Author's note: Hey everybody! This is my new story I have been working on lately! Tell me what you think! I guess you could say that they main characters are based on Sonny and Chad a little bit off of SWAC, but I changed their names and the situation/location.

No flames, please, just comments and constructive criticism.

DISCLAIMER: If anything sounds unoriginal or based off of something, I apologize. It is not intentional. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 1

The white metal buildings of Carson High were painstakingly bright in the hot sun. The sun shone off of every building on campus enough to blind you. Jessica Kramer squinted her eyes and crinkled her nose in an attempt to be able to see. She pulled her wavy dark hair back into a high ponytail to keep it off of her neck. Her astonishing blue-green eyes glinted in the sun. Did it have to be sunny all of the time? Where were the clouds when you needed them? Her light skin almost appeared to reflect the sunlight too, but so did everyone's in this kind of weather.

Something unusual was happening, she noticed. She was heading towards the school's library for her seventh and final period, which was study hall. The library was attracting an unusual amount of traffic, which pretty much never happened. The library was not the ideal place for an average junior to spend their free-time. But then again, Jessica Kramer was not an average junior. She didn't party, she didn't socialize and talk in every class to the point of ridiculousness, she didn't use obscene language. She was what people called a 'goody-goody', but she was also what people called 'a loser' and 'antisocial'. She was always better keeping to herself. When her best friend was herself, no one gets hurt. When her best friend was herself, she never got hurt. If there was one thing Jessica Kramer was afraid of, it was getting hurt.

Another thing she noticed was that about 99.9% of the people heading towards the library were girls. But they weren't just girls. They were screaming girls; running and hysterical screaming girls. Jessica was eager to see what was going on, although she tried hard to keep her bored and shy disposition. As she headed up the steps to the large square building, she was nearly pushed over a multitude of times by girls trying to get into the library. The age groups ranged anywhere from freshman to seniors. Everyone was here. Jessica scowled. This was her one quiet place where she could be alone every day and now it was ruined. Great.

Jessica managed to push her way through the crowd of screaming girls to a free table. Even though the usual quiet was being ruined by shrieks and screams, she looked at her safe-haven with admiring eyes. The shelves were still the same. They were still a cherry wood that never had a particle of dust on it. The books were still orderly and neat. The soft, red, thin carpet was still spotless. Jessica smiled to herself. All that was missing was the quiet. The beautiful, beautiful quiet. She sighed and huffed at the people who were being unnecessarily rowdy. She wanted to read her special copy of The Call of the Wild.

Any stranger to Jessica would have assumed it was just a regular old book, but it wasn't; not at all. It was special to her. It used belong to her father before the accident; before he died. That was a dark day, and she never liked to think about it. She quickly redirected her mind to the story. She opened the book up to Chapter One. But just as she started to read about the St. Bernard and Scotland sheepdog mix, the screaming seemed to grow louder. She attempted to keep reading, but that wasn't working.

She glanced up from her book tentatively because she didn't want anyone to assume she was showing interest in this insane teenage girl craze. Jessica immediately noticed the majority of the girls screaming excitedly were popular. They wore short skirts and stilettos, she wore jeans and converse. There was a difference enough there to separate their social class.

Tried as she might, Jessica could not stay concentrated. It was too loud. The crowd of girls was too large for the librarian to quiet down. Jessica slammed her book shut in aggravation and crossed her arms. Her day was officially ruined. She might not be social, but she was still a teenage girl, which automatically made her a drama queen.

Well, she thought, if I can't read my book then I might as well see what the big fuss is about. Maybe it will be a little bit exciting.

Eventually, some of the screaming died down and the girls who were crowding the check out desk came rushing to the tables. The girls tried to sit in their chairs so hurriedly they nearly missed the chair and fell on the floor. They were squealing to themselves and their friends. Jessica stayed quiet and listened to their conversations.

"Oh my God, he is so hot!" Jessica heard a nearby blond girl squeal. "I am so glad the magazine finally came out!"

"Me too!" a friend gushed. "I have been waiting for the stupid library to order The Hollywood Scoop all year!"

"I know!" the blond girl said. "Especially when the story is on Drew Hitley."

They both sighed and squealed. They opened their magazines. Jessica saw the cover. It was pasted with all kinds of different pictures a charming guy with bright blue eyes. His dark blond hair was messy and slightly flipped out on the ends. He had a winning smile and a flirty disposition. The large yellow letters above his face read The Hollywood Scoop: this issue is dedicated to Drew Hitley!

"OMG Drew Hitley, steal my heart!" the girl's best friend sighed, pressing the magazine dramatically to her chest. "His eyes make me melt!"

Jessica had about heard enough. So it was all just about this superficial celebrity? Not nearly as exciting as she had hoped. The girls screamed extremely loud this time. The librarian gave them deathly looks, but they took no notice.

"I knew it!" screamed the blond. "I just knew it!"

"He was voted Hollywood's Hunkiest Heartthrob of the Year!" the best friend said excitedly. "I knew he'd make it! How could he not? He has the largest fan base out of all of the nominees, he is the hottest, and let's not forget he's been in three extremely successful movies: The Life and Times of Jackson Daniels, New Love, and Invasion Number 02."

Jessica had definitely had enough by now. God, she suddenly had a strong desire to puke. She transferred to another table, one that wasn't taken up by hundreds of screaming girls all reading about Drew Hitley. The only one was a small table beside the door. She pulled back out her copy of Call of the Wild and attempted to read. Her new method of distancing herself from the enemy worked temporarily, but then the screaming got louder as the girls discovered that the magazine had free posters.

God forbid a library to be quiet! Jessica thought sourly. After about forty more minutes of endurance, Jessica rushed out the door the second the bell rang. She purposely pushed against the Drew Hitley poster taped on the door with all of her might. She usually just ignored this guy, especially when he was on every magazine cover, but this was getting ridiculous! He was on every TV channel being interviewed, he endorsed everything you could possibly think of, and his poster was posted everywhere. It was like he was following her. His bright blue eyes followed you just like a painting. It might have made some girls scream in delight, but to Jessica it was just plain creepy.

Jessica rushed down the steps quickly and without looking up from the ground. By now the sun's rays had faded away and were replaced by depressing dark clouds. A warm breeze weaved it's way around the campus, taking care to try and knock over every student unfortunate enough to be outside. Jessica still kept her head down even though the wind blew mercilessly her way. Her dark waves were blown back, pulling the other way in protest, but she stood her ground. Not many things or many people could persuade Jessica to do things she didn't want to do. Jessica Kramer was, as her dad used to put it, "as stubborn as a mule."

She crossed her arms tightly as she made her way home. Lucky for her, her home was only a half mile away from the high school. It was usually an easy walk. Jessica lived in the fairly decent part of town, so she never really had to worry about being mugged or jumped. The neighborhood watchman was an extremely careful man, and he usually scared the living daylights out of anyone he encountered. He was yet another reason they never had crime there.

Officer Roulin of the Neighborhood Watch was not to be messed with. Known as a former Marine, he was in top physical condition and was good at thinking like a criminal did. With all of his experience, not many escaped his grasp once he decided to take control of the situation. Because if these reasons and many others, the minute he got the job as watchman Jessica decided to make friends. She was only fifteen at the time, but that didn't stop her from building up a long-time friendship.

In many ways, Officer Roulin was like Jessica's second father. Jessica's father had passed away when she was only twelve years old, but she remained strong and had tried not to cry when she could help it. She was trying not to show too much weakness, because that made life harder. Officer Roulin had taught her that. When she was younger and asked him what he thought she should be when she got older, he obviously replied, "A Marine! Go into the Marine Core! 'Best thing that ever happened to me." Somehow, though, Jessica could not picture herself as a Marine. She thought she would just stick to having a best friend who was a Marine, and he could just go ahead and do all of that hard work Marines had to do.

As Jessica walked up to the large welcoming sign that read Sweet Maples, she spotted the familiar watchman car beside the neighborhood's entrance. It blared it's siren unexpectedly, causing her to drop her bags and all of it's contents onto the ground. She clicked her tongue and bent down to pick up her belongings.

The passenger door opened and a heavy army boot touched the ground. Officer Roulin stepped out of the car with a chuckle. He had a deep, booming voice. Nevertheless, it was kind. He ran a hand through his short and bristly hair. His eyes twinkled with childlike merriment.

"Very funny," Jessica huffed. "Very mature."

"Oh, come on," Officer Roulin said, "It was just a joke."

"A joke that made me drop all of my books," said Jessica.

"You always have been gullible," Officer Roulin said. "Cut me a break. I have been sitting here all day without anything exciting to happen. I needed a laugh."

"Glad I could amuse you."

"What's wrong with you, Jessie?"

Jessica looked around quickly. The wind made a couple of leaves crackle nearby, and Jessica nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Don't call me Jessie! Someone could have heard you!"

"Why don't you want people to call you Jessie?"

"Because," Jessica began sadly, "that was kind of my dad's thing. For some reason, if someone else calls me that, it just sets me off." It brought back painful memories Jessica would do anything not to remember.

Officer Roulin bit his lip. She had told him this before.

"Sorry," he apologized. "But seriously, what's wrong?"

Jessica was still picking her belongings up off of the ground. She picked up Call of the Wild quickly, hugging it to her chest. She showed the cover of the book to him.

"Couldn't read in the library today," said Jessica.

"What?" Officer Roulin asked, creases forming on his forehead. "I thought the library at your school was always quiet. You told me the librarian was like a shark."

"Yeah, well, she had a few more people than she could swallow today," Jessica said sourly. "I just haven't had a very good day. Sorry if I take it out on you, but I just really need to go home."

"No problem, don't worry about it," Roulin shook his head. He patted her on the back. "You go home and get some rest. Sorry about the siren."

"It was a boring day, don't beat yourself up about it," Jessica sighed. With that, she turned and walked home.

Jessica sat down on her couch and studied the note in her hand. Once again, her mother was still at work, and she had just left a note on the kitchen counter.

Jessica,

Sorry, honey, but I have to stay at work late again today. I won't be home before you get to bed. I left $25 on the counter. Order a pizza.

Love you,

Mom

Jessica's mother was a very careless woman to say the least, and she wasn't the most responsible, either. While her father was still alive, he seemed to be able to keep her on her feet. Ever since he had passed away, her mother seemed to slowly be falling apart. Jessica's parents had been madly in love, and her mother hadn't taken it very well. The only reason Jessica was able to hold her mother together was because she had Officer Roulin to act as a father-like figure.

Ever since he had died, Ms. Kramer had been slipping at work, she was late on paying bills, and half of the time Jessica had to file the taxes. As much as she hated to think it, Jessica knew exactly what her mother needed. She needed a husband.

Of course, Mom, Jessica thought, I'll just eat pizza tonight. Again. For the fourth night in a row. I'm just ordering take-out.

Jessica got the television remote and turned on the TV. Once again, she was relying on television to take her away from this ridiculous world that was her reality.

A young female reporter's face flickered onto the screen and her sweet voice sounded excited.

"With me today," gushed the reporter, "I am lucky enough to have booked Drew Hitley. He is probably one of the hottest names in Hollywood right now, and he has one of the largest fan bases our records show." She turned and the camera's angle widened, revealing Drew standing proudly beside her. "So, Mr. Hitley, can you explain to us how wonderful it must feel for your fame to be growing at such an alarming rate?"

"Please, call me Drew," he smiled. His smile was charming and full of self-confidence. Or would you call that self-admiration? "I must admit, being only seventeen years old and having one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood is extremely satisfying." He adjusted his coat. "I mean, it's become pretty obvious that everyone loves Drew Hitley."

"And that's the last of the commentary coming from the extremely humble Drew Hitley," Jessica said, rolling her eyes. Could this guy be any more full of himself? She quickly changed the channel. And, much to her surprise, the next channel was doing a story on no one other than Drew Hitley. A charming picture of him winking at the camera appeared on the screen. "I'll give you credit, Drew, you're extremely cute, but you have the biggest head I have ever seen," Jessica shook her head. She already knew practically every other channel would be the same as the last two, so she just cut off the television and ordered take-out.

* * *

"Wake up!" screamed Rachael Sanderson. "Wake up! This is important!"

The sleepy celebrity didn't move on the comfortable leather couch. He groaned and shooed her away with his hand.

"Come on, Mr. Big Shot, get up!" Rachael continued to scream. "This is crucial!"

A muffled voice came from couch. "Rachael, just because you're my manager doesn't mean you can just strut in here and interrupt me."

"Interrupt what? Your beauty sleep?"

"Exactly."

"Well, according to you, you don't need beauty sleep."

"I know. But still, I'm tired."

"I know. But still, this is important. It has to do with your image."

Drew Hitley shot up from the couch, now very much awake. His blue eyes were wide. His dirty blond hair was messy.

"What about my image?" Drew asked, straightening up his clothes.

"No, not how you look."

"I should have known."

"I mean your press."

"What's wrong with my press?" he demanded. "I already know that I have the largest fan base around. I already know that I was voted Hollywood's Hunkiest Heartthrob. What else can there be?"

"This is bad. This is bad press."

Rachael shoved a magazine towards his face. Rachael was a severe woman who never put up with anything. Her thin lips were pursed so much that her mouth was just a thin line. Her short brown hair was thin and stringy, although you could tell it had been worked on as much as possible. Her bony finger pointed towards the magazine.

"Yeah, I know, I'm on the cover. What else is new?"

"Look at the article, Drew!" Rachael yelled. "Look at page 43! Look at it!"

With a scowl, Drew turned to page 43. He spotted his own handsome picture winking at him next to an article. His scowl deepened as he read the title.

Drew Hitley: Hunky or Flunky?

If you say the name 'Drew Hitley' to anyone, they instantly know who you are talking about. There is almost no one who hasn't seen his hit movies, and there is no girl in the country who wouldn't want to be his girlfriend. But believe it or not, there is something wrong with this hunk. Or should we say, flunk?

We got the tip from an insider who is close to Drew Hitley . We cannot say names, because the source has asked to stay anonymous. When we asked how Drew spent is free-time, the answer was partying.

"When Drew isn't being interviewed, shooting a movie, or at a premiere, he completely goofs off," spills our source. "He completely ignores all of his studies. He doesn't try to excel academically. All he cares about is partying when he isn't 'working'."

When we asked our secret source why they felt this issue was so important, they answered,

"Well, if Hitley can't take his grades seriously, how can you expect him to take anything seriously? I mean, if you think about it, what other options does he have if this celebrity thing ends up not working out? That's right, he doesn't have any other options. He wouldn't be able to get a job anywhere decent like a normal teenager his age. His grades are horrible! And when he gets older, how much do you think a director would want to hire and work with an uneducated idiot? They wouldn't. If he can't take his grades seriously, he can't take himself seriously. And if he can't take himself seriously, then he can't take anything seriously. And that includes his job."

How will all of Drew's fans react to this? When confronted with this question, our source just snorted.

"I hope his fan base drops dramatically. It's what he deserves. All he cares about is girls, parties, and his image. He doesn't spend any time trying or making an effort. He spends all of the time winking at his reflection in the mirror. It's sick."

Well, that's all we thought was appropriate to put into this article. Do you believe this source? Do you disagree? What are the statistics? Here they are:

Agree: 45% Disagree: 55%

Maybe after seeing this article, Mr. Heartthrob Hitley will take his grades a little more seriously. We are still awaiting a statement from Drew's manager. It will be in next week's issue.

Drew closed the magazine and handed it back to Rachael.

"Well," Drew began, so shocked he almost couldn't think, "What are you going to say?"

"What can I say?" Rachael fumed. "How disappointed I am? How you promised not to give the press anything to complain about? How this is the very first piece of sleaze that's come out on you? I don't know what to say! The magazine wants a statement by this afternoon!"

"It's about my grades," Drew said a little guiltily. "I didn't know that the press cared about grades."

"Drew, Drew, Drew," Rachael shook her head, "Haven't you realized it by now? The press cares about anything that makes you look bad, even if it is a little thing like your grades. But you know, as much as I hate to say it, that secret source was right. Your grades will affect you in the long run."

Drew looked shocked at this news.

"Yeah, that's right, superstar, you're not perfect."

"Why can't you do damage control or something?"

"What do you expect me to do? This is about grades! If it was a rumor about a celebrity girlfriend, we could pay her manager to say whatever we wanted them to say. If it was about you and someone getting into a fight, once again, all it would take is some money to shut them up. What are we supposed to do about grades, send you to a public school?"

Rachael ran her hand through her stringy hair, causing it to look worse than before. Then her face lit up. She fumbled with her pager as she pulled it hurriedly out of her pocket. She quickly sent a message to someone and they responded. A smile spread across her face, or at least you'd think you could call it a smile.

"What? What is it?" Drew asked.

"That's it," Rachael laughed. "That's it!"

"What's it? Wait... don't tell me..."

"Yes, yes, yes," she nodded, "it's perfect! It's too perfect! I am a genius!"

"I'm going to a..... a....."

"Public school!" Rachael laughed a little madly. "You're going to a public school! Oh, yeah, I'd love to see the look on that secret source's face now! Oh, this won't only be damage control, this will be heaven for your image! I can see the headlines now: Drew Hitley: Down to Earth, Down to School. Oh, or maybe Drew Hitley: Celebrity Scholar! Oh, this is too good!"

"I... I... no way! I am not going to a public school! Normal kids go there! Gross kids go there!"

"All the kids that are your fans go there! Now you get to get close and personal with all of your fans."

Drew made a face that looked like he was about to puke. Rachael sighed in exasperation.

"And," she added, "most of them will be hot girls." She knew the magic words.

"Well," Drew smiled, his usual swagger returning, "I can't deny the ladies what they want. But besides the girls, how do you expect me to survive there?"

"You'll muddle through."

"Have you talked to my mom?"

"Ask anyone in this business," Rachael said, still smiling her insane smile, "Manager trumps Mother any day, kid." With that as the last word, she marched out of Drew's trailer in satisfaction.