Fame Game
Disclaimer: I do not own Hollywood Heights or any characters mentioned in this story. The title is taken from the Fame Game series by Lauren Conrad.
Four best friends. Four different career paths. All trying to make it in the city of dreams.
Loren Tate rolled her eyes at her three best friends as she set her suitcase down. Melissa Sanders, Adriana Masters, and Chloe Carter were taking selfies, more so of each other than the room itself, the minute they stepped into their brand new apartment. Well technically it was Loren and Melissa's place, Chloe and Adriana were rooming together right across the hall from them. It was the four of them against the world.
Loren, Melissa, and Adriana had all graduated from West Valley Charter School and finally moved out of their parents' houses. Chloe had been booking modeling jobs for over a year now, leaving her family behind in Fresno for just as long.
"We still have to get furniture in here but once we do it's going to look amazing," Melissa told her boyfriend Adam via FaceTime. Adam was a freshman at Berkeley. He was the only one around them who was actually going to college. Loren was interning at a recording studio. Melissa was hoping to score a job with a major film lot where Adriana just so happened to score a lead role in one of the newest CW shows. Chloe was a professional model booking jobs left and right.
"Can you believe we finally made it?" Chloe squealed in excitement which was rare for her. She was never one to get overexcited. About anything.
"Well, you've already made it. The rest of it, however, have not." Loren was quick to point out, slightly rolling her eyes.
"Not yet anyway," Adriana interjected. "I do have my first day on set Monday though."
"You were born to be an actress Aid. You do lie to your dad all the time." Chloe retorted as Loren and Melissa snickered in the background.
It was true. Aid was notorious for telling her dad what he wanted to hear but doing the exact opposite. She dated the guy who was the most likely to get a rise out of the great Don Masters and was seemingly always throwing house parties left and right. Her boyfriend just so happened to be Mel's brother which only brought the two girls closer together. At first, she only started dating Phil to make Don mad, but they fell for each other after a mere few months of dating into their sophomore year. They had been together ever since.
Chloe was now typing away feverishly, probably to her boyfriend Tyler. They had been together for over a year and with the amount of time they spent together, everyone was betting on when they would finally just settle down. Tyler and Phil practically lived across the hall as well, without the whole paying rent thing.
"Maybe this will be the year Loren joins the rest of us and finally gets a boyfriend." And just like that the door swung open and in walked Tyler and Phil. Shining examples of how lucky her two friends were at finding significant others. Loren made a gagging noise as the two blondes embraced their dark-haired boy toys. Melissa puckered her lips at her own boyfriend, no matter how many miles away their relationship was at the moment.
All these happy couples made Loren want to slam her head in a car door. Is this how it would be from now on? Three happy couples and their seventh wheel Loren. The brunette shuddered at the thought.
"Can all the happy couples please get out of my sight?"
"Okay mopey." Aid rolled her eyes in a playful manner before turning towards her boyfriend. "Hey, you wanna help me run lines? And then maybe I can show you my favorite room in the apartment: the bedroom." Phil smirked at his girlfriend's words, wearing a grin matching her own, practically taking the suitcase from her hands and picking up a box as well.
"What Aid said." Chloe was quick to turn on her heel, dragging Tyler out behind her as the two couples made their way across the hall.
Loren let out a sigh of relief as Melissa swung an arm around her shoulder. "We need to go out and do something. Two single gals out on the town."
"One single gal and one very taken gal with a boyfriend that happens to be six hours away." Loren raised an eyebrow in her best friend's direction.
"Details, details." Mel waved a hand in a dismissive manner.
"Chloe should let us in on her club hoping style."
Their blonde friend always did know where the coolest clubs were.
"You think you can help me start unpacking a bit first? Make this place look a little more and presentable?" Loren was more eager to unload some of the boxes currently taking up space in what was supposed to be their living quarters. If only Melissa shared that sentiment.
"Fine."
An hour later the girls and their boyfriends were squeezing out of a cab and into the closest nightclub they found. It was short notice after all and quite packed for a Saturday night, but luckily Chloe a managed to get them into one after all.
Chloe and Tyler were making out at the bar. It was well past midnight and they were still going at it.
"You guys need anything? Like a room of your own? You have one actually, why don't you go there? Or go to Tyler's?" Melissa exclaimed, wanting nothing more than to throw her heels at them to break them apart.
Chloe stopped kissing Tyler for a second in order to properly stick her tongue out at Mel. "Don't you have a computer screen to kiss?" Melissa held her hands up in defense and turned back to her drink.
Aid and Phil were swaying to the music in the corner, but even from the corner of her eye, Loren could tell they were a tad tipsy. Adriana more than Phil, she had always been a lightweight. Not even ten minutes lately Adriana's rather loud voice was heard from the corner of the bar.
"Where are we going sexy?" Phil was practically holding her up by the waist as she pouted.
"Home. I'm taking you home to tuck you into bed." Phil replied. "Looks like I'm not getting lucky tonight." He muttered under his breath.
"Why sure you are bro. You get to take care of your intoxicated girlfriend. Like holding her hair back when she's throwing up all those drinks she was sure she could handle. What could be more romantic than that? I'm setting the mood for you guys already." Melissa tossed a wicked grin over her shoulder, Phil threw up his middle finger in response.
"But I didn't even get your number." Aid's bottom lip stuck out, eyes widening in protest at her oh so sudden realization. Phil shook his head at his girlfriend's antics, grinning down at her lovingly and pressing a kiss to her forehead, while Loren and Melissa openly burst out laughing.
"Don't worry it's already in your phone babe." With that, a satisfied Adriana slumped against Phil's body willingly as he nodded off to Loren and Melissa while they exited.
The last thing Loren expected was to come face to face with a tall, dark and handsome guy. A guy who, might she add, just so happened to have the prettiest brown eyes she had ever seen. "Can I buy you a drink?"
"And that's my cue to go home, put on my PJs, and try to catch Adam before he's asleep. Maybe have a little intimate and personal communication. Bye now." Melissa gave Loren a thumbs up before walking out with a smirk on her face.
"Wait Mel-"
"So how about that drink?"
Somehow they ended up taking shots, Loren watched in fascination as he told her a story about all the times he spent at this bar and what occurred during each of his visits.
Loren laughed out loud when he got to a particularly brutal part in which his best friend had thrown up on his date. "I'm sorry I have such an obnoxious laugh."
It was loud and she hated the sound of it. He just shook his head and smirked. "Don't be. It's cute. You're cute."
Her stomach fluttered at his words. Maybe it was the alcohol, but she felt all warm and giddy. She also felt quite bold, like she could go out and do anything and have no fear of the consequences. She did just that. Something sober Loren would never try to do. She had leaned over to him and kissed him lightly.
It was short and sweet and she was pulling back, flushing with embarrassment before she could even comprehend what she had just done. "Again I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done that. We don't even know each other-"
She was cut off from her babble by the feel is his lips on hers again. His kiss was not the kind she laid on him seconds prior. This has a roughness to it. It was gritty and passionate. He had loosely gripped the back of her head, pushing them closer together.
"Do you wanna get out of here?"
"Don't you want to know my name first?"
"Well, where's the fun in that?" Before she had time to protest she found herself nodding along as he paid for the drinks and motioned for her to follow him out the door.
The second they got to what Loren assumed was his apartment he had her pressed up against the wall, his arms wrapping around her waist as he kissed her deeply. Her legs instantly went around his waist. This kiss was sloppy and dirty, filled with the uttermost desire and it had Loren feeling like all her limbs were made of jello. She deepened the kiss as their tongues battled for dominance.
Finally, they came up for air as his lips started traveling elsewhere. He trailed kisses down her jaw and nibbles on her ear. She could feel his hot breath all over her. Loren only hoped he couldn't feel how fast her heart was beating or how sweaty her palms currently were.
"Aren't you going to show me to the bedroom." She asked in an almost innocent voice, raising an eyebrow at him. His head shook as he maneuvered them towards the furniture.
"Couch is closer." He growled in protest, making a chuckle fall from her lips. Any light and playful amusement held in her eyes vanished when he bites down on her neck. She let out a moan and arched her head back, giving him better access.
"Are you sure about this?" His lips hovered over hers as he lowered himself on top of her. His voice was raspy and low, and if she wasn't around so turned on that would surely do it for her. She had never felt such an instant connection to any guy before. Until he came along. And they had yet to even remove a single article of clothing.
"I wouldn't have followed you up here if I wasn't."