Suddenly Starlet

Suddenly Starlet--Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

            “Mom, I was awful,” Laney moaned as she threw herself facedown onto the hotel bed.

            “I’m sure that’s not true, sweetie,” her mom said, dropping her purse as she followed Laney into the room. “Did you forget your lines? Let out an accidental burp? Trip when you entered the room?”

Laney shook her head no, but didn’t let her face leave the bedspread. She could tell her mom was waiting for an explanation, but she was too embarrassed to talk about it.

The audition had been a flop. And though she hadn’t admitted it to anyone, deep down Laney had really thought she could do the whole acting thing. Thinking about how wrong she had been to come to California, Laney went back to shaking her head back and forth.

“I’d sit up if I were you, Lane. You don’t know whose stinky feet have been on those sheets,” her mom said sarcastically.

Laney jerked her head off the bed, not hiding the disgust on her face.

“God, Mom, you are soooo gross sometimes,” Laney exclaimed. She went to lie back down on the bed, but thought twice and sat back against the headboard instead.

Her mom chuckled from her place on the other bed.

“Really, sweetie, what happened?” she asked Laney, her face softening.

Not wanting to re-live what had happened in the room, Laney shook her head again.

“I just sucked, that’s all,” she said, picking at her peeling nail polish.

Her mom stared at her for a few moments and then jumped back onto the bed, defeated.

“Well, if you don’t feel like talking about it right now, that’s fine. But I don’t want you to leave here tomorrow feeling like you failed at something here,” her mom said as she picked up the remote and pointed it at the TV. “Like anyone has ever won a major part on their first audition! That’s the kind of stuff that only happens in the movies.”

Seeing her mom’s point, Laney began to feel a little bit better.

Come to think of it, I didn’t exactly suck the second time round. I might not be Gwyneth yet, but I’m also not Britney either.

Feeling ten times better than she had a few minutes before, Laney settled back into her pillows as her mom flipped through the channels on the outdated TV. Once her mom had made it through all 15 of the hotel’s channels, she settled on a movie that was starring Ben Affleck and the newest skinny blonde on the Hollywood scene.

Laney watched as Ben pulled his co-star toward him and kissed her passionately on the lips.

So what if I never get to do a makeout scene with a hunky co-star of my own. He’d probably have bad breath or slobber on me or something anyway. Yeah, it’s a good thing I didn’t get the part today, Laney thought, biting at her fingernails.

Laney felt the butterflies build up in her stomach as she watched Ben embrace the skinny blonde again.

Yeah, it’s a good thing.

* * * * *

            Laney’s brow furrowed as she tried to think of what it was she had left behind in the hotel room. She was always doing those sorts of things. Without fail, she always forgot something everywhere she went. In fact, it was kind of a running joke in their family.