I got a few reviews for the last chapter, and I thank those who did! I'm glad you guys took the time to read even if you knew you weren't going to read too much.

Disclaimer: No way do I own SWAC. Duh.

Chad

"Chad," They sneered my name in unison as we met in front of Mr. Condor's office. They all looked completely different from one another: one blonde girl, fashionable; another blonde boy, large and awkward; a smaller girl; basically a freak; a dark boy, who wore hats all the time. Every one of them made me shiver in disgust.

"Randoms." I greeted in the same tone, sarcasm dripping into my tone. My cast mates chuckled from behind me and gave some high fives and glared at the other cast. That's what you get for not being number one.

"Whatever," The boy with the hat, Nico, said. "Why are you guys here? Mr. Condor finally realize that the number one show is number one at being horrible?"

I looked at him strangely, for that was the worst comeback I had ever heard. Though all of them exchanged smirks of victory.

"No. Were here to confirm our raise." I lied smoothly. No one knew why we were here, but I'm pretty sure I deserve a raise even if I get more than I need. I need a lot.

"Well, then." Portlyn stepped up. She was also a fashionable girl. The blonde girl from the opposing show, Tawni, was always competing with Portlyn. Trust me, she had a long way to go before she was halfway there. "Let's go find out, shall we?"

Zora, the small freak who was more like a mad midget, butted in. "You say any more rude things and I'll send the evil gnomes to find where you sleep!"

I snorted and shook my head. This cast had a lot of learning to go through. Why would they even want to be on a dumb comedy show anyway? Drama is this year's number one, like my show, like me. Didn't they realize they could never outdo us in anything?

"Well, I'm going to go get my raise so..." I trailed off and my cast entered the room right behind me, turning our backs sharply to the people we shouldn't even be looking at. Bad for our image. The cast of So Random followed angrily after us.

"You never get crazy ideas dude, what's up with you?"

Portlyn and I were hiding behind a camera in Stage 3: So Random! territory. After the meeting with Mr. Condor I've been worried sick. Apparently the worthless comedy show was getting someone new, a new person. A new girl. That's an important piece of information. But, getting a new actor- who will obviously have no talent at all- could bring that show up, dare I say it, and no way am I risking getting Mackenzie Falls stuck in second place. Heck, we still need to get our parking space back! So, I had taken Port with me to spy on this new girl who was arriving in less than five minutes. It was a crazy idea, and I never do anything like this. It was exhilarating. Allison Monroe was her name, and I was a little curious about her. I wonder if she's pretty.

Ugh. It doesn't matter if she's the hottest girl in the world- I couldn't think that way about a Random! No way. So, I erased that train of thought and answered the brunette.

"I don't know, Port. There's going to be someone knew here, a change. I don't like change. Don't you think it might throw Mackenzie Falls off balance?"

Her eyes widened and she stared at me in shock. "You're not saying what I think you're saying?" She whispered.

I nodded, frowning. "I'm afraid so. We have no idea who this new girl is, or what she's capable of. We need to keep our eyes open for her, therefore, I need to no what she looks like."

"You sound a little more than mildly curious about this girl..." Portlyn trailed off suggestively.

I laughed, uneasy. "What if she's fat and ugly?"

She shrugged. "True,"

We ducked behind the camera when we noticed Marshall Pike, the producer of the show, was standing with a proud grin on his face, repeatedly checking his watch. I was worried to be caught here, but I needed to be in the know. I checked the big clock on the wall. Any minute now this girl would be arriving. I waited as patiently as I could for the clock to strike two...and then it did.

"Allison!" Marshall exclaimed, and I looked over toward the door where he was talking to her. What I saw made me gasp.

A beautiful brunette walked in the door, and I swear light drained in the dark room and shined down on her- oh, there's the angel. Portlyn gasped too. Allison's hair was long and naturally wavy, perfect for her heart-shaped face. From where I was watching, it didn't appear she had any makeup on, and her face looked as though it naturally glowed, even in the dim light. My eyes widened. She wasn't fat, that's for sure, because that dress had me thinking a lot of things. It was blue at the top, had a solid black waist and puffed out in a black and white checkered poof. It brought out her perfect, white and very bright smile. It was wide and alluring. I could feel my self already moving toward her. Portlyn held me back and chuckled.

"Hold your horses cowboy," she murmured.

I looked closer than ever at Allison, and then realized she looked very tired. There were circles under my eyes, and they were noticeable if you looked sort of close. Her face seemed sort of drooped, like she thought it wasn't right for her to use her bright smile on Marshall. Curious at the conversation that had just started between the oblivious two, I leaned forward.

"...let me take those." The producer offered. Allison smiled softly and handed them over. I watched as Marshall sort of lost control of the suitcase, surprised at the weight. So, she was strong, too? Attractive. I shook my head and listened closer.

"Thank you, Mr. Pike." Her voice was very soft and smooth, and I could barely hear it. She seemed very tired.

"Please, call me Marshall."

At this Sonny smiled wider, showing off a set of pearly whites. "Marshall," She nodded, and then they both went out and brought in seven bags total. What, was she moving in here?

"You look very tired, Allison. Why don't you go rest in the prop house and we can talk later? Your flight left at four I heard."

The girl's eyes widened, and her hands immediately went behind her back and wrung together as she rocked on her heels. I'm an actor- that's a sign that says that you brought up something they do NOT want to talk about.

"Yeah," Allison sighed. "Very early. Like, eight hours before I get up!" When Marshall laughs, she continues, "What can I say? Morning is overrated."

And I couldn't agree more.

Marshall continues to laugh and Allison waits patiently for him to calm while still rocking.

"Isn't that a sign of unease?" Portlyn asks. I nod.

"So, where's you're mother?" Marshall asks the new girl.

Allison looks away, pretending to look around the studio but it was visible to Portlyn and I that she was keeping away from Marshall's eyes.

"Oh, um...she stayed in Wisconsin. She had it steady there, that's why...yeah, you know." She nodded and waved her hand dismissively as if she thought Marshall would know what she was taking about. Despite that, the producer nodded understandingly.

"Who are you staying with then?" Marshall continues to prod the poor girl with questions.

Then Allison reaches down and pretends to scratch her ankle and she looks away biting her lip, her eyes digging into the empty air as if to say, What do I do now?. She hadn't thought this through. I think she's completely unprepared for Hollywood.

"Doesn't look like she thought this through," I mumble to Portlyn, both of us being experts on this sort of behavior.

She nods in agreement. "It seems so."

I continue to watch the new girl.

"Um..." She tries to think of something. "A friend."

Marshall nods, not completely pleased with the lack of information.

"Well, I guess I can meet the cast now?" She asks.

Now the balding man shakes his head. "Maybe you should rest first; you have no idea how tired you look."

Allison rolls her eyes, but a traitor yawn escapes her lips as she does so. She covers her mouth and giggles the cutest giggle known to man. Her shoulders slumped in a sign of giving in, and they took her bags and advanced us.

"Stay very still," Portlyn mumbles.

"Duh," I say, much too quiet for her to hear, though.

They walk by, and I swear I saw Allison's eyes meet mine. They swiftly look away though, and she continued to walk and study the studio. Eh, it really wasn't much. Not as good as ours of course. When they disappeared into the hallway, Port and I stand up.

"Let's go discuss this comfortably," I tell her, and we set off for stage 2: Mackenzie Falls.

We sot in the hangout room where the chocolate fountain is located. The sound it make, a sort of humming, makes me feel at ease. Port and I think silently in our own heads. I would watch Port's expression range form jealousy to happiness in her thoughts, and mine went to what she was thinking.

Allison Monroe, this girl, already had me captured. Even from the little time I'd known her, spied on her, I was interested in her. What she did, said, thought...it was weird. I felt like I wanted to go check on her again, but I need think about the bad side of this girl.

She could be a major threat: she had already proven she could act because Marshall believed her without a question. She didn't have anywhere to go, either, which made me feel sort of bad for the girl. I squashed the feeling. Chad Dylan Cooper does not feel pity. And with that, I continued my thinking.

She could bring us down- I need to wash my mouth out- to second, and that's not a good thing. Mackenzie Falls deserved to be number one. Besides, this girl could be the new thing. On every magazine her face, on every T.V show her interview, on every radio station their discussions on her. She would be the new curiosity, the new girl, and she already had me curious.

Her smile was gorgeous- I couldn't get it out of my head. And the way her face glowed in the darkness, even if she was exhausted, made me think her more real- no makeup, plastic. Everything about her was real and not Hollywood. And she's from Wisconsin? Nice girl form Wisconsin comes to Hollywood. I could see the headlines now. She would be a huge hit, and the show she was now on- the rival- would boost ratings like crazy. Photo shoots, interviews....everything would be about her for a few weeks.

That got me thinking- she was on the rival show. I'm on this show, she's on that one. That makes us rivals all the way. The thought made me sort of upset, but I shrugged it off. I would feel many different things about this girl, but how was I supposed to act around her? How would our first meeting go? My mind always traced back to her face, haunting me on how I could never get a chance with her. It seems like she could be a good person.

And besides, where is she going to stay?