Note: I hope someone enjoys this little flash fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Whatever your thoughts, please let me know them. If there's interest, I'll write some more SWaC pieces later. Maybe with a cameo from Nate Gray (ala Camp Rock). Or is that too crazy? Also, is anyone willing to be a beta reader for me, in the event of future Sonny stories?
Hollywood, the Sign
Sonny stared at the giant white letters that made up the famous Hollywood sign. Mount Lee Perch stood solid, its two-toned burnt orange and green brush a silent backdrop to those nine pristine letters. H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D.
Sonny wasn't big on sightseeing generally, but this was different. She'd been waiting for this moment for a while now.
Back in Wisconsin, she'd had the Hollywood sign as the image on her desktop for close to three years. She was probably the only kid around who knew it had its own official website. They called it "a universal metaphor for ambition, success, glamour …for this dazzling place, industry and dream."
Sonny had that dream. Not of being famous, or rich, or anything so generic. She wanted to be a part of something. Something special. She wanted to feel alive—the way you do when you can make people laugh. She wanted to be part of a team. Sure, she had friends, people she loved even--but they didn't think like she did. They didn't understand her.
Most of her friends thought it was funny and maybe even a little self-absorbed the way she was almost addicted to making web shows. Days of home-produced solo skits broadcasted via a four inch digital camera. She'd tried convincing some of the other kids to do the show with her, but it just wasn't their thing. They'd help out every once in a while—but only to appease her.
For Sonny that web show had been her one outlet, her personal mini-Hollywood. Even if it was pretty insignificant in the sea of internet TV, she didn't care. It made her feel at least a little connected to that hard to describe dream.
That's why becoming part of So Random was so completely… amazing. She'd risk sounding cliché, but there's no way to say out loud how wonderful she felt. The cast members were just like her. Even Tawni, for all her superiority issues, felt that same almost desperate need to be in front of the camera. Sure in Tawni's case, she played it off as a need for attention. But Sonny knew better. She needed to be a part of something special and the camera made that happen.
You know what? Even those kids at Mackenzie Falls felt it. Maybe every kid in the business did.
Sonny didn't know. But right now, sitting on the roof of her mom's car, breathing in the hot California air. Just looking at that white sign. It was enough for her.