Chapter 1: Welcome to Hollywood Arts
Books-check. Jet Brew coffee-check. Cute shirt-check. Perfect hair-check. Hollywood Arts sweatshirt-check.
"Morgan! Morgan let's go I'm not going to be late" I hear Robbie yell up the stairs.
"Oh yeah, because you don't take that long to do your hair" I hear Rex comment. I knew I liked that puppet for a reason. I took one last look in the mirror, smile big and run down the stairs. I have to say, the best part of Robbie and I going to the same school is that he has a car and I won't have to get on the bus. I lock the door and slide into the passenger seat of Robbie's car.
"Hey! That's Rex's seat!"
"Uh uh. No way am I sitting in the back so your puppet can sit shotgun."
"You know puppet is an offensive term!"
"Whatever Robbie. Just let her have the front." Rex says. I smile and buckle my seatbelt while Robbie (for whatever reason) straps Rex in the back.
Today is my first official day at Hollywood Arts. It's already October but after the school expressed a need for new tech students and I submitted a movie I helped Robbie edit for class they admitted me late. I'll still be taking all the regular performance classes (I'm really excited for drama with Sikowitz) but I'll be concentrating on mostly the tech and stage crew side of things. As I let my mind wander through all my expectations of my new school I am suddenly brought back to consciousness by Robbie's voice. I look out the window and realize we're in the parking lot. Robbie turns and looks at me.
"Now Morgan. I know it's your first day and I know that being younger than me you're probably going to embarrass me but please try not to".
"Me embarrass you? Yeah okay".
"I have a reputation here that I worked hard for and I don't want you tarnishing it". I try to hold in my laughter.
"The only reputation you have is most likely to have girls run in the other direction. Come on, let's go". Robbie looks stunned as I get out of the car and grab my stuff.
As I walk into the Hollywood Arts hallway I can't believe my eyes. People are breakdancing and singing and everyone seems to be a bit more artsy than necessary. "Woah" is all I can say. Robbie walks in front of me and leads me towards a group of people. They're all laughing and joking around.
"Hey guys" Robbie says. Everyone replies back with the usual hey what's up back.
"Whose that?" a tall girl with light brown hair asks.
"Woah Robbie's with a girl?" a dark guy yells. "Hey everyone! Robbie's finally got a girl!"
"I'm his sister" I say point blank. Wow, people actually think Robbie's with a girl.
The dark guy, as well as everyone looks slightly disappointed but not surprised at all.
"This is my younger sister Morgan. It's her first day here at Hollywood Arts. She's going to be doing a lot of tech work. Morgan, these are my friends".
"Wait, wait, wait. You're friends are real? You didn't make them up?" I joke with him.
"Morgan Sophia Shapiro!" Uh oh. I know I've pushed the wrong button when he calls me by my full name.
"I'm just saying. I didn't expect the boy who spends most of his time with his hand shoved up a puppet's backside to have this many friends",
"We're not friends" says a girl with long black hair and an eyebrow piercing. I walk up to her and study her for a second trying to figure out which one of his friends she could be.
"Tall, dark, slightly terrifying. You must be Jade.
"Good guess" she says, seeming disappointed I actually did guess right.
"Oh oh oh! Do me next! Here's a hint, I may or may not be Cat" exclaims a girl with bright magenta hair. I'm pretty sure that I've seen her at the house before. I whisper over to Robbie, "Is she kidding?".
"Sadly, no".
"Hmm, the spacey cute red head…"
"What's that supposed to mean!" she cries.
"That…that must mean you're Cat!"
"Oh yay! You guessed right!" She's completely serious. I have never met such a space cadet in my whole life. But, she seems like a fun person. I move on to the next person in the group, the tall light brown haired girl.
"Hi" she says.
"Hey! You must be the pretty girl Robbie always talks about! Uhh…Tori!"
Robbie shoots me a really annoyed look. "Morgan!"
"Sorry." I look closer at her face. "Robbie's right. You have the perfect cheekbones." I pinch her cheekbones, as I'm sure everyone does.
"Aww thank you. Everyone says that." Robbie begins to stare at her and dreamily says "It's true you do". Tori shoots him a look.
"You are not doing well right now. Robbie frowns.
"I know". Next is the dark guy with the dreads.
"Hey I'm Andre". It takes me a minute to place him with a story that Robbie has told me. Then it hits me.
"Grandma whose afraid of everything?"
"Yep".
At that very moment I see who I believe is the most good looking guy I have ever seen. His olive skin is shining and he does a hair toss of his perfect hair. Or maybe he's just walking and that's what I imagine. I'm not too sure anymore. I just know that he's coming our way.
"Cast list for the new show is up" he announces. God, even his voice is gorgeous. I'm studying him. He's got a great smile that lights up when he announces "I got the lead!" The whole group cheers and gives him shoulder punches and all that great stuff. While I'm still looking at him, he eventually notices me.
"Whose this?" Oh my gosh he's talking to me. He notices me. Shit, shit, shit!
"Uhh…I'm Morgan Robbie's sister I'm new here at Hollywood Arts I'm a tech person but I'm into all the acing and stuff". Great. Word vomit was all I needed here. He smiles at me.
"Hey. I'm Beck" he says still smiling. Jade however looks even more pissed than before (if that's even possible). I turn to Robbie whose now behind me and I whisper, "That's Beck! Him? "
"He's not that great."
"Yes he is!"
"He's also Jade's boyfriend". I turn back around and see he and Jade steal a kiss. Dammit. Of course he would be dating the only girl I'm terrified of. As they kiss I see Tori tap him on the shoulder.
"So about the play. What about Trina? Did she get anything?" She seems really nervous.
"Whose Trina? I ask. Everyone looks at one another. Cat finally speaks up.
"Trina is Tori's older sister that goes here. "
"Yeah. She's nuts" Andre adds.
"She's not nuts! Shes… yeah okay she's crazy" Tori says.
"How bad can she be?" I ask. It's a true question. Living with a brother who still plays with a puppet, you would think I take the cake. However I was about to learn that was not true. All of a sudden I see a girl chasing after a teacher.
"Lane! You know I deserve that part and not Brittany! You know I have much more talent than her or anyone here! She's not even that pretty! Lane!" Finally the teacher turns around to acknowledge her.
"Trina I'm sorry. This was the director's decision and there is nothing I can do to change that". He speaks so calmly to her. Andre was right, she's a total head case. I suddenly feel that Robbie is the most normal human I have ever met. Trina starts moving towards us. The whole group looks nervous.
"Tori! Tell Lane I deserve the part!" Tori begins to back away with everyone else. I use this as an excuse to move in closer to Beck.
"Well Trina, I don't think it's my place to…". Trina cuts her off.
"Oh come on guys! Tell Lane how great I am". At that moment everyone leaves shouting out some sort of goodbye. Even my brother begins to walk away with Andre, which is not good because I have no idea where my first class it.
"Wait! Robbie!" He keeps walking. Shit.
"Ugh whatever" Trina screams as she begins chasing the teacher down the hall. Tori backs up and leans against a locker, probably thankful that scene is over. All I can do is look at her and say "That's your sister?".
"Yeah. I'm sorry about…"
"No, no. I'm sorry. She smiles, "Hey, so my brother left me here and I don't know where I'm going. Can you tell me how to get to my first class?"
"Sure. Let me see your schedule. I fish the paper out from my bag and hand it to Tori. As she studies it, a strange boy with wild hair creeps up.
"Want to see my locker? It's decorated with food I chewed but never swallowed". Immediately Tori looks up.
"Walk away" she says to him. The mysterious creeper looks saddened but walks away.
"Who was…"
"Don't ask." Tori points me in the direction of my first class and I'm on my way. Although I'm filled with excitement about everything, I can't seem to get my mind off of Beck. I hope he sits with Robbie at lunch so I can join.