SHINING STAR II OUTER BANKS CAST II REAL LIFE

fun fair

"So where do we go now?", Rudy asks me clearly enjoying that he won our challenge, "Another haunted house?" "Oh shut up", I reply annoyed by myself that I was frightened because of some puppets, darkness and a shaking ground. I should have known that I could expect this.

"Hey, there's a shooting range", Rudy exclaims pointing at the kiosk in front of us, "What can I shoot for you?" "Rudy, I'm not a child, I don't need anything." "Are you sure? That looked differently in there", he jokes pointing back to the haunted house, "A cuddly toy could help you sleep well tonight after that nightmare."

"Stop making fun of me!", I tell him poutingly but laugh as he is pretending to be scared from the puppets that are lay in front of us at the kiosk, "Okay fine. But I want the dog." "He needs to score five times for the dog", the woman at the counter informs us.

"You really want the dog, huh? I would only have to score three times for the cat", Rudy reassures himself looking as if he was nervous that he might not win the dog. "What? Do I see Rudy Pankow being nervous because he might not win the dog?", I challenge him once again. Last time I did that, he won. Let's hope that he'll do it again. "Five darts please", he immediately asks the woman and takes them, "Watch me, Sarah."

"I've told you I would win the damn dog for you", Rudy brags happily as we are walking around the fun fair afterwards and I smile brightly like a little child holding my dog in the air. "Finally!" "Now tell me, why did you want the dog so desperately?"

"Desperately? Excuse me, you wanted to win something for me desperately." "Let's say I wanted to do you a favor", Rudy reformulates my statement but insists on me answering his question. "You could have had the cat as well."

"I know but I've always wanted a real dog. When I was small, my parents couldn't afford a dog or didn't have the time for it. Then I moved to my grandparents with my mom and they didn't like pets. When they died, my mom didn't want to take the responsibility for a dog and when I moved in with Joshua, neither of us had time for one as well although we both wanted one."

"Joshua?" "Oh sorry, force of habit. He's my ex-boyfriend." "Ex-fiancé, right?" "The point is that I never had a dog and still want one. I hope that after this series and another album, I can settle down for some time and use this time to do what I've planned."

"Another album as well?" "Yeah, I can't help it but I love being in the studio and my sister is working on one as well so I decided to produce one more and then take a break." "Good plan, Sarah. What do you want to name him?", Rudy asks me pointing to the cuddly toy.

"She's a girl", I state pretending to be offended, "Izzy. I got to know you all because of this show and the character that I play and I can easily empathize with her so that's the dog's name." "I like it."

"Oh my god, you are Sarah Griffey", an eight year old girl gasps as she crosses our way so I smile at her trying to hide the fact that I'm really surprised someone would know or even recognize me here. "Excuse me, I'm her mother. Emily is just a big fan of you and loves soccer. Is that your fiancee?", her mom tells me and gives me her hand.

Rudy and I look at each other chuckling but I shake my head. "No, he's not. And we're also not together anymore so technically, the boy you referred to is my ex-fiancee." "You and Jo are not going to marry?", the girls asks me sadly. Oh.. I didn't expect other people to be affected by it.

"We're not but we're still friends", I try to cheer her up but she still gives me a disappointed look, "Look, did you ever had a friend that you're not seeing anymore?" "Megan." "And sometimes in life, people leave or you go. Maybe, your paths will cross again, but maybe they won't and that's fine. Did you find a new friend?"

"I met Emma yesterday." "Great. See, maybe Emma will replace Megan. It's not going to be the same and it shouldn't but every decision that you make, should make you happier. My decisions made me happier." "Is he your new Joshua?", the girls asks shyly so I give her a warm smile.

"That's Rudy. Maybe he will be my new Joshua and maybe he won't. It'll be different with Rudy. But I'm happy." "Good", she finally smiles as well, "Can I get a picture with you?" "Of course. Anytime." "Can the new Joshua be on it, too?" I chuckle as she's calling him that way and watch him doing the same. "Sure, I can", he agrees and we tell her to stand in front of us and her mom takes a photo. 

"Hey, Emily, do you like dogs?" "Yes, I love them." "Here, that's not a real dog but the new Joshua gave it to me. Do you want it?" Emily looks at her mom which is really cute and she nods so I hand her the dog that Rudy won for me and we say our goodbyes.

"Sorry for giving the cuddly toy to her but I felt like I had to. She looked like she loved it", I apologize worried that Rudy might think I'm ungrateful. I love the fact that he won it for me, but I enjoyed the moment more than the actual cuddly toy. Rudy wanted to make me happy and made me smile.

"Sarah, it's completely fine", Rudy reassures me, "Giving it to the girl was the best what you could do and really generous. You made her happy." "I hope so."

"So will I be your new Joshua?", he now grins at me charmingly so I wonder if he's being serious or not. There are definitely signs by which I would say that he is interested in me or someday might like me but I'm also not sure if he's just joking.

"Please let's not say that", I make clear remembering the worse parts of our relationship back then, "It's better if we're just Rudy and Sarah." "What does that mean exactly?" "It means that.. we're going to continue what we're doing and then see what might happen." "Sounds like a plan."