𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮 , 𝟖𝟎𝐬

28 = sigh of relief

authors note at end - please read :)

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5th, 2018

"kennedy, have you been dropped from this movie?"

"what's it like working with zac efron?"

"kennedy, how do you feel about the restraining order hunter collins has placed on you?"

the paparazzi yelled a bunch of questions at me as i made my way through the crowd and into our set building. i haven't been to work since the morning of my overdose, when hunter planted those pills under my chair.

i'm sure hunter is here today, doing his dumb little film internship with the director. yes, me being here at the same time as him violates my restraining order but, it didn't stop me the first time.

everyone working in the lobby had their eyes on me but they didn't say a word. i stepped into the elevator and pushed the 15th floor. i patiently tapped my foot as it took me up. the doors opened with a ding and i quickly made a right down the hall, heading straight for joe's office.

i waited a couple days to do this. after finding all that dirt on hunter and his dad that could help me in my case, my first thought was to show joe everything and get hunter dropped from his internship. of course michael being the manager/father figure he is, doesn't want me to do this. he wants me to wait until my court date, but oh well.

i knocked once on joe's door. the blinds were closed from the inside meaning he's probably busy with something. i knocked again but it went ignored so i twisted the door knob and pushed it open.

joe was sitting behind his desk, mid sentence but stopped once he saw me barge in. i looked at the two chairs in front of his desk. hunter's sitting in one them.

"kenned-"

"i know. i'm not supposed to be here. and i know i just walked right in but i have something you need to see." i cut him off, closing the door behind me and walking up to his desk. i handed him my stack of papers i printed the other night.

i gave the originals to michael to give to my lawyer but i secretly made copies of all of them to show joe.

his eyes scanned over all the papers. i looked over at hunter whose head was hanging as he sat slouched in the chair.

"i know my story doesn't make sense. i know i'm just a seventeen year old girl who got into a car accident, defied all the laws of physics and somehow time travelled, i know i struggle with addiction and that makes me unreliable, but what i'm not is someone who defamed hunter."

"kennedy-" joe sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"he's the liar. he's not the victim in this situation, i am. and i'm so fucking sick of people trying to fuck with me! with my life, my job, my head! here's the proof you need, and i'm going to keep fighting until at least someone believes me!"

"kennedy." joe said my name again. he seemed way too calm right now. "i know. your lawyer contacted me and so did the judge. they already know all of this." he held up the papers.

"oh." i mumbled.

"i was just talking to hunter about how his internship is over. he's most likely going to be expelled from his college since these sexual assault allegations are proving to be true, and his father is going to do some time. you know, for covering all of this up."

i stood there, mouth agape. i came in here ready to fight for myself but i'm guessing michael already took care of everything.

"so uh ... i'm not getting dropped from this movie?"

"do you want to be?" joe asked.

"no!" i shook my head vigorously.

"then we'll continue on with filming as we always have."

"right. yes." i nodded my head. hunter was sitting there completely silent and i couldn't ignore the tension in this room at all.

"i'm glad you're okay by the way. i heard about what happened last week." joe said, referring to my overdose.

"thank you." i said quietly.

there was an awkward silence between us for a couple seconds.

"i'll see you monday." he smiled, handing the papers back to me.

"yeah, i'll uh- i'll see you then." i stumbled over my words and accidentally ran into the door. i quickly grabbed the doorknob and got out of there as fast as i could.

i wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans as i speed walked down the hall and back to the elevator. i felt such relief but also so much confusion.

as i walked out of the building, i was so in my head i barely even noticed the same crowd of paparazzi who were still here. a car pulled up in front of me as i was crossing the parking lot. the passengers side window rolled down, it was michael.

all my senses finally came back and i could hear and see the cameras flashing around me.

"get in!" michael yelled over the commotion, and i did just that.

i buckled up as he quickly drove us away from the photographers.

"how did you know i was here?" i asked.

"your mom texted me saying she saw you sneak out and wanted to know if i was with you."

i rolled my eyes, of course she did.

"what'd you walk here or something?" michael laughed as he flipped his turn signal on.

"yes! i totaled my car don't you remember?" i asked, referring to my infamous car crash that started all of this.

"you were driving?" michael asked.

"yeah, i thought you knew that." i said, crossing my arms over my chest. i thought back to that night, memories of naomi singing along to the music as she sat passengers flashed through my mind.

"you're a bad driver." michael teased.

"hey! jason was the one who hit us. he's the bad driver."

"yeah, yeah." michael smiled, "so i'm guessing you came here to do the exact thing i told you not to?"

i nodded my head, staring out the window.

"how'd that go for you?"

"he already knew everything." i mumbled.

"yup! you're welcome. i brought everything to your lawyer the next day. no more legal bullshit." he smiled at me.

"thank you." i genuinely meant it.

"i'm the best manager ever, i know."

"alright, no need to get cocky." i said sarcastically with a smile, "where are we going?" i asked, seeing we passed the exit that takes us back to my house.

"i am taking you out to dinner to celebrate. your moms meeting us there along with that friend of yours ... harrison? the one that helped you escape the hospital."

"yeah, i remember." i said.

"you're a handful, kid." he said as he messed up the top of my hair.

___

fuck hunter collins !!!

i wanted to say that i finally published the playlist for this story !
it's the second chapter after "introduction" - the songs i picked for this book go in order of what happens, so if u wanna get some hints of how the rest of this story will go, go check it out ;)
there's some foreshadowing in there eeek

ily <3