Heart Beat
"So you're going to be an actress on West Drive?" Emma asked. She watched as her best friend waltzed inside. Manny held out her Smithdale papers and Emma took them, sighing.
"Yeah, I'm stoked." Manny flashed her a smile. "It's my dream come true."
"Well, I'll miss you." Emma said. "I thought we were going to be roomies."
Manny felt a pang as she realized she was crushing Emma's college-girl dream. However, this was her dream. She'd wanted to be an actress ever since being in the Kevin Smith movie. Something inside of her had clicked, and...Manny knew.
"This is right for me, Em. Like my dad said the only bad decision is indecision. And that? Is something that I don't have."
Emma hugged her. "Well, I guess I can always tune on the tube on Friday nights to see you in action, right?"
Manny grinned. "So you're not mad at me?"
"Mad, Manny why would I be mad at you? You're going after your dream." She admired her friend for that. "All I can do is wish you lots of luck."
"And all I can do for you Em, is ride to Smithdale with you."
The two friends smiled at each other, unaware of the changes about to take place in their lives.
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It was the day. Manny stood with Emma and Liberty as the girls gazed up at Smithdale University. Liberty was a bundle of excitement, eyes bright and taking in everything. Emma was busy hugging her mother, looking slightly annoyed.
"I can't believe you're not going with us." Liberty said to Manny. "It just...doesn't seem right."
"I have bigger fish to fry." Manny said. She smiled. "Besides, then I can invite you crazy college girls up to Vancouver." She winked. "We can party like rock stars."
"Just not too much partying." Emma reminded. Manny winced at the reminder of doing coke with Craig. "Of course not." She brushed off Emma's slander to her past. "Just some best friend type fun."
"Well girls." Spike Simpson said. "We're going to go, Jack is getting fussy. If you need us--"
"We'll call, Mom." Emma assured her. "Right, Lib?"
Liberty nodded.
"I guess this is goodbye." Manny said. She wrapped her arms around both girls. "I'll see you in a few months." She promised. Manny waved to Emma and Liberty, following the adults back to the mini Van.
She felt another pang, wondering if she'd made the right decision. Strapping the seat belt across her lap, Manny forced herself to think of the brighter horizons that she would be facing.
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"Come on, Santos!" The director barked at her. "Get it right!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Manny apologized. She stood on the set of her character's room in Vancouver. This was the thirteenth take this evening. She struggled to stay composed and not go off on the man. "I know my lines."
"Then act like it." The director barked. "Act like you have some common sense! Daisy leans over, lets her boobs fall out into Brendan's face."
Brendan, or rather Jace was looking bored. "It's not like I haven't seen boobs before." He commented.
Manny eyed him. She really wanted to kick Jace. He was such a jerk. He'd been making rude comments about nailing her ever since she'd come on the set. If it had been anyone else but Jace Montgomery this might be easier. But the fact was, it wasn't. "OK." Manny told herself. "You can do this. It's simple."
"Apparently not so simple." Smirked Jace.
Giving him a withering glare, Manny put her Daisy Fuentes smile on. "OK, I'm ready."
"Show me." Shouted the director.
Manny leaned over. Her hands were on the bed and Jace was backed up on it. "Oh come on, Brendan." She said in a sultry voice. "Kim doesn't have to know. It can be our—our—secret." She nearly choked on the words. It was like a flashback of her own teen life. "I can keep a secret." Manny whispered the last words. She pressed her breasts into Jace's face.
"And cut!"
Finally. Manny started to pull back but Jace grabbed her. "I don't think so! Make out time!" he started to kiss her, but Manny took a pillow and whacked him with it. Hard. "Get off me, sleazeball!" She exclaimed.
The crew members and cast mates who were in the audience laughed. Jace looked pissed. Manny smoothed her shirt, crossing arms over it. "Are we done?"
"Finally." The director said. "Remember, Santos. Daisy is a seducer. She wants Brendan at any cost."
Manny felt like major deja vu was going on. She nodded, fake smile in place. The cast was free to go after this. Manny walked down the hall, shaking her head. She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on. At times she wished she was in Smithdale with Emma and Liberty. Being an actress on West Drive wasn't all it was cracked up to be.
"Hey Santos." Brad said walking over to her. "I saw what happened. Don't fret. Jace is a jackass."
"Yeah, got the memo on that." Manny belted her jacket and picked up the scripts for next week. "I'm going home." She said. "To learn my lines and veg on television."
"Or." Brad eyed her. "You could hang out with me and the boyfriend, do something fun for a change?"
"Like?"
"There's this wicked little Toronto club called Voodoo." Brad said. "We go there all the time. Awesome live bands. Travis buys all the drinks. You in?"
Manny looked thoughtful. "I should do my lines but...I'm not one to turn down a Rum and Coke?" She looked hopeful.
Brad smiled, wrapped his arms around the brunette actress. "Come along, little one!" He said in a fake accent. "We shall dine and feast and drink."
Laughing, Manny swatted at him. "You're such a dork." But he made her feel better, like she was human and that's what she needed right now.
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Voodoo was packed. It was a nice little club and Manny sipped the drink Travis bought her. She liked Brad, he made her smile. He was one of the few nice members of West Drive. She was really surprised at how high school it was like. In a way Manny felt that she hadn't even left Degrassi. The main actress, Belinda Moore played Dinah Rhodes. She reminded Manny of a sharper Paige.
"What do you think?" Brad shouted over the band that was playing. They were an all girl rock band, reminiscent of Joan Jett. Manny actually kind of liked them.
"Of the band? They're awesome!"
"No, of Voodoo."
"Oh—I like it too. Busy." Manny swirled her straw in the Coke.
"Travis is thinking of buying it." Travis was at the bar buying a new round of drinks.
"Wow, really?" Manny asked. "So—are you giving up West Drive? Being Kirk Holmes?"
Brad shrugged. "To be honest? I'm kind of over it. I love acting. I love it and always will. But...it just pays the bills. I want to do something that makes me happy. Like music."
Arching a slender, dark eyebrow Manny smiled. "You sing? My aren't we of many hidden secrets lately." She teased.
"I don't sing. I play guitar." Brad replied. "Travis plays guitar. Our friend Byron plays the drums. We're looking for a lead singer." he explained. He tapped along to the song the girl band—Broken Petals—were playing. "If we buy Voodoo, we can play and book bands. It makes for good money if you're good at it."
"Good luck getting a singer." Said Manny.
"Do you sing?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "I was in choir for a while in school you know. I sang for Drama Club but...I really...sucked."
Brad was analyzing her with his eyes. He smiled sneakily. Manny eyed him back, shaking her head. Her long hair swung from side to side. "Not. Even. In a Million Years."
"Come on Manny. You can at least audition and we can see how you sound."
"No!"
"No what?" Travis asked. He returned with the drinks. He sat one down in front of Brad, handed Manny her new one.
"For Manny to be our lead singer for Blazing Suns." Brad grinned at his boyfriend. "What do you think? With her looks, we could make something out of it."
"It's not all about looks, Mr. Vanity." Travis countered and rolled his eyes. "We have to see if Miss Manny can sing first of all. We've got to see how she moves on the stage."
"I can't!" Manny exclaimed, shock in her face. "I don't sing. I act."
"So then we'll be all Robert Palmer and dress her up Vamp-rific." Brad was liking this idea. He nodded. "I can see her in white face paint, vampire red lips can't you?"
"Shut up, Brad." Manny hissed. "I'm not singing or being a Go go girl on your little project."
Broken Petals ended their set. Manny shook her head. "You two? Have obviously had too much to drink. I'm going to the bathroom. When I come back I want my real friends back." She warned them. She extended a finger.
Travis laughed, delighted. Brad was just smirking at her. He looked confident. With a humph, Manny headed towards the bathroom. Like she was going to get up on stage and sing...those two must've inhaled way too many hair dye fumes.
TBC