A Side Effect of Celebrity

Two

The whole celebrity culture thing – I'm fascinated by, and repelled by, and yet I end up knowing about it – Anderson Cooper

The afternoon sun beat down on the dark pavement, creating a sea of heat that engulfed the crowd that surrounded the film shoot that had set up shop outside of the New York Public Library.

Ellie and Claire were standing amongst the crowd, kept back by rows of people and the fences keeping the bystanders at bay. They couldn't see a single thing unless one counted the back of a man's head as interesting, which Claire didn't. Every once in a while, she heard the director call 'Action!' or 'Cut!' but the voice was a phantom and there was no face that she could see which went along with it.

"Just five more minutes," Ellie said. It was her sixth time insisting that they would stay only another five minutes. Claire had begun to expect that they would never leave – at least, not until the film set had closed for the day and everyone else had gone home.

"I can't even see anything. Can you?"

"Yes!"

"You're lying."

Ellie cut Claire a flat look. "No, I'm not. I can clearly see that the girl ten feet in front of me seriously needs to get her roots touched up."

Claire tried not to laugh. Really, truly tried. But the laugh bubbled up and out of her chest anyway and a triumphant grin landed on Ellie's face. "That doesn't count! You know I was referring to the actors and actresses you claimed would be here but we can't see any of them."

"Fine," Ellie said, staring at Claire with a look of reproach. "Just another ten minutes and if we don't see a single actor, then we can go."

"Deal," Claire said as she rolled her eyes at the extra five minutes that Ellie tacked onto the time.

They waited, peering through the crowds and trying to catch a glimpse of the activity beyond the barrier. It was near-impossible and even the energy of the crowd was beginning to dissipate as the heat became sweltering and thick. Like breathing in a wall of muggy, humid air.

Claire was in the middle of texting Jordan who was requesting that they meet up at Central Park so that he could give her back the sweater she'd forgotten at his place a few days earlier when there was an excited squeal in the crowd.

"Oh, my god! That's Jay Dawson!"

Jay Dawson. The name ran through the assembled crowd of people in hushed whispers before it turned into high-pitched screaming.

He was one of Hollywood's youngest and biggest stars. He'd gotten his start on children's programming when he was young. From there he'd landed a show on the Disney channel and another on Nickelodeon before he managed to shift into the movie industry. Though he was only twenty-one, Dawson had been acting alongside big names in the industry for over a decade. It was only within the last year; however, that he'd begun to take the centre stage as a male lead within his films. Not like it mattered much if he were starring or supporting. His fan base was exceptionally loyal and saw everything that he was in, no matter how terrible.

"Jay Dawson," Ellie murmured, eyes flaring wide. She gripped Claire's arm, nails piercing through the fabric. "Claire, did you hear that? It's Jay-freaking-Dawson!"

Claire tried to follow Ellie's line of sight but still saw only the backs of heads. Not a single actor to be seen, including the one whose name was still being murmured with obsessive devotion through the crowd.