A/N: Hey guys!! :D So, in this chapter, towards the end, I think that Chad is a little OOC. I wanted to tweak it a little, but I wanted to make it a little dramatic. : D The next chapter will be up soon, because I'm sick at home. : ( Hope you enjoy the chapter!! : D
In Florida with Chad:
"Check it out, I'm still at work." Sonny popped her gum and the audience laughed in the background.
Chad stared at the TV show miserably and picked up the remote to change the channel. He put on E! Hollywood hoping to hear something about the one and only Chad Dylan Cooper.
Instead, he was faced with behind-the-scenes footage at So Random! when Sonny had just finished her first episode.
Chad sighed and flopped onto his bed. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in L.A., living his great life. Mackenzie Falls, crazy fans, awesome parties . . . and Sonny.
"Mr. Cooper?" There were bangs on the door. Larry would softly knock, so it had to be paparazzi.
"Mr. Cooper, could you please tell us when you are planning to return to L.A?"
"Why did you come here in the first place?"
"What did you mean by 'complications of life in L.A.'?"
Chad took a deep breath and picked up the hotel phone near his bed.
"Larry? Take care of the paparazzi," he ordered, and then hung up.
There were magazines spread out on the desk next to the TV. Chad got up and selected a copy of Tween Weekly with the cast of Mackenzie Falls on the cover.
He flipped through the issue and opened to a page with Sonny on it. He stared at it and sighed again. What had he gotten himself into?
In L.A.:
"Portlyn? Is it true that Chad left?" Sonny asked the actress on the set of Mackenzie Falls.
Portlyn's eyes flickered up from her magazine to Sonny. "Chad? Yes, he left. Now go. I'm busy here."
Sonny sighed. Why would Chad do this?
She walked back to her dressing room where Tawni was getting dressed up for rehersal of a new sketch.
"Does this dress make me look pretty?" Tawni asked to the mirror.
"Mm hm." Sonny replied flatly, taking a seat on the couch.
"Why do you even have to answer that?" the blonde exclaimed. She grabbed her Moco Cocoa Loco lipstick and put it all over her lips.
Suddenly, pop music filled the room. Sonny got up and scanned the room, trying to find the source of the sound.
"What on Earth—?"
"Sorry!" Tawni said, reaching into her purse. "That's me!"
Sonny shook her head and sat on the couch again.
"Hello?!" Tawni exclaimed cheerfully into the phone.
Sonny glanced at her co-star to see who she was talking to.
"No!" she said, furrowing her brow. "He did not!"
Sonny rolled her eyes, bored, and left the room. She pushed open the door and ran into Dakota.
"Dakota?" she asked.
"Sonny! What a coincidence! I would have never known that I would see you here!" the young girl put her hands to her cheeks.
Sonny turned around and gestured to the door. "This is my dressing room."
Dakota's smile turned down a notch. "Don't push it, Monroe. Anyway, how's you and Mr. Cooper?"
"Mr. Cooper is in Florida. Didn't you hear? You must be happy," Sonny replied flatly.
"Oh, I heard. I just wanted to know what you did to make him leave," Dakota put her hands on her hips.
"What?" Sonny exclaimed. "I didn't do anything! He didn't even tell me!"
Dakota tilted her head and studied Sonny. "Really, Sonny? Really?"
Sonny looked down. Her heart was squeezing inside of her. Why had Chad left? She really wanted to know.
"Call him." Dakota suggested.
Sonny squinted at the studio's angel. "But what if he doesn't pick up?"
"Which number do you use to call?" Dakota asked.
Sonny looked confused. "Um . ."
"His first, second, or third one?"
"His first one?" Sonny guessed. Dakota pulled out a small phone from her purse.
"Use his third one. He always picks up that one. That's the phone number Daddy uses."
Dakota gave Sonny the number and skipped off. Sonny quietly entered her dressing room, and luckily, Tawni had left earlier. She decided that she would only use Chad's third number if it was absolutely necessary; she didn't really want to disturb him if he was in the middle of something important.
"Hello. You've reached Chad Dylan Cooper. Please leave a message, and he'll call you back as soon as he can. Thank you." Larry's, his assistant, voice rang through Sonny's ear. Of course Chad had Larry leave the message. The phone beeped, signaling Sonny to leave a message.
"Uh . . hey Chad. This is Sonny. I just wanted to know how you were, and how Florida was. Um . . just call me back as soon as you can. Thanks."
Sonny hung up and sighed. She exited the room to go and join the rest of her cast on set.
In Florida:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 times Chad's phone rang. He ignored all of them. He knew it wasn't Mr. Condor because the studio owner himself had promised not to disturb him if it would help the show.
There was another quiet knock on the door.
"Mr. Cooper? Are you going to be in there all day?" came Larry's quiet voice from the hallway.
Chad glanced at the door. "Why?"
"I need to inform the paparazzi. They're lining up outside the hotel."
Chad walked over to the window and opened the curtains a little bit. He saw that Larry was right; photographers lined the streets looking for him.
"Mr. Cooper?"
"Uh . . tell them that I'm . . . taking a nap," Chad lied.
"A nap?" Larry called. He was silent for a minute, as if he was writing it down. "Okay, then. A nap. I'm going now."
Chad flopped down on the king-sized bed for the 50th time that day.
Ring-ring.
He glanced up. His phone was buzzing again. His third cell phone. Only Mr. Condor knew that number. Maybe it was an emergency. Chad got up from the bed and glanced at the phone. The called ID said, "Private Number." He decided to pick it up. Mr. Condor could be calling from a private line.
"Hello?" Chad said into the phone.
"Chad?" Sonny's voice sounded into the phone.
"Sonny?" Chad was shocked. How on Earth did she get his third number?
"Chad!" Sonny's voice was filled with relief. Chad took a deep breath. He wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone. Especially Sonny.
"How did you get this number?" Chad asked.
"Oh . . um . ."
"Sonny, tell me."
"Chad!" Sonny exclaimed. "Why do you even care about the stupid number? Tell me why you're in Florida!"
Chad sighed. "Sonny, it's a long story, and it's a story I'm not in the mood the share with anyone, so can we talk about something else? Like . . the weather? It's actually pretty nice here, but—"
"Chad!" Sonny cried. "You think that I called to talk about the weather? You can tell me! If you don't want to tell me—"
"Which I don't," Chad cut in.
"—which you don't," Sonny continued, slightly annoyed. "Then just come back to L.A.!"
"Sonny," Chad felt some anger flare inside him. He was actually angry at Sonny. "Please, just drop the matter."
"No, Chad. I will not drop the subject. I will not drop the subject until you tell me the truth about the subject. What the heck did you mean by 'complications of Hollywood'?"
"Why do you care, huh?"
"Because . . . because . ." Sonny was lost for words. Chad smiled victoriously. He had won, he was sure of it.
"Because it's affecting Condor Studios!" Sonny answered, rather proud of herself that she had come up with something so quickly.
"What?" Chad cried. " 'It's affecting Condor Studios'?"
"Yes," Sonny replied. "Dakota's acting all . . weird, and the show ratings are going down."
Chad rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Sonny, face it. I'm not coming back. Well, I'll come back, but it's probably not going to be soon," Chad felt strange. He hadn't talked to Sonny like that in a while, but now seemed like the right time.
"But, Chad—,"
And, using all of his willpower, Chad hung up.
