Limelight (Hollywood Stardust)

by Kim Carmichael

  PRINCIPAL closes file.

  PRINCIPAL

  Well, even though Roxanne has not been at this school very long, her past record as an excellent student does speak for itself. I believe the move coupled with many other life changes did affect her judgment, and we are prepared to offer her the same solution as we did the other student who went with her though she was gone longer.

  ROXY

  So, I’ll be able to graduate and make it up in summer school?

  PRINCIPAL

  Yes, and you’ll be able to go on to college just fine. Have you chosen a school?

  ROXY opens her mouth

  ROXY’S MOTHER

  Unless she’s getting a full scholarship down to the cost of her shampoo, this one here is getting a job not an education.

  ROXY looks down at her lap.

  PRINCIPAL leans back in his chair.

  PRINCIPAL

  There are a lot of programs to consider before we rule college out.

  ROXY’S MOTHER stands.

  ROXY’S MOTHER

  Well, I’m not going into any more debt for any of my children. This is something we need to discuss ourselves. I don’t need any rhetoric about the virtues of going to college.

  ROXY’S MOTHER stomps out of the office.

  ROXY’S FATHER looks around and follows Roxy’s mother.

  PRINCIPAL

  Roxanne, what is it you want?

  ROXY stands.

  ROXY

  That seems to be the question of the hour, and once I’m sure, I’ll tell you. All I know right now is I need to let go of certain things, hold on to others, and make a huge change.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “LOGAN SAID THEY ALREADY narrowed down the selections. We’re just seeing the tapes to give our input.” Erin wrung her hands and shifted in her seat.

  The movie. The blasted movie. Since last night when Erin realized the casting was the next day, she turned into a one-person disaster zone. Drew grabbed her hand. “Baby, you’re shaking.” It seemed as if anytime the quote unquote industry entered their lives, Erin fell apart. Not this time.

  “This is it. Once I give my opinion, I won’t be Roxy anymore. I’ll just be an extra.” She clutched his hand.

  “You will always be the original Roxy and you will always be Erin.” He pulled into the studio gates, nodded at the guard at the booth, and without question was guided to the studio back lot.

  Yes, he visited the studio the night he burst in on the 20th Anniversary party, but it was a different experience entirely to be welcomed in like a regular on a workday. No wonder people were addicted. Once spying Logan’s car, he pulled into the spot next to it.

  “Drew.” Erin’s voice came out cracked, fractured, as if it wanted to break into a million little pieces. “I don’t know if I want to do this or not.”

  It was his job to make this better, his job to fix it. Maybe once they got through this they could move on. Yes, part of him wanted to come back to parts of this, but not at the expense of his love. “Listen, let’s do this and then we’ll go grab Beaker and drive down to the beach for a bite and pick some products for Hollywood Glow.”

  Rather than speaking, she nodded and touched her necklace.

  With no other choice, he got out of the car, retrieved Erin and guided led her into one of the studio buildings to the small theatre they sometimes used for screenings. Normally, this level of casting was done screening footage on tablets in a restaurant. Leave it to Logan to make it an event. Logan, Ivy, Ryder and some woman were already there.

  “There is the last of our group.” With wide eyes, Logan stomped toward them, leaving Ivy to talk to the other woman. “You’re late.”

  Ryder strutted over and joined them.

  “Ten minutes.” Drew shot him a look right back. “That’s early by LA standards.”

  “The studio sent someone to check up on us.” Logan spoke through clenched teeth. “They didn’t see the need for such fanfare in casting, but I hold creative control.”

  “Who is she?” Drew glanced over at the woman who was most obviously an executive with her precision haircut and perfectly tailored suit.

  Ryder shook his head. “That’s Cora Caine, the CEO of chargge.com. She’s worth a pretty penny.”

  “Figures you would know that.” Erin mumbled under her breath.

  Ryder narrowed his eyes at her. “Of course I know, maybe she wants to invest in another movie.”

  “Make your movie already and stop talking about it.” Erin snapped. “Leave that poor girl out of it.”

  Once more, Drew took Cora in. She seemed a bit young for the position, but he shrugged. Whatever.

  “Well, apparently our project wouldn’t have been green lighted without her or her money, so we have to play nice.” Logan’s eyes went right to Erin.

  “It’s not like I run with scissors.” Erin barked at him.

  “Your track record with women isn’t so great,” Logan countered.

  “Log, leave it.” Drew needed to step in. His best friend didn’t care or realize what Erin was going through.

  “Just cause she has a vagina doesn’t mean I can’t speak civilly. Look at me and Ivy, we are practically best friends.” Erin lifted her chin. No matter what the circumstance, his girl would hold her own.

  Both Logan and Ryder stared at Erin as if she spoke a foreign language.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw the newcomer turn their way and approach. Before he could let out a warning, she came to the edge of their little circle.

  “I hate the phrase time is money, but in this case it’s absolutely true.” She glanced at each one of them. “I know we don’t need any introductions, so to use another tired phrase, let’s get this show on the road.”

  Her words out, Cora Caine spun on her heel and took a seat in the third row of chairs.

  Again, Logan gave him a look. Ryder smiled and Erin rolled her eyes.

  “Well, let’s do this.” Drew figured they had no choice but to comply.

  They all took their seats around the tiny theatre, Logan and Ivy in the first row, Ryder off to one side and he and Erin in the second row behind the three of them.

  “Well, after screen testing quite a few teens, we narrowed it down. They’re all reading a scene from Hollywood Stardust so we can relate,” Logan announced. “Because this movie holds such a personal place for all of us, I thought it only be right that we choose our successor. I will start by showing who will be the new Steven.”

  The lights lowered and the screen lit up with a blond teen, ponytail and all. If Drew squinted he could almost mistake the kid for Logan, down to some of the inflections in his voice. However, it wasn’t Logan. Unless they could time travel and get Logan back, this was the absolute best they were going to do.

  The segment ended. Everyone but Erin clapped. She simply stared straight at the screen.

  Logan turned back to Erin. “What do you think?”

  She gave him a nod.

  “Now, here are the two candidates for William.” Once more, Logan faced forward and they were treated to watching two Ryder lookalikes read a scene of William discussing why they needed to see Hollywood Stardust before the theatre was torn down. The first one definitely had more of a swagger than the second.

  Erin fidgeted in her seat.

  Drew wrapped his arm around her and kept his focus glued on this bizarre experience.

  The lights came up and everyone turned to Ryder.

  For a man so at peace with himself, even their leading man seemed confused. He rubbed his face and cleared his throat. “Where did you find these people?”

  In truth, Drew had been wondering the same thing.

  “We work in the industry. A huge studio is backing us. Where would you think we’d find the people?” Logan faced him.

  “They look like me, but they’re not me.” Ryder inhaled deeply and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s like a ripple in the universe.”

  “Well, which ripple spe
aks to you, Mr. Scott?” their money woman barked across the theatre.

  Ryder turned back to Erin. “Which one speaks to you, Miss Holland?”

  As if caught in an unexpected spotlight, Erin didn’t move.

  “Babe, speak to me.” Ryder snapped his fingers in her direction.

  At Ryder’s term of endearment, Drew jutted his jaw out. “Leave her alone.”

  “Just because you finally stepped up to the plate, doesn’t mean you own her.” Ryder leaned over the back of the seat and stared him down.

  “Listen to me. I’ll do what’s best for Erin no matter what.” He moved forward. “And you calling her babe and asking her to choose for you clearly isn’t what’s in her best interest.”

  “I suppose it was best when you left her then.” Ryder faced the screen.

  Before he could take hold of his woman and drag them out of there, she spoke. “Choose the second one. He reminds me of you when you first arrived on set,” Erin whispered.

  “The second one.” Ryder hit Logan on the shoulder.

  Wait, wasn’t she going to say anything else? He tensed.

  “I hope the new cast has less drama than what’s going on in this room. Can we get on with it or should we have just had Miss Holland screen all the tapes and saved a lot of anguish?” the bitch in the back called out through the small space.

  “Let’s get to Charles.” Logan lifted some remote and the screen illuminated.

  In a flash, he was staring at someone who dressed and looked like the Drew of twenty years ago, but as Ryder said, it wasn’t him. Still, it was like a window in time.

  This whole experience was like a window in time. The way Erin was acting, sparring with Ryder, being at the studio and everything, in less than a second, his mind transported right back to that time.

  Even with her notes saying she had wanted to be with him, there were times it was hard to believe her words, especially on those days after shooting and she had disappeared, an occurrence that seemed to have happened more and more as they neared the end of their film.

  However, they had finally returned to Los Angeles after being on location and he wanted to take her out that night. Yes, he knew she wanted to wait until they wrapped to make them official, but it wouldn’t be odd for them to be seen together. No matter, with all the crap they glued on his face and padding they kept adding as he lost weight, he was rarely identified in public. They needed to do something other than lie in a hotel room bed together. Well, not really, but they did need to add to their repertoire of activities in many, many ways.

  Though part of him expected to find her waiting for him after he finished a quick retake with Logan, the other part wasn’t surprised she was nowhere near the set. Without bothering to change out of his wardrobe, he went in search of her in the studio back lot.

  He walked among the rows of big buildings that could contain anything from a set done to look like someone’s living room to an entire other world. He kept his eyes and ears out for his missing soon to be better half. Already they were planning for their future. Yes, late at night when the movie world had finally went to bed and faded enough for them to be alone, he would hold her and they would whisper about their plans.

  God, he just needed for this movie to end so they could start their lives.

  He reached the end of the buildings and turned toward the façade the studio made for the Hollywood Stardust theatre, a set piece he would never be filmed in front of because his character was already on the way back home by the time the other three reached their destination.

  Only a few days ago, the four of them met in back of the façade and signed their names in a secret spot in the back. The action seemed fitting. It also fit that Erin might go here while she waited for him.

  About ten yards away from his goal, he heard the laughter. First, the giggle he had come to know and love followed by one he despised.

  Every muscle in his body tensed as he approached. He knew what he expected to find on the other side, yet nothing prepared him for it either.

  “There he is. I told you he would find me!” Lying slumped over with a bottle of vodka, an ashtray and other paraphernalia surrounding her, Erin held her hand up to him. Just as fast, her hand fell, and she stared straight up into the sky. “Drew always finds me.” Her voice trailed off.

  His blood raced and he surged toward her. “Erin, are you all right!”

  “Calm down. Let her be. Turn off the homing device for half a minute and let Erin be Erin.” Ryder took a long drag of a joint and shook his head. “Are you a pigeon, Drew? Can you fly?”

  Ignoring Ryder, he kneeled down next to her. While he knew Erin had been sneaking drinks, he hadn’t been privy to the more illegal substances. What else was she hiding from him? Her actions and his thoughts chilled him. “Erin, look at me.”

  It took her several seconds too long to shift her red-rimmed eyes to him. “I think you’re going to fly one day, and then you’re going to leave me.”

  “I’m not leaving you, I came to get you.” His prosthetics suffocated him and he broke out into a sweat. “Let’s go.”

  “Drew.” Her voice came out slurred and slow. “Instead of me going with you, why don’t you sit down? You’re too high strung all the time. You need to have some fun.”

  From behind him, Ryder let out a low chuckle.

  He twisted around and faced his enemy. “What have you done to her? Look at her!”

  “Dude.” Ryder held the joint out to him. “Take a load off. You and I never really got the chance to get to know each other.”

  He swiped Ryder’s arm away from him and the joint went flying, landing a few feet away.

  “Now you’re wasting good weed. You’re a waste.” With an exaggerated movement, Ryder reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out another joint, taking his time to light it and inhale on the makeshift cigarette.

  “I’m getting you out of here.” While his co-stars might be smoking, he was ready to spontaneously combust. He returned his attention to Erin and attempted to gather her up in his arms, but with her body limp, she was nearly impossible to move.

  “I suppose the two of us won’t make a Hollywood exit.” She laughed and shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I just want to relax and feel good. I’m always so anxious.”

  “Erin, if you are caught like this, it could ruin your career. I want you to come with me now.” He wiped her hair out of her face. Did she need a doctor? What did they do? She would be horrified if the media caught wind of this. Hating his own thoughts and not doing the right thing to start with, he went to lift her gain.

  “You are such a buzz kill.” Ryder crawled over and joined them. “Go do some good somewhere else. We don’t need you here.”

  Refusing to acknowledge the one who was supposed to be the good boy, he kept his focus squarely on the woman who supposedly was going to be with him. Well, she needed to make a choice right now. “Erin.”

  “I’m fine, Drew, I want to stay here.” Somehow, she found the strength to push him away.

  He decided to give her one more chance. “Erin, come on.”

  Instead of words, she took the joint out of Ryder’s fingers and inhaled.

  Well, apparently this wasn’t the first time she’d indulged, and he sat there worried about her. This would definitely explain her wandering off.

  “I’m not going to stay here and watch you do this.” Before he had a chance to second-guess his decision, he stood and turned away from her, Ryder, and the situation. How did he save the two of them? What else could she be hiding?

  “Drew?” Erin’s hand on his arm jolted him back into the studio twenty years later with the woman he wanted finally by his side.

  “What?” Exactly like that day way back when behind the façade, she didn’t defend them, didn’t say a word against Ryder.

  “Which one?” she whispered.

  He stared at the still frame comparing the two selections. “Are they wearing prosthetics?”

  “Yes
, they were fashioned to look exactly like the originals.” Logan twisted around in his chair.

  Poor guys. What they thought was cool now, would end up cutting into their skin, inhibiting their ability to breathe, depriving them of being recognized and loved like the other three. Still, whomever they chose wanted the part, or at least he hoped they wanted to act. “Erin, pick one.” Fine, he took the escape route.

  “The first one. It has to be him.” Her voice broke. “I remember the day I first saw you with all that stuff glued to your face. I don’t know. I just feel it has to be the first one, there’s something deeper there.”

  “Does it matter?” Ryder asked. “Once you paste all that crap on the character, anyone could play the role.”

  Before his mind could even formulate a comeback, Erin slapped Ryder upside the head. “All they need for you is some pretty boy with a smirk, right babe?”

  “Hey!” Ryder swiped his hair back into place. “Keep your hands to yourself if you please and don’t call me babe.”

  “Right back at you.” Erin pushed her back into the seat and curled her arm through his.

  Damn it, he wanted to be mad and that whole plan had been thwarted. He glanced over at Logan, held up one finger and said a silent prayer that this Charles had an Erin behind the scenes to take care of him.

  Logan nodded and faced forward. “Well, now for the grand finale, our Roxy.”

  Erin dug her nails into his arm.

  That day in the studio with the drugs, he couldn’t think of a solution. Yes, he did go stomping back and forced her to go with him, but it didn’t stop her, and he later left for good.

  Today in the studio, he would give her the support she deserved. “No matter who’s up there, no one will ever be you.” He leaned over and kissed her temple. “Let’s just watch.”

  She gave him one lone nod and the tape started.