had no need for such frivolity. “How…great for you.”

I nodded earnestly, considering messing with her some more, but the prospect wasn’t nearly as appealing as it would have been if I hadn’t been on set for sixteen freaking hours straight. Weren’t there unions to protect actors and the like from that sort of thing? I decided there should definitely be a union to protect innocents like me from Madeline Little.

She’d been exceptionally needy all day. Fran’s daughter was sick, leaving Alfred and I alone to deal with Madeline for the brunt of the sixteen hours. Every possible moment had been consumed by her. In the beginning, I’d been sure that eventually she’d run out of questions for me (I mean, we are talking about a three month span). Lately, she’d been less of a firing squad and more of a surprise sniper with the questions, leading me to believe her supply was running a little low and giving me renewed hope.

But if I’d thought the development would grant me a reprieve, man was I wrong. Instead of talking, she’d taken to just staring at me with that creepy little look on her doll face. And, sometimes, she’d start mimicking my every movement. The day before, she’d spent two hours perfecting the way I sneezed.

“Hello, Adleys.” Declan appeared, propping an arm around both of us.

I hadn’t seen him for hours, and if he hadn’t referred to Madeline and I as the plural ‘Adleys’ (which he knew I despised), I might not have been able to stop myself from collapsing in his arms and declaring that it was time to go back to the plantation. My desperation to get away from Madeline had turned me into Scarlet O’Hara.

I darted out from under his heavy arm, my glare hitting both of them evenly. Declan leaned down to whisper something in