I was standing in the middle of set, just staring ahead, in between the two, my mind merely blank.
"Serena!?"
I looked over at Casey.
He bobbed his head. "I think that you are wanted."
Jared nodded. "Don't worry mate. We're right here. We'll wait."
I nodded and followed my Mom's voice.
I ran down the hallway, and as I rounded the corner, a petite lady came into view. Her dark brown hair ran down to past her shoulders, and she looked around with the eye of that of a wandering bird, probably one of those birds you would see hopping around in a parking lot. Hop… Hop…
To be honest, this entire life of a famous superstar isn't as pleasant as you'd really think. You might get everything you want, have all these people asking for you autograph, and be noticed more than before, but every good thing comes a bad thing. Your life may be 100 times better than before, but it will be more like 1000 times worse.
I came to a stop in front of my mom, who had a smiled slapped across her face. The expression on her face not only was happy, but had a serious note to it. "Yeah? What?," I said. She gave me a nod, and then turned to lead to the dressing rooms. Apparently, whatever she wanted to say was important because she doesn't want anyone else to hear.
The set was waiting for me, and I had to go out in a couple minutes. She closed the door behind us, and I sat down on the plushy couch on the other side of the room. She sat down across from me on a maroon chair, and cleared her throat.
"Honey, would you like a treat? A biscuit perhaps?" Our butler walked in, and stood ready to serve. "Or perhaps a caramel chocolate? Turkish Delight?"
I shook my head. "Thanks, but no."
She smiled, and tilted her head towards the butler. "Okay then." She chuckled charmingly, and the butler nodded politely. "Go away then."
With that, he walked away out of the room, locking the door behind him.
My mom settled in a relaxed poise on the armrest, and focused her gaze on me.
"I simply wanted to tell you that your dad and I considered you having a closer to normal life, so we came up with a solution."
I shook my fist in delight, and flopped back onto the couch.
"We are going to send you to a very sophisticated and advanced school, notably of the name of International Studies Preparatory Academy."
Oh my gosh.
I was going to have a semi-normal life. I was so excited.
"Serena!" It seemed so far away from where I was standing. Oh the set, I should be out there right now. Having my mind back on Earth, I heard Jared's voice coming from outside the dressing room. "Serena!" he yelled again. I turned to my mom and thanked her with a large embrace, and then turned to walk out of the dressing room. Just to turn back around and smile at my mom. I wish I could stay in my dressing room forever, this has been such a rough day. Turning back around I walked out of my dressing room, and ran backstage to get filmed in my movie, and both of my best friends are in it with me.
Jared and Casey were my dojo classmates, and I also had Karen my other best friend, but we only see each other on set. Maybe she'll go to the same school I do, and we'll be together more often. "Serena, you are late, but I know it was because your mother was talking to you, so I'll let it slip this time," said our director. I nodded, and quickly took my place on the mat in the middle of the set.
So far in our movie, Jared was a second degree black belt, Casey was a green belt, Karen was a first degree black belt, and not only in the movie, but also in real life, I was a fourth degree black belt. Our sensei, Aaron is a degree higher than me, but we were literally at the same degree when we fight.
"All right Serena, are you ready?" the director called. I nodded, and turned around as the video taper began filming.
*****The Movie***** (I'm using their original names, and this is going on near Dadeland Mall as well. Some of the place's names may be made up.)
Our sensei Aaron came walking out of his office, and stood in front of us. It was time to start our training. Our tournament is going to be in a week, and Casey still needed to earn his next belt. I have been a black belt for a long time, and I'm always getting up to the next degree. Jared and I have been friends for a long time, and we've trained under Jared's grandfather.
"Alright everyone, the tournament is in five days, and I'll be training Casey much harder than ever. We need you to get to your black belt," Aaron called out. I shivered, he'd never yelled like that at anyone, but I knew he was frustrated. Our dojo was going against Aaron's gravest enemy, Sly Snake Martial Arts. We are Cheetah Speed Combat Academy, and we usually don't loose, but these people are ruthless, and will of anything to destroy us.
"Serena, Karen, and Jared work on sparing while, I help Casey with the nunchucks which his going to be using them during the tournament," Aaron demanded, and my group and I walked to the other side of the mat where we were to start sparring.
"Jared your choice,'' I said. Looking from Karen to me, we were able to understand that he couldn't make up his mind. "Jared, here's a suggestion, why don't you spar against both of us?" I suggested. I got into my fighting stance, and like anyone about to start to fight kept eye contact with the "enemy". He nodded, and I watched as he got into his fighting stance. "Girls first," Jared said.
I did a flying sidekick to his stomach which, he quickly moved away from. When I landed, I turned around to throw a back kick at him, but he was faster than I was, and I found myself dodging his every move. I needed to fight back, and I had the best move to attack him with. I flipped out of the way, and landed throwing a foot sweep at him. It was Karen's turn to jump into the fight, so I was out.
She waited for Jared to get up from the floor, and I was smiling. Don't underestimate a girl. Karen and Jared were about to spar, when Aaron called out, "Serena, come over and take over, over here!" I turned to follow Aaron's voice but not before running over to Jared, and whispering, "Cheetah Speed, and you'll beat her." into his ear.
I walked to Casey where he was to continue to learn how to use his nunchucks, he started practicing karate after all of us, so I understand his struggle when everyone is counting on you to earn a new belt, so that we could continue practicing in this dojo. "Casey, you need to focus on what you are doing," I told him, as I walked up to the shelves grabbing a pair of nunchucks from there. "Here, watch," I said. With the nunchucks in my hands, I thought of the rhythm of my favorite song. It was easy to use nunchucks when you are moving to a specific beat.
I did my routine, and turned to Casey, "See, it's easy." I had never been an expert at the nunchucks, but I can do a lot with them. My expertise is sparing and the bow staff. I usually like to do hand to hand combat. It comes easier to me than using things to fight my fights. Casey pulled out his nunchucks again, and started to do his routine, but the only trouble he was having was keeping time. "Oh, so you are losing the beat on some of the movements. So I suggest, well do you have a favorite song?" I said. It's funny how it's so easy for me to find a song that I enjoy and keep the beat with it, but Casey, he was having some trouble.
"Do you listen to music?" I asked. He looked at the floor, with a thinking expression. "I haven't in a long time, I can't remember the last song I heard," he answered after a while. I needed to think of a solution and fast. Casey was the leading strand of the dojo, without Casey we would have everyone at a black belt, and nothing more to teach. It's funny when the entire dojo is filled with black belts and just one green belt no wants to come and learn here, but when the dojo is completely filled will black belts that were mostly bought, everyone wants to go there.
"Wait right here," I told him, and I walked off in Aaron's direction. "Hey Aaron, I wanted to ask if Casey and I could take a little break, and if the others would like to come with us?" Aaron looked at me with a 'Are you crazy?' look, but then seemed to change his mind. "Where will you be off to?" he asked, and I thought about it before answering, "We are going to Johnny Rockets for a while." Aaron thought about it for a moment, and then turned to Jared and Karen, "Would you like to go with them?" he asked. A break is just what they needed, they were completely exhausted. We all ran for our lockers, and then to the changing rooms to change back into our clothes. When we got out, we headed for the door.
"CUT!"
*****End Movie*****
"Right, great job! We'll be shooting the next scene in a couple of minutes, and then do the editing," the director called. I smiled, and ran for Jared and the others, "Now that that's over, I need to get ready for the next scene, but later I'd like to take you guys out to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate our next episode being sent online." I said.