Celebrity Status

Chapter Two

(Laura's P.O.V.)

Lucky for me, being the punctual freak that I am, I make it to school two minutes before Morning Assembly that next day.

My best friend Brittany (bless that girl for putting up with my shit on a daily basis) is standing at my locker waiting for me. She gives me an amused look, arms folded over her chest and a small smirk was being worn on her cherry red lips.

I pay her no attention and don't bother to respond to the dozens of questions she was silently asking me. I do however grab a brush out of my bag and pull it through my hair a few times. I had applied no make up to my face today so my tired features were quite apparent.

"You really need to learn to drive, Laura," Brittany tells me and she snorts as she does so.

"Yeah, and drive myself to school with what car?" I counter to which she says nothing. Hell would freeze over before my parents bought me a car.

I grab my books, say goodbye to George Clooney (or at least the picture of him I had taped up in my locker) and shut my locker door. Brittany and I then saunter down the hall toward the auditorium.

"So," Brittany asks casually, "did you get that piece done for Mr. Olson's class?"

"Yep." I sigh tiredly. "It took thirteen hours, six giant cans of Monster, and the entire Macklemore album to inspire me, but it's done."

I push open the heavy wooden doors that lead into the auditorium and we take our seats near the back.

"Good morning students," Mrs. Clare, the assistant principal, says at her place behind the podium on the giant stage that sat before the entire student body. Mostly everyone gives her back a "good morning, Mrs. Clare". She smiles briefly before resting her glasses on the bridge of her nose and reading the morning announcements.

"Today is Friday, October 11, 2013."

'Thank gawd it's Friday!' I think.

"Now I could read the announcements on this paper like what's for lunch or what the temperature is outside, but instead I think I'll talk to you about the one thing you actually care about; The End Of Year Show Choir."

The auditorium burst into applause and cheering, but I only roll my eyes.

"Settle down! Settle down! I know you all are all very excited about this, but refrain from celebrating until I give the announcement." The room quiets down and everyone sits back in their chairs respectively.

"Thank you. Now, yes it's that exciting time of the year when we show off our talent to the community. The End Of Year Show Choir. This event, as always, will be held the day before we get out for Winter Break. That mess you all will have less than three months to sign up, select your piece, and practice it before the final production. Your piece can be either original or a cover, it does not matter. Sign up sheets will be posted all over the school building for you to do so between classes."

Brittany nudges my side. "Are you gonna sign up this year?"

I shake my head and chuckle humorlessly. "Of coarse not."

I'm not looking at her face, but I can tell she's frowning at me. "And why the eff not?"

"I can give you a hundred reasons "why the eff not"," I finally turn and face her and she just rolls her eyes at me and sits back in her seat.

I do the same and a beat of silence passes before she pipes up again.

"I was thinking of signing up," she mutters.

I look at her and just shrug. "Best of luck to you."

For those of you who don't understand, the school I go to is not like an average high school. In fact, it's not even a high school. It's a performing arts school in Central Denver, and the End Of Year Show Choir is pretty much the most fussed over event that we put on. Taking place at the end of December, it gives the students a chance to show off their talents (which basically means rub them in the faces of all the kids not as talented as them) to the community and really the whole state of Colorado. And, it's also an event that I have not/ plan not to participate in since my first year here.

By this point, no one was even listening to Mrs. Clare's announcement so she dismissed us.

"I'll see you at lunch," Brittany says, to which I nod and we both go our separate ways.

I stalk off very unhappily to my first period class that happens to be Dance. I grab my gym bag, change clothes, and put my hair in a tight ponytail then head into the dance studio.

All the students are huddled in a circle, doing stretches. I join them, awkwardly squishing between two girls that I don't know very well. They both give me sideways glances before turning back their attention to the person leading stretches.

"Alright class!" Mr. David's yells to grab all our attention.

Our other dance instructor Ms. Carmin is shuffling through CDs for today's playlist.

"Next week we're gonna start on our pieces for the show choir, so for those of you not performing," a few people look my way, indicating they know I have no intention of performing in the show, "this will just be a free period."

I roll my eyes. Is that stupid show seriously gonna be the only thing I hear about for the next two months?

"Okay, if you all are all good and stretched we're gonna get this show on the road," Ms. Carmin informs us. She puts a disc in the player and pushes play. The built-in speakers in the ceiling began blaring that all too familiar tune and for what seems like the millionth time that day, I roll my eyes.

Looking for the one tonight,

But I can't see you

Cuz I'm blinded by all the lights.

And I can never get it right,

I need a breakthrough.

Why are you so hard to find?

…

I had always been a perfectly good student. All A's, good behavior. Aside from my scarce sarcastic quips every now and then, I never gave anyone any trouble.

That's why it was a surprise to me and everyone else in the class when the principal asks to talk to me at the end of my last period.

"We are talking about Ms. Laura Marano, right? There hasn't been some mistake?" My teacher asks the principal with a skeptical look on his face.

Mr. Geeves shakes his head. "No, there's been no mistake." He then looks straight at me. "Ms. Marano, if you would please follow me."

I obey, grabbing all my stuff and trailing after him.

We walk to his office in a tension-filled silence. I suspect him to be upset with me, but the friendly smile on his face is very misleading.

Finally, in the privacy of his office, he sits me down and then sits down himself, offering me a mint which I graciously decline.

"You have no idea why I called you down here do you?"

I shake my head slowly.

He rests his head on top his desk before continuing. "Mr. Olson shared with me your piece that you turned in today."

I simply nod, but I'm not really getting any clarification from this.

"He liked it. And quite frankly, I did too."

"Um, thanks..." I reply.

"He told me he wants you to perform it in the End Of Year Show Choir, and suggested I talk to you about it." Mr. Geeves gives me a look, but his emotions are unreadable. By this point I'm squirming in my seat. "What are your thoughts on this?"

"Well...," I freeze. My mind goes blank in one instant. What am I suppose to say? 'Im sick of just about this dumb show. Of coarse I don't want to be in it.' I just shrug and let him talk.

"Mr. Olson seems to think you would stand a chance of winning. He was very impressed by your work."

I snort. I didn't mean for it to come out, but impudent Laura broke through before respectful Laura could do anything to stop her.

I regain my courteous manner before speaking. "With all due respect to Mr. Olson, I'd say I have to disagree."

Me. Geeves nods in understanding before handing me a mirror. "What do you see Laura?"

"I see myself," I state simply because, after all, I was looking at a mirror.

"Really? Because I see a young lady who is full of a lot of potential that she doesn't seem to see in herself." The thirty-seven year old man with crystal blue eyes and blond, slightly receding hair gives me a playful smile and leans over to pat my shoulder.

I exhale loudly, handing him back his mirror and sinking into my seat.

"Why did you come to this school in the first place?" He inquires of me.

"Because I've wanted to be a songwriter since I was like, nine years old."

"And how do you expect that to happen if you don't ever put yourself out there?" I sigh, slumping down deeper. "Laura, I get it, you're scared. You're uncomfortable with putting yourself out there in front of people, but taking chances is what life is all about." He then stands up and walks over to the door. "Don't leave the world in the cold about this. You have talent, Laura. You deserve to have people know that." He opens the door for me and I collect all my personal belongings and follow him to the door.

"Are you saying you want me to sign up for the Show Choir?"

"I'm saying I'd like you to think about it." Mr. Geeves pats my back on my way out. "Get out of here. You don't want to be late for your bus."

And with that, I leave.

…

It's cold on my way back home. The crisp autumn air has a sharp sting to it. I pull the zipper on my jacket up higher to deflect some of the cold, but my face still receives a slap from the harsh wind.

Once I get to my driveway I notice a third car parked there.

"Fuck," I mutter under my breath. There's only one person I know who drives a blue Prius like the one I'm looking at and the owner of said car is not someone I'm in the mood to see.

"Laura!" That's the first thing I here when I come into the house.

My aunt Maggie -the proud owner of a blue Prius- rushes over to hug me. I don't hug back until my mother shoots me a stern glance and I then wrap my arms around the older woman in a half-hearted effort.

She steps away from the hug and give me a warm smile. "Hello, darling. It's so good to see you again."

I only nod with no other reply.

My mom hurries over to my side. She places her arm around my shoulder. "Now that you're home we can start dinner."

"Ah, yes," my aunt says, "but first, Laura please change your clothes."

I look down at my Beatles tee shirt and colorful striped leggings then give my aunt a questioning look. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Honey," she chuckles, "those are hardly clothes." She shakes her head. "I can't believe your mom let you go out like that."

I thro my head back with an irritated groan before marching up to my bedroom to change clothes.

After dinner, which goes awful by the way, my aunt, mom, dad, and I retire to the living room.

I sit down awkwardly on the couch receiving strange looks from all three of them, especially my mom who's biting her lip worrisome.

"Laura, are you aware of the conditions regarding my presence here tonight?" Aunt Maggie asks me as she shuffles around the contents of her purse, rummaging for something in particular.

"No," I answer truthfully.

She lifts up a folded piece of paper that being clutched by her French-tipped manicured nails tightly. She moved her glasses up along the bridge of her nose. "Your mother sent me your grade card, as per my request,"

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead glance to look at my mom. She refuses to make eye contact.

"And I have to say that I am quite disappointed with what I saw."

"Why? I got good grades last semester!" I stand up from my seat at the couch and practically scream at the woman.

"You got two B-'s, three B's, one A-, and the rest were only A's." She shoves the paper in my hands as if saying 'see for yourself'.

I study the paper over a couple of times, completely confused.

My aunt grabs the paper out of my grip and puts it back in her purse. "We talked about this Laura. We allowed you to go to that... that circus act school as long as you maintained good grades-"

"Which I did!" I interject angrily.

"Those were A's and B's on that paper. Not even a single A+."

"Do you expect me to be perfect or something? Cause that's a lot to expect!"

"I expect you to do your best, and you're best is definitely better than that." The older woman breathes heavily and her gaze softens, not completely, but slightly. "This is your warning, Laura. One more slip up and I'll be kicking you out of that school and into a new one. A real one."

I'm calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside I'm screaming at the woman in front of me. I glance from my aunt, to my mom, and when I realize that she's not gonna be offering me any help, I turn my attention back to my aunt.

"Do we have a deal?" She looks at me over her glasses rims.

"Yes," I say quietly and nod.

She smiles. "Good. I'm glad we have an understanding." She glances down at her watch and then looks back up to the rest of us. "Look at the time. I really must be going. Ellen, Damiano, it was a pleasure to see you. As always."

My mother smiles barely and hugs her sister goodbye. Once she leaves, my mom peers my way.

"Laura," she speaks carefully, but I refuse any conversation with her. Instead, I stomped up the stairs and escape to my bedroom, slamming the door behind me.

That's were I stay for the rest of the night.

A/N:

Chapter two took longer than expected. I tried to write it and upload it last weekend, but I ran into some problems so they updating was kind of delayed. Sorry about that. Also, this is a very long chapter and I don't want you getting ideas that this is how all of the chapter are gonna be because that's not true. Size of chapter will vary depending on how much content I feel is necessary for that chapter. I usually try to at least make the chapter no less than 1,000 words, but on rare occasion it doesn't always meet those standards.

Next chapter will focus on Ross's home life, which will be in his POV like this one was in Laura's so that should be interesting to write. And the chapter after that will more than likely be a flashback chapter to give some insight onto what want down between Ross and Laura four years ago.

I won't be able to start on it until next Friday more than likely. Tomorrow is the night of my school's Homecoming *woot woot* so I'll be busy tomorrow and during the week I don't have very much time to write anything. So yeah. Expect it 1-2 weeks from now.

As always thanks for reviewing. I'm being lazy and I don't feel like looking up the people who were so kind as to review this but if you did thanks! You're awesome! I love you! Review this chapter please. I spent a lot of time writing it and I would very much enjoy your feedback.

KKthanxbai,

Morgan :)