Jenalyn: Daring to Defy (#1)[Complete]

Chapter 79: Jenalyn

Sunday, 2:16 P.M.

She's shorter than me- Only by about a half an inch, but I always imagined her to be taller than me for some reason because she's a celebrity, so it's refreshing to see that they really are just people! She stands there in a simple red and white striped collar shirt, a pair of black skinny jeans, and red flats- almost matching my outfit choice of a black shirt with my tight red shorts and black converse to a T. 

She's exactly how I imagined her to be otherwise... everything my upbringing, and cards dealt in life would never allow me to be. It's so unreal standing here beside her. 

"-okay, and do you have your parent or guardian here to fill out the paperwork?" a tall roundish man asks from behind the other side of the booth at the resturaunt we met up at. 

My hear stops in my chest... the email didn't say anything about a parent or guardian!

Harlee turns to face me,  and I feel my cheeks grow pink as I contemplate how to respond. "I'm uh.. emancipated." I say after a few moments, watching the lowkey shock that spreads across both of their faces. Dane got me the documents from a lawyer he's got dirt on a little while back to get me out of the group home. 

"Oh?" the man says after a moment or two, "-and may I see your idenfication card and proof of emancipation?" 

I pull them out of my purse, trying to ignore the hard stare and then exchange of glances between both Harlee and the bald headed man as I do. 

He takes my ID, examining it for a moment before slapping it on a photocopier and turning back to me with a smile. "I'll just need your Hancock on a few different forms, and then you're free to go!" he says as he hands me a clipboard with a bunch of different forms with different highlights attatched to it. 

I grab a pen I can tell was way too expensive for anyone's good, and immediately start signing my name everywhere I see a green highlighted X. Only now do I start to feel the nerves of standing next to a freaking celebrity- my hands tremble as I turn the pages. 

"Are you excited?" Harlee asks suddenly, her tone.. not forced, but definitely meant to be a distraction from my nerves. I'm so familiar with her voice from the hours of watching her interviews when I was younger- it sends chills up my spine in person though.

Oh God, I think to myself as my cheeks steadily grow more and more pink. She notices my hands shaking! 

I glance at her to flash a smile and nod my head, only to notice her eyes travel to the left side of my lower lip- where Troy busted it yesterday. I thought I caught her glancing earlier, too. I did my best to cover it up before we left the house, but I guess I didn't do that good of a job.

I grow flustered easily, turning back away in a hurry. I continue to sign my name, again watching an exchange of looks between Harlee and the bald man in my peripherals. "I'm excited too," she says after the exchange, a pep in her voice that'd leave you believing she didn't just see a sign of abuse. "You have a really amazing voice, I can't wait to meet the girl behind it!"

I can't help myself from hearing a bit of fakeness in her words, though I could never picture that with the Harlee I grew up on and loved. Is that why there are always such horror stories about people meeting celebrities?

Ugh... Maybe I shouldve listened to Rob. 

Harlee fucking Gold is judging me right now. Am I crazy for thinking she wouldn't?! She's always just been... America's Sweetheart! I never imagined her to be the judging type.

I offer a smile anyway, though this time I'm cautious not to show the left side of my face. Harlee's eyes still burn into the right side though, and then I got this bald guy peeping me too...

How did I think I could do this? I'm so not on this girls' level. She probably knows I'm just some charity case whore from Philadelphia! That's so like Harlee. Charity has always been her thing...

I sign the last sheet of paper attatched to the clipboard, and hesistate before handing it back to the bald man.

Maybe I shouldn't do this... I mean- I met Harlee already. We did the whole hugging upon meeting, 'ohmigod it's so cool to meet you,' it's-a-meet-and-greet type deal already. Is it just going to be a judge-Jena zone from here on out?

Is that what this is? Not an opportunity for Harlee and I to get to know eachother- but an opportunity for them to scope me out? See if I'm acceptable enough to sit with them at their "lunch table?"

I push the clipboard across the desk between us. "I'm not sure I'd actually like to do this... any of this." I say, quietly- almost reluctantly. 

But it's already out in the open.