Star Struck

Im Not Stupid You Know

Madeline POV:

Austin and I walked into the beach house, and I looked at everything in awe. It was amazing. And I was only looking at the entrance area... but it was still amazing.

"I'll show you around... but I already have a feeling that Victoria and Alex found the game room. And knowing them, that'll cause a whole new round of their relationship story; date, fight, make up, date, fight-"

I cut him off, "Yeah I know."

"Well, that makes my job much easier. Okay, just follow me while I show you around."

"I'm not stupid you know."

"Agreed."

Austin waited for me to take my flip flops off, then motioned for me to follow him. He lead me through a small hallway, showing me the kitchen. It had granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. The cupboards had been stained, giving a nice neat look to the whole kitchen's style.

There were three lights, green, blue, and red, were all hanging from the ceiling, shining on the island table. The seats looked like something you'd see in a regular modern kitchen- a circular stool with one thick leg down the middle. It had a wide base at the end for support.

All in all, the kitchen was huge. And I loved it.

"I think I could be here all day," I admitted, and Austin just laughed. "What?"

"You should see the rest of the house," he told me, taking my hand and leading me elsewhere. We walked into a little room that I noticed was attached to the kitchen by a doorway that could have used two doors... but there was none, making it feel more open.

Inside, I noticed that there was a dining room, a ten seated dining table, stained like the kitchen, and the chairs were white, shaped oddly, yet really cool and fun.

I sighed, looking at Austin. "Show me more." He smiled at me, and pulled me to the next stop, and I noticed that we were moving around in a circle, giving the two hallways . I noticed a room straight forward, I was prepared to go there, but instead he stopped, making me run right into him.

"I'm doing the leading, remember?" he joked. "Come on."

We walked into the room, and I gasped when I saw what it was- I library. "This place is more like a mansion than a beach house. "

"What do you expect? I own the place. Everything back when I didn't really know you... was more about me. As much as I hate to admit it, you changed me Madeline."

I looked at him, shell shocked at what he just said. But wait... "What do you mean, hate to admit?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him. I think he knew he was going to get into some pretty deep trouble when he decided to speak.

"Well... I just wish I'd known how much of I jerk I was before I met you. Because, you saw that jerk, and I want you to know me, for me. And this," he gestured to himself, "Is me. And that," he gestured to a picture of him from an album cover, "Is not me."

"Then who is it?" I asked, curious of what the answer may be. I want to know what he felt when he took all of those photos, dated all of those girls, made millions of hits.

"That's who my agent turned me into. That's who my father would look at, scoff at, and turn away from. That was me."

Austin had his voice raised, eyes big. He was several feet away from me, as if he were a virus, and if he touched me, or even came within a few feet of me, I would catch it too.

"Don't you see? I'm a real jerk. My father would hate me for how I turned my back on my mom like I did. I screwed up! My father probably looked down on me, glaring at what his son had turned into!" I closed my eyes, afraid at what he was going to do next. The look in his eyes... that was the look I saw every time I opened one of those photos of him in a fight at one of those clubs. A sick, tormented anger.