Chapter 2: Scarlet

"Uh, why are we in a closet?" Leo asks with his eyes suggesting mischievious things.

"Scarlet! Scarlet!" I hear the crowd chanting.

"You got this Scarlet. This is the last concert before your tour ends, you got to make this your best one," my manager Leo says to me.

I roll my eyes as I quickly recited the song. "Whatever Leo," I smile as I run on stage before Leo can reply. The moment I come on the stage, the crowd intensifies and everyone is screaming and crying. I smile and scream, "Hello New York! I am Scarlet Hues!" When I say that, the crowd screams impossibly loud and I begin the song.

"Great job Scarlet, that really was the best show yet," Leo hands me a towel and I wipe my neck.

"Thanks Leo, this was the last show right?" I ask before drinking out of my water bottle.

"Yeah, it was your last concert," Leo trails off.

"That's not what I asked Leo. I asked whether it was my last show," I give him "the look" and he sighs.

"You just have one more itsy bitsy interview on E! news," Leo says. I groan and walk away while he comes running behind me. "Come on Scar, just one last one. And it won't be that bad, you'll have another celebrity being interviewed with you!" Leo tried to convince me.

"One, why?! Two, why?! Three, why another celebrity?" I ask him.

"Uh, because people want to know about your tour, two, because I booked it. And three, that's classified information," Leo loved teasing me.

"How can you make that classified? It involves me in every way!" I complain. I hate when Leo books things without telling me but he's my best friend and my manager. Sometimes I want to strangle him and sometimes I want to hug the tamales out of him.

"Scarlet, the other celebrity is just there to talk a little about his next movie. And there may be a chance more people will be watching with him there," Leo tells me.

"So he's the only reason people will be watching?" I ask.

"No, of course not. It just would have much more views with both of you combined. This is a positive thing for you, him and the producers," Leo explains.

"Wait, him? Who is him?" I ask. I usually work with girls but I have nothing against boys, I love boys. Not in the perverted way though. Go boys and, uh, their boyishness!

"It's a new rising star. Everyone loves him, he's going to be playing Hunter in 'The Castle Redemption," Leo says to me.

"That didn't answer my question. Who is this mystery actor everyone loves?" I ask now biting into my apple.

"Jason Grace," Leo replies.

I cough on the apple and set it down. Leo throws me a water bottle and I down it quickly. Jason Grace? Why'd it have to be Jason Grace? "You okay? What's wrong?" Leo asks.

"Nothing but does it have to be Jason Grace? Couldn't it have been someone like Logan Lerman? He's going to star in a big movie too right? Noah?" I ask. Couldn't it have been anyone else but Jason Grace?

Leo looks at me weirdly, "Why? Do you have like a history with him?" Leo asks. I look away blushing while Leo smiles like a goof ball. "Are, are you blushing?! Guys, Scarlet's blushing!" Leo chants. I smack him and cover his mouth with my hand.

"Alright, that's enough. I'll tell you, hold on," I look around before pulling Leo into the nearest closet.

"Uh, why are we in a closet?" Leo asks with his eyes suggesting mischievious things.

"Shut up Leo," I say blushing again. I was used to Leo's flirting, it was just like Will's except with Will it was way worse.

Leo laughs but then calms down, "Alright, about Jason, spill," His hungry expression makes him look like a teenage girl getting ready to throw down some juicy gossip.

"So, I may have gone to elementary school and highschool with Jason," I start.

"No way, really?" Leo cut in.

"Stop interupting me Valdez," I scold, "so as I was saying, I may have gone to school with Jason. He was part of the cool kids group, every single girl in my grade had a crush on him and his perfectly cropped blond hair and his vivid sky blue eyes! So naturally, I had a crush on him, and for five years too! Throughout elementary school, he totally ignored me unless he had to pay attention to me. And the worst part was that he was so nice to me when he did speak to me. One time he stopped a girl from cutting off a lock of my hair," Leo is listening intently but he still smiles here and there, "Hated that bitch. So anyway, one day in 8th grade, he came up to me. We started talking and he asked me out. I was so surprised and happy I couldn't go to bed that night," As I say that, Leo snickers and I shove him playfully causing him to knock over a broom. I shush him and he quickly picks up the broom and smiles sheepishly. What an idiot. "So when I actually showed up on the date, he didn't arrive till an hour later and it was with his friends. He was like, 'Oh wow, you actually thought we were going on a date? Oh, that's too bad.' Then all his friends laughed at me and I cried running out of the shop. The last thing I heard him say was, "Sorry Penelope!" Then we had to move because Dad was filming and here we are," Leo looks at me sadly, and I shrug.

"Sorry Scar, if you want I can cancel it?" Leo asks pulling me in a hug.

"No, if I'm going to face that jerk, I'd might as well do it now. Plus, I bet he won't even recognize me," I say into Leo's warm shirt.

"How can you forget such a hot babe?" Leo comments and that's when I pull away and slap his arm. We then burst out laughing and I fall backwards causing a commotion of things to fall over. We laugh picking the things up and then open the door to see a bunch of people looking at us. Leo puts his hands up in surrender as I blush furiously, "It's not what it looks like!" Leo wails.

I elbow him in the ribs and smile as we walk awy awkwardly. I look back at him and glare, "You are such an idiot."