Chad's POV
I stared at the text that had been saved on my phone for a year and a half now, and smiled.
To: Chad
From: Sonny
C ya Chad xx
Sonny. Sonny. Sonny. I missed her so much.
The last time I saw her was a moment that was burnt into my mind. It was like an itch that no matter how many times I scratched it, it still wouldn't go away. Though it was no where near as painful as the memory of Sonny which was carved into my heart.
"I never want to see you again. Goodbye Chad..."
Those were the last words she ever said to me. These were also usually the lat words she said to me in my dreams, or nightmares as I prefer to call them.
When I close my eyes I can still see her smudged make-up, the tears in her eyes, that lone tear on her left cheek as she walked out. I remember the way her hair shiny hair swished when she walked. Her smile. Her contagious laughter. Her chocolate brown eyes. The chipped black nail polish on her delicate nails. The stupid costume she wore the very first day we met. I remember how her lips tasted of apple and grape lip gloss when we kissed. I remember everything about her.
Sonny was probably the person who made the biggest impact on my life, she made me want to be a better person. So, that day she left and never came back, was the day I swore I'd change and become a better person. I'd become someone Sonny would be proud of. Someone I could be proud of.
The first step: Getting rid of Jessica.
I had spent hours cominig up witht his ellaborate scheme when...
"Hey Chris..." Jess said walking into the living room.
She had known I was not in the most pleasant of moods and had left me alone for the afternoon.
"Mmmm..." I mumbled, acknowledgeing her prescence but not taking my eyes away from the corner of the coffee table where my phone lay. I was hoping Sonny would call me back, I had called her a dozen and one times (okay maybe more... a lot more) and everytime I went straight to voice mail.
"We need to talk." She said, taking a seat on the couch beside my feet. "You see... you've changed. When we met you were this awesome guy who at first I hated and then grew to love."
That hurt to hear, because it reminded me so much of Sonny and I.
"But now, your like this whole other person. I think it's this whole long distance thing. As much as I care about you Chris I'm much to young to give up my life and move here to Hollywood and live with you here. Plus I have my whole life ahead of me, and I think my life is in Michigan. I think it would be best for the both of us, if we were to remain just friends. I hope you can respect my decision and we can still be friends?" She looked down at me.
"Yeah..."
"Good."
"Good." It was a reflex.
"Cool."
It broke my heart more to hear my good not rebutled by a fine.
Jess leant down and hugged me before getting up and walking away, before returning moments later, her suitcase in hand. "I called a cab to take me to the airport. So, I'll see you around?"
I dind't reply.
"Bye Chris."
"Bye Jess."
She waved a little before exiting the house and exiting my life.
Part of me was happy but the rest was still numb from Sonny. Jess' leaving and dumping me were to late, Sonny was gone and she wasn't coming back. It suddenly hit me that in less then three hours lots of people had walked away from me and my life. Sonny was gone. The Randoms now hated me more than ever. There producer Marshall who used to give me a friendly smile had now begun glaring at me. Mr Condor was less than pleased with me for losing him one of his biggest stars. Jess was gone. MY parents had decided to stay in Europe.
I was all alone...
Yes, that day had hurt.
Step Two: Retire Christopher Wilde.
That my friends was probably harder than trying to shake off Jess.
Why?
Because Christopher Wilde has millions of screaming fans but thankfully luck was on my side.
"Christopher come on last song of the night." Some stage hand said as he took my coffee out of my hand and walked me towards the stage.
I was barely listening to him as I went, my mind off in 'Sonny Land'.
I walked onto the stage in a daze, millions of screamign fans screaming for Christopher Wilde.
I wlaked up to the mic and the band began to play.
"How 'bout a little bit of soul, some integrity.
I'm not talkin' about no fake kinda feeling
But the girl in my dreams will be
For real without a doubt so
I don't know who you are but find your way to me
Uh, in no rush to see
Baby, I'm hanging, hanging on for you
(I'm hanging) That's where it is, go 'bout my business
Hanging, hanging on for you
And you'll be mine in future time
It's true ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
How 'bout we wait a couple years till you do it right
I gotta a little game left
Soon I'mma hang up in a play and share this line
And you can do the same yes
Cause this horizon soon will focus into view, yeah
Uh, in no rush to see
Baby, I'm hanging, hanging on for you
(I'm hanging) That's where it is, go 'bout my business
Hanging, hanging on for you
And you'll be mine in future time
It's true ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
There's no rush, we will touch
And it will be a whole other level girl
Just one kiss, yes this is
The heaven that will conquer the devil's world
Uh, in no rush to see
Baby, I'm hanging, hanging on for you
(I'm hanging) That's where it is, go 'bout my business
Hanging, hanging on for you
And you'll be mine in future time
Hanging, hanging on for you
(I'm hanging) That's where it is, go 'bout my business
Hanging, hanging on for you
And you'll be mine in future time
It's true ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Hanging, hanging on for you
(I'm hanging) That's where it is, go 'bout my business
Hanging, hanging on for you
And you'll be mine in future time
It's true"
The crowd roared and screamed for more.
I ran a hand through my hiar and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing...
"Hey Guys. Um... You all know me as Christopher Wilde, thing is... he's not real."
A wave of whispers and gasps swept through the audience.
"In fact, he was simply a figment of my imagination so I could keep my parents happy. I won't deny that I've had a lot of fun as Christopher Wilde, in fact he was a big part of my life. But I've had enough of running around as two different people, it got worse when I stepped on a few toes along the way." More like trampled on a few hearts, one being my own. "And well, I've decided, that although I love being Christopher Wilde, I love being myself better. That's why Christopher Wilde is going into retirement and I am going to continue my life living as... Chad Dylan Cooper."
The gasps were louder this time.
"I hope you guys can repsect my decision and can forgive me for pulling a Hannah Montana on you all." I chuckled slightly at my own joke. Though maybe this was not the best time to bring Hannah Montana issues up after all she's had a lot going on for her at the moment too...
The crowd cheered, and I took that as a 'We respect your wishes' cheer.
"Thanks Guys. Now let's give it up for... Justin Bieber."
No, I don't hate him, nor do I love him either. Thankfully, Christopher Wilde's fans liked Justin, so I was off the hook.
Next up, Step Three: Do good things.
From then on I was helping people, saying good morning and smiling at random people I worked with or saw in the street, I was doing walk-a-thons and hosting walk-a-thons for books in Sonny's honor. I even started up my own charity the 'Sonny Munroe Sonshine Smiles Foundation', it helps kids to learn to read. I also hooked up a summer programme with 'Camp Comedy', so kids who are part of the 'Sonny Munroe Sonshine Smiles Foundation' can go there and learn to be funny, it's something Sonny would like. The 'Sonny Munroe Sonshine Smiles Foundation' usually donates it's proceeds to libraries, cancer research and other charities Sonny would support.
Yeah, you proably think I'm crazy, giving up my life for a girl who hates me, and dedicating all my time to her. Well, let me ask you this. If you loved someone, wouldn't you do all in your power to do anything for them? But I guess you've never lost that someone the way I lost Sonny. So, you wouldn't understand. I'd do anything to have her back in my life but nothing I do seems to brnig her back to me. I tried going after her once, the only thing I came back with was a snowglobe with a miniature cheese in it.
I went to Wisconsin to try and find her, but she wasn't there. I searched high and low. I searched her old hometown, her old school. I spoke to her friend Lucy, who told me that Sonny wasn't here and although she (she being Lucy) had seen my efforts and knew how much I loved Sonny, I'd still hurt her best friend and she couldn't tell me.
So, I went back to LA my tail between my legs and a snowglobe in hand, not exactly what I had been hoping to return with.
Step Four: Fix things with people.
This had been an on the fence type thing really.
Fixing things with Mr Condor had been pretty easy, all I'd had to do was hang out with Dakota and bring in good publicity for the studio and I was good to go.
Fixing things with Marshall had also been easy. With him I'd given hima sincere apology and introduced him to a new Lady Friend (I actually just helped him sort things out with himself and Miss Bitterman - Their getting married in the spring).
Fixing things with the randoms on the other hand... well it wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world, but for Sonny... I'd do anything.
"Hey..." I said, suddenly feeling rather nervous.
Tawni merely grunted in response, whilst the other three randoms blatantly ignored me.
I sat down carefully in the blue plastic chair next to Tawni. "So, hows life...?" Really Chad? How lame can you get?
Tawni was the only one acknowledging my presence, she turned and raised an eyebrow at me in a 'Are you crazy?' kind of way.
We sat in silence for what felt like an eternity until Tawni turned to me and asked, "What happened?" Her voice was so quiet and so un-Tawni like it stunned me momentairly. I looked down at fidgeted with my hands, not really knowing what to say. I would tell them the truth, that's for sure, it's what Sonny would do after all. The problem was that I didn't know how to make the words come out of my mouth. Everytime I openmed my mouth to speak I closed it again, I looked like a fish (A stunningly handsome fish, but thats not the point).
Finally the words formed and I managed to push them off my tongue, "Christopher Wilde happened."
Tawni nodded, whilst the others got up and left. "Chad, why didn't you just tell her?"
"Because... by the time I got the courage to I was in to deep."
"Sonny cared about you, she would have understood. I know I do." Tawni smiled.
"Thanks Tawn."
"And for the record Chad, I've forgiven you and the others have to, they just... well, they just think ignroing you is what Sonny would want."
"I get how they feel. Everything I'm doing right now, I'm doing it for Sonny."
"Yeah, that's kinda why I'm doing this and forgiving you, because it's the Sonny thing to do."
"I miss her Tawn..." I could feel my walls come crumbling down.
"I do too Chad. I do too." Tawn said solomnly. The blonde wrapped her arms around me in an embrace and I hugged her back. We needed each other. We needed Sonny but right now we were all we had.
I pulled away from the hug and asked, "Do you wanna go for some ice-cream?"
"Yeah, I would." Tawni smiled.
From then on Tawni was my best friend, it was nice. She understood what I was going through with the loss of Sonny and we comforted each other.
Though 'Tween Weekly' didn't exactly help matters...
The next day I had woken to tons of reporters crowding my house and me and Tawni hugging on the front cover. The title blared "Chawni over Channy?'.
The paparazzi ignored our protests that we weren't together and in the end we just decided to ignore them.
So here I am. I'm just Chad Dylan Cooper. I play Mackenzie on a little (Okay huge) show called Mackenzie Falls. I'm best friends with Tawni Hart. And I'm in love with a girl who hates my guts.
Life is just one big rollercoster.