by Krista McGee
“Working demo is rebellious?”
“Not if that’s what God wants you to do.” Natalia tilted her face up, her eyes locked on his. “Is it?”
Brian turned his head away, the feelings Natalia sparked in him with just a look were almost more than he could handle. “I don’t know. I don’t need to make any decisions yet.”
Natalia sighed. Mom had told Brian a little of her conversation with Natalia. Her parents expected her to make her career choice immediately. Guilt attacked his conscience when he thought of how flippantly he was treating Natalia’s questions.
He started to apologize when a wave appeared on the horizon.
“All right.” Brian grabbed the boogie board and positioned it to face the beach. “Just hop on, farther up, lie flat on it with just your legs hanging off. Perfect. Now wait for the wave to carry you to shore.”
He stood beside Natalia and laid himself flat, preparing to body surf his way back. The wave was worth waiting for. It broke right before it reached them, and the sound of her laughter rang through the surf as the pair was rocketed back to land.
“That was brilliant,” a wet, grinning Natalia announced. “Brilliant.”
Brian looked over at Natalia, her smile bright, her eyes full of joy. Brilliant. Yes, she was.
Chapter 34
My brain is going to melt. Natalia sat in her AP US History class, staring at her giant textbook. So many names and dates and events, most of which she was reading about for the first time.
“This is so hard.” The girl behind Natalia must have heard her sigh. She thought this was hard? At least she had studied some of this before. What was I thinking, taking this class? And now it’s too late to drop it. I’m stuck.
The week before, the girls’ Bible study topic had been peace. Natalia had listened, knowing she was not experiencing that in her life at present. The stress of living with Maureen, keeping up with schoolwork, and trying not to fall for Brian were overwhelming. God was speaking to her in the study to allow him to give her peace. She didn’t need to try to handle everything on her own. She couldn’t.
The bell rang, and Natalia dragged herself out and into the lunchroom. The tantalizing smell of grilled chicken and sautéed onions had been drifting in the classroom all period. She couldn’t wait to get in line for lunch today.
“So how’s APUSH?” Lexi grabbed a tray and stood behind Natalia in line.
“APUSH?”
“AP US History. Aka, the toughest class in school.”
“So it’s not just me?”
“No way.” Lexi grabbed a fork and knife from the chrome holder and the pair inched ahead in line. “I barely squeaked by with a C last year. Addy aced it, though. She even got a 5 on the exam.”
A 5 was the highest grade you could get on an AP exam. And very few students got one. “Wow.”
“I’m sure she’d tutor you. Addy doesn’t like to brag, but she’s a total brainiac. Probably going to be valedictorian this year.”
Natalia hated to ask Addy for help. But she’d need some type of guidance or she would never be able to survive APUSH. Brainiac, she was not.
“Addy, you need to help Natalia in APUSH,” Lexi announced as she slapped her tray next to Addy at their table in the cafeteria.
“That’s a hard class.” Addy looked at Natalia. “I can’t imagine taking it without any previous American history classes.”
Natalia smiled. Addy was so gracious. “I hate to impose, but if you could just give me some tips, that would be wonderful.”
“No problem. I’ll come over tonight.”
Natalia sighed.
“Peace, right?” Lexi grinned as she stuffed a quesadilla in her mouth. “Just like we talked about. God gives it to us even in the worst of situations—which, in your case, is history.”
Natalia scooted over as Tori, one of the girls from their Bible study, sat next to her. “I have to thank you for your advice the other morning.”
Natalia couldn’t remember saying anything. “What advice?”
“We were talking about getting up in the mornings to have devotions, remember?”
“I remember.” Addy nodded. “We were all saying how hard it is to get up, and you said—”
“‘Better to be sleep deprived than God deprived,’” Lexi finished.
“Yes.” Tori nodded. “So I’ve been setting my alarm fifteen minutes earlier all week, and it’s been amazing. My days are so much better when I make spending time with God a priority.”
Natalia smiled at the energetic sophomore. “I’m glad I could be an encouragement. But you are making me feel guilty because I hit the Snooze button this morning and barely had time to get dressed before it was time to leave.”
“And that’s how the body of Christ works.” Lexi squeezed Natalia’s shoulder. “We help each other out and keep each other accountable. We’ll be checking in on you tomorrow.”
Tori winked. “And you better be sleep deprived.”
Thank you, God. Natalia loved that she could sit down and talk about God at lunch. No one made fun of her for it or criticized her. Sure, there were kids at this school who wanted nothing to do with God. But they didn’t comprise the entire student population.
Taking her tray to the kitchen, Natalia ran into Spencer. “Hey, Natalia. I’ve been meaning to talk to you. But you’re always surrounded by your groupies.”
“My groupies?”
“You know, your girls.”
She assumed he meant her friends from Bible study. She did gravitate to them most days. “Did you have something in particular you wanted to talk about?”
“I did, actually.” Spencer walked toward the row of microwaves at the far end of the cafeteria. Natalia assumed she was to follow. “Homecoming is coming up. I don’t know if you’ve heard much about it. But it’s a pretty big deal here. We rent out a nice restaurant, have a gourmet meal, and afterward, everyone is invited to my new mansion.”
“It’s in November, right? A few weeks after we get back from the mission trip?”
“Yes.” Spencer smiled. “Congratulations, by the way. I heard you’re going.”
“Yes, someone paid for my whole trip.”
“I’m sure whoever it was is thrilled to be able to help you.”
Natalia wondered, not for the first time, if Spencer’s family was the donor.
“But back to homecoming.” Spencer looked into Natalia’s eyes. “I’d like to take you as my date.”
Is he asking me or telling me? Spencer could be incredibly nice one minute and incredibly arrogant the next. The arrogant side was winning right now, and Natalia did not want to encourage that.
“It’s very kind of you to want to reach out to a new student, but I think I am going to go with my friends, in a group.”
His eyes widened. He leaned closer. “I really don’t like to brag, but I’m probably going to be voted homecoming king. If people know you’re my date, you could win queen.”
“In that case, my answer is most definitely no.” Natalia raised her eyebrows. “I have no desire to be secondary school royalty. But I think Tiffany Weaver would love that opportunity. You should ask her.”
Without waiting for a response, Natalia walked away.
Tori pounced on her as soon as she reached the table. “Did Spencer Adams just ask you out?”
“Do you have radar hearing?”
“He did!” Tori squealed. “You are the luckiest girl alive.”
Natalia looked over to see Lexi put her head in her hands. “I am not going anywhere with anybody. I am at peace being dateless.”
Lexi’s eyes widened. “You said no?”
“I don’t think I said I was asked anything that would require a yes or no answer.” Natalia grinned. “But if I were, then I would have declined.”
“She said no.” Lexi’s smile widened.
“I did not say that.”
“You didn’t not say that. You’re trying to protect Spencer’s fragile little ego while
not coming out and telling an out-and-out lie. Spencer Adams asked you out and you turned him down.”
Natalia turned to Addy. “A little help, please?”
Addy opened her mouth right as the bell rang. “Ever heard the saying ‘saved by the bell’?”
Natalia glanced around as all the girls rushed to throw away their trash and get to their sixth-period classes. “No, but it certainly fits this situation.”
Addy laughed as she stood with Natalia to leave. “Is tonight around five o’clock all right?”
“Perfect.” Natalia walked down the hall toward speech class. “Thank you so much.”
“No problem.” Addy turned to walk to her locker. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
Chapter 35
Natalia checked herself in the mirror. Again.
“How do I look, Maureen?” Natalia twirled around in her floral dress. She had cinched it at the waist with a soft brown leather belt and topped it with a jean jacket. She even splurged on brown cowboy boots at Lexi’s mom’s store. Papa’s birthday money had been well spent.
“Beautiful.” Natalia knew Maureen was trying to pull herself out of her depression. She hadn’t said anything negative in the last several days. Her eyes, however, revealed the truth. “Where are you going, again?”
“The new teen network, Teens Rock. It’s in Orlando. The first episode of their show is tonight, and Addy’s friend Kara is one of the stars.”
“The one who was on the reality TV show with Addy?”
“Yes.” Natalia fished in her purse for her lip gloss. “She and Chad Beacon . . .”
“My students talk about him all the time. The boy who won America’s Next Star a few years back?”
“That’s him—tall, blond, great voice. He and Kara are dating. It’s a cute story.” Maureen’s eyes closed and Natalia needed to move away from that topic. “Anyway, the show is supposed to be like a teen version of Saturday Night Live. But instead of a large permanent cast and one host, they have two permanent hosts and several guest cast members. Tonight the entire cast of Morgan’s Road will be on.”
“Oh yes, I’ve heard the kids talking about that show.” Maureen picked a piece of lint off Natalia’s jacket. “Several of them have missed homework assignments because they couldn’t miss an episode.”
A month-long “preview” for the new show had been aired on the new network, showing the girls’ audition process, the writers at work, the set being constructed. There had been interviews with other teen stars who couldn’t wait to be guest hosts. And all the hype worked because teen magazines had Kara’s and Chad’s faces plastered all over them and thousands had “liked” the show on Facebook already.
“We’ll be out pretty late.” Natalia heard Addy’s car door slam outside. “The show starts at eight o’clock, and there is a party afterward.”
“You don’t have to give me the details.” Maureen waved her hand. “I trust you.”
Natalia sighed. She appreciated the trust. But sometimes it seemed more like a lack of concern than a vote of confidence. She opened the door as Addy’s hand was raised to knock.
“You look great!” Addy stepped back. “All set?”
“Sure am.” Natalia walked over to give Maureen a slight hug. “See you later.”
“Much later.” Addy looped her arm through Natalia’s. “Let’s go get Lexi and hit the road.”
Natalia hopped into Addy’s car and buckled up. “I don’t think I have ever seen you this excited.”
“This is Kara’s dream come true.” Addy turned out of Natalia’s neighborhood and navigated her car toward Lexi’s house. “She has always wanted to perform. And this show is perfect. She and Chad get to help write the skits, they get to sing, they help choose the guest stars. And because they’re both Christians, they meet together with Chad’s parents every morning before rehearsal for Bible study and prayer. Kara is a new believer, and she is just soaking it all up. She calls me all the time, telling me what she’s learning. Chad is so good for her. They’re perfect together.”
Natalia looked out the window. Why was it whenever anyone brought up the subject of romance, Brian Younger’s face popped into her mind? What is wrong with me? God, I know you have to want me to stay single. I want me to stay single. My family is way too messed up for me to think about ever getting involved with anyone. Especially someone as great as Brian. So why do I think about him so much? Get him out of my brain, God.
“I’ll run in and get Lexi.” Natalia put the car in Park and opened the door.
Lexi bounded out of her house, screaming her way to the car. “We’re going to Orlando! To see a TV show! And hang out with celebrities!”
Natalia laughed as Addy sat back in the car and covered her ears.
“All right, sister, let’s go.” Lexi leaped into the backseat and slammed the door. “I brought the video camera. This needs to be recorded for my children.”
“Your children?”
“Yes.” Lexi raised her eyebrows. “Someday I will have children, and I want them to know how cool their mom was when she was in high school.” She turned the camera toward herself. “So, kids, this is Mom, back when I was young and beautiful. This weekend I am going to see a brand-new television show O-Town Live, starring a couple of my friends. Yep, friends. Your mom is cool, and don’t you forget it.”
The ride to Orlando was fun, with the girls talking and Lexi recording everything. The studio parking lot was full when they arrived. But because their names were on “the list,” Addy was directed to a special parking lot—one reserved just for the show’s stars.
“I wonder whose car that is.” Lexi pointed to a shiny red Lamborghini.
“Just be careful opening the door,” Addy said. “A dent in that car probably costs more than three of my car put together.”
The girls searched for the stage door and were greeted by a stage manager. Once again their names were looked for and found, and the trio was escorted to a special seating area.
“Second row.” Lexi jumped up and down. “This is amazing. We’re in the second row. I have to record this.”
Lexi pulled out her camera and immediately had it snatched from her hand by an angry-looking man wearing a Teens Rock polo shirt. “No cameras allowed.”
“I’m sorry.” Lexi reached for her camera. “I promise I won’t use it.”
“No cameras allowed in the theater. You can pick it up in the security office on your way out.” With that, the man walked off. Lexi slumped down in her seat and watched him leave.
“Sorry, Lex,” Addy said.
“No problem.” Lexi reached in her back pocket and pulled out her phone. “I brought back up.”
“Are you crazy? Do you want that confiscated too?” Natalia looked toward the door where the man exited.
“It’s for the children.” Lexi grinned. Whispering into her phone, she said, “Kids, Mom just got in trouble for bringing a camera into the theater. It’s against the rules. I don’t want you to break the rules, so check this out. Mommy is going to turn her phone off right now . . . as soon as I show you guys the awesome set.” Lexi pointed her phone toward the stage.
Seconds later the doors in the back of the theater opened and hundreds of people filed in, their voices filling the theater.
A comedian came out to “warm up” the crowd, then the director entered to thank everyone for coming out to the premiere.
“Joining Chad and Kara tonight are . . .” The name of the first guest hosts had not yet been revealed, so the audience was deathly silent as the director allowed the pause to linger. “The entire cast of Morgan’s Road!”
The audience stood and cheered. Morgan’s Road was the most popular teen drama on television.
“Addy.” Lexi eyed her friend, who stood and smiled as everyone around her clapped and whistled. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew Morgan’s Road was going to be on and you didn’t tell me.”
Addy nodded. “I promised Kara I’d keep it a secret.”
Lexi pulled out her phone. “Kids, this is the night Mommy is going to meet her future husband, your father. Zach Stone.”
Zach Stone was the teen heartthrob who starred in Morgan’s Road. Lexi pointed her camera to the stage. “He just doesn’t know it yet.”
A large, angry security guard cleared his throat and glared at Lexi.
Sighing, Lexi pointed the camera toward herself before handing it over. “And this is Mommy getting caught for breaking the rules. Bye, kids.”
The director calmed everyone down and continued his speech. “This is a live show, so please, do not distract the actors or yell out. What happens here”—he pointed to the stage—“goes right out there.” He motioned to the cameras.
When the last of the instructions were given, the now-familiar theme song for O-Town Live began to play. Lights dimmed, and Chad and Kara stepped onstage. The entire audience erupted, with the loudest noise coming from a large group in the front row.
“Kara’s family.” Addy returned the wave of a large man who, Natalia assumed, was Kara’s father.
The show, amazingly, lived up to all its hype. The skits were hysterical, and Natalia was impressed at how versatile the Morgan’s Road actors were. In the middle Chad sang his signature song, “Freedom,” and right after that, he sang a spoof of it in a skit where he played a guy playing Chad Beacon. Kara was his “biggest fan.”
“This is great,” Natalia whispered to Addy.
Addy nodded her agreement.
Too soon the theme song was playing once again and the entire cast was onstage, dancing and waving good-bye to the cameras and to the studio audience.
Lexi reached into Addy’s purse and pulled out Addy’s phone. Lexi pointed it toward herself. “Hey, kids. Mom’s getting ready to go to a real live after party with my famous friends. And your dad. Don’t wait up.”
Chapter 36
It’s definitely hard work. But I love it.” Kara had pulled Addy, Lexi, and Natalia aside at the after party. Fans and executives had surrounded the young starlet for over an hour. The three friends mingled with the other guests. Lexi had even gotten an autograph, and a covert video, from Zach Stone. But they were all excited to hear how Kara was enjoying her new “job.”