Eternal Beloved

by Bella Abbott

Kate shrugged. “Maybe? All I know is we lucked out having him for our TA. We could have had some pretentious guy with a chip on his shoulder or someone boring or someone who just doesn’t know his stuff. And if you’re into coding…”

  I adjusted my backpack. “I have to run or I’ll be late for my next class. See you back at the room, or maybe at lunch.”

  “Sure thing.” She paused. “You hear anything from him?”

  I tried to hide my exasperation. “No. And I don’t expect to. That’s all in your head.”

  Kate gave me a knowing glance. “If I had his jacket, I’d be wearing it night and day.”

  I felt my ears burning. “I’ll consider renting it out. I could use the money.”

  We went our separate ways, although it seemed like everything was conspiring to make me think about Jared, even if I’d convinced myself the concert and its aftermath had been a freak occurrence. I pushed the thoughts aside. My roommates’ fantasies about dating a celebrity might have been fun if I had nothing better to do, but I had to maintain a near-perfect grade average to keep my scholarship. In reality, I didn’t have the time, or the desire, for romance – I had enough work cut out for me just to make it through the year.

  The thought slowed me. Romance? Who was I kidding, anyway? I wasn’t the kind of girl pop stars pursued. I was the girl next door, not terrible to look at if you stood on the non-birthmark side, but nothing special…whereas Jared…Jared was beyond gorgeous and a world-class talent to boot. Even in movies, that just didn’t happen, and entertaining ideas about it was setting myself up for epic failure.

  Although I’d replayed that first moment at the concert a hundred times in my head, and there was no denying that something had passed between us. Even if backstage he’d been aloof, that didn’t erase what had happened before.

  Which was nothing, I corrected. I must have reminded him of someone – he mistook me for her in a crowded room with spotlights blinding him. End of story.

  I stumbled over a crack in the uneven pavement and dropped my books. “Crap,” I whispered, cursing my absentmindedness. I needed to buckle down and commit, or my stint at Ridley would be one semester.

  When the last class of the day let out, I was ready to hide in my room – the only problem being that I had roommates who seemed hell-bent on making that impossible. My suspicions were confirmed when I pushed through the door and three heads swiveled toward me.

  “There you are!” Sarah said, bubbly as ever. “We’re going out to celebrate tonight!”

  “Celebrate what?” I asked, dreading the answer.

  “First day of school, of course!”

  “Count me out,” I said.

  “No way. Even Serena agreed to go.”

  Serena gave a half-smile. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. Just pizza in town.”

  “Did you get your work-study assignment?” Kate asked. “Mine’s in the academy library.”

  I nodded. “I got the catering department.”

  Sarah made a face. “Scrubbing dishes? That sucks.”

  “I hope not,” I said. “What about you?”

  “Academy administration.”

  “Me too,” Serena said.

  “I really don’t feel like going out,” I protested. “I’m sorry.”

  “We can’t leave you to mope around here alone,” Kate said.

  “Mope? Hardly,” I countered.

  “We understand you’re down because he hasn’t called,” Sarah said, as though addressing a child. “You don’t need him. We’re here for you.”

  “I’m not down, and I don’t expect him to call. He doesn’t even have my number.”

  Serena waggled her eyebrows. “So you say. But you also say you don’t remember much.”

  “I’m not hungry,” I said. My stomach growled, betraying me at the worst possible moment, and Kate rolled her eyes.

  “Humor us,” she said. “Besides, that’s about the only thing to do after school around here. It’s not like we’re living in New York.”

  “Or even Jersey,” Sarah said, and they both laughed at a joke only they got.

  They eventually beat me down by tag-teaming me, and together we caught the bus into Ridley along with at least twenty other students.

  The pizza parlor was cavernous, far larger than I would have thought possible for a one-horse town. That made sense, though, given the student population. Gourmet meals being off the table, that left cheap, fast food, and since there were no burger joints or chain restaurants, the pizza place was the nocturnal hub and gathering place.

  The restaurant was a series of large connected dining areas. We ordered an extra-large vegetarian pizza and found a table in one of the far rooms. The tables were covered in cheap plastic red-and-white faux tablecloths, and service was limited to a speaker announcing order numbers and a few bus boys clearing paper plates and discarded plastic utensils.

  “So how did first day go?” Serena asked when we were settled. “Anybody got anything to report?”

  “Not as many babes as I’d hoped for, but it’s promising,” Sarah said.

  “We scored in psych,” Kate announced. “Lacey and I got Robert D as GTA.”

  “You lucky dogs,” Sarah said. “Why doesn’t that ever happen to me?”

  The conversation was light and breezy, Sarah and Kate taking jabs at each other, as was their routine, Serena and I chiming in just enough to stay engaged. I liked Serena a lot after spending the weekend around everyone – she seemed to take school seriously, whereas Kate was honest about her motives, and Sarah was just out for a good time. Must be nice to be so smart you don’t even have to try. I was still a bit intimidated by Sarah. Who got to be naturally good at academic stuff and gorgeous as well? One thing she didn’t have, though, was a work ethic, and I had the feeling that as the semester wore on, my grades would pass hers.

  When our number was called, I wended my way through the crowded scattering of tables, ticket in hand. I turned a corner and nearly ran headlong into a tall server carrying a crate of empty soda bottles.

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  “No problem,” he said, a smile warming his tan face. “It’s kind of nuts in here tonight.”

  “I’ll say,” I replied, looking beyond him at the kitchen area. I was preparing to step around him when something caught my attention at the periphery of my vision. I tried to see around the server, but his shoulders were too broad and I was too short. Still, my heart rate increased when I saw the back of a head with unruly hair spiked in every direction, making for the front door. Hair the same color as Jared’s. “Excuse me,” I said, hoping the guy would get the hint.

  “My name’s Alex,” he said instead of moving out of the way. “I saw you in class today. English. Small world, huh?”

  I tried to hide my irritation. “Um, yeah. Sure is.” I raised my eyebrows and waved the ticket at him. “Well, our pizza’s ready. Don’t want it to get cold.”

  “I can get it for you. What number, and where are you sitting?”

  That hadn’t gone as planned. “You don’t have to…” I began, craning my neck to see the entrance.

  “No problem,” he replied with a grin. “That’s what I’m here for.”

  I could just make out the top of the door open and close, and my shoulders sagged. Now I was imagining things – what would a pop star be doing in the Ridley pizza parlor? And Jared’s hair style was hardly unique.

  Alex hadn’t budged, and I saw there was no point in fighting his friendly overture. I held up the ticket and slipped it between two bottles. “We’re at the back of the room, over by the bathrooms.”

  “Cool. Let me drop these off and I’ll bring your food right out. How many?”

  “Four.”

  I returned to the table and Serena shot a look at my empty hands. “You eat it on the way here?”

  I sat down and told them about Alex, leaving out the rest. A minute later Alex arrived with the pizza and a fistful of napkins and set everything on the table with
a flourish. He smiled at us and asked if we wanted anything else, and then went in search of other errands.

  Sarah shook her head and eyed me. “I swear, girl, there must be something in the water in Pennsylvania.”

  I groaned under my breath. “What is it now?”

  “He was looking at you like you were his prom date.”

  I glanced at her drink. “You slip some whiskey in that?”

  “Seriously. What is it with you that all these hotties are tripping all over each other? Is Jared somehow not enough?” She paused. “You have to share, Lacey, or get an F for playing well with others.”

  “You’re high.”

  Sarah eyed the girls. “Am I right, or am I right?”

  Kate’s face was unreadable. “What was the middle one again?”

  We all laughed and dug into the pizza, which was as delicious as it smelled. By the time we were done, Alex had come by two more times to see if we needed anything. The girls teased me some more, but lost interest when I didn’t react any further.

  “I feel like I ate a bowling ball,” Serena said, blowing air through pursed lips. “Let’s get out of Dodge. I have some stuff I need to do before bed.”

  Sarah eyed us with disgust. “Am I living in a convent or something? Who wants to see where all the parties are tonight?”

  “I don’t know, Sarah. I’m kind of beat, too,” Kate said.

  “You already know my answer,” I said.

  Sarah ultimately followed us out of the restaurant, and we strolled down the sidewalk, the fresh breeze carrying with it the smell of dough and cheese from the pizza parlor. I did my best to avoid scanning the street for a limo, but finally gave in and looked around as we neared the corner. There was no sign of a mysterious stretch Mercedes, much less a pop star in disguise, only the working-class cars of people with honest dreams and modest means. Despite knowing there was no chance Jared was anywhere around, I felt disappointed and remained silent on the bus ride home, furious with myself for entertaining impossible flights of fancy. What’s next? Writing his initials in loopy handwriting in your notebook?

  After beating myself up the entire way home, I quietly prepared for bed, worried that I couldn’t stop thinking about Jared. I needed to get a grip, and get one fast, or I’d soon be one of the vagrants who shambled along railroad tracks, talking to myself and swatting at imaginary insects, sure that at any moment a Prince Charming who didn’t exist would swoop in and carry me away to a castle of spun sugar, even as I curled up at night beneath an overpass for shelter from a cold rain.

  Chapter 7

  The next day I began to relax in my classes, comfortably anonymous among the other students. I deliberately avoided the cafeteria for lunch, preferring to keep to myself after so much time with my roommates. I actually did like them, all of them, but after years of being a loner, living with others took some getting used to. Instead, I hung out alone in the shade of a tree, listening to my favorite songs, lost in the music.

  When my classes were over, I made my way to where my work-study duties with the catering department would be fulfilled, in a banquet room off the cafeteria kitchen. I arrived there just as Melinda, the head of the department, was calling the meeting to order.

  “All right, everyone. Welcome, and thank you for coming.” She held up a clipboard. “Let’s get attendance out of the way, and then…I have some exciting news for everyone! This will easily be the most demanding assignment we’ve ever tackled, and I’m looking forward to it.”

  She called our names and, once she had a head count, sat down on a folding metal chair by the bank of refrigerators.

  “Normally we’d be handling routine jobs for the administration, as well as some of the town business functions. But this year we’re in for a treat…and a challenge.” She paused, gripping her clipboard with barely contained excitement. What could possibly be so exciting about catering? A wedding? Something entirely gluten-free? “As of this evening at eight o’clock, we’ll be working with a production company that’s shooting a feature film on campus for the next three weeks. All the filming will take place after classes let out so as not to disrupt things too much. But as part of the deal, we’ll be handling the meals for the cast and crew, which means we have to perform without a hitch.”

  An excited buzz rose from the students, and a girl close to Melinda raised her hand. “What’s the movie about? Are there any big stars in it?”

  “I just found out about this yesterday, so I don’t know much more than what I told you. But one of the producers will be coming to meet with us in a while to go over things.” She checked her watch. “Because the working hours are going to go late into the night, anyone who wants to transfer to alternative duty can. Let me know and I’ll make it happen.” She looked at me and a few of the other academy students. “Especially any first-years and those from the high school.”

  Melinda waited to see if anyone wanted out. When nobody took her up on her offer, she smiled.

  “Good. That’s what I thought. I know I don’t want to miss the making of a Hollywood film. We’ll all work tonight, and then we can try shifts once we have a routine. But this is every catering group’s dream, and I expect everyone to give their all.” Melinda’s voice softened. “Now, how many of you have any restaurant experience? Fast food counts.”

  Most of us raised our hands. I’d worked all summer at a local diner, busing dishes and helping with the back-of-the-house chores to help raise money for my dorm costs.

  Melinda gave us a breakdown of what we would ordinarily be expected to do, and she was finishing up when a young man with heavy black-framed glasses, dyed black hair, and a “Fight the Power” T-shirt entered through the steel double doors.

  “I’m looking for Melinda Towers?” he said, in a lilting voice.

  “You’re in the right place,” Melinda said. “That’s me. I’m just winding down my orientation.”

  “Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.” He hesitated. “I’m Trent. Christina Walkins’s assistant? We spoke earlier.”

  “Of course, Trent. Give me a moment and I’ll be right with you.”

  Trent nodded and raised a miniature two-way radio to his lips. A minute later a tall woman pushed through the double doors, and my mouth dropped open.

  It was the woman from backstage – the one who’d been part of Jared’s entourage.

  And she was even more beautiful up close. Her skin was flawless, her ebony hair gleaming and lustrous, and her outfit looked like it cost more than my stepmom’s house. Melinda stepped aside, and the woman joined Trent at the front of the group. All eyes were glued to her. Including mine.

  She cleared her throat, and when she spoke, her voice was as musical as wind chimes, her cadence measured and lyrical.

  “Melinda, everyone…thank you for giving me the chance to fill you in on what my group will be up to. My name’s Christina Walkins, and as you’ve no doubt just heard, we’re shooting a feature for the next three to four weeks at Ridley, which we’re very excited about. You’ll be an important part of the action, working behind the scenes…and maybe some in front of the camera. We’ll be hiring extras for some of the crowd shots and would welcome your participation on your off nights. Our schedule will be intense, and hopefully fun for all concerned. But I need everyone to help us out. We understand that the filming is impossible to keep secret, but in order to maintain adequate security, I’m going to ask you to keep the personnel and the shooting schedule strictly confidential. We don’t want fans overrunning the filming and causing disturbances.”

  Melinda nodded, agreeing to the terms for all of us. One of the girls near Christina raised her hand. “Who’s in the movie?”

  “A good question,” Christina said. “The working title of the film is Head Over Heels, and it stars Samantha Evans, Kaitlin Prescott, and Jared Richards.” She paused. “That is to go no farther than this room – is that clear?”

  My heart fluttered when I heard Jared’s name. Was it possible he act
ually had been in town the previous night after all? It wouldn’t be out of the question if he was preparing to shoot a film in Ridley. Maybe I hadn’t completely lost my mind…

  The female stars were two of the hottest twentysomethings in the business. Between them and Jared, I could understand why they would want to keep a low profile on the filming – they didn’t need every fan within a thousand miles complicating their schedule.

  Christina continued to talk, but all I could hear was my pulse thumping in my temples. I took several deep breaths and tried to force myself to focus on what she was saying, but to no avail. My thoughts raced back to Jared backstage, with that infectious, crooked grin and blue eyes so piercing they seemed to read my thoughts.

  And now he was going to be on campus for the next three weeks, at least some of the time. Not only that, but I would be working the shoot, raising the chances that I would be in close proximity to him.

  Panic threatened to overwhelm me, but I willed it away. I was going to be part of a fairly large catering group, delivering food and beverages…and then leaving. Maybe cleaning up once the cast and crew had eaten. Checking to make sure the coffee was hot. You got this.

  “Are there any questions?” Christina asked, and I snapped back to the present. Christina was everything I wasn’t, and I knew it. Gorgeous, successful, powerful, composed…and close to Jared. I tried not to let jealousy overwhelm me, but it wasn’t easy. I eyed her thousand-dollar boots, and my gaze dropped to my Docs, now three years old, battered and scuffed, worn almost every day for lack of alternatives – a fitting metaphor for the differences between Christina and me.

  She fielded a few logistical queries and then, with a glance at a slim gold watch dangling from her wrist, excused herself, leaving Trent to follow up on the details. Melinda conferred with him for a few minutes while the rest of us absorbed the bombshell, and then she snapped back into supervisor mode.

  “Tonight’s shoot will be on the east side of the campus,” she said. “I’d like everyone back here by seven thirty.” She turned to Trent. “The kitchen will be working on entrees over the next two hours. Any special orders for the cast go through me, okay? We’ll do the best we can to accommodate any requests, but no guarantees.”