I know… I'm starting another story already. I felt bad, because I decided to discontinue Outlaw due to the story not really going anywhere… but I think I have an idea for this story now. It's going to be much more structured, and I hope more sophisticated and serious. I somehow want to segway into more serious fandoms such as TheHunger Games (hint, hint ;D… but don't worry, I'll still write Channy!), and not only will this be good practice, but also a good new story for Sonny and Chad.

So, I give you… Just For The Cameras! Hope you enjoy it!

~.~.~.~.~.~

Sonny's POV

"Hurry, Sonny, we're going to be on soon!" Tawni chirps at me from backstage while applying a fresh coat of Coco Moco Coco on her lips and making sure the rest of her make-up was camera-ready. "There are only two more times we're doing this, one of them being tonight! It has to be perfect!"

"I'll be there in just a sec! I promise!" I plead while gulping down the remains of my Coke to help me stay awake. Hastily, I unwrap some bubblegum, plop it in my mouth and chew rapidly while reading the cheesy joke on it, not bothering to find the slightest bit of amusement in it.

"We've got thirty seconds!" Tawni says again, forcing me into a short period of panic. "Nico's almost said his closing line!"

"Okay, okay!" I quickly spit the gum back in its wrapper and throw it in the large, black bin of garbage. Not able to find my brush, I comb through my hair with my fingers. "I'm ready now!" I say as I stumble into position next to my best friend who's breathing heavily and unevenly.

"Ten seconds…" she barely gets out the words.

"It'll be okay, Tawni," I assure her.

"Eight… seven… six…"

Tawni bites her lip and closes her eyes, as if she's trying to accept the fact that it's time: So Random!'s fourth season finale. It's miraculous that the show has survived as long as it has, as our audience is decreasing and outgrowing us. Even more amazing, the studio has decided to give us one more year, a fifth season, to wrap things up for good. One year to decide what we're going to do for the rest of our lives. One year to get our affairs in order, and leave the life we've had for almost one-fourth of our existence.

Moving on is probably what's best for all of us, but the problem is, So Random! has been all we've had. As desperate as I am to move on, I really don't have much of a plan to survive after this. I suppose I should be out there, auditioning for new parts and roles, but the thought dawns on me: Is acting really what I want to do for the rest of my life? Force myself into another situation similar to the one I've been aching to get out of?

So I can see where Tawni is coming from and why she's so nervous. In fact, the rest of our cast has a similar feeling. It seems as if there's a giant alarm clock upon us, and in just one more short year, it will ring furiously, and that's when we will know that our time is up.

Five more seconds. I use this as the opportunity to at least try to comfort Tawni. "We'll make it through, Tawni."

"Make it through what?" Tawni tries to play dumb, but isn't very convincing. She knows very well what I mean as we're in the same situation.

I take her hand and gently squeeze it, hoping to be comforting. "I promise."

Tawni knows me too well to yank away. She sides of her lips slightly curve upwards, almost a smile if you can call it that, and she nods as if she's thanking me and I accept it. Suddenly, Tawni's slight smile blossoms into a radiant one, showing her dazzling white teeth. But it's not pure: it's forced. And that's how I know it's time.

The announcer's voice booms and echoes throughout the stage. "Give it up for… the cast of So Random!" That's our cue.

Tawni and I walk out to the stage where we meet Nico, Grady, and Zora, as they did the previous sketch. The multi-colored lights are almost blinding, and would stun me if I weren't used to them. Their brilliance beams on me, and tells me that the public is watching. I can't let my fear show, or my unnatural nervousness, or anything of the sort. Instead, I plaster a wide smile on my face and look out into the small live audience.

"So how'd you like tonight's show?" Grady starts off, bursting with excitement. The weak applause of the small live audience is drowned by the recording of a previous, more successful episode's cheers. Again, it's a pure miracle that we're still standing here.

"Yeah, that's what we wanna hear!" Nico jumps, which earns more fake-applause. "Great show, great show!"

"And more to come!" Tawni's preppy voice is now heard. "Haha, we can't wait to start up the new season in a few weeks, and make it an unforgettable one!"

It will be an unforgettable one, alright. I think to myself. Not to mention the last.

"Get ready for new sketches, crazy characters, and more randomness!" I laugh with excitement. "We are SO pumped, you can't imagine!"

It's now Zora's turn to talk, to close the show. At the tender age of sixteen, when I was just starting out, she seems like another sister, as Tawni is to me. She's put away her childish things, such as gnomes and the sarcophagus, and as for the vents, she can't exactly fit into them anymore. I guess she couldn't be eleven forever, but to be only sixteen and to have the same fear of how we're going to survive after the show, I feel bad. The rush of things have caused her to grow up too fast, to not live her childhood to the fullest. To make matters worse, she's probably stronger than the rest of us combined. Drowned in my own thoughts, I barely hear her when she says, "Good night everybody!"

Instinctively, I wave and continue to smile no matter how much my cheeks start to hurt. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nico take off his hat and bow, Grady with his signature childish wave, Tawni blowing a kiss to the camera, and Zora's wave. It's only a matter of time before the curtain falls, and our cast exits backstage.

"Great job guys," I say, praising them, but it's hard to sound so excited. One more season, and we'll be gone, if not forgotten already. "One more year."

"One more year," Nico echoes my words.

"It'll all be good though," I try to raise spirits, as that's what I'm known to do, but like everyone else, I just don't know what to do anymore.

Grady still has a childish charm, but even his voice is slightly serious when he talks. "How about some pizza?"

Everyone grins when they hear this. "There better be some pineapple on it!" I say in a sing-song voice.

Nico fake-sighs, "Okay, okay, fine, we'll get you your own pizza."

"Pineapple is good!" I argue playfully. "Have some taste."

Tawni laughs lightly, "Sonny, you always had questionable taste."

I scoff but smile when I say, "Love you too, Tawni."

"Awh! I love me too!" she jokes around.

We're all laughing as Zora is one step ahead of us, making reservations at our favorite pizza place which seems to be the favorite of many other Californians, in which reservations are necessary. The tradition is still going: having pizza after every show, however we usually order it from the local Pizza Hut and make small talk while eating. Actually going out to eat is like reliving the past where we couldn't care less. And we like it like that.

I smile and sigh at the thought of past pizza nights from years ago, until I'm interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. Marshall. At first I think that he's going to congratulate us on wrapping everything up for this second to last season, but I'm wrong.

"Sonny, Mr. Condor wants you on his office." His voice is quiet, which makes me nervous. But I refuse to get too discouraged so easily.

"Surely it can wait?" I usually wouldn't say this, because it's regarding Mr. Condor, but… "It's Pizza Night. We're going out to eat tonight. And we just got done with the show's fourth finale."

"He insists."

"Am I in trouble?"

"By no means."

"Then why-?"

Tawni, who had obviously been eavesdropping, interrupts me. "Sonny, you should probably go. It's Mr. Condor. Pizza Night can wait. We'll wait for you." The rest of the cast nods, but I don't want to be one to ruin their fun.

"You're right Tawn, it's Mr. Condor, I have to go," I say. "But don't wait for me, I'll catch up later."

"You sure?" she asks.

"Positive."

I watch as the rest of the cast jumps and whoops out of the stage on their way to the parking lot, just like old times. I look at Marshall. "So what's up, exactly?" I ask, wide-eyed.

Marshall just shrugs. "I have honestly no idea, kid. No idea."

I smile at being called 'kid'. "Well, thanks then," I say. "I guess I'll go now. You gonna come with?"

"Eh, I'm just gonna stay here and reminisce," he decides, then looks me in the eye. "One more year, kid. One more year."

I breathe in deeply. "Right."

That's the last word I say before I walk out of the stage, headed to my boss's office.

~.~.~

"But you can't do that!" I hear a husky voice almost yell on the other side of the door. It's too familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on who it is. Because of the suspicion, I can't help but lean in closer to hear what's happening. "You can't make her do that!"

"People do this all the time," another male voice insisted, full of power and authority. It must be Mr. Condor. "And it's not like you've never done it before."

"But it was all for publicity! I never actually thought of those people so intimately!" the familiar voice argued. "And they were so Hollywood, they thirsted for publicity, they were so… so… fake! They weren't always like that, but that's what Hollywood did to them! I don't need for that to happen to her! Only someone as selfish as yourself would suggest such an idea!"

"Pardon me? You very well you know why I'm asking this of you," Mr. Condor snaps. "If I were in my right mind at the moment, I would have you fired right now."

"I didn't mean—" the voice starts with apology, but pauses and tries to start again. "With all due respect sir, but by doing this, you're tearing up her innocence. I don't want her to turn into something that she obviously isn't."

"Damn it, you've loved her for God knows how long. When you broke up, you used to mope around, you used to threaten to hurt yourself, drinking yourself sick—"

"I'm of the age," the voice shoots back.

"Not at the time you weren't," my boss strikes back at him. "Screw the publicity. That wasn't healthy PERIOD. I'm trying to help you."

"She BROKE me," the voice attacks. "I can't go back to that."

"It wasn't just you who was hurt. She practically stopped living when you were gone!" my boss points out. "Getting back together with her, even if it's fake, won't hurt a fly!"

"Me!" the other voice explodes. "It'll hurt me! And her! No matter what happens, she'll always be the girl that broke my heart. And even then, I can still love her with all of the tiny pieces."

"Do you still feel that way?"

There are ten incredibly long seconds of silence. But the voice uneasily responds, "Absolutely not, sir."

"Then this can't hurt anyone," Mr. Condor muses.

"Are you not listening? God forbid that I ever go into heartbreak again, do you want a rerun of that?" the voice spats with poison. "And even if she doesn't hurt me first, then I know that in some way, somehow, I will hurt her without meaning to. If it still doesn't happen then, I just know that the press will destroy her. She's just a child!"

"She's twenty-one," my boss points out.

"With no experience," the voice snaps aggressively. From what I've heard so far, I assume that he must be a fellow worker at the studio. It's so familiar: the way one of his sentences flow into another makes you think he's reading off a script, which shows his experience in the business. However, I know no one who'd have the guts to talk this way to his boss and manage to not be killed yet.

"Then this'll benefit her with experience then! Did you think she was going to stay so pure for so long? She's an actress in Hollywood. You need to understand that this is a dog-eat-dog world. Surely, she'd have to be exposed to something like this eventually!" my boss tries to make a point.

"This'll crush her: the gossipers, the bloggers, the sick, sleazy paparazzi with their stupid stories trying to make a buck or two!" the voice rises in volume to the point where he's screaming, and it almost scares me, but I still listen attentively. "When they're on you every second of the fucking day and you can't do shit about it, so you change yourself to be press-ready so much that you can't even look in the mirror and say that that's the real fucking you!"

"Language!" my boss scolds sharply at the same volume, then continues normally in a much calmer tone. "She is an adult and is perfectly capable of controlling herself, and look at how long she's been here and hasn't let this town change her a bit. Even if it changes her, it'll be for the better, I bet. She'll be perfectly normal, just like everyone else in Hollywood."

"I don't want her to turn into 'everyone else in Hollywood'! I want her to be herself. I don't want her to become some selfish, ignorant snob that doesn't care about anyone or anything else… like… like…" the voice pauses, struggling to find the right word, and when it does, bursts with a conclusion. "Me! I don't want her to turn into ME. She'll be ruined just like all the other sluts in Hollywood."

"Name one example of when something like this happened," he challenges.

"Remember Marta? Two year fake relationship and she thought otherwise? Now that she's out of jail for attempted murder, I've heard she's found herself a way into prostitution," the anonymous voice says in a way that shows his point clearly. "I refuse to have any part in this little set-up you want. I refuse to take that risk."

"That's different. She didn't know it was fake."

"You're right. If she knew it was fake, it'd probably be worse," the husky voice pointed out.

More silence.

Mr. Condor sighs heavily. "I see where you're getting at, but let's face it. Ratings and viewers have been down for quite some time now, and continue to plummet. I should have very well fired you months ago, but I didn't have the heart to."

"I'm not seeing how my lack of viewers is relating to your little proposal."

"What I'm saying is that your show was at its highest when you were with her. Not Marta. Not Chastity. But her. And hell, if it can happen again, we'll be back on top in no time!" he claps. "This whole forbidden romance thing was great, and if I do say so myself, you two made a great couple."

When the other voice ceases to respond, Mr. Condor continues. "Look. Your show is on its last leg. And in five, ten, fifteen years, you know you're not going to be here. But as for right now, you have no idea what the hell you're going to do to be useful after this."

"I'm looking for more acting jobs. I auditioned for some upcoming movies… I think that's the best way to go."

"And have you been hired?"

"…Not yet, sir."

Mr. Condor sighs again. "The season finale for your show is in three months. An eleventh season is anything but guaranteed, but you know it's essential to have one if you want to be safe. If you can do this publicity stunt for just long enough to get your future planned out, it'll boost both of your careers and get you on the right path! How can you pass up such an opportunity? With her, you're alluring and fascinating… something no one has thought of you for years!"

"She broke up with me because of my stupidity. It's all MY fault. But she's the one that made me crumble in the end! I was stupid to think that she could ever be right for me. She made me weak and blinded!" the voice cries out.

"She caused a spark of interest that has caused the inferno it did years ago. We're talking fan sites, fan pages, blogs… dedicated to just you two. Ratings skyrocketed, you were getting acting jobs left and right, she was getting as much attention as you were… why not rekindle the fire?"

"…Before agreeing to anything, I want to hear her opinion first."

"And if she agrees?"

There's another silence.

Finally, the other voice speaks again, his voice heavy and unsure. "Fine then. But just for the cameras."

"Just for the cameras. I guess now we just need the agreement from her." Mr. Condor agrees, but I still don't know what he's talking about. "Miss Munroe, would you care to join us?"

The sound of my name sends a chill through my spine. Had I been caught eavesdropping? Had I moved or made a sound? Being so intrigued in the conversation, I hadn't been paying much attention to what I do self-cautiously. I straighten my back, as I had been leaning against the wall near the door, and shyly turn the door knob to let myself into the dimly lit office.

As I walk into the room, I know exactly what to expect: the polished hard wood floors, the hand woven rug in the center of the room, the wood carvings and murals on each wall, the priceless chandelier hanging from the ceiling, even the marble gargoyle-like sculptures on each side of Mr. Condor's glossy mahogany desk. It's plain to see that money is no object in the eyes of the head of the studio. But that's not what gave the room its character. It was the lack of windows in the room that was quite terrifying, like a prison cell. And with the only light source being a dainty, antique lamp in the corner of the desk, you had every right to be mortified. In other words, the room matches Mr. Condor's personality quite well: rich, powerful, and very intimidating.

But it's not just the room or Mr. Condor that makes me feel queasy. As Mr. Condor gestures for me to take a seat in the vacant, red velvet chair on the other side of the desk, I notice a person sitting in the other chair next to mine. It's the owner of the voice that had been talking to my boss. It's the set of ocean blue eyes that lock on me when I step foot in the room. And the one person I've been trying like hell to get out of my mind for years.

My ex-boyfriend, Chad Dylan Cooper.

Realization suddenly strikes, and I can't believe I didn't figure it out before. The talk of publicity, lack of viewers, the fan sites, the blogs, the heartbreak, the way 'she' practically stopped living when he was gone… I know Mr. Condor's plan. He knows I know. Yet I wait for him to tell me, on the slight chance that I'm wrong. But in a few moments, my suspicions are confirmed.

"What do you think about having a fake relationship with Chad?"

~.~.~.~.~.~

So… what'd you think? Tell me by reviewing below, because I really want to hear your opinions about this! It really helps me learn and grow as a writer, and I would love to have everyone voice their thoughts and help me AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! I have a pretty good feeling about this so far… it's just so different. It's a much more serious story than my other ones, and my first multi-chapter that takes place AFTER the relationship, rather than before.

Again, thanks so much for reading! And Merry Christmas! :D