The Rock Star Trilogy 01 - Jaded

“Thinking of betting against me?”
    “ No way!” I say quickly. “I will always bet for you.”
    “ And that is why I like you so much.”
    “ Awe, Stephan Montgomery likes me . I must be special.”
    He winks at me. “More special than you know.”

    9:45 pm
    Good times.

    The drive flies by, and before I know it, we are in Miami. We all decide to eat Chinese food, and pull into the first place we see. It's small, but in my experience, the hole in the wall restaurants are usually the best kind.
    “ Table for four, please,” Stephan tells the hostess. She still has yet to move. She's standing there, staring at Alec, Bridgett, and me.
    “ Oh my god...”
    I roll my eyes. “Yes, I'm Scarlett Ryan. This is my sister Bridgett, and this is Alec Torch. I get you're probably not used to seeing celebrities, but please , can we have a table?”
    “ Ri... Right away, Miss Ryan,” she finally says.
    We follow her to a table. I sit beside Stephan, and Bridgett and Alec sits across from us.
    Stephan leans over, and whispers in my ear. “That was so hot.”
    “ What?”
    “ You, taking charge. I kind of wonder if you'd be like that...”
    Bridgett cuts him off. “Ewe. I do NOT want to hear about my sister's sex life.”
    I laugh. “Trust me, there is no sex life to hear about.”
    The waitress is an older Chinese lady, and thankfully she doesn't recognize us. She takes our drinks order, and quickly leaves to fill them.
    “ Do people often mistake you for me?” I asked Bridgett.
    She shrugs. “It actually hasn't been that bad. People in my community and school knew me growing up, so they didn't really question. I've had a few incidents like at the mall... And when I first went to college it was pretty bad... But once people learn I'm not you, they usually leave me alone.”
    “ Life would be boring without mobs of fans, and paparazzi,” Alec adds. “Seriously, I couldn't imagine ever living normal.”
    “ That's because your dad is a rock legend. You grew up with this. I lived a semi-normal life until I was 15, and even then, it was a year before it got completely crazy .”
    “ After you won that MTV Award. I remember. I taught you how to ditch the paparazzi,” Alec smiles. “Good times.”
    “ That was not good times!” I can't help but laugh. I turn to Bridgett and Stephan. “I had just turned 16 years old. I was not a good driver, I was in LA, and I was trying to get rid of the paparazzi. It was a nightmare. I nearly ran over somebody trying to ditch them.”
    “ Oh, right!” Alec remembers. “They came up with some outrageous story about you being drunk! You got so much publicity! The next day, your song hit number one. It was crazy.”
    “ I totally forgot about that.” I shake my head. “That was pretty awesome.”
    The waitress finally brings us our drinks, and takes our orders. Once she leaves, Alec turns to me. “What are your plans now, Scar? You're so young. Certainly you aren't quitting the music industry.”
    “ I'm not completely sure,” I answer truthfully. “I haven't been happy with my music for a while now. I'd like to finish my senior year, get a new manager, a new producer, and do what I want to do. I'd like to get away from the pop scene, and maybe do a more alternative, punk sound.”
    “ Like your older stuff.”
    “ Exactly.”
    “ What about you, Bridgett? What are your plans for the future?” Alec asks her.
    “ I am still undecided about my future,” she answers with a shrug. “I recently dropped out of college, and right now, I'm just trying to figure it out.”
    “ You have plenty of time to figure it out.” Alec turns his head towards Stephan. “What about you? You have college plans?”
    “ Definitely no plans for college...” he clears his throat. “I have no idea what I want. I really enjoy racing, but that's not really a profession.”
    “ Of course it is! Nascar,” Alec counters.
    “ Nascar really isn't my scene. Plus, I'm not sure if this is what I want forever. It's good for the right now. I guess when the time comes, I'll figure it out. I just want to be happy.”
    “ Cheers to that,” I agree, holding up my cup.

    11:55 pm
    I know that look!

    Stephan is paying his way in, and listening to the rules. Bridgett, Alec, and I are all standing by my Mercedes, trying not to draw attention to ourselves. We all even bought baseball caps from the gas station.
    “ The girls here are skanky,” Bridgett crinkles her nose, as a girl walks by.