CHAPTER 5

Darren was sitting in the kitchen table, going through his emails and Skyping with Ricky, his PR guy, who was on his way to the other side of California to meet up with some other clients.

"Just play it cool, D. Be yourself. I mean, you don't wanna seem arrogant or, like, you weren't completely surprised by the win," Ricky said, ruffling his thick hair with his fingers. "Trust me, that's not the kind of reputation you want as a first-time Emmy winner, let alone as an actor."

"Yeah, absolutely. And-And, I mean, you know me, man. I think I was the one who expected it the least!" Darren replied, still not fully used to being referred to as an Emmy winner.

"I know, I know. Which is why I'm not worried. You're probably the most modest person I've ever met," Ricky said and flashed a brief, supportive smile. "Just shoot the video and post it, I'm sure it'll be great."

"Yeah, thanks," Darren nodded. "I guess I'm still just so, you know, overwhelmed by all this that it's making me extra nervous. I mean, the words truly cannot describe how thankful I am."

"That's good! Just add a bit more emotion to it and it's perfect."

"Oh, I wasn't actually —"

"Well, hello, gorgeous! Where are you headed?" Darren turned his head and flinched a little as he saw Mia standing next to him.

"Damn it, Ricky! I was gonna scare him," she laughed.

Darren chuckled nervously. "How long have you been there?"

"Don't worry, babe, I didn't hear any of your super secretive guy talk," Mia said, teasingly. "I just got off the phone with Lulu and we made some plans for tonight, so I don't think I'll be coming home until small hours."

"Oh, okay," Darren muttered, secretly happy about how smoothly everything seemed to be going. His meeting with Chris was now officially on and secured.

"Don't stay up waiting, we have a lot to do tomorrow." Mia smiled and kissed his forehead. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Darren answered, unable to look straight back into her eyes.

"Bye!" Ricky shouted as Mia was walking toward the front door.

"Bye, Ricky," Mia chuckled without even turning around.

"Amazing woman," Ricky sighed.

"Yeah, yeah. She is," Darren said feeling terrible about not sounding like he actually meant it at all. "But, look, Ricky, I really gotta go. I've got this meeting at five and I have a dozen things I need to take care of before that."

"You've got a meeting? At five? With whom?" Ricky asked, definitely suspicious about the information.

"Oh, uh... It's just Lea. Nothing LM/DC Tour related, though. She just... Wanted to catch up."

Wow, just horrible.

"Uh-huh..."

Yup, Ricky wasn't buying any of it. Shit.

"So uh, I really need to go but, um... Talk to you later!" Darren said, trying his best not to panic.

"Yeah, bye."

Ricky's abashed look froze on the screen for a few seconds before it disappeared. Darren closed the laptop's cover and dug up his iPhone. He opened his contact list, pressed L and Lea's number appeared. His thumb was hovering over the call button. What was he going to say? What was his explanation? With a person like Lea, he really needed one, because she wasn't in the habit of falling for just any kind of lie.

He took a deep breath and pressed the green button.

"Darren, hi!" Lea answered the call almost immediately. "Oh, my God, I'm still freaking out! Congratulations! You deserved it and so much more!"

"Thank you," Darren chuckled, and for a brief moment he almost forgot about why he was actually calling.

"So, how was the party? Did anything crazy happen?"

Oh, if she only knew...

"I'm literally so excited that you called!" Lea exclaimed. "I mean, I've been wanting to call you ever since I saw you on TV last night, but I wasn't sure when would be the right time with the after party and all your upcoming projects you must be drowning with. So, I just kinda decided to — Wait, why did you call me again? Is everything okay?"

Darren swallowed. "Well, uh... I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just gonna come out and say it."

"Okay... You're scaring me but go on."

"If anyone ever asks you, you and I had coffee today. Nothing work related, just two friends chatting."

"Oh, my God, I love that!" Lea nearly screamed. "Wait, what? So... We're not getting coffee?"

"No. I just need you to say so in case anyone asks."

"Why would anyone ask about it?" Lea sounded confused. "Darren, what's going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, no, no! No. Well, yeah. I mean, no. It's... It's a long story."

Lea was silent for a while. "Does this have something to do with why Chris was suddenly asking for your number yesterday?"

Darren's eyes widened. "He was what?"

"He called me yesterday, asking for your number. He said you had his phone," Lea explained. "Are you meeting with him today?"

Darren sighed. "Yeah. He's coming over to pick it up."

"Wait, he's coming to your place? Darren!"

"What? It's just coffee," Darren replied. "We haven't talked in ages, it'll be great catching up. I mean, our friendship was pretty unique."

At this point, he wasn't even sure who he was trying to convince, Lea or himself.

"Right..."

Lea definitely wasn't convinced yet.

"It's just... I don't understand, how do you even have his phone?"

There it was. The question Darren had severely hoped to avoid.

"It's a long story," he said again. He had no idea why he'd thought that it would've sounded any more believable the second time.

"Okay, what's going on? Why are you being so secretive?" Lea kept questioning. "It's not like you're having an affair!"

Darren coughed, startled. "Yeah, that'd be... Crazy."

"You know you can trust me, right? You can tell me anything. Besides, you know how I like to be involved!" Lea cried out. "It'd be like our own small Glee reunion! Jenna and Kevin have those all the time."

Darren sighed again. "We accidentally switched blazers in the restroom at the Emmys. Chris' phone was in the breast pocket so he needed my number to call me from someone else's cell."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" Lea laughed. "There's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. You and Chris are old friends."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Lea was quiet again. Darren could already feel a new tough question coming and challenging his nonexistent lying skills.

"But... Why do you have to make such a big deal out of it? I mean, he's just coming to get the jacket and then staying for coffee, why do you need such a strict plan to cover it up?"

Darren pursed his lips together. Remember who you're talking to. Come up with something believable.

"Well, I, uh... I have something personal I need to talk to him about."

Seriously? That's what you're going with? 'Something personal'?

"Oh. My. God. Are you asking him to be your best man?" The excitement in Lea's voice was unbelievably real-like.

Darren looked helplessly around him, as if he was trying to get some guidance from the walls. Nothing.

"Yeah, I, uh... I am."

WHAT?

"I think I'm gonna cry!" Lea shouted. "I'm so happy for you guys already, and now this!"

Darren smiled nervously, still trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with him for just saying such things.

"Yeah, but I mean, he can still say no. It was... Just an idea that came to me when we were catching up yesterday."

Yeah, or more like just a few seconds ago when she literally fed you the idea.

"Well, I'm sure he'll say yes! Oh, my God! It's gonna be a Glee wedding! I'm so happy! We're getting married!"

Darren chuckled, distressed and shaken. The joy about his plans succeeding was gone. He was now officially a dead man walking.

After hanging up, he got up, walked to the bathroom and took off his pink top. He stared at himself in the mirror; his muscular arms, his hairy chest, his flat but beefy stomach.

He turned on the faucet and cold water started to spur out. He washed his face, still feeling hot and anxious after closing the faucet. He took a deep breath and sat on the toilet seat, not taking his eyes off of his reflection. Why was he still feeling so excited and happy about tonight, when he was lying to so many people he really cared about? He felt guilty for feeling so good.

He pressed his head against his hands and closed his eyes. What the hell was he doing? How many lies was he going to tell before he'd finally lose himself while trying to cover up his idiotic mistakes with stories and fiction? How long would he last after getting caught up too deep in the spiral of lying? Once, he'd faked a British accent for four years just because he was too embarrassed to tell the truth once he had already started with the lies.

There was no way he was going to go through all that again.

At 4.57 pm, Chris was standing outside Darren's luxurious house. He was wearing a white black-striped t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts. His black sunglasses were hanging from the collar of the tee.

He quickly ruffled his lightly gelled hair with his fingers, using one of the living room windows as a mirror. Then, he raised his hand and gave an old-fashioned knock on the door.

Only a few moments later, the door opened and he was greeted by Darren's big, genuine smile. "Hey."

He smiled back. "Hey."

"Come on in," Darren said as he stepped aside so he could enter.

Chris' gaze wandered around the living room. "This place is gorgeous. How long have you lived here again?"

"About five years," Darren replied and sat down on the beige couch. "Here's your phone."

Chris turned around and took the cell from Darren's extend hand. "Thanks."

Darren smiled, nervously. "Okay, so, this is awkward. And I don't want it to be. I really don't. So... What do you say if we just... Start from a clean slate?"

"I'd like that," Chris said and sat down next to Darren. "Honestly, I feel so guilty about last night. It was a huge mistake."

"Yeah, l mean... That wasn't me."

"Of course it wasn't!" Chris exclaimed. "We were drunk and... Drunk people do stupid things."

"Exactly."

"I'm glad we can agree on this."

An awkward silence landed in the room. Both of them were feverishly trying to figure out what the other one was thinking about, but it was getting harder and harder when the only thing in their own minds seemed to be; why does it feel like I'm lying?

"Why don't I put on some music, huh? It always used to relax you," Darren said and dug up his phone. He connected it to the sound system and scrolled through his playlist.

Soon a familiar melody started playing and Darren turned his gaze to Chris, eagerly waiting for him to recognize it. He tapped his leg to the beat and as the first verse began, he started singing along.

"Ooh, you make me live, whatever this world can give to me. It's you, you're all I see! Ooh, you make me live now, honey. Ooh, you make me live!" Darren got off the sofa and kneeled down in front of Chris, continuing the song even louder. "Ooh, you're the best friend that I ever had! I've been with you such a long time, you're my sunshine, and I want you to know that my feelings are true! I really love you. Oh, you're my best friend!"

"Oh, my God!" Chris yelled, laughing. "Make it stop!"

Darren laughed and lowered the volume. "I love that song!"

"I've had a hard time listening to it ever since we covered it in Glee," Chris said, shaking his head. "I still don't get the whole thing. Why the hell were there so many puppets? No. Why were there any puppets?"

"I was the puppet master!"

"Yeah, saying that doesn't make it any better, no matter how cool you think it makes you," Chris chuckled. "But thank you. I really needed that."

Darren smiled. "No problem. I just want us to be able to be friends again. We used to be so close."

"Yeah," Chris muttered as Darren got up from the floor and sat back down on the couch. "I'm sorry I just secluded like that. There was just... So much going on and, well, I couldn't take it."

"Yeah, I, uh... I heard about Will. I'm so sorry," Darren said, meaning every word. "How are you doing now?"

"It's still hard," Chris sighed. "Some days are better, others just..."

He put his head down as tears came to his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Darren said, putting his hand on Chris' shoulder. "It's okay not to be strong all the time."

Chris wiped away his tears and turned his red, watery eyes towards him, smiling weakly.

Darren returned the smile, looking right back into his glasz eyes. His head felt empty from his own thoughts and worries, as if he was being brainwashed. His palms were sweaty and his heart was beating like crazy.

Chris bit his lip, suddenly distracted from all the sadness that just a minute ago had been getting him down. He stared at Darren, whose hazel eyes were drilled into his, unwilling to break the contact.

Suddenly, he leaned towards him, his lips an inch away from his. His eyes were bouncing between his eyes and mouth. And then, without saying a word, he pressed their lips together.

"Oh, my God," Chris mumbled, scared as he trembled backwards. "I-I don't know what came over me."

Darren stayed silent, not taking his eyes off of the floor.

"I do," he suddenly said, quietly. "I feel it, too."