How I Became a Hollywood Girl

Chapter Two

Did dad get promoted? Did we win the lottery? Is my older sister going to boarding school? Did I get into North Hollywood High?

Thoughts of wonderful things happening to me were flashing through my mind, but I tried to shake the last idea out of my head. I couldn't get my hopes up on high school, because if I did my hopes would come crashing down around me faster than rain pouring from the clouds during a thunderstorm.

I tried to keep crazy scenarios of amazing things happening to my family out of my head (and failing) as I rushed down the huge staircases. I was trying to go fast, but I kept on getting interrupted by people I knew. It was extremely hard to run down the stairs in hopes of fabulous news when you're acting teacher is stopping you for a chat, and then a person you haven't seen for three years wants to suddenly catch up on a staircase.

When I finally reached the last flight of stairs, the only person I ran into was one of my best friends, Gianna.

And when I say 'ran into', I mean literally.

"Ow." I mumbled, stumbling back and studying the mystery person I had just collided with.

"Oh, Gia!" I said with a grin. "What's up?"

My friend returned the grin. Gia was basically a flute prodigy, and to prove my point, she was gripping a flute case in one of her hands.

"Nothing much." She said. "Anything new with you?"

An excited grin creeped onto my face. "Actually, yes." I told her happily. "My mom just called me and said that she had 'great news'. And she was basically screaming."

Gia gave me a small smile. "Mamma J was that excited?

She used the nickname that we had given my mom about two years ago after we read an article on the internet that best friends usually called each other's parents mom and dad. This was our way of proving we were best frineds.

"Yeah." I exclaimed. "Do you think it has to do with the high school?"

Gia nodded. "It could!" Gia and our other best friend, Hanna, hadn't wanted to send in auditions. "I really hope you guys get in, at the same time I that I want you guys to stay in Foxborough with me!"

I sighed, wrapping one of my arms around her in a one-armed hug.

"I don't want to leave you or Hanna either." I said sadly. "But this is probably not even about that."

"Sure it's not, Amber." Gia said with an eye roll.

This surprised me, since Gia is the most serious out of all my friends. She was the friend that you wanted to tell everything to, since you knew you could trust her. She was certainly not the eye rolling type.

"I better go." I said, smiling nervously at her.

"Yes, definitely!" She said excitedly. "You have to tell me everything."

"Of course!" I called as she began climbing up the stairs, her long light brown hair swinging. I was SO jealous of her hair.

I turned around and (finally) completed my trek down the staircases.

Reaching the first level, I was immediately searching for my mother. My heart rate sped up considerably when my eyes landed on my mom, leaning against the wall outside the door and talking on her phone with so much enthusiasm on her face she looked like she might just burst.

Swallowing hard, I walked quickly to my mother. When she caught sight of me, she yelped excitedly.

"You did it sweetie." She almost screamed, pulling me into a bear hug.

"Did what?" I squeaked.

"You didn't make it into North Hollywood High!"