TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY
FREEDOM'S WIND SET, ABBY BOYD'S CHAIR
Monday, September 3rd
4:19 pm
Not long after that, Abby headed over to her purple chair and took a seat, sighing. A woman with a makeup box stood in front of her, re-powdering her face.
Massie and Claire were standing as close to the chair as they could, which was about two meters away, but the crew people seemed to be purposely standing in between them and Abby.
"Shout her name," Massie said.
"No, you do it."
"Abby hates me. You have to do it, Claire."
"Fine." Claire cupped her hands around her mouth and took a deep breath. "Abby!"
"Hey!" A crew member stepped up to her. He was a portly man with large headphones over his ears. "No fans allowed!"
"But we're not fans," Claire said. "We really need to talk to her."
"Too bad." The crew guy stared Claire down.
Suddenly Abby came scurrying up to them. "Wait, wait, wait, Mark," she said to the crew guy. "It's okay."
"Abby," Mark-the-crew-guy said. "You're on in five minutes; you need to get your makeup done. Let me take care of these fans."
Abby laughed. "Oh, they're not fans."
"Do you know them?" Mark looked very puzzled.
"Yeah," Abby replied. "Now go do whatever you're supposed to be doing."
Mark scowled and stalked off.
"Okay, what do you two want?" Abby didn't look happy.
Massie and Claire took turns explaining Vanessa's situation as fast as they could. As Abby listened, the expression on her face stayed noncommittal.
Claire felt strangely nervous as she finished the story. Abby looked back at her with a blank face.
"So we want you to talk to your parents," Massie said softly. "We think you're the only one who can convince them to let Vanessa stay."
Abby's face stayed blank for a moment longer, and Claire's stomach twisted. What was the actress going to say?
Abby's brown eyes flashed. "You guys really are Vanessa's friends, aren't you?"
Massie and Claire nodded slowly.
Abby's face softened. "Okay. I'll call my mom as soon as I can find my cell. You guys wanna stick around?"
Massie and Claire both beamed. "Sure!" they said in unison.
Abby lifted the tape and the two of them ducked under it. Then all three girls headed back to Abby's chair. Abby hopped back into it while Claire and Massie stood off to the side. "Get me my cell phone," Abby demanded of the nearest crew member.
The woman went to a Louis Vuitton purse on top of a large black box. She grabbed the purse and handed it to Abby, who dug a small silver phone out of it. Massie and Claire waited with bated breath as Abby called her mother.
"Mom? …yeah, it's me. Listen what's this about Vanessa having to go back to LA?" Abby paused and listened to her mom for a few moments. "Oh…but she's been doing so well here! …Yes, I know she tried to commit suicide, but her friends have totally turned her around…Yes, in the course of one day. You don't get it, Mom—" Abby sighed; apparently her mother had cut her off.
This time she was silent for longer before saying, "Mom, I really think you should let Vanessa stay. She's got her friends and me to take care of her…Of course you can trust me, and her friends are really good people." Abby paused again and Claire and Massie giggled at being called "really good people."
After a while, Abby continued. "Mom, we know her better than the rehab people, wherever she's going! …But you would totally be ruining her life if you made her leave now…Yes, I know she tried to commit suicide, but it didn't work, did it? …Yes, I know that too, but we'll keep an eye on her. Like I said, we know her better—"
Abby looked like she was getting frustrated, and she tried to rake a hand through her hair but couldn't because of all the hair spray that was there. Claire felt her stomach drop at Abby's expression.
"Mom, wait!" Abby's voice was truly desperate now. Claire wondered if she was acting or if she really felt so strongly about getting Mrs. Boyd to let Vanessa stay. "It is not for the best," the actress declared. "Mom!" Suddenly Abby heaved a huge sigh and brought the phone down from her ear. She stared at the screen for a moment and then flipped it closed.
Abby looked and Massie and Claire with true apology in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said softly, shaking her head. "My mom wouldn't listen."
Claire felt her shoulders droop and the hope in her heart whoosh out.
