Eminent Hearts

Eminent Hearts [P]

PROLOGUE

Paparazzi.  When your career is at its peak, they are your key to your fragile future.  That’s what I tell the newbies when they ask for advice about this society.  I would tell them to run; run as far as you can and don’t look back.  But they’d look at me with a look of “as if” and probably never speak to me again, unless they had to for public reasons. And what’s the point anyway? It’s better for them to just live through it, and hope that they have enough sense to back out before it’s too late. 

I’m sorry to say that most of the time: newbies are idiots. 

Then again, if you think about it, most of these people are idiots.  Morons.  Egotistic, ignorant dumbasses.  I’ll give them credit for one thing: they can act.

Very well.

I stared out at the large—and typical— advertising backdrop that stood behind the red carpet. In front of the Red were hundreds of paparazzi and fans.  I could see the precision of limos and other black, expensive cars pulling up to the carpet.  Doors would open slowly, dramatic pause, then a head or two would appear and the cameras started flashing rapidly, fans shouting and screaming wildly.  I sighed.  Nothing new. Nothing I wanted to be a part of. Why couldn’t I just skip this one just for tonight?

“Do I have to go in this way?” I whined, thinking about all the cameras and the noise was already giving me a headache.

“Chris.”

I look to my left to see my manager, Cameron Meade, staring at me with concerned eyes.  She looked so tired which made me feel guilty because I knew what she was going to say. 

“Look, sis, it’s only a premiere; it’s not like it’s the Oscars.  Nikki reassured me this will be the last one for a couple weeks.  I figured we could go to Maine next week and relax a bit.  I know Wes and Dad will be happy to see us.”

Maine. I hadn’t been there since December of last year.  It’d been almost 8 months since we’d been together as a whole family.  I thought of Wes—gosh, he had to be 13 now.  A teenager.  I smiled.  I wonder how many girls hearts he’s broken yet.  I chucked to myself.  Probably a lot, the player.

I felt the limo slowly coming to a stop, in just a few minutes it will be my turn to step out into the crowd.

“Chris, we’re next. Get ready.” Cam warned.

I rolled my eyes. I’m not going to “primp” for those animals.  They can go stick one up their—

My door opened widely, which gave me a bit of a jolt of surprise. The world outside my door was bright and blinding. What was out there was something I didn’t want to face, but now I had to. There was no turning the back. This part of the night is the one I hate the most.  The thing is, I detest everything that it represents. I hate what it does to people; it brings out the worst side of anyone.  The ignorance, the lust, and the pride.  What they say about Hollywood is right; it does change you.

It even changed me.