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Chapter 1

REID

"You live with your parents?"

If you’re a celebrity and over twelve, people don’t expect you to live with your parents, if they even iine that you have parents Movie stars are believed to spring fully forirls are the worst offenders when it co against me now is no different

Her question is whispered in response to et the two of us into the house and into , both hands over her hfroe with an electric bass in her skilled hands while I watched fro and she’s swaying and our hteen tonight, not thirty Where do you expect me to live?" There’s no rancor behind the slurred words, and luckily she seems to deduce as ot what a baby you are"

I arch a brow at her as the key slips into the dead bolt with a ht, I’irls her age didn’t wait until I was a legal adult; I prefer to let her assu to teach me Who knows, maybe she does I turn the key until the lock clacks, depress the lever and push a shoulder against the door We’re in Putting a finger to my puckered lips, I repeat, "Shhh," while I wrestle the key fro closer with a wicked srab the door frame for support Her arettes and beer--but so do I "I reainst the lock

Alcohol-induced dreams are aleird and crude--and I mean that in the best possible way Then co up By that point, the buzz is long gone, inhibitions are flooding back, and the only thing hammered is the inside ofcell set on level wake-the-fuck-up, and I’e of inebriation Suddenly a brain-rototilling free-for-all is taking place in an enclosed space, right behind overland

I click talk to ? Really?), but don’t bother trying to answer, because my mouth is a desert and speech is improbable There’s a water bottle on the bedside table, but when I stretch to grab it, I drop the phone, which ee "Hello? Reid? Hell-o-o?"

Shit Swiping the phone from the floor, I nearly fall off the bed "’Lo?" My voice sounds and tastes like it’s flowing through gravel

"Rough night?" George is sarcastic, but not callously so He’s rateful to the universe, fate, God, whatever/whoever’s in charge for that I’m a better client than I am a son Just ask my dad

I lift uitarist frouely re like she was thirteen instead of the twenty-whatever she said she was She’s nowhere, but a barely legible note is underthe ink I take a generous gulp froht More please? I put my number in your phone--Cassandra

Cassandra Did she ever say her nae’s voice Crap

"Yeah" I lurch to a seated position on the side of the bed,to decide if I need to throw up or not Verdict: possibly

"Richter just called--you got the part in School Pride He said he’s looking forward to working with you" Ada directors The end with an eye for teen dramas "You’re scheduled to do a two-minute spot on ET tomorrow, by the way, so rest up Also, Richter wants you in on auditions for the Lizbeth role Those will start in a couple of weeks We’ll discuss all of this on Friday"

"Sure" God,to fall off "What’s the location?"

"They’ve decided to film in Austin"

"Texas?"

"Last time I checked, yes, that’s where Austin is located"