Beyond the Cameras

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I can't believe the day is finally here! I'm packed and ready to go (thanks to Martha) and currently lounging in the plane. My parents are here with me, but, unfortunately, Sam isn't coming. I really wish he could have, but he has other clients he takes care of so there was no way he could come stay in Texas for a year.

I'm super excited to meet my aunt and cousin for the first time in years. I talked to my aunt on the phone a few hours ago and she said her and Callan would be waiting for us at the airport.

My parents are staying at one of our hotels. Dad has to check on a few things there and they thought it would be better than quote "impeding on my new life", whatever that means. No matter how much Aunt Carol insisted, they said they were staying at the hotel.

I turn to my right side and see my parents talking to each other in hushed tones. What do they not want me to hear? We have our own plane so it's just us 3, a few body guards, and a couple of flight attendants. Are they planning on not even staying the few days now? I lean their way a little further, but it's no use. I can't hear a thing.

As I think we must we getting close to landing, the pilot comes over the speakers and notifies my family that there is about 5 minutes until we land. Once he finishes talking about the successful flight, I start to feel, what must be, nerves in my stomach.

Oh man. I'm about to live a year without the fame and luxury i'm so accustomed to. But on the bright side, I'll get to do all the things that normal teens do, like I see in movies: go to parties, have a locker, carry textbooks around to my classes, and (most importantly) go to prom. I've seen so many movies about prom and each time I finish one, my desire to go to one just intensifies. I've been to award shows, like the Grammys, and so many movie premieres that I can't even count, but prom is different. I'm sure other girls would kill to walk the red capet in a Stella McCartney, but I want to walk through a balloon archway into a gym filled with sweaty and hormone crazy teenagers. That just sounds like so much fun!

Of course, one of the biggest things I'm worried about is making friends. I'm not going to be in disguise (I vetoed that idea as soon as my mom brought it up. Way too cliche); therefore, I'm scared people are going to want to hang out with me because i'm Rory Pinnock, one of the top ten teens on 'Peoples' what hot list, and not Rory, the girl who puts ketchup on everything because it tastes good.

When I told my parents my fear, my dad gave the fatherly answer of, "yes, your famous, but there are plenty of people who will love you for you". And my mom brought back up her previous idea, "well, you can always go back to my oringinal idea and go in disguise, then you wouldn't have to worry about any of this". To both I replied, with "i'm probably overthinking this, thanks for your help", then (silently) stomped to my room.

Times like that when I really wish I had a best friend to consult with, or any friend for that matter.

I start to feel the bumpiness of the plane landing and I take a deep breath.

I'm about to meet the people i'm going to live with for a year. No big deal.

I really hope they like me. And are nice. And have some food with them. I'm starving. I turned down the flight attendents offer for food and now i'm really starting to regret my decision.

As the plane brakes to a stop, I start to gather all my stuff and then stand up to stretch and get the small bags from over head.

I step out of the plane into the brisk breeze of Texas. There is already a small group of phototgraphers waiting for us. The flashes start going off as we, one by one, step out of the plane. I shake hands with the pilot and then follow my parents as we squeeze through the papparazzi, over to where I see a medium sized SUV waiting.