FanGirl by Angel Lawson Page A

is a scam.
    “I think that one goes in the small bucket,” I say, nudging one with my foot. His grubby fingers toss it in the right one. The things I do for money.
    “Your phone is buzzing,” Eli says, and he lunges for it. I reach for it first and snag it off the driveway. “Nice try.” I wrinkle my nose at him. “Hello.”
    “Ruby! It’s Ashley.”
    “Hey, Ashley, hold on a second.” I glance at Eli. “Go wash your hands. I’ll come in when you’re done and get you a snack.” With a whoop, he runs into the house. “What’s up?”
    “Not much. Finally got all those girls out of the office,” she says with a chuckle. “The Amazons.”
    “Ha, good one. They gave me an inferiority complex,” I say.
    “So, anyway, the guys want you to come back in for another meeting. Can you come in tomorrow?”
    My stomach bottoms out. “Um, sure. What for?”
    “They want you to meet with some of the other cast members – see your chemistry – if you gel and all that.”
    “Wow, okay, that sounds scary. What time?” She gives me the specifics and I text Iris immediately after hanging up.
    What r u doing? reading chloe/wyatt fanfic [5] . ORLY? it’s terrible. i can’t stop. you? with devil spawn. ha. good luck. watch your purse this time soooooooooooooo so what? I have news. do tell. omg wyatt and chloe are making out on alex’s bed. that is so wrong. EMOTICON PAY ATTENTION! Okay go: I got a callback. For Z EMOTICON ZOMG! Tom, 10 am. holyholyholyholyholy%*$&%*%$&)_$! IKR? Crap, Eli just ran out the door w/o his pants. TTYL
    g
    [1] Fake.
    [2] Nerdy Assistant Boy.
    [3] Like the current one to have Andrew Xavier removed as Wyatt, currently up to 17,000 signatures. (I may or may not have signed that one under an anonymous account).
    [4] Really, the list should be more than 10.
    [5] A broadly defined term for fan-written stories about characters or settings based on the original work.

Chapter 8

D uring the last 18 years, I’ve been many things:- Thumb-sucker (age 0-3)- Bed wetter (3-6)- Ace Frehley, lead guitarist of Kiss (Halloween, third grade)- Girlfriend (fifth grade - three days; eighth grade - three months; first kiss - 10-11 th grade; Reid - first don’t-wanna-talk-about-it)- TV show auditionee (current)
    The exception? Liar. Especially to my parents. It’s not out of any sense of moral obligation or anything. Apparently, I have a “tell.” My father has said that since I was a small child, when I lie, my lips curl into a smirk, making me look guilty as the devil. Eventually, I just stopped lying, opting for the truth or avoidance if necessary. The circumstances surrounding my audition and callback remain touchy (and frankly, unclear), so I hedge. Mom is still upset about my initial audition. Dad decided to stick with mom (damn him). They know the details of my audition, the first one, but thought it wouldn’t go any further. Neither did I.
    Avoidance is my only option.
    The night before the big day I stay with Iris, attempting to sleep on her soft, incense-smelling futon. Dim, star-shaped lights that we bought at Ikea hang from her curtains, giving the room a warm glow. Tucked into Iris’ familiar bed, I figure that if I stay away from home, I don’t have to lie, therefore solving the problem. I do not want to explain something that may not be a reality. Why have the same argument again if no one, including Gabe, thinks it will happen? I am on my back, staring at the fading, glow-in-the-dark stickers on Iris’ ceiling when I feel her roll toward me and not-whisper-whisper, “Are you awake?”
    “Yes,” I say back in the same hushed, unnecessary tone.
    “Nervous?”
    “A little.” I am not sure what to feel. Nervous, excited, anxious, nauseous, exhausted.
    “I’ve been thinking about the audition,” she says. The bed shifts as she props herself on her elbow. “Do you think you’ll get to kiss Andrew?”
    Um…
    I sit up in the bed. “I never even thought about that! I can’t kiss Andrew