The Underlying Truth: Chapter 10

A/N: Hey everybody! I know it's been FOREVER since I've updated, but i've been either sick or busy, or working on my book that i'm writing. it's in the very beginning stages, but i've got it all in my head! :) Yes I'm continuing this story, but now that school's started back again, the updates will have more time between them than on Christmas break. Sorry.

One quick note though...why are guys so stupid?! i mean, c'mon! don't ya'll ever think?! no offence or anything, i'm just going through lots:P oh well, on with the reading!

Chad's POV

There were no nightmares last night. Only dreams of me and Sonny…and strawberries, which would probably be because she'd fallen asleep in my arms. When I woke up, I could still smell her lingering aroma, but my Sonshine was nowhere in sight. Stretching, I checked my phone and saw that she'd left me a text. "Chad, I called a taxi and went home, so don't freak out -sonny." Whew! For a second there, I was seriously worried!

I took a fast shower, made sure my hair was perfect (which, of course, it was), and hopped into my car to go to the studio. Today was a filming day, and we'd hopefully shoot most of it fast. Sonny and I were going to eat lunch at Ruby Tuesday's today, and I wanted to have as much time with Sonny, not Stella, as I could! Once I was on my set, I saw the object of my affections, Sonny Monroe, striding towards me with confidence and a bounce to her step. She grinned at me and pecked me on the cheek.

"Mornin' Chad!" she said, with her signature smile.

"Hey Sonshine! Did you have a good night's sleep once you got home?" I asked. She nodded, and sat down in the chair next to me. It was kind of funny how we were playing house. Sometimes, it almost felt like something was really going on between us, but then I remember that this is all completely phony. We were in a faux-relationship that was extremely saddening on my part, but I'd take what I could get and be happy to have these few dazzling moments with the girl of my dreams, even though it was a sham.

We filmed for hours! Before, I would've expected Sonny, as well as any Random, to be less than mediocre at acting, but she surprised me by how completely amazing she was! My entire cast was impressed. Even during rehearsals, we hadn't been able to see just how amazing and perfect she really was! I even stumbled on a line because of how convincing an actress she was. She was Stella, 100% during the filming process!

Once it was finally time for a lunch break, we left to go to the restaurant. After we got there, the maitre de led us to a nice booth in the corner, which is where we seemed to always end up. Sitting across from each other, we looked around the place, admiring the warm and inviting décor.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get my salad already, kay?" she asked, while standing.

"Yeah, yeah, um. I think I'll do the same." I said nervously. Hold on…since when am I nervous around a girl? And then I answered myself immediately after thinking that. Since you met Sonny, stupid!

"Alright. Gosh, this place has the best salads." Sonny said while piling her plate with foodstuffs. I smiled and nodded in agreement, while sprinkling plenty of bacon bits on mine. When we finished eating those, we flagged down the waiter to take our orders.

"Um…I'll have the ruby minis with a strawberry lemonade please." She said, handing him the menu. The waiter kept checking her out while asking me what I wanted. It was like I had a giant green beast that was waking up inside me, and anxious to get out and claw the waiter's eyes out.

"Hey, buddy, get your eyes off my girl and take my order, would you?!" I said, putting as much ice in that sentence as I could muster. They both looked startled at my outburst, and he finally turned to me begrudgingly. I raised my eyebrows at him and mocked him.

"Alright, I want the steak, medium, baked potato, and I'll have that with sweet tea." I finished, brushing him off with a hand. He confusedly made his way back to the kitchen, and I turned to Sonny with a smug expression on my face. She just stared back incredulously at me. But then a slow smirk crept on her face as she realized, to my horror, what was really going on.

Sonny's POV

The waiter kept on staring at me, which unnerved me a bit. I mean, I was a bit used to guys checking me out, but this guy had to be in his late 20's at the least, and he was blatantly staring, mouth open, practically drooling! I just handed him my menu and waited for him to get Chad's order and leave. Suddenly, I heard Chad say something that really surprised me.

"Hey, buddy, get your eyes off my girl and take my order, would you?!" he almost yelled, giving the waiter a look of pure venom. The waiter guy snapped out of it, and turned towards Chad. I was pretty confused at that point. He ordered his food, and then stared at me with those startling, icy blue eyes. They were even lighter than usual, which was normal for him when he got pissed off. And then it dawned on me. I felt a smirk find its way to my mouth, as I realized just what was going on. It made me smug and happy.

"Chad…is somebody jealous?" I asked, already knowing the answer. It made me giddy to think of him being possessed by the green monster. Lord knows how often I've been inhabited by him over the years, especially within 2009 whenever I saw Chad and some bimbo together. "Psh, no! why would you think that Sonny?" he said, getting all flustered and trying to put the attention back on me to hide his embarrassment.

"Aw! You're so cute when you get embarrassed!" I said, and then slapped my hand over my mouth! Crud, did I really just say that out loud?! But instead of teasing me, he smiled and said that I was the same way. I don't know whether I was more shocked over me saying that, or his reply. So I just sat there in silence, fiddling with my locket.

"What is that?" he asked, staring at me curiously. I looked up and our eyes met, blue clashing with brown. I was powerless to look away. "Um…it's…well…could you stop doing that?" I asked, trying to tear my eyes away from his. He looked confused for a second, but then a familiar smirk appeared. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently, our gazes still locked. He leaned a bit closer, and giving me his most childlike, innocent look, he took my hand gently and stroked it, never leaving our silent battle. I gulped, and closed my eyes, sighing in exasperation.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, you are the most confusing, arrogant, conceited, jerky guy I know." I opened my eyes and saw the hurt look flash over his face before he could conceal it. "I'm not finished yet. Sometimes, you are impossible! You're so full of yourself that you can't see what you have right in front of you! Even though you're all those things…you're also one of the sweetest, secretly caring, handsome, incredible guys I know, and I'm really glad that I can call you a friend. But despite that, why do you always go out of your way to annoy me?!" I ended it with a frustrated smile. Friend?. Ugh, if only he knew just how much I wish we were more. I was going to tell him that I loved him, but I couldn't…I chickened out. After he gazed at me confusedly for a second, I shut my mouth to the confession, and just said "Never mind…do you want an answer? Or not?"

"Uh, yeah?..." he still looked utterly baffled, so I just sighed and decided to go on and tell him.

"Well…when I was little, me and my dad were best friends. We'd do everything together, and on my 9th birthday, he gave me this locket. It has a picture of him and me together. I didn't know what this meant at the time, but he said that no matter what, he would always love me, and would never truly leave me…that he'd be in my heart. The next morning, I woke up to my mom crying in the living room. She looked up at me and held me in her arms as she explained. He had skipped out on us. Apparently there was some hot young blond that he'd been having an affair with for months, and we hadn't even known! I was little at the time though, so she just said that he still loved me, but he didn't love her anymore, and that I'd never see him again. I kept this stupid thing though, because I hoped that maybe someday…if I was good enough, or could get famous so he'd see me and recognize me…that maybe he'd come back. It's stupid though, because even now, when I've got my face on the covers of magazines, he doesn't really care. He never cared. I guess I keep it now as a reminder for me of my stupidity." I finished off bitterly.

Chad's POV

Sonny finished off her dark tale with a hard angry look at the picture in the locket, and then she snapped it close.

"Wow Sonny, I'm really sorry." I wanted to confess the sad truth of Chad Dylan Cooper, but didn't want to put any more weight on the poor girl's shoulders. I was about to try to comfort her, but our food came then, stopping conversation. We tucked in as fast as we could, so we could hurry and finish today's filming. We were going to a bowling alley tonight with our two casts, as we were ordered by Mr. Condor. After we were done, I threw the money in the waiters face, leaving no tip, and escorted Sonny out with an arm around her shoulders.

But just as we were walking out and laughing at her joke…I saw him. The man who darkened my dreams, the one who I ranked with Satan, the one that I could never truly escape was there, among a sea of people in the street. Just as quickly as I saw him, he was gone. I went white and felt sick. Oh my gosh, he's here?! Why?!

"Chad…? Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Sonny said, tugging on my shirt, trying to get my attention. Just then, I sucked in a huge breath, latched onto her hand, and tore out of there as fast as I could. Luckily she had no high heels on, because we were running at top speed. I didn't have any idea where I was headed, but we ended up at the park. I whipped my head around, searching for him, but there was no sign of him…just like before.

"Chad…what…the…heck…is…going…on?!?!" Sonny gasped, sitting down on a bench. I sat down next to her, trying to catch my breath, and pulled her close, trying to reassure myself that he was gone, and he couldn't possibly harm her with so many people around. I didn't care about myself, I only cared about protecting Sonny now.

"Chad!!!" Sonny said, pulling me out of my sea of melancholy. "I'm sorry Sonny! I can't tell you…" I said, burying my head in my hands. Oh my god, I can't believe I freaked out on her like that! dragging her halfway across Hollywood, no wonder she's mad! But there's no way I can tell her!

"Yes you can! Nobody gets to drag me around at top speed without an explanation! C'mon Chad, what is going on?! You can trust me, okay? You can tell me anything!" she said, trying to coax me to spill. I shook my head, but gave up.

"Okay…look, I saw a guy who…I know would harm me and anyone I'm close to if he got the chance…I would recognize that face anywhere. After all, I'm so alert to it anyways with all my dreams of it…the dang police won't let me describe it to a sketch artist…they say that a six year old who's now a seventeen year old, couldn't possibly remember detail. They don't care what I give them, thinking I'm just looking for more fame. Alright Sonny, brace yourself. Eleven years ago…"

A/N Cliffhanger! Bwahahahaha! I'll probably update next saturday or sunday anyways:) I do have a question for all of you readers out there. Okay, for a freshman who's never even had her first kiss but is a COMPLETE hopeless romantic, how am i doing so far with this story and all the romance? i have a pretty good imagination when it comes to kissing;) and things like that...plus i've read a TON! not romance novels...but things w/ lots of romance in them anyways:) well, in other news, did ya'll like it? hate it? constructive criticism is much appreciated! :D 3