Hey guys! I am soooooo sorry! That's what you get when you write two stories at the same time! I am really sorry, that was Chapter Nine from my other story Surprises, this is the right one x So sorry!
Thanks for reading and please review, even if it's just a couple words to motivate me, cuz sometimes I'm a lazy cow! I won't be updating until Sunday afternoon, (British Time), at the earliest, 'cause it's my bezzie's birthday party sleepover! Happy birthday Laura! Hope you like the chapter, sorry about the cliff hanger, it's been written for a while now, so I didn't do it on purpose! Please keep reading, and reviewing, it means a lot!
Chapter Nine
I spent the rest of that afternoon, and most of the rest of the week, trying to figure out what she could have meant. 'Follow my own advice'? She could have just meant it in general, for some time in the future, but I got the feeling that she was talking about something more specific. But why would I need to follow my heart? I wasn't in love with someone. I didn't even have a crush. The rest of the week passed quickly, because I wasn't working since we already finished filming the episode.
Finally, the air date came. An hour before the show was due to come on, I was sat on the sofa in the lounge, feeling sick to my stomach. What if I looked really terrible? What if I looked really hideous and fat next to the other girls on the show? What if all my friends laughed at me for making a fool out of myself? All these thoughts and more were funning through my head, and as the seconds ticked by, I was getting more and more worked up.
My mom was working late. She was gutted that she was missing it, but I was recording it for her, since they wouldn't give her the afternoon off. I was beginning to regret passing up her offer to just blow off work altogether. I was beginning to find it hard to breathe, and I got up to get a glass of water.
As I was on my way back into the lounge, there was a knock on the door. Glad for the distraction, I ran over, and yanked open the door.
"Chad?"
"Hey Sonny. How you doing?"
"I'm good."
"Really, Sonny, really?" he asked, smirking.
"Oh, who am I kidding? No, Chad, I'm not fine, I'm freaking out!"
"Relax. I was kind of nervous about my first episode airing too, believe it or not."
"Really? Chad Dylan Cooper was nervous?"
"Nope," he said, looking down at the ground, "but Chad was. You know, the normal, down to earth guy I am when I'm not pretending to be an arrogant jerkthrob."
"Sure, you're pretending." I said sarcastically.
"Okay, so maybe it's not all an act. But I'm not always bad."
"I know. So, why are you here?"
"Thought you might need some company. Isn't your mom still working?"
"Freaky stalker behaviour much?"
"Not really. I overheard you on the phone to her in the studios yesterday."
"Oh." Duh. Like he'd ever be interested enough to stalk me.
"So, Munroe, you gonna invite me in or am I watching from here?"
"Oh, yeah, right, come in." I said, feeling myself go bright red.
"Nice place. It's…"
"Tiny? Cramped? Messy?"
"Actually, I was going to say cosy. My place is always too clean. But I guess that's what happens when you're mom's a clean freak and you have four maids."
"Who needs four maids?"
"Apparently, my mom. Although, of course, it's me who pays for them." He said bitterly.
"Erm, well, do you want a drink? Something to eat?"
"Sure, a soda would be great."
"Okay, I'll go grab you one. Just sit wherever." I said, gesturing around the sparsely furnished room.
"Thanks, Sonshine."
"Anytime, Chaddykins!"
"Sonny, if you ever call me that again, I swear you will not live to see your second episode of Mackenzie Falls."
"Okay, Chad-muffin."
"Sonny!"
"What, so you get to give me a nickname, but I can't give you one?"
"Yup."
"So not fair."
"As soon as you come up with a nickname that doesn't make me sound like a nerdy idiot, you can call me it. Until then, my name is Chad."
"Okay, but I promise you, one day I will come up with the perfect nickname for you!"
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Good."
"Good!"
"So are we good?"
"Oh, we are so good, Chadford."
"I'm going to say it one time and one time only. Don't. Ever. Call. Me. Chadford." He said, shooting me a murderous glare.
"Whatever." I said, tossing him a can of soda from the fridge.
"Thanks. You coming to sit down? It's on in a minute."
"Yeah," said, about to sit down, before shooting back up, "wait! I forgot popcorn! I can't watch Mackenzie Falls without popcorn!"
"C'mon, Sonny, just sit down, you can get popcorn in the break!" he whined.
"No! It's tradition. I cannot watch even a minute of Mackenzie Falls without popcorn. You want salty or sweet?"
"Salty. Sweet is disgusting."
Shocked, I turned back to him.
"Did you just say what I think you said?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry, it's just that I've never met anyone else who prefers salty before. Me and my mom always argue about it, and when I have it with my friends I have to make both."
"Well, that's great and all, Sonny, but I really want to watch this, so can you please hurry up and get us some popcorn?"
"Right, popcorn, sorry." I smiled. Maybe we do have some things in common other than or stubbornness.
After I had made the popcorn, I passed it to Chad, and reached for the remote as I flopped down on the seat. As the title sequence rolled, I reached for a piece of popcorn and brushing his leg with my hand. Blushing, I pulled away, surprised at the tingles I felt when I touched him.
"Sorry." I mumbled.
"It's fine." He said, making a shushing gesture and staring intently at the screen.
I grabbed some popcorn, making sure to look where I was putting my hand this time.
We watched the first ten minutes in silence, me looking forward to, but at the same time dreading, my first scene.
"Hey Mackenzie," came Chastity's voice from the screen, "this is my cousin, Isabella. My distant cousin."
Then the camera switched to the door, and there I was. And I looked good. Not just the 'not bad' type of good. I mean, I looked amazing. My hair was done up in a perfect ponytail, and my make-up was done just right, so that I looked much more put-together than usual, but you could still tell it was me.
"Arrghh!" I screamed, bouncing once in my seat. I heard a gasp, to see Chad, covered in popcorn, and soda, looking very soggy and very angry.
"What. Did. You. Do?" he said quietly.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I swear. I was just so excited, and-"
"Forget I asked. Look, where's your bathroom? I need to clean up, it's all down my shirt."
"Down the hall, the door on the left, the one that doesn't say 'Sonny's Room' on it."
"Okay. Be back in a minute." He said, getting up and heading out of the room, leaving a trail of popcorn behind him.
I paused the TV, and waited. Glancing at the bathroom door, I suddenly realised. Chad Dylan Cooper is in my bathroom. Probably shirtless. Shaking my head, I tried not to wonder why that fact gave me a funny feeling in my stomach. Drifting into a daze, I jumped at a sudden loud knock at the door. Confused, I grabbed my phone to check the time. Weird, I thought, mom shouldn't be home for another hour at least.
That was when I saw it. The 'messages' button. I had 47 new messages. Mostly from Lucy, and the rest of my friends who watched the Falls. Whoops.
Getting up again, I walked over to the door. I opened it a crack, and Lucy barged in.
"Hi, Sonny," she glared at me, "funny story. You see, I was sat in my lounge, watching the latest episode of my favourite TV show, as you do. Then, all of a sudden, they show the new cast member for the first time. And she looks suspiciously like my best friend, Sonny Munroe. But no, I thought, it can't be her. Because if she was on Mackenzie Falls, she would have told me-"
"Hey, Sonny, have you got any towels. I need a shower, I stink of salty popcorn." Came Chad's voice from the other side of the room. Me and Lucy turned at the same time, to see Chad, stood behind the couch, shirtless. He probably looked confused, but I was too busy staring at his chest to look at his face.
Blushing bright red, I turned away to talk to Lucy, but she wasn't there anymore. I heard a thump as she hit the ground.
"Dammit!" I cursed under my breath.
"Did she just faint?" Chad asked. I didn't want to risk looking at him again, so I just knelt down next to Lucy, nodding.
"Why?"
"Because she didn't know I was on the Falls, so when she saw me on TV, she came over. Then she saw Chad Dylan Cooper in my lounge room, shirtless. That's why."
"Oh."