YOUNG HOLLYWOOD LOVE (Shawn Mendes)

Welcome to Hollywood

I entered the café even though my legs trembled. And silence followed me inside. It covered the tables and swiped up the windows. The waiters looked at me the way most people did: like a weirdo. I smiled at them and kept walking, calculating that the manager would be somewhere either downstairs or at some small office at the end of the Hall. Never found him or her.

"Hello," I greeted. The waiter said nothing back. I looked at those around, some going back to their dishes, most staring. "I was wondering if you have any openings? For new people." I smiled, "I'm searching for a job."

"Here?" He smiled.

I nodded, and looked around, feeling like the eyes on me were devouring my skin.

"Hello, there!" a middle-aged man approached us. The manager. "Miss, are you looking for a guest?" His smile was so huge; it would break his face the next second.

"No," I laughed. "I'm searching for a job. I mean, I arrived yesterday night and-"

"I, I don't really have...what type of thing-?"

"Chester!" A female voice came from behind us. The waiter ran off, and the manager and I turned around to a fancy woman, seating next to a man, waving at us. "Come over, you two, yes, please." The manager smiled and gestured for me to follow through.

I will never forget the expression on her face: the most significant light in the universe shone in front of her, but it didn't burn, it mesmerized her.

"Sorry to interrupt but I overheard you are searching for a job." She waved at the restaurant's manager and pulled the chair to her left for me. I nodded, and waited to sit. As if I trusted the manager more or something.

"I think Mrs. Smith can offer you a wonderful job." He smiled, before walking away.

"What is your name, child?" I sat on the border of the chair, looking at the man study me.

"Ana." I smiled. "I'm sorry to interrupt."

"I called you over." She handed me a business card. "Tania Smith, Martin Scorsese." She introduced. The card read "Talent Manager." "Where are you from, Ana?"

I looked around once more.

"Alaska. I... I arrived yesterday."

"How old are you?" Her eyes ran down my hair.

"Sixteen" that captured their attention. "But I'm legally emancipated." That kept it. "I mean I...I never met my parents? My foster family couldn't keep me...this is not something I wanted to discuss. "It's a very long story."

"Can you please stand?" I did. For them to once again look at me. And everyone else. I sat. It never ceases to be quite weird to be looked at by everyone.

"I work in Talent Management, Ana. And I think you could be many things. A model, for starters. An actress, if you turn out to have talent." She spoke to the man, who nodded. "Why don't you drop by my office, and we see what's possible?"

I looked at the card again. Lara, my foster mother, had told me off about people like this.

"Child, everyone knows me. I'm not some shady one." She laughed as if reading my mind. "Wanna go now? My offices are right next door."

I shook my head and looked at the bar. The manager nodded at me like I shouldn't be so stupid and say yes. For whatever reason, I thought I could follow his advise. And told Tania so.

"It's so beautiful," I commented as we walked in the guest house of her mansion. After hearing the story of how my foster family mother sent me to California so that her husband wouldn't take advantage of me, how the emancipation came about for the same concern in the system, how little money I had, and how naive I sounded, She not only offered help but a home to replace the cheap hotel room I was staying at.