The Summer I became Famous

Welcome to Hell-Wood

Dakota's POV

            I knew this was stupid. I knew this whole competition was an idiotic thing. Who cared about some actor enough to spend an entire summer with them? I certainly didn't. I didn't even know who Ryan Chaplain was. I mean, I've heard my sister talk about him, but I thought he was some boy from her school. How was I supposed to know he was some prominent actor from an even bigger television series? I don't watch much television; I find it a waste of time. I would much rather spend my time reading books or playing video games; at least those things actively engage my mind. So when I discovered that Ari won a competition to spend an all-expense-paid summer with this boy, I scoffed. I didn't think there was any way this was real because what celebrity would willingly want to spend a summer with a fan? Fucking Ryan Chaplain, that's who. I didn't know whether it was his idea or his manager's, but it sounded awful.

             I didn't think there was a chance in hell that our parents would even agree to this. I mean, Ari is ten years old, for god's sake. No respectable parent would ever allow their young child to fly across the country to meet some strange actor who was probably an asshole, but more importantly, a stranger who didn't have Ari's best interest at heart. Yet, to my unbelievable surprise, my parents were not against the idea -- because this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, something they could never provide. I could understand that, but come on, there had to be a catch. Once again, I was disappointed to find that my fucking all-star parents talked with Mr. Chaplain's team and were reassured of her safety because one of them could come with her. Hah! That would end everything because I knew neither could take time off to fly to Los Angeles for an entire summer.

             And that's how I ended up standing in the arrival terminal of LAX with my little sister smiling like a damn psychopath. They thought it would be a fun vacation for us both. I could experience California and watch over my little sister while she spent time with her favorite actor. This would've been fine if my sister was simply a normal human being who could be left alone to her own devices, but no, she was a damn menace. I knew that if I left her alone for even an hour, she would find some way to piss off this rich kid and have them kicked back home. I don't think that would be downright awful, but I also know that my parents would never let me hear the end of it for being an "irresponsible brother" and not protecting my dear younger sister. It would be total bullshit, by the way. So, I chose the more annoying option, but maybe Los Angeles wouldn't be so awful.

             "Koda, Koda," Ari's voice broke me out of my trance; I had forgotten what I was doing. I looked down at her, noticing her tying her chestnut hair into two pigtails, "Can you believe we're in California? They make movies here!"

They make movies everywhere. I wanted to say that to her because the only thing that made California special was pretentiousness. However, I promised Mom that I wouldn't crush her dreams, "Yeah, yeah, they do," I said, trying to sound even partially excited. I wasn't; I was hoping that whatever mansion we were staying in had good wifi so I could spend my free time alone in my room playing video games or watching YouTube.

              I felt Ari tug on my wrist, which made me look down at her, trying not to look annoyed. She pulled out her phone, shoving it in my face. It was an email from Ryan Chaplain's team about the transportation details. We were supposed to meet some dude in a penguin suit holding a sign with their name. I think that's a great way to get kidnapped, but Ari was so excited about having a personal driver that wasn't some middle-aged man arguing on their phone. I rolled my eyes, not particularly wanting to progress. I hoped the person driving us would think we ghosted them so that we could go home and no one would be upset. I knew it was wishful thinking, especially with how Ari was pulling my damn arm off.