As Always, My Sweet, Resistance is Futile

By, awesometastic9

Disclaimed

Chapter Two

Part 1: Let's See How She Acts

Holy… heck!

I was… surprised? Wow; that's something that doesn't happen often to Chad Dylan Cooper… almost ever. Dang that Sonny Munroe! What voodoo powers does she possess that affect me in this way? Got me.

What has got me – Chad Dylan Cooper – so surprised? Well, let me tell you:

Sonny Munroe can act.

Like, drama act. I think the only people who were more surprised than moi was the rest of the cast of Mackenzie Falls; Marta probably most of all. And, like her character – Penelope – Marta has a huge crush on me (ugh) and doesn't quite like me talking to (or standing near) any other girls. She absolutely freaks when I talk to Portlyn, let alone Sonny (which is even more of a freak-out). So, Sonny coming to guest star on Mackenzie Fall's will probably push her over the edge.

It'll probably be sooner rather than later.

---

Let me back up to the beginning of the shooting day on Stage 2.

I was sitting in my dressing room in front of the vanity when a knock came at the door.

I turned around slowly, wondering who it was; It was six am, three hours before we were due on set to shoot. I was the only one who got here this early. Ever.

You must be surprised; Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't seem like an early riser, does he? Well, I am. It's just a long running habit that I cannot break. I like it though; driving to the Studios with minimal traffic and being able to relax before the work day. That's always nice.

I got up and walked over to the door, and opened it to see… Tawni Hart?

As you can probably foresee this 'surprised' emotion would haunt me all day.

"Tawni?" I was just able to get out before she shoved me back into the room and slammed the door behind us. Her face was livid with fury.

"What do you think you're playing at?!" she screeched, grabbing my collar and bringing me down to her eye level.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in I hoped was a level, un-scared voice, which in fact I was terrified. Why? She has long nails. And this face? Yeah, it's the money maker.

"You're up to something, Goldfarb. And I'm gonna find out what it is!"

I pulled out of her vice-like grip at my old last name (oh why must she torture me with that?!) and scowled at her.

"Yeah, well good luck! You wanna know why? Because I'm not up to something."

"Suuurrre," she said, rolling her eyes, but taking another step towards me with her arms crossed over her chest. "You better not mess with Sonny, you hear me? You better not."

"Since when do you care?" I spat.

"Since I got my first friend, and you won't tear up her heart into a thousand tiny pieces! You wanna know why? Because Tawni Hart doesn't vacuum."

And with that she spun on her heel and marched towards my door, pulled it open with surprising force, and stalked out of sight down the hallway.

I shook my head and readjusted the collar of my uniform just as Portlyn walked in with a small knock on my open dressing room door.

She took one look at my face and hers scrunched up.

"What's the matter?"

I sighed, flopping down on my blue, L-shaped couch and throwing an arm over my eyes.

I heard Portlyn snicker.

"You're so dramatic, Chad."

I answered without pulling my arm away. "I'm on a drama Portlyn. I can't be funny."

At this she bursts out with raucous giggles and I had to sit up, get up, and pin her arms to her sides – the only thing that ever makes her stop laughing – until she calms down.

I glare at her – warning her to not start up again the instant I let go – and step back. She lets out one squeak, then stops.

"Okay, Chad. Question."

"Yeah?" I ask, turning away and sitting back down at my vanity chair.

"Why was Tawni Hart in your dressing room, screaming her lungs out? I mean, she – along with the rest of Chuckle City – yell at you every chance they get, but why now? At six am? No one's here at six… but you."

I incline my head, acknowledging that she was right, and then sigh. "She was warning me to not hurt Sonny; why, I have no clue. Sonny can take care of herself."

"Yeah," Portlyn allowed, nodding her head. "But she's never been on a tween drama. And, you have read the script, right? That must be why Tawni's so protective."

I stiffened, stopping halfway in my reach for my phone. Slowly I turned to Portlyn.

"What's in the script?" I whispered.

Portlyn smirked, then tried to not laugh.

"I only know this because I came in early to re-read it, but Chad? Didn't Rick tell you?"

"Tell me what!?" I half-screamed, breaking out into a cold sweat, my worst fears of what could be in there swirling around in my head at light-speed –

"Sonny's your love interest. You have to kiss her… uh," she coughed. "Multiple times."

I couldn't help it, I blanched.

"What!?" I screeched, my face the epitome of complete shock.

Portlyn gave me her 'oh, come on. Even I'm not buying that' look, and put a hand on her hip.

"I swear! I didn't know! Oh, God!" I insisted completely panicking.

Portlyn's 'come on' look vanished with my taking the Lord's name in vain; instantly she looked concerned.

"Chad?" she asked, almost timidly – so unlike her – and reached out a hand to touch my shoulder.

I didn't answer her; I shrugged off her arm and resumed my pacing, beginning to mutter unintelligibly.

No. NO! This canNOT be happening! I thought while I paced; back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. After about my eighth pass by Portlyn, did she snap out of her timid demeanor and grab my arm in a vice-like grip. Holy crow! Are all the girl's around here stronger than they look?!

"Chad Dylan!" she cried, spinning me around to face her… closer than I would have liked. Personal bubble people. That hardly seemed to faze Portlyn when I cringed back. Well, tried to. "What is the matter with you? It's not an actual kiss! It's a stage kiss. God, you'd think you'd know the difference by now. You've kissed me enough and Lord knows you haven't fallen in love with me!" she suddenly let go of my arm, eyes wide with realization.

"That's it… isn't it? You're afraid you'll fall in love with her! Well, I already know you like her, but jeez Chad! I – even as the hopeless romantic on the set – don't believe you can fall in love after one kiss. It's not realistic."

See, this is what I love/hate about Portlyn. We've known each other for as long as I've been acting. She was in the Goody Gang with Tawni and me. She played Ashley Goody, my sister. And ever since she and Tawni stopped being friends – some undisclosed incident involving some Hello Kitty lip gloss when they were eight – she's latched herself to me… and I sorta did to her.

See, I was a little insecure when I started out, wondering if I was good enough or if people liked me. So, I lied to Sonny when she had that screw-up involving her made up first fan. Big whoop. Chad Dylan Cooper lies all the time, but I do have a conscience. That's one of the main reasons I faked being Eric for her, because I felt bad lying to her… and because I was staring to c-c… care (dang that emotion to the most fiery pits of the Underworld!).

Since Portlyn and I were practically neighbors in our very up-scale, gated cul-de-sac in Beverly Hills (she lived the next street over), we became friends; but no one but our parents knew how close. It was never anything more, though. She dated, I dated… it never came between us. Well, except when she dated a jerk-face and I had to step in for her own good (which she thanked me for later).

We acted around, and when we were 16, we both landed roles on Mackenzie Fall's, which was a lucky break. Our friendship had been kinda sparse for the two years before that, we were working so much and so far apart, so it was quite a comfort to be near each other again.

Portlyn knows things about me no one knows. I know the same; we're just tight like that. She gets me; and calls me out on my BS… quite like Sonny, which is one of the things I like most about her.

Sonny is like the other, mirror version of Portlyn, but the one I like, like. It's different.

So, what I love/hate about Portlyn is her ability to see through my mask, my pretenses and is not afraid to call me out on it.

"Yeah, it's just a stage kiss," I muttered, trying to convince myself of the fact that yes, indeed, it wasn't supposed to mean something.

I just hope to everything I hold holy that it's not going to mean squat.

---

I got to the set directly on time. Not a minute late, or early.

Immediately, I saw Sonny, standing a bit off to the side, reading her script with a determined expression on her face, muttering slightly under her breath.

I literately had to cover my mouth to stop myself from bursting out in raucous, un-boy-like giggles. Yes… giggles. Gah!

Once I had my… un-boy-like giggles… under control, I walked over to Sonny in my signature bad-boy swagger… which was entirely wasted on her because she didn't even look up. If anything she became even more absorbed into the script.

Of course, being me, I noticed this as an opportunity to scare the crap out of her since she was off in her own… script-memorizing-land? Yeah, let's go with that. So, I took it.

"It's not that hard to memorize a script, Sonny," I said just loud enough a few inches from her ear.

Sonny let out a high-pitched squeak, jumped and dropped her script in surprise.

I smirked, covering up my desire to laugh uncontrollably on how cu- Never mind, forget I said anything. Seriously! Never mind!

"What the heck, Cooper?!" Sonny snarled through gritted teeth as she leaned down to pick up her script. "I was – "

"Trying too hard to memorize lines? Psh, Sonny, if you can't memorize that, then well… good luck trying to keep your guest star spot."

I watched as her cheeks turned pink to beat red with anger.

Uh, oh.

"Chad Dylan Cooper! You know perfectly well I didn't even audition for this spot! If I could have refused, I would've!"

I sighed. "What are you talking about Munroe?" I said in a bored, off-hand, why-are-you-even-bothering? voice.

Sonny's face got even redder – if that was even possible – and I could almost hear her counting to ten in her head to calm down.

"You know perfectly well, Cooper, Mr. Condor put me in this role. I certainly didn't ask to play your – your – " she stuttered, trying to avoid saying it.

Always ready to tease, I said it for her, though it made my stomach clench uncomfortably.

"Love interest?"

She stopped stuttering, and just narrowed her eyes at me and nodded the tiniest bit.

"Like I said, Sonny, when I guest starred on your pathetic show, by the end of this week, you'll fall in love with me."

At this, Sonny's anger dissipated, which I didn't anticipate at all. She broke out in raucous laughter, clutching her sides.

"Tawni warned me you'd say that, Cooper. But, once you've tried that on me, I can't get sick again. It's like the chicken pox, you get it once, then you can't get it again," and she continued to giggle.

Unfortunately for her, her giggles we getting me peeved, and I knew just how to make them stop.

"Oh, so you did fall in love with me, then?"

Sonny stopped her giggles so fast she started choking on her own spit. Eew.

Once she had regained her composure, she looked a little pale – and not from said choking – when she said,

"Psh, no. Cooper, I'm saying you can't try that Jedi-mind-trick on me again because it didn't work the first time. You've wasted your chance." I could almost hear her congratulate herself in her head at her witty-fast and plausible retort.

I hated to burst her bubble, but hey; it's me.

"But, Sonny… tsk tsk tsk Sonny! You actually have to get the chicken pox for you to be immune to it. So, tough luck on thinking you were safe. You'll never be safe until you're sick… with love for moi," I snickered at my wit and charm – and quick smarts – and then noticed Rick walk in.

I flipped my phone open to check the time.

"Ten minutes late as usual…" I muttered, annoyed.

"Cast! Gather 'round!" Rick called, and everyone abandoned their respective spots on the set to stand in front of him.

"As you all know, we have a guest star here for seven episodes: the lovely Miss Sonny Munroe from So Random! next door."

If Rick was expecting the cast to welcome her, he was sadly mistaken. The only thing that was even the least bit welcoming was Portlyn giving her a small smile.

Rick coughed in the tense silence, and then continued.

"Sonny, you're going to watch the first couple of scenes you're not in, then we'll try you out. Don't worry if –"

Sonny – being quite unlike Sonny – interrupted him.

"I'm sure I can handle it, Rick."

His eyes widened and he coughed again.

"Well, then, Chad, Marta, scene five. Places!"

---

THE REST OF THE DAY: To Be Continued…

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A/N: hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in months! I was… very depressed because of my sister, and other things happened that were just as bad; I got in a car accident and broke my leg and right collarbone. Things have been pretty rough so I was really focusing on the rehabilitation and getting better so I could return to a quasi-normal life. I was reading FF, though! I just didn't have the energy to review or write my own.

But, I'm back – with a vengeance! El oh el.

Please review! I'll be updating sooner next time, especially if I get a lot of feedback!

Thanks guys!

-awetast9;; linsi

P.S. Happy new year! Even though it's 14 days into it already. hehe