Be Brave With Me

Chapter Eleven

Alarm bells cut through the lazy, drowsy silence of an afternoon spent under the Grecian sun. Jess reached over to silence her phone. "Time to turn."

Aura did as she was told, turning onto her stomach, and resumed her idle dozing on the top deck of the Plan B.

If you wanted to do it right, there was a strategy to tanning. Sun screen, of course. Scheduled flips from back to stomach and stomach to back. As little clothing as possible so the sun would catch you at every angle. Speaking off... Aura untied the strings of her bikini top and let it fall down the side of her sunbed. Strategic tanning didn't deal in tan lines.

Jess reset the timer and went back to flipping through the pages of her tabloid. Aura picked up where she had left off in Ronia, the Robber's Daughter. When she had come across the beaten-up copy earlier in the library, she hadn't been able to resist nostalgia's sweet pull. She had adored the rainy summer days when Theo's Mom had crawled into their fort with them and read them the story of Ronia and Birk, growing up in the woods of Medieval Scandinavia in a castle that had been split in two by a lightening strike, their friendship doomed because their families were mortal enemies. Her body might be basking in the Grecian sun, but her mind was wrapped up in the drizzle of summer rain sweeping against windows, Nora's voice and the smell of her perfume. Flowery and warm. The smell of a Mom.

Aura looked up from her book. "Any new messages?"

Jess didn't bother to glance at the row of phones she had lined up in front of her sunbed. "Not since the last time you asked, babe. Which was ten minutes ago." Her voice grew warmer. "You have to relax and let our world do its magic." She lifted the magazine in her hand. "Next week, this one will have you on the cover. Your parents will have no choice but to call you then. And besides... it looks like they have been pretty busy these past few days, anyway. No time to call anyone."

Jess dropped the magazine on top of her book - spread open to a page that showed a picture of her parents. It was grainy and taken from a distance. They were shown on their way back to their trailers, huddled into big winter coats and sheltered from the rain by two massive umbrellas that were carried by a flock of assistants. The short text beneath the picture didn't say much. The latest movie project of the Carmichaels, Elizabeth (47) and Nicolas (49), is kept TOP SECRET for now. Rest assured we will find out more for our readers at the Festival de Cannes which the Carmichaels are set to attend.

Cannes. It was decided, then.

Two more weeks until she'd see them again. Two more weeks until she'd join them on the red carpet where they all belonged. In the spotlight. Together.

Two more weeks of waiting. Two more weeks to freak out.

Jess eased the magazine out of the tight grip of her hands. "It'll be fine, Aurelia. I promise you. I'll make sure it's gonna be the best day of your life. The day you finally join them as the reigning Princess of Hollywood. As it should be. All right? It's gonna be fine. I promise. Now will you relax, please?"

Aura reminded herself to breathe deep. When she exhaled, some of her worries rushed out, too. Her best friend was right. It would be fine. She trusted Jess' instincts more than she'd ever trust her own.

Jess was the one with the master plan. Jess was the one who made it look like the life she lead came natural to her - with the help of a bunch of filters. Jess was the one who knew how she had to act and dress, which party she had to attend to get all of the attention they wanted for her these days. Thanks to Jess, they were on the right track - 11.9 million followers as of this morning, the most liked post on Instagram, on their way to meet her parents in Cannes.