Stars Aligned

Chapter 9: A proposal

A week after the launch party, I was relaxing at home when my phone rang. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number. Curiously, I answered.

"Hello, is this Nora Zaouit?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yes, this is she," I replied, wondering who it could be.

"This is Jimmy Kimmel. I've seen your performance at the Met Gala and heard about your recent album launch. We'd love to have you perform a song and do an interview on my show next week. Are you available?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Wow, Jimmy Kimmel? I'd be honored. Yes, I'm definitely available!"

"Great! Our team will send you the details. Looking forward to having you on the show, Nora."

"Thank you so much, Jimmy. I can't wait."

As soon as I hung up, I was bursting with excitement. I immediately tried calling Zac to share the news. To my surprise, he didn't answer. He always picks up my calls, but I figured he was busy with his movie shoot. Feeling a bit disheartened, I decided to call Sabrina, my confidante.

"Sabrina, guess what? I got invited to perform on Jimmy Kimmel's show!"

"Oh my gosh, Nora! That's amazing! I'm so proud of you," Sabrina exclaimed.

"Thanks, Sabrina. I tried to call Zac to tell him, but he didn't answer. It's weird because he always picks up my calls."

"Maybe he's just really busy. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll call you back soon," Sabrina reassured me.

"I hope so. Anyway, I wanted to tell you the news. I'm so excited."

"And you should be! This is huge. You're going to be amazing, Nora."

"Thanks, Sabrina. I needed that. Talk to you later."

A few days later, I arrived in Los Angeles. Joe drove me to my hotel for a quick rest to combat the jet lag. After a couple of hours, I decided to explore LA and visit Zac's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

"Joe, can you take me to the Walk of Fame?" I asked, eager to see Zac's star.

"Of course, Nora," Joe replied with a smile.

Once we arrived, I felt a swell of pride standing there, looking at Zac's star. "Joe, could you take a picture of me with Zac's star?" I asked, handing him my phone.

"Sure thing," Joe said, positioning the camera. I posed with a big smile, pointing at the star.

"Perfect," Joe said after snapping a few shots. I thanked him and decided to walk back to the car.

"I'll walk back to the car, Joe," I said, wanting a moment to myself.

"Alright, I'll be waiting," Joe replied.

As I made my way back, I saw a magazine stand that made my heart sink. The headline read, "Zac Efron back with Vanessa Hudgens? Forgetting about Nora Zaouit?" accompanied by a photo of Zac and Vanessa kissing. Tears streamed down my face as I ran to the car.

"Joe, please take me back to the hotel," I said, my voice choked with emotion.

All afternoon, I received calls and texts from Zac telling me that he is sorry, that this is not what it looks like, but I was too heartbroken to respond.

"Nora, please. It's not what it seems. Call me.""I promise, it's just a misunderstanding. Can we talk?""Please, don't believe what you saw. It's an old photo. Let me explain.""Nora, I need you to know the truth. Vanessa set this up. I care about you.""Please, talk to me. I can't stand you being upset because of this."