Secrets of My Hollywood Life (12 page)

We make our way to the front door, Liz leading the charge. I'm glad I wore my black sequined Dr. Scholl's sandals. They make my feet look smaller, and look almost cute with the straight knee-length Levi's denim skirt and army green sequined top I settled on.

The door to the house is unlocked and Liz pushes it open. The four of us walk inside as Maroon
5
blasts from the stereo. To my right, people in the den are dancing. Straight ahead I can see Lori holding court with a group of male and female admirers in the kitchen.

"I told my mom that Easter break wouldn't be Easter break if we weren't spending it in Tahiti," I hear Lori tell the crowd as we walk by unnoticed. I see she's wearing a turquoise beaded sundress by Velma that is
so
last season. "She wanted to have this family dinner thing here at home, but who does that?"

Liz pushes through the sea of people in the crowded main hallway, looking for a spot for us to stand. We lose Beth somewhere near the bathroom when Rob Murray steals her away to show her how he can balance sterling silver spoons on his nose.

"She so has a thing for him," Allison declares when we finally find a space to squeeze in on the back veranda. She's wearing a khaki mini-skirt that shows off her long lean dancer legs. "I think he's just a bonehead. Rachel, stay away from American guys. They're such losers."

"England has some fit blokes," I comment, but I'm not really paying attention. Secretly, I'm scanning the crowd for Austin.

"You guys have such cuties over there," Allison is saying. "Orlando Bloom is gorgeous. Then there's Prince William, Jonathan Rhys Meyers ..."

"Hot," Liz seconds. "So cute in
Bend It Like Beckham."

"Exactly," Allison says. "And Hugh Grant."

"Old but cute," Liz affirms. "I love when he dances down the stairs in
Love, Actually."

"Don't forget Ewan McGregor," I add. "He's an awesome Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"O-bee what?" Allison asks.

"You're joking me, right?" I exclaim. "Haven't you seen the new
Star Wars
movies?"

"I don't like sci-fi," Allison sniffs. Liz laughs. She knows I'm going to lose it.

"But they're not
just
sci-fi!" I protest. "They're romance and drama and all about good versus evil...."

"And they've got stormtroopers and Darth Maul," I hear someone say. I turn around. It's Austin. He's wearing a white polo shirt with his lacrosse number stitched on the pocket. He looks cute. I bite hard on my lip. I feel so stupid after freaking out on him the two times we've spoken.

"You seriously like
Star Wars?"
he asks me as Allison and Liz stare in silence.

"Live
for them. I have good taste," I say coolly. "Not all girls just like romantic comedies." I decide to leave out that I sometimes watch those too.

"I'm going to get a drink," Liz says with a sly grin. "Ali, want to come?"

"Yeah, sure," she agrees. "Let's leave these geeks alone."

"Why do sci-fi fans always get called geeks?" Austin asks once they walk away.

I laugh. "Why aren't we just called forward-thinking?"

Austin and I talk about
Star Wars
for the length of the Maroon 5 album. He's brave enough to tell me he bawled the first time he watched Darth Vader die at age seven. And it's sweet that he takes the time to watch the movies with his kid sister, Hayley. I'm having fun talking to a guy who is actually interested in what I have to say, rather than what I do for a living. And I have to admit, Austin smells really good (Is that Eternity he's wearing?) and looks even better (Who knew guys cared about using hair care products? Austin made me promise never to reveal that he swears by Aveda's Control Stick.).

"We should get together and have a
Star Wars
marathon one weekend," Austin suggests. "I've always wanted to watch all six in a row, from start to finish."

I blush. The idea of a weekend alone with Austin sounds kind of appealing. But what about Lori? He looks at me searchingly. "Sounds like fun, but I won't have a weekend free for a while," I say, trying not to look him in the eye. "I turned in my history paper late and now Mr. Klein wants me to do bloody extra-credit."

"I'll make you a deal," Austin tells me. "I've seen you rattle off equations in math. If you help me with my geometry, I'll help you with your paper." He flashes me that gorgeous smile. "I'm not surprised you're having trouble in history. The only thing you Brits know about American history is the story of the Boston Tea Party."

"Very funny." I roll my eyes. What do I have to lose? "You've got a deal." I extend my hand.

"Great, because I have to bring up that CI have in geometry or I'm going to be toast." Austin shakes my hand tightly. His fingers feel rough from hours of cradling a lacrosse stick. "I have to keep a B average to stay on the lacrosse team." He stops shaking my hand, but doesn't let go. "Want to meet on Monday after school?"

"Works for me." I pull my hand away. I have to keep reminding myself he has a girlfriend.

I'm about to ask Austin what he thinks of Jar Jar Binks, when I feel something cold and wet on my neck. Ew! I strain to look and see that the back of my shirt and part of my skirt are soaked. Behind me, Lori is standing there with an empty cup.

"Oops, I must have slipped!" She doesn't even try to sound sincere. This girl is classic Sky Mackenzie. I can't believe I didn't see this coming.

Austin looks annoyed. "Stay right here," he instructs me as I shake out my shirt. "I'll go grab some napkins."

"I think that's going to stain," Lori coos when Austin is out of earshot. "I don't think Dr. Pepper comes out of Discount World material." She tosses her platinum blond hair.

I'm tempted to throw my Coke at her. I don't think that will come out of the dated sundress she's wearing either. I take a step towards her, and she looks at me smugly.

"Lori, come inside. We're watching last week's
Family Affair,"
I hear her friend Jessie whine. "Sam's Prius just got car-jacked."

"Don't bother waiting for Austin," Lori spits at me, ignoring Jessie. "I'm sure he's forgotten about you by now, just like everyone else at this party. With a face like that, there's nothing to remember."

I glare at Lori, tempted to tell her exactly what I think of her.

"I guess that means you can leave now," Lori adds.

"LORI, did you hear me? Sam's being held at knifepoint by a carjacker!" Jessie calls. "Bring that British girl with you, okay?"

"This Brit has better things to do than hang out here," I retort hotly. I glance at my watch. It's 9:30. I have to start wrapping up anyway, and there's no point waiting for Austin. He's probably not coming back. "If you'll excuse me, I've got to find my friends."

"You don't want to lose those," I hear Lori yell out as I push through the people standing on the veranda. "You don't have that many!"

Maybe I was wrong about this school thing. In Hollywood, people give me some respect. To my face at least.

Friday 3/26

NOTES TO SELF:

Send Hutch a gushing thx note. (Keep him thinking about your aura!)

Buy Rodney b-day gift!

Think of fave U.S. history moment (The Boston Tea Party?).

Eleven:
The Sky's the Limit

HOLLYWOOD SECRET NUMBER TWELVE:A star's home is never as fabulous as it appears in the pages of a magazine. The truth is, magazines are so desperate for the intimate details of celebrity life that they'll do almost anything to get a star to unlock her front door. Haven't had a chance to finish decorating your Malibu weekend pad? No problem. The magazine will hire an interior designer to add the finishing touches -- everything from flesh flowers on the kitchen table to satin throw pillows on the couch. Sometimes they even bring in new furniture. One magazine was so desperate to profile my friend Gina's apartment that they offered to have Home Du Jour outfit the entire place for
free
if she'd agree to let them photograph it. (She let them, of course. Who wouldn't?)

I have a pretty good idea that Sky's home got the same treatment. Sky's stodgy old maid takes the Burberry trench I changed into, revealing the cream-colored Chloe tank and jeans that I threw on in the car. When she walks me through the living room, I recognize at least a dozen items from that swanky furniture store, Destination Home. Cut crystal lamps, Persian rugs, leather couches, even monochrome art all scream the store's name. I know because Mom drags me through Destination Home every time she redecorates a room -- which is about once a month.

Sky would never admit it because it would make her look phony, but I think the place hooked her up when she agreed to let
Life and Style
profile her parents' house for the cover a few months back.

Oh wait. Maybe what you're
really
wondering is: Why would I ever set foot at Sky's? I'm doing my official
FA
cast-member duty, that's why. Tom wanted us all to watch a taping of the season finale together (something about boosting cast morale) and Sky offered -- or should I say insisted -- the viewing be at her place.

"It's been such a trying season for all of us," Sky's hand-delivered shiny fuschia invitation read, "that I'd like us, at Tom's request, to bask in the glow of our successful efforts with an intimate dinner at my parents' estate."

Intimate includes a five-person crew from
Access Hollywood,
whom she invited to tape the festivities.

Sky's maid leads me down a long corridor lined with framed photos of Sky. As the Mackenzie's only child, Sky's parents devote their lives to her career (Sky's mom is her manager too). Sort of like mine, actually.

I examine each photo on the hallway wall out of the corner of my eye. There's a picture of Sky with the
FA
cast at last year's Emmy's.... There's Sky's "Best Villain" MTV Movie Award.... There's a picture of Sky hugging Tom Cruise at the Carnival of Hope benefit.... There's Sky as a toddler on
FA.
... Wait, that picture looks cut in half. I look at it closely and see pudgy little fingers and blond hair. Hey, that's me they cut out!

"Kaitlin, there you are," cheers Melissa, who plays my "mom," Paige. She gives me a tight squeeze. Her long black hair puddles around the white fitted blazer she's wearing with tight Lucky jeans and coral heeled sandals.

"Sorry I'm late." I kiss her cheek. Rodney hit traffic going to Sky's so it took twice the time to get here.

"As long as you're okay. I got worried." She smiles. Even off-screen, Melli totally mothers me, and I have to admit, I love it.

"We're all in the den waiting for the show to start," she says, linking her arm with mine. "Sky's mother has been entertaining us with stories about Sky's
FA
audition." Melli winks at me.

I giggle. As we walk down the steps into the modern great room, decorated with paint-splashed couches and abstract sculptures, I can see most of the cast and crew milling about. Everyone is laughing and having a good time, like they haven't seen each other in years. It feels good to be together, I realize. This group is like my second family. Suddenly, someone grabs my waist from behind and swings me into the air.

"Kates, you're here!" Trevor exclaims. "Sky said she wasn't sure if you were coming. You didn't RSVP."

"Funny, I know I left a message on her voicemail." I give Trevor a bear hug when he puts me down. "I guess she missed that one."

"K, you made it," Sky announces dramatically. She's wearing a corseted floor-length red satin gown. Were we supposed to dress up for this thing? I look at Melli and Trevor. They're both in jeans, just like me. "It's 10:30. I told everyone you weren't coming," she adds. "You didn't RSVP."

"I
did
RSVP, Sky." She ignores me.

"Missing the season finale." Sky lowers her dark eyes sadly. "I told Tom that maybe you just didn't want to be in the same room as me." She sniffs, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye. When she wants to, Sky can really act.

"I think it's time we put the past season behind us," Melli suggests briskly, and pulls the two of us in tightly. "I'm going to need both of you girls' strength if I'm to survive that car crash!" At the end of the season finale, Paige's limo is hanging off the edge of a cliff.

Sky and I smile faintly. Neither of us likes to fight in front of Melli. She feels too much like, well, our mom.

"Kaitlin, there you are," Tom says, walking over with a plate of fried shrimp. "Want one? These are delicious!" He munches on a shrimp and hands the tray to Trevor. "Where did you order these from?" he asks Sky.

"We use the same caterer that Demi uses for all her affairs," Sky answers coolly. "Demi and Ashton are old family friends. We've known them forever."

"Old?" Trevor repeats, with a confused look on his face. "I thought Ashton was in his twenties."

"It's a figure of speech, sweetie," Sky explains through gritted teeth. Trevor takes another shrimp and shoves it whole in his mouth. "Why don't we get you a seat on the couch next to me?" She leads Trevor away like a puppy, still carrying the shrimp plate.

"Five minutes to showtime!" Sky yells as she tucks Trevor into a white leather couch next to her. "Everyone find a seat." I roll my eyes, and Melli catches me.

"She just wants to be liked, Kates," Melli says, putting a hand on my arm. Now I feel guilty.

Someone dims the lights in the den and Melli, Tom, and I quickly grab seats. Sky's fifty-inch flat-screen plasma TV is large enough that you can see clearly from anywhere in the room. The first half hour of the show moves quickly -- Sara and Sam meet Krystal at the church for the confrontation about Krystal being pregnant. Elsewhere, Penelope shows up at Paige and Dennis's house and tries to seduce her brother-in-law. Flash to Paige, alone, stepping into the limo idling outside to take her to the church. But wait -- that's not the regular limo driver, that's Penelope's boyfriend! Why would he be driving the limo?

When lights come up during a commercial break, I make my way to the makeshift bar that's been set up in the adjacent dining room to get Tom, Melli, and me some sodas. Sky apparently has the same idea.