Rise of the Billionaire actress

” What’s wrong?” Aaron asked as soon as they finished their lines.

She met his gaze across the table, ” What do you mean?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

” You know what I mean.” His eyes narrowed, ” What’s got you bothered?”

Deloise let out a humorless laugh, ” Didn’t know you cared.”

” Stop avoiding the question. You’ve been absent minded- much more than usual. If we are going to get things done, we need to fix whatever’s got you in a mood.”

Deloise wasn’t having a solid day, more so with Aaron’s intent to get her speaking. ” What? Looking for another flaw to use against me?”

She chuckled but Aaron maintained a plain face. He didn’t find her funny.

” Just a bit tired, okay?” She said, ready to leave the school diner.

” Let’s play a game.” Aaron leaned into his chair, ” Tell me what’s up and I get to tell you anything you want. No secrets, No lies.”

That caught her attention. Deloise gauged him with an inquisitive look, ” Why?”

” Let’s just say I’m a bit too curious.” Aaron placed his elbows on the diner table, right on top of his script. ” Let it be our secret.”

The atmosphere felt ten times hotter. Deloise searched his face for telltales of deceit or jokes but found none. Instead, her appreciation towards his wonderfully sculpted face increased by the second.

She cleared her throat, ” You will answer anything if I tell you what’s wrong?”

” I don’t like repeating myself, sunshine.”

” Whatever. Don’t back out when you find out it wasn’t worth your time.” She warned, then began.

” It’s about the production. It feels like everyone prefers Stella as the female lead. Although I respect the fact she is a great actress and wonderfully embodies her role; it’s just unfair that I don’t even get a chance to prove my abilities. Everyone’s rooting for me to fail, they are all waiting for me to do something stupid to prove they were right about me.” She grew agitated, ” Left to me, I don’t care. But even that becomes hard when the playwright wants you out.”

Aaron felt stupefied. He didn’t expect such an earful but she was far from done.

” At this point, I just want this to be over. I’m tired of consistently trying to prove myself to people who have made up their minds on who and what they think I am. Its so pitiful that Ms. Ema didn’t even give herself an opportunity to form an opinion for herself. She just went through with what was thrown at her.” She hissed.

Only after did Deloise notice the abrasive look on Aaron’s face.

‘Oh shit.’

She thought, of course he’d be offended, she was nit-picking on his friend.

” I have to go.” Deloise announced, already feeling a migraine. ” You owe me one.” She announced and silently exited the diner, cursing herself for even opening her mouth to speak on the case.

Aaron watched her leave with a gob-smacked expression.

*****

Karen took a surprise visit to her daughter, hoping to spend some time with her. She walked into her daughter’s room, and what she saw nearly had her coughing blood.

” Is this what you’ve been up to?!” Karen screamed in her daughter’s face, but she remained nonchalant. ” I’m talking to you!”

” Can you please keep it down, mom?” Ann winced and dropped her cigarette. ” What were you thinking coming here without informing me?”

” Informing you?” Karen let out a humorless laugh, ” So you can hide the obnoxious life you now lead? Oh my goodness, where on earth is Deloise?” She looked around the room, ” How did you become so unrecognizable? Is this why you stopped picking my calls?”

” Enough!” Karen stiffened at the anger behind her daughter’s voice. ” If you came here to yap about how unrecognizable and imperfect I’ve become, I suggest you take it out to someone that actually cares!”

” Anna…” She breached the space between them, ” what happened to you? This isn’t you. What the hell went wrong?” She asked, frantically looking her over.

” Stop acting like there’s something wrong with me, mom. I’m fine. Different, but fine.” She insisted, resisting the urge to lash out. Karen wasn’t having it.

” How can you say you are fine? Of course something is wrong! Look at you- this isn’t you, I need to speak with Deloise, she must have an explanation, where is she?”

” I don’t know, mom.” She gritted, ” Maybe if you call miss perfect, she’ll explain why your child looks so unrecognizable.” The sarcasm in her tone was unmistakable.

” Listen to me young lady! I will not stand here and watch you insult me.” She scolded, brimming with anger, ” It’s clear you’ve lost your way, but that’s no excuse to be a brat.”

” Lost my- tsk- what the hell are you on?”

” That’s it.” Karen stomped her feet, ” You’re going home. Pack up your things. I’ll reach out to Deloise later.” She ordered, and Ann laughed.

” You’ve got to be kidding me. There’s no way I’m leaving.”

Karen wasn’t hearing it and immediately took to her room, Ann followed behind her.

” Don’t touch anything! I’m an adult! You don’t get to order me around.”

” I do when I pay the bills.” Karen picked up straps of her daughter’s clothing around the room with an upturned nose. ” I sent you to college and you turn around and do this? I am so disappointed, who are you?”

She dragged her box and threw it open.

” Hey! Don’t-

” REALLY ANN?! This is what you do now?” Karen couldn’t believe her eyes. ” Tell me, how long has this been going on? Huh? How long have you been doing this!” she screamed, throwing the whitish substance to the ground.

” Don’t open my box.” Anna muttered, but Karen wasn’t done.

” Tell me, what else do you do? I wouldn’t be surprised if you dropped out of school even. Are you an addict? Is that what this phase is all about? Where on earth is Deloise.”

At the mention of Deloise’ name, Ann grew bonkers. ” Enough already! All I ever hear is Deloise!”

” Shut your mouth! When did you have a problem with her? I know she wouldn’t sit here and watch you waste your life in partying, doing drugs and fraudulent acts.”

” Of course she isn’t. You know why? Because she isn’t even a student.” She revealed, then snatched the clothes in her mother’s hand. ” Your princess dropped out of school six months ago, she didn’t even sit for one exam! So if you are looking to compare me with a goody two shoes, I suggest you rethink your options and get your facts straight.” She sneered. ” I might be anything, but not a fraud. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about you.”

” What has come over you? Why on earth will you lie against your friend?”

” Lie against my friend?” She guffawed. ” I think the real question should be why the hell did you lie to your child.”

” What are you talking about?”

” Stop it already. Stop trying to play dumb, mom! You know this isn’t about Deloise.”

” Yes. It’s about the fact that I came in here, met you smoking, and found out you’ve been wasting time and engaging in illicit activities.” Karen listed as she returned to packing her daughter’s things.

” Who is my father?”

Anna’s words froze the air in the room. Their eyes connected and Karen knew it was over.