Unforeseen: A Hollywood Story

Chapter One: It Starts Here

{ CHAPTER MUSIC SELECTION: Lovers in Japan//Reign of Love by Coldplay }

You've never seen a place so full of people in your life. LAX is swarming with the biggest variety of people that you've ever seen. Many of them talk on their phones, pushing through the crowds, hurrying to and from their gates. You stand outside your gate, gripping your small carry-on bag in your hand. Your hands are sweating from all the nerves you feel.

Finally, your feet start moving and you blend into the crowd of people heading towards baggage claim and arrivals. Most all your bags were shipped prior and were supposed to be arriving at your house within the hour.

You reach the departures and step outside, pulling out your piece of paper that serves as your ticket to the shuttle you reserved the day before. It'll take you directly to your house, where you'll be for the rest of the day. The next day, you pick up your new car.

The air outside is dry - completely different than what you're used to. It feels wonderful. A soft breeze blows against your cheeks, and you smile. Your eyes land on the sign for your shuttle a few feet away, and you quickly hurry over, eager to become a part of this bustling city. You can just barely see the tops of palm trees in the distance beyond the airport. You want to see more.

As you climb into the shuttle, your heart begins to race. A few other people sit in there with you, but you quickly settle into the window seat and lock your eyes to the sights around you. The sight of your new home.

Merging into traffic takes a moment, but soon, you're cruising down Sepulveda Blvd, leaving the airport behind you and diving deeper into the city. You can't get enough of it. You look at every palm tree, every passing car, all the many shops within the shopping centers... It's all so fascinating to you. Fifteen minutes pass by, and you see the familiar skyline of downtown Los Angeles looming up in front of you. The shuttle merges off onto Fairfax, and your eyes land on the Hollywood sign just east of you. A huge smile spreads across your face, This is too amazing. I actually live here.

Turning onto Beverly Blvd, the shuttle seems to be heading to your destination first. You chose a house just off Melrose Avenue, only blocks away from Paramount Pictures studio. It was a lucky find - you managed to talk the property owner down on the rent so you could actually afford it. You had a number of job interviews lined up that week at various production companies - one was even at CBS studios. You'd decided to start things off with working on set, using that as an opportunity to step in for others if necessary. You'd be attending any and all auditions possible during your free time. Working at a studio like CBS would give you even more chances to attend auditions there. You really had your sights set on that job, but you wouldn't let your hopes get up too high. There was always competition - and even more so in Hollywood.

You gaze at the palm trees lining the streets around you, and you're taken by the beauty of it all. To your left are the towering mountains of the valley, and to your right was the sprawling city. Behind you now, about ten miles West, was the beach.

A sense of happiness washes over you as you turn onto your street. Romaine Street. As your little bungalow comes into view, you see a huge truck in your driveway. Excitement washes through your veins as the shuttle stops and you thank the driver, giving him a small tip.

For a moment all you can do is look at your house, grinning goofily and wondering what adventures lie ahead of you in this place.