"I'm really nervous, aren't you?" I asked my best friend Natalie as we actually realised what we were about to do was happening. "Kind of, i'm glad to get away." She replied handing me my plane ticket. "Here." She added with a smile. I couldn't help but return it, I was so glad to be moving away too but it seemed unreal. Los Angeles? We'd planned on going on holiday there like two years ago but moving there? What were we thinking? I let the panic subside as we approached the check in desk.
"Morning ladies." The chirpy voice of the attendant went right through me as we boarded the plane. I groaned inwardly. This was going to be one long flight.
At least I have my best friend next to me who had tag teamed up with a pile of magazines, determined to get me through the 11 hour flight from London, Gatwick to LAX.
"Welcome to Hollywood." I breathed as we left the airport, the hot air came crashing down on us and I smiled, scrambling through my hangbag to find my sunglasses.
"These won't leave our faces now!" Natalie laughed as she donned hers too. We dragged the 6 cases we had between us to the taxi rank. Before we knew it we were driving down the highway with the windows rolled down.
"Oh my gosh, how much do you feel like we're on The Hills?" I asked as we pulled up outside our new apartment building.
It was ridiculous, it made us realise how overly priced our homes were back in England. "No, thats not our apartment...is it?" Natalie asked removing her sunglasses and gawking. I laughed.
"I think it is." I felt so proud to say so. "It is like, huge!?"
We couldn't have rushed toward the elevator more if we tried, struggling with our cases we fished the key from the envelope we'd picked up downstairs and I fumbled to get it in the door. As i pushed the door open I felt I was the one gawking now. In front of us was the most adorable apartment i'd ever seen. The marble surfaced kitchen, the white walls and cream and black furniture, and then the winding staircase.
"Home sweet home!" Natalie screeched and pushing her cases to the ground she kicked off her shoes and skipped up the stairs. I needed a moment alone to take it all in, i leant my cases against the wall and stood by the window. Looking down at the bustling streets I don't think i'd ever wanted to be anywhere else now...
***
"Your hair looks FINE!" I insisted as Natalie flattened it down for the twelfth time. The humidity did her no good.
"But its sooo frizzy!" She whined, putting yet more product on it.
"Well i'm going to wine and dine with the rich and famous, toodles!" I faked blowing her a kiss, tossed my hair back and sauntered towards the door.
"OKAY!" I heard her give in. "Coming Miss Jolie" She mocked.
***
"Ooh it looks good here, but its soooo busy, look at that queue!" I exclaimed as we got closer to the restaraunt in downtown Hollywood.
"Oh geez, I'm not waiting in that line." Natalie said and I nodded in agreement. Just as we were turning to leave we heard screams and shouting.
"What the-" Natalie asked as we spun round again.
It was papaparazzi and paparazzi equals fans, and fans equal a celebrity.
"Someones coming out, i so hope it's Joel and Nicole? Don't you? I'd love to see them..." Natalies voice continued on in the back of my mind but I focused on the person who was being hustled out. A boy, i could tell that much. Long hair.
"Do we know him?" I asked Natalie, the queen of all celebrity gossip.
"Oh, oh, that boy, from that tv show, i think?" She asked standing on her tiptoes just as the boys face broke into view. "Hannah Montana!"
"Thats not Hannah Montana!" I replied giving her the weirdest look. Seriously, that girl.
"No, you dummy, he's IN Hannah Montana." She told me, giving ME the weird look now.
"Ohh. I see." I blushed and tried to shrug it off by paying more attention to the boy. He smiled politely, signing autographs and waving at his fans as he came closer towards us. I caught his eye when he was closest to us and he held his Sharpie out as though to sign something. I felt myself blush more and then of course, I panicked.
"Oh no, sorry, i don't have anything, i was just, well, waiting, and..." I held my hands out apologetically and he smiled widely leaning towards me and hugging me.
He was pulled away briskly and I turned to Natalie. She was grinning widely.
"Ooo-kay, why did he just hug me?" I asked her. She laughed. "Cos you stood there with your arms out..." I shook my head. Weird. Lovely boy. And his aftershave did smell good. He hugged nice too.
"Aww, well that was nice, would've been nicer if he'd been Hugh Jackman, or Chace Crawford." Natalie went on as we wandered trying to find somewhere else to eat.
"It was strange. So embarassing, I expect he was so insulted that I admitted to not being a fan at his own appearance." I blushed as I recalled the events in my head.
"Oh please, you'll never see him again." Natalie said. I raised an eyebrow at her. "Probably, anyways, you never know." She added quickly. "Ooh McDonalds?"
I opened my mouth to protest and suggest somewhere a little more ..expensive? But then i realised how I'd trawled the streets of downtown Hollywood for long enough, wanted a burger and fries and didn't care whether it cost $20 or $3.
***
A week later, after fourteen long days of looking for collegesand trying to socialise around Hollywood, we'd been able to nab invites to our first ever friday night out in Hollywood. Okay, so it WAS a house party. But it was a house party in Toluca Lake, and from what Natalie had read about that in magazines and online, it was a pretty safe bet.
I'd packed so much from England that I was praying to find something suitable in my closet. I pulled out a short purple mini dress with a black waistbelt attached, i grabbed my silver gladiator heels and chucked them on. It looked half decent, I spose. I curled my hair hurredly and slapped on some make up.
I approved of my reflection in the full body mirror we'd put up in the hallway.
"Oh my gosh, i love your dress!" Natalie exlaimed. I blushed, why do i keep doing that? And said hers looked great too. She always did look amazing.
***
"Thank you!" We called to the taxi driver as he saluted us and sped off down the road. We gasped when we saw the house with blaring music and people all socialising outside the front all laughing. They smiled as we excused ourselves to get to the front door. We were greeted by Tyler, the guy Natalie had met when visiting a college and also whom she'd got along very well with. I smiled as I watched her kiss him on the cheek as a greeting. Aww. I could tell when she liked a guy, and this was definitely an example.
I was slightly grateful when Tyler took us forward to introduce us to some of his friends.
"These are the boys, sorry if they're a little rowdy, half of them aren't legal to be drinking yet either, but what the law doesn't know won't hurt them." He laughed. I glanced at Natalie and the look we shared meant that we were mutually agreeing not to let him know we were both only 18 too.
"Lauren and Natalie, meet..." He trailed off and I immediately forgot all the names of the ridiculously good looking boys in front of us. I think there was a Chris in there somewhere, maybe a Nick, but when Tyler came to the last name.
"and Mitchel." He added thumping the boy on the shoulder. The boy raised his hand. I recognised him immediately, he didn't seem to recognise me, which was absolutely fan-freaking-tastic! I smiled, relieved and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you." I mumbled and he pulled my hand toward him slightly, although his breath slightly smelt of beer that yummy scent of his aftershave overpowered it. "I remember you too." He whispered. I pulled back and forced a nervous laugh.
"Ha ha, oh yeah, me too!" I joked, but there it was again, my cheeks going red. Natalie had also noticed and nudged me. She leant closely making sure none of the boys had realised and whispered "thats him!" I nudged her back but slightly harder.