Hollywood Blonde Chapter 1

Zoey's POV

I had been out of PCA for four years and now I was graduating from The California School of Performing Arts. I had my first big movie gig that started next week. My stared out into the sea of parents that were here to see their beloved artistic children graduate college. I could pull Dustin, my mom, and dad out of the group, because most of the people weren't blonde. In fact almost everyone here didn't like me because I was blonde. They thought I was just some soul sucking she-witch that would turn on them the first chance I got.

"Zoey Brooks!" The man on the podium called out, making both my parents jump up, and clap extremely loud.

I blushed fiercely as I walked across the stage, shook the man's hand and all the other administrators hands as well. I seriously wanted some germ-x when I got off that stage. After getting my diploma, I sat and waited for another hour and a half, while I watched everyone that had never talked to me cross the stage. When finally the man called out Zane Wimble, who was the last name in our class.

I got up immediately and went over to my parents and hugged them tightly before going to hug little Dustin, who was now in college too, but was also much taller than me. He'd grown his golden blonde hair out, and it now covered most of his eyes, and was in a surfer-esque haircut. He's learned to dress better, and had gotten some muscles when he learned to surf.

"I can't believe how grown up you are, baby brother!" I squealed hugging him tightly for a few minutes before he started squirming around.

"I am not a baby!" He answered finally, sticking his tongue out at me, which just made me laugh.

"Sure, sure, squirt." I replied as we began walking back to the car.

I'd packed everything in my dorm over the last few weeks, and yesterday my dad had rented a small moving truck to haul it all back to the house. So, because of that we left the college grounds immediately, and I felt relieved. As much as I had loved the school grounds, and how pretty they were, I'd never quite fit in. And after the tight group I'd had at PCA, it was weird having barely any friends.

I sighed as I watched the green grounds and pretty gothic buildings disappear from view. Dustin looked over at me, and raised his eyebrows, he knew how much I didn't fit in, and probably was wondering why I was sighing I just shook my head as if to say it didn't matter.

"So Zoey, are you excited to see all your old friends?" My dad asked from the front seat of the car.

"What?" I asked, making it clear that I had no idea what he was talking about.

"I thought we told you…? We're having a party tomorrow for that little group you used to be in when you were at PCA!" My mother answered, turning around and beaming a smile at me.

"Uhm…which friends?"

"Zoe, you know, Michael, Logan, Nicole, Quinn, Lola, we even found Dana!" Dustin exclaimed from beside me, but left off the one name I'd been thinking of since dad first said anything.

I turned to Dustin and lowered my voice "You mean no Chase?"

"Well, uhm…actually…" He began.

"Oh, Dustin, you forgot about those two boys Zoey used to date, uhm… Chase and James? I think that's their names! You remember them?" My mother said smiling at me again.

"Oh, yeah, I remember them." I answered, thinking back to what had happened years ago.

I was packing up the final touches I'd put on my room way back when I'd first moved in when both James and Chase came in.

"You have to choose Zoey!" James screamed from where he stood beside Chase glaring at him.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You have to choose one of us before we all leave! You strung us along for long enough!" Chase answered.

"You're both my friends, what's to choose between…?"

"Zoey, we're both in love with us, and you've been stringing us both along since I came back from England. But then you decided we were better as friends."

"I can't choose between the two of you…" I answered, looking extremely hurt, and wondering what kind of friends would come to me like this and try and make me do this in front of them.

"Are you serious?" James screeched out.

"Yes, you both mean so much to me and-"

"Just forget it Zoe." James answered walking out.

Chase looked at me for another moment and I tried to reason with him "Chase, you understand right? I mean-"

"Just save for someone who'll care Zoe, and take care of yourself okay?" He walked out the room slowly after that, his shoulders slumped, and I watched him walk back to his dorm from the window, and I could almost swear I saw tears.

At our graduation ceremony neither of them would look at me, and because I'd hurt Chase, Michael wouldn't talk to me, and Logan gave me the cold shoulder because he and James had gotten kind of close over the years. He called it the 'pretty boy bond'.

I sudden jolting halt awoke me from my memory, and I sighed. "So when exactly is this party?" I asked wondering how long I had until my life would be over, again.

"Tomorrow afternoon, however Nicole, Lola and Quinn flew in early, and will be here in an hour or so."

"Alright." I answered hopping out of the car and running to the front door.

I threw the door open, and ran inside, up the stairs, and down the hall to my familiar bedroom. Everything was just as I'd left it. The walls, a light blue, and the comforter was a beach scene with pretty waves and the carpet was a soft, sandy color. I sighed and fell onto to the face first, crying into my pillow until I heard the door creak open.

"I tried to tell them not to invite either of those guys, but they wouldn't listen. Kept talking about how everything was different now because you had all grown up, and changed." Dustin said, walking into my room, and falling onto the plush blue chairs in my room.

"I just-"I started before Dustin jumped up.

"Nicole!" He raced forward to hug a brunette girl who was standing in my doorway.

Dustin and Nicole had been dating for a few years, and Nicole still made him nervous and clumsy every time he saw her. I thought it was extremely cute, but Nicole just laughed it off.

"Zoey!" She screeched falling onto the bed beside me, "so you found out?"

"Yeah, on the way home. I just can't believe that my parents wouldn't even ask me about anything, or at least listen to Dustin when he told them not to invite James and Chase." I sighed into my pillow, "But let's not dwell on this, let's go swimming!" I screamed and jumped off, and went into my closet to find a bathing suit.

An hour later, Nicole, Quinn, Lola and me were out on the porch swimming. And just hanging out. It was pure bliss to be back with such great friends.

A/N: I know, no ZxC in this chapter, but the next one he'll be there! But I'll only continue if you guys want me to.