THE STARKS ALLEY

13

KRISTIE'S POV

"Co director!!" This is what everyone referred to me since Clooney used it first.

"A little bird told me that you liked vanilla," Kelly said, throwing a vanilla flavored cookie in front of me. I was busy working on the next scene and he was a distraction.

"Thanks!!" I smiled at him before I returned to being glued on my laptop.

"You should taste it," Kelly insisted.

Was this Kelly Starks being... social? Interested? Romantic? No I'm way ahead of myself on the last one.

I took one bite and it was average, but the more I continued chewing, the more I could really taste the vanilla.

"Where did you get this? I need more right now." I stepped away from my desk to find more cookies.

"They're not on set. I baked them," Kelly said.

He bakes too? Of course he does, he's Kelly Starks!

"You should know that the next one you get will cost you something."

"Name your price."

"I'm not talking about money," he said smiling deviously.

Is Kelly Starks flirting with me right now?

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I want..." He paused, making the suspense and tension between us even stronger, "Cake."

"Excuse me?" Did cake have a deeper meaning or was I just overthinking?

"You heard me. That cake you brought to the office on you first day here."

"You weren't even around on that day."

"My dad brought me some afterwards. Now that I've found you, do you accept my offer?"

"Uh... Yeah... Sure..."

"Thanks!!" He happily went away with a silly grin on his face.

I just smiled as he walked away. He could be charming under all that popularity and pride people think he has.

"You need to stop!" Kelsie appeared with a bang on my desk.

She has the nerve to talk to me. Let alone shout at me!

"I'm busy," I said turning to my laptop.

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"You mean like with this friendship??" I asked, standing and facing her directly.

"Kelly isn't a good person."

"I guess it runs in the family then."

Kelsie scoffed and walked away.

The audacity on that girl!

KELSIE'S POV

"So did you talk?" Ty asked anxiously.

"Yeah."

"How did it go?"

"She is just so arrogant. I couldn't reason with her."

"Kelsie," Ty asked in a way that indicated I was at fault, "What exactly did you talk about?"

"I told her Kelly is a dangerous person to be around. I was just looking out for her."

"You were supposed to tell her about Dale!!" Ty was frustrated. Guilt had been eating him up since the day he saw Dale making out with Paige at the store and he was like a ticking time bomb, getting worse by the minute.

"I was going to, then I saw her flirting with Kelly." He didn't seem convinced one bit.

I wasn't going to tell Kristie that her boyfriend was cheating on her. She wasn't even trying to be nice to me, why should I give what I don't receive? She was being a terrible friend and she even insulted my family!! She had no right at all!

"I wouldn't deal with you right now if it weren't for the appointment we have in thirty minutes."

"What appointment?"

"We have to go to the dentist first then to the zoo."

"Zoo?"

"We need pictures of you with animals. There's nothing cuter than a baby koala bear!!" Ty was definitely dying to see those koalas more than I was.

My driver took us to the dentist and on the way, I realized I had so many notifications on my phone. They were all from Dale.

I told Dale about how Ty had caught him in the act and he wasn't bothered by it because he knew I wouldn't tell Kristie. He knew he had power over me and he misused it... severally.

These were texts warning me; threatening me against snitching on him.

You'll have to forgive me, Kristie.