Chapter One: The Girl Who Came Back from Paris
The morning sun spilled through the glass ceiling of Hollywood Arts as students hurried through the halls, scripts in one hand and coffees in the other.
Everyone had been talking about one thing for the past two weeks.
Athea Rose Laurent was finally coming back.
The sixteen-year-old had missed the first weeks of school because she had been walking in Paris Fashion Week, something that wasn't surprising when your father was Hollywood's biggest producer and your mother was one of California's most respected neurosurgeons.
Being a Laurent meant cameras followed you everywhere.
Being Athea meant smiling anyway.
---
The doors to Hollywood Arts opened.
A tiny blonde girl stepped inside wearing an oversized cream cardigan over a white sundress, designer sneakers, and a pink ribbon tied around her long blonde hair.
She looked more like someone's favorite doll than a celebrity.
Students immediately noticed.
"There she is."
"That's Athea."
"I saw her on Vogue yesterday."
"She's even prettier in person..."
Athea smiled awkwardly.
"Morning..."
She waved at everyone like she genuinely knew them.
Someone accidentally bumped into her shoulder.
"Oh! Sorry!"
The student looked terrified.
Athea immediately shook her head.
"It's okay!" she laughed softly. "No worries."
She couldn't stay mad if her life depended on it.
---
She hugged her backpack tightly as she walked toward her classroom.
Her green eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I get to see Beck..."
Five years.
She and Beck had been together for five years.
He'd texted her every night while she was in Paris.
Called every morning.
Even mailed her one of his hoodies because she complained that Paris was cold.
She hadn't returned it.
It still smelled like him.
---
At the same time...
Jade West leaned against the classroom wall, arms crossed.
"You've looked at your phone twenty times."
Beck looked up from his script.
"Twenty-three."
Jade rolled her eyes.
"You've counted?"
"I miss my girlfriend."
"You literally talked to her an hour ago."
"Still miss her."
Jade groaned dramatically.
"You two are disgustingly cute."
