Superstar Calling

Chapter 8

I was feeling very chipper and ready for action by the next morning. Of course, nothing exciting happens in this mansion. For the first few minutes I decided to do a few yoga poses. I ended up on the floor in a heap, but it was fun after being bed for two days. I bounded out my door and popped into the kitchen to talk to Amy. She was very happy to see me and I stood by her while she cleaned some dishes. When I offered to help, she gladly accepted and I plunged my hands into the warm soapy water. We ended up flicking bubbles at each other until we were covered from head to toe. The cook was about to come and scold us, but when she saw that we had gotten all the dishes washed, she just smiled and looked away. I worked on the book and texted Callie for some of the day. She told me all that had happened at home, back in Idaho. It seemed so far away now. I sent her what I had so far in the biography so she could proof read it. She always looked through all of my stuff before I published them. I was just coming back to my bed from using the bathroom when I heard a knock on the door. 

“Come in!” I called. The door opened and Venus VonCleave walked in. I was so surprised I almost fell over. Venus had only ever communicated to me through notes before. This was the first time I’d seen her since the party. I quickly recovered and asked,  “How can I help you?”

She didn’t answer, but looked around the room with a distasteful expression on her face. Finally she faced me again. 

“I want to read my book. I know you are probably not done yet, but I want to read it anyway. You may not be as great as you say you are.”

I opened my mouth to protest that I don’t brag about myself, but she cut me off. 

“Just show me where it is and I’ll take it for the day. You get the day off.”

I reached over to my bed and grabbed the computer. When she reached for it, I pulled back and held it out of her reach. Her eyes widened as to say “You would dare challenge me?”  I pursed my lips and opened the laptop.  “I need to take off the passcode. Otherwise you won’t be able to get in.”

 I did so as Venus stood there looking very annoyed. I took a bit longer than was needed so that she would have to wait longer. I handed it to her and she took it briskly. She turned on her heel and stalked away. 

“I’ll return this tonight with my comments.” Venus called over her shoulder. I wondered how she could be so rude and not even care one bit. I would have to be under some kind of spell before I was that mean to everyone. That’s it! I had figured it out! Venus ConCleave was being enchanted into being a meanie and one of the side affects was being good at singing and preforming! Or was it the other way around; the side affect was mean… Oh there I go again, coming up with crazy ideas to solve everyone’s problems.  I crossed over to my bed and plopped down, wondering what to do with myself for the next few hours.

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“I hate it. All of it. You must re-do it. Look how you portray me in this sentence! ’Venus, just like anyone else, has things to work on. She is just a normal human being.’  Are you kidding me? I do not have any problems and I am not just an ordinary person. I am way more incredible than everyone!”

Venus was practically yelling at me. I waited for her to clam down and tried not to flare back at her. I only had about two chapters left in the book and had done twelve already. Venus stared at me, her eyes as wide as plates.

“Well? What do you have to say for yourself?!”

I focused on keeping my voice normal, then said simply.  “I quit.”

This made her even more angry than before, if that was possible. I swear I saw steam start to come out of her ears. 

“What?” She screamed.  “You can’t quit! You work for me now and I am not allowing you to quit! I won’t pay you at all if you do!”

I laughed.  “You see, that’s the funny thing about quitting. It means I no longer work for you. I can simply walk out and continue my life like this never happened at all. And I don’t care if you don’t pay me, I don’t really need it.”

I gave a sweet little smile. Venus turned around and stomped around the room. The she stopped, suddenly. She turned and glared at me.

“If you quit, you won’t be a VIP anymore and you won’t get to live here anymore. All of that would be any girl’s dream come true! Are you willing to throw that in the dump?”

I took a deep breath. before I could stop myself, I blurted out what I’d been wanting to say since the day I arrived.  “Yes, I am. Because it’s not my dream anymore. It used to be, but now? I think anyone would only have to spend one minute with you to see what you really are.”

Venus, looking totally stunned, gathered her wits and asked me,  “And what do you think I am?”

I struggled to keep my voice down. I had been wanting to say this for so long that I was building up unnecessary fury. Then, I realized that I didn’t have to mad at her. I could use this for good!

“You are a woman placed in the world and told too many times that you are amazing. And yes, you are amazing. Everyone is in their own way, but you took that knowledge too far and became a spoiled brat who gets everything she wants when she wants it.”

I could see that I had hit a soft spot. She tried to keep her posture and remain mad at me, but I had rubbed on a spot she didn’t want to think about and now she was thinking about it. 

“You don’t like being this way, do you? I can see it. When you bark at people to do things for you, you’re isn’t in it. You only think you need to be like that, to keep up your reputation. But what good is a reputation that no one likes? What’s the use if you will never have any real friends?”

At that, Venus melted. She started to cry a little and she sank oddness on to my bed. I had never seen her like this before and it was strange to see this grown woman who always seems so confident in tears. I walked slowly over to her and put my hand on her shoulder. She stiffened. When she looked at me, her eyes were red.

“Don’t you hate me? Everyone else does.”

“No, I don’t hate you, I hate the person you put out to be you. I believe that you are really a wonderful person, you’ve just thrown up a mask so no one can see it.”

Venus started to sob again and I comforted her. 

“How can you do that?” She asked, stunned. 

I smiled and chose my words carefully.  “God’s love. I don’t judge people because God does it for me. I am called by Him to help others come to Him and love Him and He will do the rest. It is not my place to judge you, only to help you.”

Venus wiped her eyes and sat up.  “I want to know this God of yours. Who is he?”

“Who is He?” I said with a sigh. “I don’t know. All I know is what He’s told me and shown me and that is amazing. He made us with His own hands and dies for us so that we could go to heaven. No one can fully understand Him.”

I told her the story of Jesus being born and dying on the cross and Venus listened intently. When I was done, she said firmly,  “I am going to go to church.”

I smiled.  “That’s wonderful! I’m sure they can teach you a lot better than I can.”

She sighed for a moment, then looked abruptly at me.

“What are we going to do about the book?”

At first I thought she was talking about the Bible, but thenI realized what chemist.

“I think that’s up to you. Will it help you be more about others?”

Venus sighed. “No, it wouldn’t. I guess I should cancel it. Sorry, Quinn.”
I laughed.  ‘Don’t be sorry! I’m the one who just quit!”

She smiled, a little color coming back into her eyes. 

“Thank you Quinn.” She stared hard into my eyes.  “Thank you.”