Through Adversity To The Stars

Chapter 4 - 7 Times

Remy's feet dangled in the crystallised waters of our front garden. The sounds it made didn't make it feel as though we had nothing to talk about. Music filling our ears, this time not being John Lennon. The sun just behind the bundle of trees that sat together, the same ones that seemed to block Saunders from me for the first time I had seen him not behind a screen. It had been two whole days of not seeing even a peep of Saunders. I didn't want to keep track of not having eye contact with him, but somehow I felt like I wanted to.
"So, anything to tell me?" Remy asked, kicking the water up at my legs. I seemed to regret taking the seat opposite him. I assumed the situation he was refering to was about Saunders, unless he was just scavenging around for out of context information talked about with the public. "Elizabeth, I'm not stupid. It's a small town, people talk." I didn't take notice to how popular Saunders actually was, just that I happened to be in love with the character he played.

I tugged my legs up out of the water, pulling them to my chest and hugging them tightly, protecting me almost. "I hardly know him," I admit to the eager Remy, ready for the gossip to slide down his throat. The cool breeze I was not expecting seemed to bring Saunders with it. He followed Father from his garden to ours, only being almost 12 yards away but I could already feel his happiness he seemed to beam.

Remy's curiosity turned himself to look in the same direction he had caught me looking. "Don't tell me you're just like all the other girls who drool over him," my eyebrows slanted as he told me this. I didn't expect such a statement from him, questioning me almost.

"We aren't close," I tell him, just what I said before just disguised so he wouldn't prod for answers any longer.
Saunders head rolled as he leant against the opening of the house to the garden, his back to us and hands behind him. His fingers were intertwined with each other. I heard Father explaining something to him and the tapping of one of Saunders' fingers sped up. This hair appeared the same as it was the first day, it felt as though I had been transported back in time to see him.

Remy sighed in distress, "I don't get it, he is only an average, early 20 year old man with a bundle of charm." That was the prime example of him, except he seemed to miss the part that explained that he also was a teenage heartthrob. I pulled my eyes away from Saunders and to the other side of me, small daisys in a group with other weeds Mother hadn't picked up on. I recalled the time I had only planned on making flower crowns out of them.

All the thoughts were picked out, a new voice speaking. "Can I borrow you?" Saunders' shadow hovered over part of me. Remy's eyes gazed up at him as he looked down at me - why me?

"Yeah, yeah," the second one being a sort of mumble as I pushed myself off the ground where I wished to stay. Out of his shadow, the sun shone on the same t-shirt from the first day.
The sense of confusion entered my realm as Saunders guided me round the corner of the house. He let his back fall against the wall and watched the view. "Can you forget about the other night?" I nodded, looking down at my feet slightly, the long eye contact making me feel as though I should. "I wasn't myself," he explained.

"I noticed," I let my eyes meet his again, one squinting because of the sun and it's unholy brightness. The eyelashes he had were long and brought out the beauty in his eyes. Rosy cheeks, the same colour as the sunburn on my back. Lips seemed to be moisturised even with the weather. He seemed just like the idol he was presented to be.

Father came round the side. We weren't as far away from the front but he still seemed confused, "Alexander, a new role from Entertainment 1, Mr Knightley!" Father smiled so bright I was somehow surprised that he wasn't the sun. I knew this is what Father had always dreamt of; success. I had not prepared myself for news as such as I almost gasped that Emma would be another film. "Your mother said you would take it?"

Saunders put on his happy smile as always, "yes." A simple answer but it seemed that Father wanted to dance and sing with glee.

"Oh Elizabeth, how I knew you'd be glad with this news!" Saunders' head turned back to me, I could sense the small smile still lingering.
Father wasn't wrong, far from a lie, I was truly happy, as so was Saunders. I kept imagining him being like Mr Knightly; quiet and reserved but the emotions he always seemed to portrayed seemed to pull me in. "We need to practise lines, a meeting with the director, meeting the other cast -," his voice trailed off, turning back towards the front of the house, supposedly expecting Saunders to follow.

A breeze swept through my hair again, making everything feel like I wasn't supposed to be there, a dream almost. "I guess I'll see you later," Saunders started to backwards walk away, holding the eye contact I counted for; 7 times.