Chemistry (Otis Milburn)

57

Oh my God.

"Who is it?" Nick reached out his hand for me to give him my phone. 

"It's-Camille. She wants to talk." I show him my phone screen. She messages again. 

Maybe: Camille: I understand that you don't want to talk, but just hear me out. I promise I'll tell you everything. Do you want to meet up somewhere?

"She wants to meet up. I don't want to see her. I don't trust her."

"Tell her to call you." Otis replied. 

"And talk to her in the car, I'll park it away from the hotel. Just in case." Nick chimed in.

Me: Let's talk. On the phone.

Maybe: Camille: Expect a call tonight. 

"She's going to call. We have to make sure we're away from the hotel." 

I couldn't tell what was shaking more, my hands or my voice. I didn't want Camille to find us.

"We'll both be in the car with you." Nick gently places his hand on mine, comforting me. 

____________________________________________________________________

My phone rings. Otis, Nick and I are patiently waiting in the car. They both turn their phones off.

"Vivienne, it's Camille. Are you able to talk?"

"Tell me everything. I want nothing but the truth." Nick and Otis leaned over to listen to the phone. 

"First of all, I want to apologize. I'm so sorry for following you like a fucking weirdo. I'd stop talking to me too, but they made me do it. They made me follow you threatening my family and I. I didn't know what else to do! I tried to resist because I couldn't do that to you, but I let you down. I'm sorry."

"Who's they?" I answered. 

"Amy and her team. Zach, Tyler, they were all involved. They stalked me, threw me in a van and dragged me to their office after a shoot." 

The van. 

"And Otis' shooting. I wasn't there, but it was them. They did it. I saw Otis on the news and now my TV is broken-and my lamp. Otis didn't deserve that, he hasn't done anything wrong. I've heard them plan his shooting. It was all them ." Otis sat back in his seat. 

"S-so now what?" Was all I was able to say. 

"I regret betraying my best friend for the rest of my life, and I'm sorry. I had no other choice." She began to sob. 

I turned to Nick, not knowing what to say. He stared at me with a blank face. He was tired. Otis was tired. I was tired.

"Camille I have been through a lot of shit. I've been to a fucking mental hospital. I've lost my goddamn mind over all of this, and if I find out that anything that you have told me is even the slightest bit of a lie, I will-"

"Vivienne I promise you, it's the truth. Do you really think Amy and her team would want me to expose them to you like this?" 

I turned to Otis and Nick, who nodded. 

"Agree with her." Nick mouthed. 

"Fine. So what happens now?" 

"I quit."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm done. I'm moving away tomorrow. Far from the city. I'm starting a new life. You should  consider. I'm calling from my new number. I don't know if you'd want to reach out again, but in case you do." 

"I will consider." I hung up.

"Well?" Otis called from the back seat.

"I don't know if I should believe her." I didn't know how to believe someone who was my former stalker.

"Her story sounds believable. Plus, like she mentioned, Amy would never ask to get exposed like that." 

"Camille's career is over. I have a feeling that I'm going to be next." I was worried. I loved my job. I was just getting started. 

Nick and Otis both leaned over and hugged me. I felt loved from all different directions and was thankful I had the two of them in my life. 

That night, I lay in bed, Otis sound asleep next to me. I couldn't stop thinking about Camille. Where she was going, what life had in store for her. I thought about my mother, whom I lost touch with and didn't bother to get back in touch. I wondered what life had in store for me after all of this, if there was anything left. 

"You're still awake?" Otis whispered. 

"I can't sleep. I'm just-thinking." I turned towards him. His eyes sparkled in the darkness. 

"Get some rest. It's been a long day." He reached over and caressed my hair. 

___________________________________________________________________

The next morning, Nick ran into the room with his phone in his hand, waking the both of us up.

"Vivienne. You have to go on Twitter. Shit's going crazy. Everyone wants to know where you are. I'm getting a shit ton of emails from news outlets asking about you."

"Let them ask. I don't care." I turned to my side, wanting to go back to sleep.

"What do we do then? I don't know what celebrities usually do when they're involved in things like this." Otis was suddenly wide awake.

"You have to release some sort of statement. Anything." Nick replied.

I got back up. "I'm not releasing a goddamn statement. There's no point. I said everything I wanted to say. I'm done." 

"You have to say something. You can't just leave everyone in the dark. There's more on the line here. I swear sometimes you forget who you actually are." Nick started pacing back and forth. 

I lifted my blanket and got out of bed.

 "Fine. Tell me what to say then. Here." I handed him my phone. He snatched it, giving me a death stare. 

He opened my notes app and began typing:

After days of silence, I'd like to address the post I had made that caused a stir on the internet. Everything that I have mentioned in the post was true. It was not some cryptic message hinting at an upcoming project. It was real events that happened to a real person: me. I could have addressed this situation to those involved in private, but I chose to show all of you the real face of Hollywood. The real face of living a glamorous life full of fame and fortune and I do not regret my decision. I nor Nick nor Otis will be accepting any interviews, questions or comments from any news outlet. This story will be heard from me and from me only. Thank you.

Vivienne Parker. 

"That's good enough. No more statements, please." I replied to Nick, who rolled his eyes. 

"Hey, are you still going to do that movie?" Otis turned towards Nick.

"I don't know anymore. It's not w-"

Nick's phone began to ring. It was Amy.