Pretty thing {Eric, open}

[Sophia June Brennan]

DATE Tuesday, 10th of April, 2012
TIME 4 pm
WEATHER Sunny and warm though it is only spring.

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The cupcakes displayed in the window looked amazing and delicious. ‘They’re almost too pretty to eat… but only almost…’ Bren thought when she passed the windown. Her roommate, Noah, had called and asked if she could pick him up some place in Hollywood. Bren entered the small store; but when she had arrived at the place they had agreed to meet, he had texted her and told her that one of the other photographers had given him a ride home. Bren sighed and ordered a cupcake with orange and chocolate and one with strawberry along with a cup of tea. The icing on the cupcakes was sparkling and she carried the tea and cupcakes out to sit at one of the small tables outside in the sunshine.

Bren started to peel of the icing with her finger, only to lick it off. She knew the pricey cupcakes couldn’t help her mood, but right now Bren needed some distraction from her annoyance. I really need to cheer up… I’m in Hollywood, the place I always dreamed of as a child… the reason why I moved to L.A.’ She told herself and took a spoon, starting to eat the strawberry cupcake. She sipped the tea and smiled to an elderly woman who sat by one of the other tables, staring at her. She knew she didn’t belong in a place like this, but she had paid for the cupcakes and the tea so Bren wasn’t going to leave it, just because some snobby old lady glared at her. She gave her schoolbag a soft kick under the table, so people on the street wouldn’t stumble over it. Bren took another spoon full of the cake… she should have gone for some regular place where people wouldn’t stare as much. Bren sighed started to flip through the messengers on her phone, going through her calendar, twitter and other stuff, trying to make the time pass.

For a moment, Bren thought of taking one of her school book up, to do some homework, but that would probably make the old lady stare even more. Instead she started on cupcake number 2, orange and chocolate.

[Erik Jones]

Erik was sitting at a table outside of a little store. This was one of his favorite places to go when he needed to read through a script. He was sitting by a table next to the wall of the shop. It was away from the display window so not many people noticed it. He knew the owners of the shop quite well since he came here so often, so whenever he was here they tried to make sure that he wouldn’t be bothered too much, at least if he was working. But today it was as if he just couldn’t focus, and he kept looking at the different people who passed by. It was a nice sunny day which was also why he didn’t like the idea of sitting inside somewhere but would rather be outside enjoying the good weather. He looked at the cup that had been filled with coffee when he sat down, and thought about the delicious cupcake that had accompanied it. He really wanted to order another one, but he shouldn’t if he did then he would just have to work that one of too.

As he was sitting pondering the pros and cons of eating another cupcake, he spotted a somewhat familiar face sitting at one of the tables. Erik was quit good at remembering faces, and after a moment he remembered where he had seen the person before. It had been a while, but he remembered her from a trip to the museum, if he wasn’t mistaken she had said her name was….. Sophia? Yes that was the name. It looked like she was deep in thought so he wasn’t sure if he should bother her, after all she might not even remember having meet him. But then again, he was bored and he figured that he wouldn’t get much done anyway. He got up from his table and started to walk towards the table she was sitting at, he was wearing a tight sea blue sleeveless t-shirt that showed his muscles nicely. He was also wearing some grey jeans with a slightly worn look. He sat down in the empty chair in front of her with a smile.

“Hey there, Sophia wasn’t it? it’s been a while, do you mind if I sit?” He properly should have asked that before he sat down, but what the hell. He got a bottle of water out from his pocket, uncapped it and took a sip, it was one of the bottles of saltwater that he rarely went wary far without, not that anyone would know that, or they might find it a bit strange that he was sitting drinking saltwater.

[Sophia June Brennan]

The old lady scowled again and Bren rolled her eyes. She knew that everyone in Hollywood was obsessed with their looks and that it was a rare sight with a young girl like herself, to eat two cupcakes. But Bren knew the cupcake wouldn’t harm her body or make her fat; she worked out a lot and it would only take her 30 minutes of intensive training to get rid of the cupcake. She took another sip of her tea and continued flipping through her phone. She felt restless and somehow she couldn’t cheer herself up like she used to. Noah had been a real jerk, like usual when she was doing him favors. She just wished there would be someone she knew or someone who could cheer her up, but no… she didn’t know anyone living in Hollywood. She actually didn’t know that many people living in L.A at all, despite having stayed in the city for two years. She knew the girl and the guys at the club where she worked, she knew… two or three people at the college (or their names anyway) and then she knew Noah Wesley, her roommate.

Bren was deep in thought and didn’t realize that another person sat down in front of her. When he finally spoke, she made a little jumpy move and looked up. She quickly whipped her face with her hand to remove any icing that could have been on her upper lip and smiled warmly to the not so stranger. Her mouth was still filled with cupcake and she thought it best if she just shut up for now. The guy in front of her was Eric Jones, a famous actor who apparently remembered her name. He was dressed in what seemed to be casual cloth that complimented her muscular body and skin tone rather well and Bren was careful not to stare at him. ‘No wonder he has the title of Hottest Hollywood Male Single 2011’ Bren thought as she swallowed the last remains of the cupcake.

“No… please sit down” she finally said, and the sentence was so delayed that she saw the old lady, from the corner of her eye, smile to herself. “I’m surprised you remember my name Eric…” she said in a cheerful voice; she had been right… some company did help her mood. It was kind of amazing how Eric looked like a star no matter what he did. Drinking his bottle of water, Bren imagined some hovering letters and a deep voice coming with a stupid slogan. She really needed to get some sleep; all those late shifts had contributed to her imagination. “So… a cupcake bakery?” she asked and smiled as she drank the rest of her tea. She had enjoyed the company of Eric in the museum and she hoped that he would be as funny as the last time she had met him. Something about him made her want to be his friend badly, and not only because he was a star.

[Erik Jones]

Judging by the jumpy move it seemed that he had managed to surprise her, he smiled as he saw her some icing from her lip. She looked a bit funny with her mouth full of cupcake. “I hope I didn’t scare you there, you looked like you could have choked” He had a light smile on his face as he waited for her to swallow her cupcake. As he did took a sip of his water and thought that he needed some coffee. Under the table he spotted what looked like a school bag, this made him raise his eyebrow a bit. He thought how strange it would be to still be in school. School hadn’t really been the happiest time in his life, mostly due to the fact that he had been really bad at it.

As she talked to him, Erik thought she looked at something behind him. “You shouldn’t be, after all you seem to have remembered mine” not that his name was easy to forget being a Hollywood star and everything, especially since he had been made the Hottest Hollywood Single Male 2011. Now that he looked at her, Erik got a feeling that he remembered back when they meet at the museum. He noticed that Sophia looked very attractive, but he couldn’t really put his finger on exactly what made her so. “But I am very good with faces and names, and I spotted you from over there” he pointed to the table he had been sitting at before “So I had time to recall it” He smiled again, and hoped that it hadn’t made him sound like a stalker. “Not that I was stalking you or anything, I was just sitting trying to learn some lines” he pulled up the script as evidence “see not a stalker, please don’t call the press” His grin was almost getting out of control. He didn’t really think she would call the press, she didn’t seem the type.

He put up a questioning face when she asked him about the cupcake bakery. “Yes well I find that it is a nice place to go when I need some time to think, besides they make some killer cupcakes as you no doubt noticed.” He thought about it for a moment, it was true that it wasn’t the most masculine place to hang out. “Talking about this place what might you be doing here, you don’t look like the typical guest this place gets.” He paused for a moment and looked at himself, “But then again, I don’t really look like the type either do I? In any case do you live someplace around here? I mean you look like you are on your way home from school?” Erik smiled, he didn’t really know any people in the neighborhood and it would be nice. Things got a bit dull when there were no one around, and his neighbors were mostly the ‘I am famous and I would like some privacy’ types, so very boring.

[Sophia June Brennan]

Bren couldn’t help but return his smile. “No really, it’s okay… you didn’t scare me” Bren mumbled and felt how her cheeks started to get hot and she knew she was blushing slightly. Bren tried to control her smile and she looked up at Eric; “I would be rather dumb if I forgot yours” Bren mumbled as a reply to what he had said about her remembering his name. What was with this guy? He seemed so regular and not at all like those other people whom she met, back when she had auditioned. Bren felt kind of embarrassed by the color in her cheeks, as she guessed she blushed like a school girl. She remembered her dad’s words about how a little color in her cheeks only added to her natural beauty; the same beauty that her aura amplified. He still talked… about how he had looked at her from a distant and had recalled her name before sitting down. Bren felt how her lips formed a slight smile as he pointed out who he defiantly not was a stalker. “Don’t worry, I won’t call anyone” Bren said and smiled as to seal her promise to the star. She could only imagine how a life like his was; getting chased by photographers and journalists, never having a private life… Bren could keep going and she was glad to see how relaxed he seemed right here and now.

His grin was wide and it kind of reminded Bren of The Hot Murderer in a horror movie. His grin seemed to fade as she asked him about the cupcake bakery and she looked at him questioningly. Of course he was right… this place had some annoyingly amazing cupcakes that made you forget how snobbish the other guests were. And then the same question was directed to her; Bren smiled polite and considered the possibility of telling about the entire Noah thing, but she decided not to. “I was supposed to pick someone up but… well he got another ride… and no, I don’t live here or any place as fancy” Bren mumbled and peeked over at the old lady again. She leaned forward and whispered; “no we don’t… I think the main guests are people like the lady behind you” Bren couldn’t hide the amusement from her voice and she smiled teasingly.

The unmistakable click from a camera made Bren make a small jump. She yanked her head back and looked at the place she thought the sound came from. Bren tried to recall the last few seconds; her whispering to Erik about the old lady, her smile… Finally her eyes found the paparazzi, which stood not far away, ready to take another picture. Bren looked shocked at Erik, not knowing what to do or how to act. “Shoo… that guy took a picture of us… why would he do that?” she asked and looked at the paparazzi again.

[Erik Jones]

Erik smiled and made a face that looked relived, “I am glad, frightening people isn’t the best way to start a conversation.” Erik noticed that she started to blush, it made her look really cute, in a way it really suited her. “No, after all, if I remember correct the last time we meet, you said you didn’t watch the show” he paused for a short while making an obvious fake thoughtful face. “I don’t really know, am I known for anything ells. Properly not, it is so sad.” He cracked and started to laugh “no all things aside, I haven’t really become used to everybody remembering me everywhere I go. So when I think about it, it makes sense that people remembers me, but I just forget to think about it” Again he noted how she blushed, ‘how can it be that she seems so cute or beautiful, whatever she dose, and why can’t I pin down what makes her so’. It was something that bothered him a bit, normally when he saw a girl he thought looked either hot, or cute he could always say what made her look like that to him.
“I am so glad? If the press got a story about me they would really have a field day. I on the other hand would most likely have to move and find another job. Perhaps get a new face. I don’t know, how do you think I would look black and with brown hair? Well anyway it is not something I wants to pursue” He smiled not really taking it serious.

He waited for her reply, he wanted her to live around here so that he would know someone in the neighborhood, but as she talked he realized that it wasn’t likely, it wasn’t that was disappointed, but it could have been nice. “Oh and he didn’t tell you until you were already here? That is a bit of a dick move isn’t it?” he had been right, she did not live around here. He really had to get to know some of his neighbors or it would get to boring to live here. “ah too bad, I hoped you lived somewhere around here so that I would know someone that lived around here, it seems that all my neighbors are boring and only interest in private life, which is all good but it is a bit boring.” He looked behind his shoulders to see the lady she was pointing at. It was an old lady who seemed stick up, and she looked at him like he was some kind of gang member. He waved at her with a smile and then tuned back his attention to Sophia “Well I don’t know about you, but I am fine about not being the typical guest”

Than he heard a sound that he did not expect, or want to hear now. The sound of a camera. Now Erik was fine with the press taking pictures of him when he knew about it, but these paparazzi was getting on his nerves. It really annoyed him that he couldn’t just be himself in public for a moment. If the story that came out of this tuned out bad, then his Chris, his manager would have his hide. “Well he is doing that because I am me, and pictures of me sells, especially if I am seen with someone and it might look, you know romantically.” He quickly thought about what he should do, his options as he saw them were, 1 pretend nothing is happening. Not likely, though he might pull it off, he very much doubted that Sophia would. 2 try to talk to the guy, to control the story that came out of it. Not likely to give any result, Erik knew about this particular pap (as he called them) and he would twist and tune any words. 3 get out of here before thins got any worse. He could do that, but he couldn’t leave Sophia to the mercy of the pap, he would have to make sure she got away to.
“We should get out of here before this gets any worse, and trust me, it will get worse. My car is parked just around the corner, I could give you a lift, if you want?”

[Sophia June Brennan]

Bren looked like a deer that had just spotted a hunter. Her eyes were big and she looked at Erik; “I’m so sorry” She said and didn’t hear his suggestion about getting to his car. She had a feeling that she would be on the front page of every magazine tomorrow morning. She could already see the headline ‘Star Erik Jones seen with unknown brunette’. But what picture were they going to use of her? The one where she leaned in to whisper about the old lady and Erik had had that wide smile? Or the one the paparazzi took right this second, where she looked like a frightened pray? Bren didn’t know and she didn’t care; she looked at Erik before she finally woke from what felt like a bad dream. “We need to get away from here Erik” Bren said and glanced in the direction of where she had parked Noah’s car. “My car… My roommate’s car… I can’t leave it here. Maybe they won’t expect us to head in that direction as they don’t know the car?” Bren asked and looked at Erik.

‘This is just a bad dream’ Bren thought and suppressed the urge to pinch herself. A dream… Daren… Bren’s heart stopped for a second as her mind went crazy; IF Daren existed, which a part of her still doubted, would he see the pictures in the magazine? And if he did, what would he think? Would he be mad at her? Would he even know who she was? Bren shook her head and looked at Erik; “I think our best chance is my car… They won’t expect that of us and they’re probably already at your car, waiting for you to get back to it” Bren said and took her schoolbag in her arms and looked at him. They couldn’t stay here for much longer and they needed to have a plan. Bren hoped that pictures like these wouldn’t ruin Erik’s career, or ruin a shot with a girl he was interested in. She tried to control her breathing before she spoke again; she had no idea why, but the adrenalin had started to pump through her system. “Whatever we decide to do, we need to do it fast… before they announce us to be Hollywood’s next couple” Bren said, trying not to sound too sarcastic.

She liked Erik as a person, but she really doubted that there were ever going to be more between them than a brother and a sister. He was one of those all around good guys that you were lucky to be friends with and every time he smiled, Bren couldn’t help but return the smile. She really wanted to be his friend, and she wished and begged the old gods that these pictures wouldn’t ruin Erik’s career.

[Erik Jones]

When Erik looked at Sophia he saw how choked she looked. He couldn’t blame her, it was a very uncomfortable and sometimes scary experience the first time a pap surprised you. He was more clam, at least outwards, he knew that looking panicked would only make things worse, it was best to get out of the way fast, but to do it in a clam way, besides he didn’t want to give the idiot the satisfaction of knowing how much he freaked Erik out. He looked at her and tried to make eye contact. “Don’t worry, clam and clam down, it is going to be okay” he said and made sure to keep his voice calm. He hoped that if he stayed clam, it would make her more clam as well. He quickly thought about the car, of course she had come in a car as well. Okay so they would have to get her car, if not then she would most likely get even more freaked out.

Erik considered the rest of what she said. It made sense that they would have found his car. After all it wasn’t the most discreet car in the world, and it was commonly know what car he drove. But her car on the other hand, it wasn’t known to the, they would be able to surprise them and y the time they figured it out it would be too late to follow. But Sophia was in no shape to drive a car, she was really freaked out, and it wasn’t a good idea to drive in that state. “Okay we take your car, show the way let’s get out of here. But if you don’t mind I think it would be best if I drove, you seem a bit shaken and I don’t think it is a good idea for you to drive.” He could only imagine what she thought right now, he remembered the first time a pap had caught him. He had been at a beach swimming and just enjoying the sun and the sea, when suddenly there had been cameras everywhere. It had been a really scary moment and he had been fortunate that one of his fellow actors from the show had been there and could drive him away, as he had been much to shaken to drive himself. “you are right, lead the way to your car” he heard the last part of her comment about them announcing them as the next Hollywood couple, he just managed to catch himself before saying that they properly already had, and that it would make the headlines the next day, but that wasn’t what she needed to hear right now.

He just hoped that she wouldn’t be to freaked out by this to talk with him another time. He liked talking to her and this could really ruin that. He wasn’t to afraid for his career, not that he would tell her this but this would likely benefit it by creating attention around him. Though it wasn’t the attention that he wanted the chances of it ruining anything for him was minimal. Unless of course she was a criminal or something like that, and he really doubted that. In fact he thought it was much more likely that it would turn out bad for her, and that made him feel guilty, it was his fault that she was even in this situation. If he hadn’t sat down and talked with her she would never be in this mess. He just hoped that she would forgive him.

[Daren Drake]

This was why Daren hated being a part of the family that he was a part of and being friends with Penelope Hernandez; he had to go to Hollywood way too often than he liked and he really didn’t like it.
Daren furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the fancy cup of coffee that he had bought, no, really didn’t like it just didn’t really explain it good enough. He loathed it deeply from the bottom of his soul, if he could, he’d have a big tidal wave overflow this city from hell. He blinked a few times and focused on the creepy looking brown liquid. What was this stuff anyway? He had asked for a cup of coffee, not some brown piss that looked like someone had a bad case of diarrhea, damn he hated this place.

Okay, so he may not have been in the best of moods as he had gotten out of bed that day only to find out his mother needed him to make a presence at some political meeting at this dammed place that only arrogant airheads who thought they were some big shot belonged to. He looked down beneath the table and smiled at Skip who looked up at him as if to ask him ‘can we go yet? This place is awful’.
The big guy smiled softly and petted his dog “Yeah, let’s get out of here, shall we?” He asked and as if the dog understood him, it got up with a wildly waving tail. “Ha ha, okay. I get the hint.” He said and turned in his chair “Check please?” he called out and waited for a few seconds.

It didn’t take more than a few moments before the young waitress with the over the top flirtatious and desperate attitude ran over to him and he gave her his charmer smile. “Can I get you anything else sir?” She asked hopefully, obviously not ready to let him leave as he hadn’t said more than 5 words to her and he shook his head “No thank you sweetheart.” He said and watched satisfied as she blushed wildly and blushed. “Uhm okay… here’s your check… my phone number is on it…” she said and he looked at the check and back up at her “Thank you. Saves me the trouble of asking.” He said and watched her as she walked away giggling like a silly 16 year old girl who was ready to lose her virginity. She was pretty, it wasn’t that, but she was too over the top for his taste, but he didn’t see any reason as to why he should shut her down.

As he stood up he secretly curled the check up in his palm and motioned for Skip to follow him and on his way to the door he sneaked his hand over the trashcan and threw the check with the waitresses’ number out. Shame, she was such a pretty girl, but not self-confidence was a huge turn off for the tall, broad and suit dressed man with a dog. He didn’t really get far though, he just reached outside and saw a somehow familiar looking and very airheaded looking guy and a young woman being surrounded by a lot of paparazzi. Oh great, just what he needed, prove that he had been in Hollywood all dressed up.

He looked at the scene and opened his eyes wide in big surprise as he laid his eyes on the woman who was being surrounded together with the big shot guy. He knew her. He didn’t know her as in know her, know her, but he definitely knew her at some point, he was sure of it. Daren cleared his throat, there was only one thing to do to get her out of this mess – assuming she wanted out of it, she definitely looked like someone who didn’t quite enjoy the attention. He fixed his tie and nodded at his dog before stepping over to the scene with a secure and alpha male attitude and smiled nice and political at the people. “Hello fellas, you got your pictures now and I’m sure you can get them all sold for over a 100 bucks each, so let’s just all departure now and try and let the rest of us breath some fresh air that has not been contained by your odor.” He said with a political tone in his voice.

He placed his hand on the woman’s lower back and started leading her away from the scene not paying attention to the fact that the paparazzi was screaming stuff like “Jones! Jones! How do you feel like the son of the big politician Drake’s son stealing your girl? Any comments?” and “Are Jones and Drake’s son fighting over the same girl?” As he forced her to follow him he gave the guy a look saying ‘Follow me if you want.’ Nonchalantly turning at the end of the block and opening a secret door that lead into the building that his mom at times worked at, he started whistling as if this was a normal business for him. He turned to look at the girl and smiled “Saga?” he simply asked, observing her facial expression. Even if she said no, he’d know by her reading into her facial expression.