Later that night I stayed up with Mum and Jeremy, David on my lap, as The Carl Vine Show aired our interview. I say “our interview”, but all I did was back Sean up and answer my two questions. It was really all about him and I for one was glad about that. He handled it brilliantly, and no matter how much he might hate it, Sean was the definition of a natural in front of the camera.
“He is an amazing boy,” Jeremy said as he watched Sean talk about what life with his father had been like, the endless months of work, the cruelty, the punishments. And how Art Dubrovnik and Imogene Grant – not forgetting his good friend Ruby Parker – had helped reunite him with his mom and escape to a new life.
“And so talented,” Jeremy added. “It will be a great tragedy if he never returns to acting.”
“But he is still acting,” I said. “He acts every day at the Academy. Only now he’s doing it just for himself and he’s happy.”
“What’s the point of that?” Mum said. Jeremy and I looked at her. “I mean,” she added quickly, “what’s the point of having all that talent and hiding it away? Obviously, there’s a lot of point to being happy.”
“Good, I’m glad you think so,” Jeremy said with a dry smile, winking at me. “He is only a boy after all.”
“Well, girls are tougher than boys,” Mum said. “Isn’t that right, Ruby?”
“Sometimes,” I replied. “And sometimes they aren’t.”
“Anyway,” Mum put an arm around me and hugged me to her, “I thought you did really well and the best thing is that now no one can blame you for anything. All we have to do now is keep our fingers crossed and hope that the reviews after the premiere of King Arthur won’t keep the public away.”
“Even if they do,” I said, lifting my chin, “I know it’s a good film and I’m proud of it.”
“And so you should be, Ruby,” Jeremy said, smiling at me.
“Then go and be proud in bed,” Mum said. “You need your beauty sleep. It’s a lunchtime premiere so that means up at six for a shower. Julian, Cary and Simone will be here by seven to start getting us ready.”
“Five hours to get ready!” I exclaimed. “Who needs five hours to get ready?”
“Film stars do, darling,” Mum told me. “So get used to it.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Are you OK?” Sean asked me as our stretch limo waited in a queue of identical cars, inching ever closer to the start of the red carpet where Sean and I would get out. I pushed my face against the window so that I could catch a glimpse of Imogene being accompanied by Jeremy. She was wearing a stunning sky-blue gown encrusted with crystals, so she glittered like a summer’s day.
“I’m fine,” I said, sitting back up and leaving half my make-up imprinted on the glass. Julian, who it seemed was determined to follow me everywhere, tutted and whipped out his kit to swiftly retouch my face.
“I’m sorry if that stuff I told you about Danny upset you,” Sean said. “You know that was the last thing I wanted to do.”
“You didn’t upset me,” I replied. “Well, what you told me did a bit, but I’m not staying upset. In fact, if anything, I’m cross with Danny. He was too much of a coward to tell me he’d started going out with someone else and that’s not fair. So I’m angry with him and it beats being miserable.”
“Good, I think,” Sean said cautiously. “Look, when you get back things will work themselves out, you’ll see.”
“Whatever,” I said, exactly like Adrienne would. “Oh, that reminds me, you’re going to meet two of my new friends today. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? Why?” Sean looked confused.
“You’ll see,” I said.
At last our car reached the red carpet. I rolled down the window and listened to the crowd cheer. I felt the nerves bubble in my tummy and when I tried to swallow my mouth was dry. But I couldn’t get them to turn the limo around and take me home. There was nothing for it but to get out.
Suddenly, my door was opened and the clatter of camera shutters going off nearly deafened me as I did my best to step out of the car in a ladylike fashion. Julian had chosen a lovely pink dress for me, which looked, he said, like an English rose blooming. It had a deep pink satin bodice with a light and whirly chiffon skirt that wafted about in the slight breeze. It was exactly the sort of fairy princess-style dress that I would have adored when I was about five. At the age of thirteen, I still loved it, and more than that I loved the silver high heels that Julian had let me wear, with strict instructions not to fall flat on my face.
And in that second, as the flashlights exploded and the crowd cheered, I really did feel like a film star, and it was the most wonderful and exciting feeling in the world.
Then I realised that everyone was cheering for Sean, which put my feet right back on the earth (or about two inches off it if you counted the heels).
“My lady,” Sean said, offering me his arm. “May I escort you?”
I smiled at him. “Don’t mind if you do, kind sir,” I said in my best Lady Elizabeth voice.
It took us an age to get past all of Sean’s fans, who were clamouring for him to sign autographs, have their photo taken with him or begging him to speak to their granny on a mobile phone. Some of them were even so overcome that this might be the last time they got to see him that they were crying their eyes out.
It was incredible to watch Sean working and, amazingly, while he was swamped with requests from fans, a few people even called me over to sign autographs too.
“Sign it to Tina please,” a familiar voice said, and when I looked up I realised it was Tina from school.
“Hello!” I said, pleased to see a familiar face in all the madness. “You must have been here since dawn to get right to the front.”
“Since 6 a.m,” she said, flushing. “Look, I admit it. I think Sean Rivers is a fantastic actor.”
“Even though he’s only ever done film and no theatre?” I teased her.
Tina laughed. “Well, he’s given up film so maybe theatre will be his next choice.”
“I think there’s a school play next term,” I said, laughing too. I called Sean over after he’d stopped being hugged by an old lady.
“This is my friend from school, Tina,” I said. “Will you sign her photo of you?”
“Is this the friend you were talking about?” Sean asked me as he signed Tina’s autograph.
“Oh no, you don’t have to be scared of Tina. It’s Adrienne who will terrify you. She terrifies me!”
“Ruby!” Tina looked amazed. “I thought you loved her!”
“Scared stiff of her more like,” I said.
“Take care, Tina,” Sean said with a smile as he handed her back the photo. “It’s cool to meet you.” And for a second I was certain that the cool and collected girl I was used to from school was about to melt into a puddle on the red carpet.
“We’d better go,” Sean said. “There’s still another mile or so of carpet to go!”
“Bye, Tina,” I said, smiling and waving.
“Good luck with Adrienne,” Tina called back. “You’ll need it!”
It took us half an hour to reach the official photographers where we stood side by side smiling until our faces ached. There were no ill-advised kisses this time. It was funny, I thought, Sean’s brief kiss on my lips the last time we had walked the red carpet together had ended up plastered all over the newspapers and nearly cost me my boyfriend. Now I had no boyfriend and there was no way Sean would kiss me, even on the cheek, because he knew that Anne-Marie would kill him if he did.
Finally, we made it into the foyer of the cinema and straightaway I was pounced on by Adrienne and Nadine. Adrienne was dressed in a red number trimmed with matching feathers and Nadine was wearing a white dress that showed off her back.
“Hi!” Adrienne said, literally shoving me out of the way to get to Sean. I tottered on my silver heels and was only saved from falling by a steadying hand from Hunter. Of course I immediately blushed.
“I’m Adrienne C
harles, star of new TV hit Hollywood High. I’m a huge fan of your work and although I respect your decision to retire from the limelight, I will truly miss your presence on our screens.”
“Oh, well,” Sean said with a shrug. “There’s always DVD rental.”
“Hahahahahahhahah!” Adrienne’s shriek of laughter made several heads turn.
“Hey, Rubes,” Hunter said, smiling at me. “You look great.”
“And what about me?” Adrienne asked almost automatically.
“I told you, you look beautiful,” Hunter said, rolling his eyes at Sean. “Hey, man,” he held out his hand. “I’m Hunter Blake. Cool to meet you.”
“And you, dude,” Sean said.
Their boys’ conversation complete, the Hollywood High cast was rounded up by Suzie Blenheim to take their seats inside, but not before she came over and kissed me on the cheek and wished me luck.
I felt Adrienne’s eyes on me as Imogene rushed over and gave me and Sean one of her trademark hugs. This event would either make me even more cool or incredibly unpopular with her, I wasn’t sure yet. I thought that after the film I’d better do my best to introduce her to everyone famous that I knew (and some that I didn’t) so that I could make sure that I stayed on her good side.
And then I realised that that was a stupid thought to have. It was, despite my tendency to do many stupid things, not a Ruby thing to do at all.
Sean was right; it was easy to let Hollywood change you for the worse. From now on I was going to get my old self, my Ruby Parker self, back and I wasn’t going to let her go again.
Just before we went into the cinema I had an idea. I pulled Lisa over to one side and whispered to her.
She took a step back and smiled at me. “Sure, Ruby,” she said. “That’s a lovely thought and it will make great press. I’ll sort that out for you right away.”
“Thank you,” I said, and then I was the last cast member to be ushered into the cinema.
The opening credits began to roll.
“You were wonderful,” Adrienne told Sean at the after party.
And I would have agreed with her if it hadn’t been for the fact that she had her back to me and was trying her best to get Sean alone. Still waiting for the other party guests to arrive, I shrugged and looked around me.
For the party, Wide Open Universe had dressed a sound stage to look like the vaults of the British Museum. There were Zombie Mummy Witches serving drinks and the Lost Knights of the Round Table passing out canapés. Dry ice wafted out from crevices in the floor and millions of fairy lights twinkled above our heads. It was pretty impressive.
Quite a few photographers wandered in and out of the guests, taking shots, and every time one went past Adrienne she automatically posed. It was impressive really, like a kind of celebrity ninja skill.
“She won’t stop flirting with Sean until she gets her way,” Nadine said in my ear. “She practically trampled me in her rush to get in your car on the way to the party.”
I turned around and stared at her in surprise.
“She’d drop Hunter like a stone if she thought Sean Rivers would date her,” Nadine continued in a low voice edged with anger. “She doesn’t care about the boy she dates; all she cares about is how much publicity he will get her. Pretty scary, huh?”
I hesitated before responding. Nadine had never, ever said anything like that about Adrienne before and I assumed it was because they were so close. In fact, I had to admit that I sort of thought of them as the same person. Like one of those Hollywood couples whose names get melded into one by the press. “Adine” maybe or “Nadrienne”. I didn’t want to drop myself in it by saying something I shouldn’t to Adrienne’s best friend. Maybe she was testing me to see how loyal I was and would immediately report back.
“Oh, well, you know Adrienne,” I said lightly. “She’s naturally friendly, isn’t she?”
“Naturally pushy, you mean,” Nadine said. “Sean’s your friend, you haven’t seen him in ages and she’s hogged him since the minute she met him. And all because of what she thinks he can do for her career.” She sighed. “Honestly, Ruby, I know I have to be friends with the girl, but that doesn’t mean I have to like her.”
“Actually,” I said, “I sort of thought that it did. Adrienne is your best friend.”
“My best friend on the show,” Nadine said, emphasising the last word. “In real life I’d never choose her for a friend at all if I didn’t have to.”
“But…why do you have to?” I asked her, confused.
Nadine looked at me as if I were an idiot. “The same reason you have to,” she told me. “Because if Adrienne likes you, your life is a lot easier. I see her every day, I work with her most days. If I didn’t get on with her, my life would be a living hell. It pretty much is anyway, but if she hated me it would be a million times worse. And I’m always on edge, because I may be her best friend now, but she could turn on me tomorrow. I’ve seen it happen. Look at Tina. The minute she started to have opinions that were different from Adrienne’s, Adrienne turned on her.”
“Tina and Adrienne used to be friends?”
“Best friends,” Nadine told me. “And then along came Hollywood High and I got cast as her best friend on the show, and before I knew it she was telling everybody we were best friends in real life too. She’d never spoken two words to me before that. Said I was a sports freak and a waste of space.”
I looked over at Adrienne who was tossing her hair in Hunter’s face as she talked to Sean. Sean caught my eye and I guessed that the panicked look in his eyes was a plea for me to go and rescue him.
“I can’t believe you’ve never told me this before,” I told Nadine.
“She never leaves us alone, and besides I didn’t mean to tell you today,” Nadine said. “It’s Just that sometimes she gets too much. Please don’t tell her what I’ve said, will you?” I shook my head.
“I won’t, but, well – surely it would be better if you were just honest with her?”
“You don’t know what it’s like for Adrienne to hate you,” Nadine told me.
“It can’t be that bad,” I said.
Nadine looked levelly at me. “Oh no? Ask Tina what it’s like.”
Sean was now frantically making faces at me every time Adrienne glanced away from him. “Come on,” I said to Nadine. “Sean needs rescuing.”
But I thought about what Nadine had said about Tina, and I realised that Nadine was right. It took a really strong, brave girl to choose to be on the wrong side of Adrienne.
“Oh, Ruby, you again,” Adrienne said with an icy smile as Nadine and I Joined her, Hunter and Sean.”
“I was just telling Adrienne all about Anne-Marie,” Sean said. “And her new modelling contract for H&M.”
“Oh, yes,” I said. “Sean’s girlfriend really is beautiful. And she does kick-boxing too.”
“You obviously have excellent taste in girls,” Adrienne said, fluttering her lashes at Sean, who was now looking positively frightened.
“Not really,” he said. “Just the girls next door, which is the only kind of girl I meet now that I’m a show-business nobody.”
“I can’t believe that you’re really going to give up the limelight,” Adrienne purred. “I saw you out there with the crowd. You loved it!”
“I was Just doing my job,” Sean replied with a shrug. “Well, what was my job, I’m retiring as soon as this party is over.”
“Wow, this is so cool! Like a huge theatre set!” I heard a familiar voice at my side and turned round to find Tina.
“Here she is,” Lisa said. She smiled at the other two girls whose jaws had dropped right down to their peep-toed sandals. “We took her out of the crowd and Julian even found her a frock to wear. Really nice idea, Ruby.”
“Hi, Tina,” I said brightly, remembering my pact to myself to be myself. “I thought you’d like to come to the party.”
“Ruby, thanks so much for getting me invited!” Tina said happily. Julian had put her in
a peacock-green and blue dress that made her look great.
“You invited her?” Adrienne asked me incredulously, her nasty tone making her look ugly. “Is this some kind of joke, Ruby? Because it isn’t funny.”
“I saw Tina in the crowd,” I said. “I thought it would be nice to invite a fellow Beaumont girl.”
“She should have stayed there,” Adrienne retorted. “She belongs in a crowd where you don’t have to look at her.”
“Hey,” Sean said. “You can’t speak to people like that!”
Adrienne realised that she’d shown her worst side in front of the boy she was trying her hardest to impress. “Sean, this is not the kind of person people like us hang out with!”
“If Ruby likes Tina then I do.” Sean turned to us. “Come on, guys, let’s go and talk to Imogene. She’d love to meet you, Tina.”
Sean put his arm through a stunned Tina’s and began to lead her away. I hesitated, not sure of what to do next. Adrienne was fuming.
“You made a fool of me in front of Sean Rivers,” she hissed.
“I didn’t,” I said reasonably. “You did that yourself.”
“Are you calling me stupid?” Adrienne replied. I glanced at Nadine hoping for some support, but she didn’t say anything.
“I’m Just saying, why don’t you come over and meet Imogene Grant and hang out with me and Tina for a bit. You were friends once.”
“How did you know that?” Adrienne asked me sharply.
“Tina told me,” I lied, glancing quickly at Nadine.
“Look, Ruby, you can’t just swan into my school and tell me how to behave and who to hang out with. I’ve made you into someone halfway decent that cool kids consider hanging out with. Without me you’re nothing.”
“Actually” I said steadily “I think that without you I’m a nicer person. So I don’t care if you don’t like me any more, Adrienne, because I don’t like you. You’re not a very nice person.”
“Whatever. We’re leaving, right, Nadine?” she told her friend furiously.
Nadine looked at me and then at Adrienne. “Yes,” she said dully. “We’re leaving.”
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