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"I wish I could take you withit "You keepit froh school, while the other stars in a h school Irony Gotta love it"

Chapter 7

REID

No matter how rich or fao so for a three- my character’s best friend, Charlie We were introduced at a Grao and have been friends since then, so this was uber cool news He’s uard along with us, which is a first Usually one delivers ht and another o and the recognition factor has gone through the roof since then You haven’t lived until just standing near a pack of girls ht on tie into his beefy paws and ferrying it out to the waiting li shaped like a uy--not that I’et a little out of hand "I’ll be back for the rest of your luggage, and then I’ll wait in the car We’ll leave in about fifteen ood with you, Mr Alexander"

I need to get over the strangeness of grownto , Mr Reid" He disappears into the dusk as Mom sidles up behind me

"I’ll miss you" Her voice is wobbly She has a drink in her hand, so I don’t know if she’s overcome by emotion or she’s already sloshed A little of both, perhaps

"I’ve got a few minutes Let’s sit" I take her hand and lead her into the front parlor, sinking onto the sofa with her She leans intothe glass lopsidedly onto a coaster This must be her third, at least She doesn’t miss the coaster before that

"I’ll be back for a weekend or two during filone" This isn’t quite true Even if we don’t interact much, Mom and I are aware of each other in the house I’ll be in Austin, working, playing… I think of Emma andthe house like a ghost "Don’t you have that breast cancer benefit to work on? That should keep you busy until I’ to do but drink Alone

She brightens "Yes Melinda and I are organizing a fundraiser for that"

"See? You’ll be so busy you won’t miss me at all" I put my arm around her

"That’s not true"

"I’ll miss you, too, Mom" The words feel insincere I’ll think of her occasionally, worry about her here and there But on’t lance at ht’s in a couple of hours--gotta get checked in and stuff"

We stand, and she puts her ar her back gently "I love you," she says into my chest, and I feel myself tense I don’t knohy it’s so hard for uys throw it around like breath, like bait

I give her another hug, and then release her, steadying her by the shoulders Kissing her cheek one last time, I force the words out "Love you" And then I’ out at the house that Mark and Lucy Alexander built, the house where I’ve lived most of my life We circle the turn-around and out onto the street, and the tension begins to seep out of ht to Austin--first class--with three School Pride cast members, all of whom are nice, and none of whom are Reid Dammit

Meredith Reynolds will be Lizbeth’s older sister, Jane We did a commercial for peanut butter ere five, and so MiShaun Grant recently left her comedic role on a Disney channel sitcos She’ll play Lizbeth Bennet’s best friend, Charlotte The ht is Jenna Black, who’ll play the youngest Bennet sister, Lydia

Cast as the daughter of the o, Jenna collected rave reviews for her perfor to attend Princeton I will earn h school diploe Jenna, fifteen with her whole life ht want to do so career, you’ll want to cultivate your intellect to get better roles"

Cultivate ic ht of e student, but when school is a tutor in a hotel roonments over the Internet, there’s no comparison or coe, acade

We discuss the script and do so to the filins at 8:00 ah school We have teeks until school begins there, at which point fil the school sequences first

At the hotel, girls mill around the entrance, which seems odd for this hour on a Sunday "Fabulous," Jenna says "The ‘I heart Reid Alexander’ fan club lost no tiizing profusely for giving the four of us the stink-eye alked in, confir the back in, bless their hearts" His set jaw doesn’t say bless their hearts as raine

Most of the fourth floor rooms are cordoned off for School Pride actors and crew, the studio’s beefy bodyguards in place to protect Reid from his more zealous fans As I locate my room and slide my key card into the lock uy co pajalances back as if he’sinto traffic, nods once in my direction with a smile and a soft, "Hey," and raps twice on another door I’m not sure if he’s production staff or another one of the actors, but I’

Reid isn’t shooting any scenes the first day, so he’s not on set I’ hi on film, in front of everyone I’ve never worried about this sort of thing before, but then I’ve never been the star of anything before I’et familiar with the rest of the cast