7/14
Dad still isn't talking to me. Well, I mean, he's talking to me, but he isn't drilling me about my schedule, about how I need to go to college and work in movies like he does. Usually I'd like it, but it's been 10 days since the Bash. It's been 10 days that he hasn't been talking to me.
I shouldn't have sung the song.
But I did and now it's too late. Oh well. I guess it could be worse. He could still be on my back about everything. Now I'm getting away with nearly anything. I didn't get home until after one o'clock the night of Amalia's birthday, didn't call for the driver. Justin drove me home and I seemed nearly normal. Dad knew and didn't say anything.
Today Tyler started on his new movie, that he's filming here in LA. While he'll be really busy, 12 hour days, but at least he'll be in town. I can see him, I can go on set if I want. Even if it's not one of Dad's movies, someone is bound to know me. And Tyler will probably put me on a guest list anyway.
But that does give me a lot of free time because we were hanging out so much since he'd just gotten back from New York, and had to start his new movie so soon. But now all of my spare time is totally freed up.
So today I went out with Dawn, Kristy, and Mary Anne. We went to the mall and hung out. When we were hanging out at Starburst's for lunch, Mary Anne was talking about how she met Cam Geary. She looked at me.
"But I guess you know him."
"No, I don't," I said. "He's been at our house for parties and stuff, but I've never actually met him."
Mary Anne seemed pleased by this response. I didn't want to tell her that I think his movies are annoying, and when I've been forced to sit through them, I usually fall asleep.
I changed the subject. "So how are things going with your guy friend? Derek?"
"Oh, great," she replied. "He's so sweet. I'm not looking forward to leaving. Not that I wanted to go before I met him."
Dawn looked at Kristy. "So, Kristy, any guys in your life? How are things going with Bart?"
"Bart? Eh, nothing except Krusher's games," Kristy replied. "We broke it off, whatever it was we had."
"No guys at all?"
"No, I mean, you know how it goes. Meet guys on trips, but no one in Stoneybrook. I still go to some dances with Alan Gray. But there's... no one."
Dawn looked disappointed. "You didn't even find a in-Cali lover while you're here like Mary Anne and Claudia?"
"Derek isn't a lover!" Mary Anne said.
Kristy looked a little shy (which I know is really odd for her), but she shrugged. "No. Not really." She paused. "You know me, Dawn, guys are boring and gross in my book. It hasn't changed and it probably won't be for quite some time."
Dawn looked even more disappointed. She looked at me. "So how are things going with Tyler?"
"Oh, okay. I was glad when we could just hang out and do stuff. But now that he's working, and that's such long hours, I'll have to go on set to visit him and you know how I hate doing stuff like that. I don't even go and visit Dad on set. Not that he wouldn't throw a fit if I did. Unless I was there to direct or produce, or even act. But if I was there to just visit him? He'd have a cow."
She nodded, sort of sadly. She's so lucky to have such a good relationship with her Dad. I mean, they got in such trouble when they went to that club, and if I had done that, Dad wouldn't even bother. He gets uptight about things that no one would even think about, and is relaxed about the sort of things that would sent regular parents into shock.
We paid the bill and went wandering around the mall. Kristy and Mary Anne went to the pet store and I was going to go with them, but Dawn wanted to get a birthday gift for Claudia, so I went with her (it's not fun to walk around the mall alone).
Then something horrible and embarrassing happened. We were looking at bracelets at Claire's and this girl looked at me and went, "You're Maggie Blume!"
I jumped. People don't recognize me. I'm a producer's daughter. People don't even recognize him, let alone me. I stared at her. "Uhhh..."
"I saw your picture on the internet with Tyler Kendall! Tyler Kendall is the best actor alive! He's so totally hunky! I'm, like, so jealous of you because you're dating Tyler Kendall! Ohmigod, what's it like dating Tyler Kendall?"
"Normally we just call him Tyler," I said.
She stared at me and let out an ear-piercing laugh. "You're so funny! Are you an actress too? You have an IMDB page, you know. You're so pretty, you could be in movies, and you have such great connections!"
"Um, thanks." I backed away, and grabbed Dawn who was staring at this scene not sure how to react to it.
"Can you get me in the movies? I love to act! Do you love to act? Does Tyler love to act? I'll bet he loves to act. He's so good. Do you think he'll win an Oscar? It'd be so great if he won an Oscar."
I was starting to get a headache from her babbling. "I have to go," I said. I dragged Dawn out of the store. I went straight to a bathroom and threw up.
This is why I hate Hollywood. I hate Dad dragging me to premieres, I even sort of hate Tyler for having me go with him too. I don't want to be treated like some kind of god. I hate it when people do that to do Dad and to Tyler. Why can't they see that actors and producers (and their girlfriends/daughters) are just people? That's why so many celebrities have bloated heads. It makes me sick.
I'm glad Tyler isn't like that.
I should go to bed. I have to work tomorrow, even if it's only for four hours. I need to get some sleep.
7/15
I don't know what to say. I came home from work and I had a message from Amalia to call her. So I did, and she was crying, and asked if she could come over. I said yes, of course, and she arrived just a few minutes later (I think she got a ride. If I were her parents, I wouldn't let her walk here bawling her eyes out).
"What's going on?" I asked when Amalia came into my room.
She couldn't talk for a moment, and when she regained her composure. She took a deep breath. "Brendan's coming home early."
"And this is... bad?" I asked.
"Yeah. He's, he's coming home early because his dad has cancer. Lung cancer."
"Oh my god," I said. "Is he all right? I mean, is it very progressed?"
"It doesn't look good, but it's still early. They put him on medication right away. Brendan's mom called me after she got a hold of Brendan." Amalia started crying again and I handed her a box of Kleenex.
"Do you know his dad well?
"Yeah, pretty well. I mean, he's there when I go over. He's a really nice guy. He doesn't smoke or anything, but he works with people who do. Second hand smoke has given him lung cancer. He's only forty-five. It's not fair!"
"It's not," I agreed. "But that's life."
"I know, I know." Amalia sort of fell over on my bed and was sobbing. I wrapped my arms around her and held her.
"When's Brendan getting back?" I asked.
"This evening. I'm going with his mom to pick him up from the airport. She asked me to come. I told her that if they wanted family time, I could understand that. But she told me that I was part of the family, and that, that Brendan could use all the support he could get. He and his Dad are pretty close." Amalia sat up and wiped her eyes.
She didn't stay for much longer, and I made her get a ride with the driver because I didn't want her walking home crying.
I felt horrible. I'd never met Brendan's Dad, but things like this make you reorganize your priorities. Or at least your thoughts about things. I was worried about annoying teeny-boppers recognizing my picture from the internet, when Brendan's dad has cancer.
And it has to be lung cancer, doesn't it? I know that Amalia is thinking about Mrs. Winslow. I know I am. I mean, I'd grown up with her. Mrs. Winslow was someone familiar. Amalia didn't have that with her, and I know she felt that death even though she'd only know Sunny (and I don't know if she'd even met Mrs W.) a few months. Is that how she feels about Brendan's dad?
I need to talk to Tyler, but he's too busy right now. The beginning of filming is really rough. Maybe I'll call Ducky. He's a good listener.