PoV: JAKE

The first chance I get to confront Madison about the kiss, I do. I've put up with her for far too long, and I'd never had such a strong incentive to end it as when I looked at Rory after the kiss happened. One look, and I knew any patience I had left for Madison was gone. Rory Swenson and her overwhelming effect on me, after only a few days of knowing her. I wonder if this is what it's like for all her friends.

After we finish reshooting one of our scenes later that day, I approach Madison and square my shoulders. I still feel bitter about her making Rory watch. My mind whispers Rory's name, as though reminding me why I have the courage to do this at all. "Madison," I say firmly, and she swivels her head sharp around to meet my eyes.

"What?"

"Why did you kiss me? In front of Rory? I know you didn't want to."

She rolls her eyes (figures) and sighs as though I should already know the answer to my question. "Oh, Jake, you're reading too far into it. Just thought I'd make her head spin is all. No harm no foul."

"Yes foul! Don't ever kiss me again—whether we're alone or in front of people. We said we were done and we are. So drop it."

She looks at me blankly. Then she airily replies, "Whatever you say," and goes back to the magazine she was reading.

But I know her too well to believe that she'll ever let me go.

After contemplating for over an hour about what to text Rory, I finally send her a casual hey.

Then I nervously pace my trailer until my phone chimes with her reply. Hi

Now what? I've never texted a girl like this before, especially not one who's buried so far into my head as Rory is. I don't know what to say to make her stay in there. wyd?

A few minutes later: Eting dinnr. Dad currenly gving me side eye

Awkward spelling errors aside, I immediately feel like a moron. Of course she's eating dinner—it's almost seven o'clock. oops, sorry I quickly type back.

np is all I get in return. I'm oddly disappointed, but that'll have to do for now.

I collapse into my beanbag and lean my head back, letting the weight of everything settle around me. Rory and Madison and wanting to quit Hollywood but not wanting to go home.

Rory won't be there. Rory is here, in Willow Falls, and Rory is the first real friend I've ever had. That makes me feel pathetic, but it's true. It's amazing to finally be understood by someone, and I'm not ready to let go of that feeling. Not yet. I just want more time.

And Rory's awesome, now that I know more about her. Her little brother Sawyer will only eat pizza (and apparently soft pretzels too, on occasion), her dad has a blue stripe in his hair that he's getting paid to wear, and she has a crippling fear of bunnies because her first pet tried to kill her. And I learned all that in one day! Which means there has to be so much more.

And I want to know more. I want to know everything. What makes her laugh, her favorite color, the last book she read. Maybe it's just because she's the first friend I've ever been able to choose for myself, but to me Rory is endlessly fascinating. And nothing about her fascinates me more than the way she's able to see into me, see into everything, with just one look. Her perception of the world goes so much deeper than what she's told, and I'll never get tired of seeing her look at me that way.

I kept trying to get her to see me during the group hangout, but every time I looked over at her she didn't seem to understand. Maybe I'm crazy for thinking she's so cool, but I get the feeling she wouldn't believe me even if I told her to her face.

Around eight-thirty that night, I hear my phone ring. To my surprise, caller ID says it's Rory! Some kind of foreign panic immediately sets in, but I pick up anyway. "Hey Rory."

"Hey, sorry about earlier. My phone doesn't have a keyboard so I have to text through the keypad, and it takes me forever to type one word. That's why there were so many spelling mistakes—please don't think I'm an idiot."

I laugh a little in spite of myself. "Don't worry, I'd never think that."

"Trust me, that will probably get harder," she jokes. "I'm sorta new to this whole 'having friends' thing, so I will most likely have to get all my idiotic moments out of the way."

"Hey—me too. We're in the same boat. The day I met you—"

"I was walking like I had an exercise ball between my legs, I know. You don't have to bring it up again!" She whines. But she's also laughing, so I figure it's a good sign. Right?

"I never would have noticed you otherwise," I blurt, then immediately regret it. Rory doesn't say anything. WHY would I say that? That's so rude! Why can't I just relax and give the poor girl a break?

Her voice is small on the other line. "Yeah, I'm…I'm pretty good at blending in, actually. I used to think I didn't want to be so plain, but now I see all the things it's good for. It's kind of nice living on the outside of everything."

I exhale tightly. "I wish I could join you out there. How funny; the movie star who doesn't want to be the center of attention."

"Oh man, I'll bet you're under a lot of pressure all the time." She pauses, but I don't think she's finished so I don't say anything. "Do…do I make you feel that way? Like you're under pressure?"

You make me feel something, that's for sure—but I don't think it's pressure. "No, not at all. I don't feel like I owe you a performance, so I don't put one on. Does that make sense?"

"It does. And I never want you to put on a performance when it's just you and me. And I make you that same promise. We'll always be real with each other—even if it gets ugly—because that's what real friends do. We shouldn't have to hide."

She's right. She's also incredibly straightforward. Just like earlier, in my trailer, after Madison left… "I agree. Actually, I, uh…I wanted to ask you about what you said earlier today when you were in my trailer…"

"Oh! That." She giggles nervously. "Yeah, um, I'm really sorry if all that freaked you out. It kinda freaked me out, too, to be honest. I'm not entirely sure where it all came from…" she takes a deep breath, and it crackles across the receiver. "but I meant it. You deserve so much better than you get, Jake. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"I mean…my parents, kinda, but when they say it it's more about the roles or the pay. It's never about what I want. It's all career-oriented. But what you said, it reminded me that my life is still mine. And maybe there's still a part of it I can save for myself. I guess all I'm trying to say is…thank you, Rory, for thinking so highly of me. It means a lot."

"Anytime. What are friends for?" I smile, and I hope she does too.

After a few beats of humming silence, I hear a voice on Rory's end that doesn't belong to her. "Who are you talking to, Rory?"

"Oh, uh…Amanda. She had question about the homework in bio."

"All right, well, wrap it up soon. It's almost your new bedtime."

"You got it, Mom!"

Then a door shuts, sounding distant over the phone, and Rory scrambles around before worriedly asking, "You didn't happen to hear any of that, did you?"

"Well, since I can't lie to you…" I hedge.

Rory groans. "I'm sorry. My family doesn't…um, know about you, exactly. I mean, they know who you are. They've seen your movies. They just don't know we're friends in real life now."

"Ah, I get it." But I don't, really.

"They've got nothing against you personally, they'd just get the wrong idea of me talking to a boy on the phone at night, y'know?" Her words are rushed and spoken all in one breath, and I don't blame her for being uncomfortable.

"No, I totally understand, and I think it's good that they worry about you like that. A sign of good parenting."

"You wouldn't be saying that if they were your parents."

"Ha! Well, to that end, if you don't want your mom to get suspicious we should probably hang up."

"Yeah, probably for the best. But I'll still stop by your trailer at lunch, if you want me to…"

"No, yeah, definitely come by! I'll raid craft services before you come. We'll eat like kings!"

"Oh, I am down for that. Okay, see you tomorrow."

"Should I leave the sign up?"

She laughs. "Good night, Jake."

"Good night, Rory."

For whatever reason, as I'm falling asleep that night, I can't seem to stop smiling. No matter how it happened, I'm so stupidly glad I met Rory I literally can't stop grinning like an idiot. I'm not even sure whether I found her, or she found me. Either way, I don't feel so lost anymore.