Tangled Up In You

"Can't you see I want you by the way I push you away?"

--Skye Sweetnam, "Tangled Up In Me"

Teaser: There's a perfectly logical reason why I'm stuck, head first, through Chad Dylan Cooper's window. If you would stop laughing long enough to catch a breath, I must just explain it to you.

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I knew I shouldn't have had that meatball platter for lunch. Tawni warned me not to start "packing on the pounds," but did I listen? Of course not. It's difficult to resist the lure of yummy meat bi-products. But maybe if I didn't have such an obsession with protein I wouldn't be struggling to remove myself from Chad Dylan Cooper's dressing-room window.

Yes, that's me with my legs awkwardly sticking out of the studio window, striped skirt ruffling in the breeze. At least I'm wearing tights, right? That's got to count for something.

Wow, you're pointing and laughing. How very mature. You're worse than Tawni. She'd at least try to help. Well, after she'd taken a picture. And possibly posted it on the internet.

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(earlier this evening)

It was Friday night and the studio was closing up. Everyone worked late on set trying to wrap up shooting before the weekend. We were all tired.

"Are you still spending the night at my place?" Tawni looked at me through the reflection of the mirror, smoothing her hair as she spoke.

I yawned. "I don't know, I'm kind of beat. I think I'll be more up to a late-night-movie-thing tomorrow. Raincheck?"

She shrugged, closing the top on a container of lipstick. "Suit yourself."

We walked out to the parking lot together, making our way to Tawni's car. She was going to give me a ride home. I stopped suddenly, making her bump into my shoulder.

"Watch where you're going, Sonny. I might've broken a Jimmy Choo."

"Sorry," I winced. "I forgot my phone inside."

Tawni rolled her eyes. I was forgetting a lot of things lately.

"You know what," I said, a little embarrassed. "Just head home. I'll catch a ride with Zora and her mom. They live like three blocks from me."

"You're sure they haven't left?"

"Yeah. It's cool. I'll call you tomorrow."

Tawni hesitated, but after one of my toothy grins she agreed. I have a marvelously convincing toothy grin. ;-)

The lights dimmed as I walked back towards the studio. I approached the security guard stationed at the entrance and smiled, waiting for him to let me through.

"I'm sorry, young lady. Visiting hours are over."

I frowned. The guard must be new. "I'm not a visitor. I'm on the cast of So Random. I just need to run inside to get my phone."

He gave me a very clear that's-what-they-all-say look before rolling his eyes and resuming his post.

"Um, really. I'm not pulling your leg. Why don't you ask Murphy? He'll vouch for me." I don't have quite the love-hate relationship with Murphy the security guard that Nico and Grady do, but he knows who I am.

"Murphy's out of town. And I'm sorry, Miss. I can't let anyone in without a pass."

I laughed, making a why-didn't-you-say-so-sooner face. "I have a pass, it's right here--" I felt along my neck for the string holding my VIP pass. It wasn't there. "Erm. Actually, I remember now. It's sitting right next to my phone. In my dressing room. Which I'll be able to show you if you let me through."

The big man just raised an eyebrow, refusing to humor me with a response.

I stood with my mouth agape. This was quite the little quandary. I could've called Marshall to straighten it out, but that would require my cell phone. And if I had that, I wouldn't be standing here in the first place, would I?

I took a deep breath and walked around the corner. I couldn't really form a plan with that mean security man looking at me with his smug little grin. I crossed my arms. Hmphh. I'm on the poster outside the building, for crying out loud! Doesn't that count for anything?

After one last pouty face I decided to stop sulking and figure out a way inside.

All the other entrances were locked at this time of night, and we'd been the last show of the evening. It was getting kind of chilly. Running my fingers along the frill of my skirt, the gears in my mind started turning. With all the vents that Zora used to eavesdrop on people, there must be one that led from the outside-in.

I found a metal screen covering some kind of duct tunnel, but -of course- it was sealed shut. After a few (semi-violent) tugs, I left it alone.

But a new thought struck me. Maybe there was a window I could climb through. I scanned the building on all angles not visible to Mr. Mean-Security and finally found one slightly ajar. Fortunately, it was on the ground floor. I'm not batgirl that I can go flying up to the third story with ease.

I removed the thin window screen and pushed the sill as far back as it would go. It was going to be a tight squeeze, to say the least. With a mental one-two-three, I pushed myself up into the window frame, sliding my shoulders through at an angle. Very uncomfortable. I used my hands to push the rest of me through, when I realized I couldn't. Huh.

I tried again, pushing harder this time. My hips didn't so much as budge. I was stuck.

A sudden memory of Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree came to mind. I hadn't seen the movie since I was a kid, but the mental picture of a tubby Pooh bear getting stuck in Rabbit's front door was crystal clear. Poor bear. How'd he get out of that mess? I couldn't remember.

For the first time, I examined the room I'd chosen to break and enter: A large sofa without pillows. A tie rack with various blue, pink and green striped ties. A red lumberjack shirt. Wait a second, I know that shirt. Isn't that—

Before I could even finish the thought, the bathroom door swung open and in walked Chad Dylan Cooper, wrapped in a terry cloth white towel, his hair still damp from the shower.

His eyes got big in a rare look of genuine surprise/shock/alarm. "Sonny?" His voice was as close to a squeak as I'd ever heard it.

I would've responded but I couldn't even swallow.

Note: I can't pin point exactly what inspired this, other than an itching feeling to write something for SWAC after "Fast Friends." I love Chad's Lumberjack shirt in that episode (talk about an unexpected wardrobe choice) and feel the need to write yet another story featuring it. :P I'm not slave to Chad's fashion, I promise. This will be a two-shot, I believe. I hope you liked it.

Anyway, tell me what you think. I know it's kind of random. It's actually the first first-person story I've written in a long while.

Have a fabulous weekend, all of you!