Razzle Berry: Sunshine and Drowning

She always had this image of an ultra-bright California. Like someone photoshopped the air with a color correction filter, so that everything would be shades of neon and rainbow. Of course nothing is ever like you expect. L.A. was dirtier than she imagined and not very green. The one day she'd gone to the beach it was overcast—the sky painting the sand a kind of gray-blue. The smog was disgusting; especially when she looked out her window to find dirt-colored clouds of it looming over house-crammed hills.

But every once in a while she'd have a moment where she understood. Where it made perfect sense to call it 'the golden state.'

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Sonny was sitting outside on concrete steps, facing a less-than-glorious view of blacktop and golf carts (yes, that includes the infamous Mackenzie Falls one). Rehearsals ended early, which meant she'd be waiting for her mom for a while. She was entirely in the shade, the sun refusing to even peek around from the umbrella of gray sky above her. The air was cold.

She'd had a dream the night before and her thoughts drifted back to it.

She was drowning. Brown rain poured down with such force that it knocked her to the ground. She tried to stand, but couldn't. There were blinking yellow lights—someone looking for her—but they were just out of reach.

She called out. "Help!"

But the lights just moved farther away, leaving her alone to battle the mud-colored water spitting out at her in every direction.

A man in a trench coat stood watching her from a few feet away.

"Hey!" She cried. "Hey you, come here. I'm drowning!"

The man moved forward slowly.

Sonny struggled for air, kicking just to try and stay above water.

She gasped. She could see the man's face, and she knew it—pallid, with dark brows.

"Dad?"

The man tilted his head, as if studying a monkey in a zoo. He turned his back, walking away.

Sonny screamed for him. "Daddy--Help me, I need you!"

But he just kept walking.

Then Sonny woke up, her hands sore from clenching them into fists.

She usually tried not to think about her dad. About how he'd left them. But your subconscious has a way of not letting you forget the things that'll make you end up needing therapy.

She'd been in a horrible mood all day. She tried her best to put on her smile-act, but it wasn't working. Every skit came out a dud. And she almost started crying when the latest rendition of the super-fast-food sketch called for a bucket of water to drop on her head. After that, Marshall said it would be best to call it a day. Tomorrow everyone would feel refreshed and have their game on. (By everyone, Sonny was sure he meant her).

She was playing with the dirt pebbles that collected on the stairs, when someone approached her from behind. She moved out of the way, so whoever it was could get passed her. But he didn't, choosing to sit down next to her instead.

He was wearing his Mackenzie Falls prep school uniform with a brown leather jacket, a cup of pink frozen yogurt in his hand. It must be lunch break on Mackenzie Falls.

Sonny frowned. "What do you want Chad?"

He shrugged, stirring his yogurt with a spoon. "Heard you had a bad day."

Wow, word got around fast in Hollywood. "Come to gloat? 'Cause I really don't need to hear it right now."

"Not really. I just came out to make sure you So Random kids don't vandalize our golf cart."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "Sure you did."

He'd been staring into his yogurt for a while, stirring aimlessly, when he took a big scoop and held it in front of her. "Want a bite?"

"No thanks."

"Come on. It'll make you feel better. It's Razzle Berry. How could anything with the word 'razzle' in it be anything but good?"

Sonny made a face. She was more of a chocolate fan.

Chad didn't give up. "Come on, Sonny. I just made a food joke. Someone who makes her lobster talk at lunch, has to at least crack a smile at a yogurt gag."

Sonny smiled then. She'd always played with her food, even as a kid. It never went over well with her dad. He'd made her eat in the corner once, for goofing around too much at the dinner table. Huh She almost forgot about that.

"Are you going to make me revert to baby tactics?"

Sonny raised an eyebrow in a mock challenge.

"All right, you asked for it." Chad made sputtering helicopter noises, steering the spoon of pink goop in short circular motions. He deepened his voice. "Mayday, mayday--Flight Fantastic Fro-Yo calling Airport Sonny, please respond! Sweet yumminess wants to land on your tongue."

Sonny burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. And Chad took the opportunity to shove the spoon firmly in her mouth.

"Ha! Gotcha."

Sonny swallowed, the cold sticky substance sliding down her throat as she pretty much snorted in uncontrolled laughter.

Chad smiled, content that he brought back the crazy Sonny he was used to. If only for a little bit. It was weird seeing someone normally so happy, look sad. He didn't like it. It made him agitated inside. "More?" he offered, holding up his yogurt cup.

"No, that's okay, really." Sonny was still smiling, but she moved her eyes to the floor again, the awkwardness coming back as she looked for patterns in the dirt particles. "Thanks though."

Chad sighed. He might as well be upfront. "We all have bad days, Sonny. It's like a prerequisite for the job to have some kind of juicy emotional baggage you can bring with you to the industry."

She looked at him. "I guess that's sort of true. I mean what would the gossip columns do without a few breadcrumbs of drama every now and then." Sonny almost smiled, thinking about an article she'd read about Chad before she met him. It called him 'a heartthrob with a tortured soul.' What a laugh.

"You just can't let it keep you down. You'll turn into Joaquin Phoenix—going from 'respected actor' to growing a beard, releasing a rap album and still expecting people to take you seriously."

Sonny smiled at the reference. "I still say it's a big publicity stunt."

"Even Hollywood's not that crazy, Sonny."

A gust of wind blew along the edge of the building, making Sonny shiver. Chad hesitated for a moment, before taking off his jacket and putting it around her shoulders.

She looked up at him, more than a little surprised at the gesture. "Thanks," she said.

Chad seemed surprised himself. He put his hands in his pockets, looking uncomfortable. "Whatever."

Sonny couldn't stop her lips from forming a small smirk. She shifted her shoulders in Chad's jacket, enjoying the warm, worn feel of the leather against her skin. She looked out at the parking lot again. The sun had since come out from hiding and was now beating on windshields in a steady California-worthy glow.

No, this place wasn't anything like she expected. But it might be exactly what she needed.


Note: Hello Lovely Reader,

What do you think? This may stay a one-shot. But I'm kind of tempted to add another chapter or two with small moments that are able to cheer Sonny up.

Sorry, I haven't updated the fairy tale. I haven't abandoned it. Between the site being down last week (I almost had a heart attack) and my new obsession with watching Mcfly vids on youtube, I haven't been writing like I should. I'm gonna try and do better.

Please review. It'll be just the incentive I need to write faster.

Seriously, you're all fabulous for reviewing. You know that right?