Roll With The Punches, Don't Make A Scene (Completed)

Chapter 4 - Let hope burn in your eyes

The journey was enlightening.

"I have about as much say in this as you do," Kirsten said.

"Why?" Cas was lost. She was just coming out with this stuff, but he had Penny's warnings in the back of his mind. He couldn't trust Kirsten just because she sounded honest. Sounded like she said every thought that came into her head without filtering or censoring it. But if she wanted to tell him things, that would be fine - he just had to make sure it didn't lull him into revealing anything to her.

"She's my manager too. She doesn't work so hard on me though - I'm not as bankable as a pretty little tween-magnet like you."

"Hey!"

"Sorry. I don't mean anything by it, I'm just so pissed at her. She made me dump my boyfriend."

Well, if that didn't sound familiar. Though it could be a trick.

"How?"

"I got in a little trouble. I mean, I'd have dumped him anyway, but she didn't know that. She just waltzed into the police station and announced I had to finish it if I wanted her to bail me out."

"Oh."

"Yeah, we got pulled over, and he asked me to stuff his coke down my bra. And then the idiot had to mouth off to the cop, and we got taken in and they found it. And then the shit denied it was his. She told me she'd make the problem go away, but I'd owe her. And I guess this is what I owe her. Fake girlfriend for a gay boy. Again. Great."

"Yeah, well, sorry I guess. Wait, what do you mean 'again'?"

"I did it before. Worked out pretty well, too. Dated the guy for six months, and got a place in Flawless. I was the cute one. Not getting that this time, though."

That's where he knew her from - they were a girl group from about three years ago - had a few biggish hits before they 'split', though, as usual with these manufactured groups it was more like they weren't making money anymore and were shut down.

"Sorry."

"Like I say, not your fault. It's dumb anyway. She has no idea what the fans want. They'd love it if you came out."

Cas wasn't sure if she truly meant it, but he liked to think she was right. He'd told Veronica as much, but it hadn't mattered.

"So, if you've done it before, how does this work?"

"It's easy. We get photographed together. I hang off your arm like I can barely hold myself off from dragging you to bed and gaze at you like you vomit unicorn crap."

"Um, wow."

"Yeah, it's that gross. She wants me to kiss you tonight, but I'm not doing that without your agreement."

If she was doing it all to trick him into revealing something new, she was doing a good job. He couldn't help liking her rough candor.

They arrived at the event and could hear the babel of the fans through the door.

"You ready for this?" she asked.

"Let's do it. For now. No kisses though."

"You have it."

The crowd of journalists saw them immediately, shouting and clamoring. But they had nothing on the yelps of the excited fans lining the baby-blue carpet. They screamed his name like he was the second coming. It never failed to unnerve him - he'd thought he was used to exuberant fans from his time in the kids' show as a teen but they had nothing on the ones who came along when he was an adult, and suddenly considered hot property, in more ways than one.