Higher Stakes [Strings: Part 1]

Chapter 1: Trouble in Lalaland

“I’m…” she managed. Shutting her eyes tight, her phone in her now sweaty palm, Demi bit her lower lip and added, “I just can’t. Can we do it tomorrow instead?”

There was silence.

There was no answer from the other end of the line. Nothing was heard even her boyfriend’s breath. So it was done.

“Screw you,” there went his voice. Now, he sounded more furious than ever. “You’re wasting your time into a relationship that YOU alone don’t do your share of the load. No way are you going to get ‘all’ of this for a long long time His devilish smirk kicked in. “Cyrus out! Bitch.”

Line went dead.

“What did he said?” Tiffany Thornton quickly asked concerning ever so heartily when her co-star and good friend broke down to tears. She put down the magazine and jumped quickly to Demi’s aid.

Cell phone still in her palm pressed against her ear, she trembled as water runs down her powder blush cheeks. Her eyeliner went damped and smudged her face.

In this sort of event, time and time she keep telling herself to be strong and make sure everything still have hope. It is because she still loves him. He was the one who make her who she really is now. The man who brought out the real Lovato. Expressing own feelings to the world through songs and works.

Now, he is nothing more than a burden. A pain that struck her straight in her guts up to her fragile heart. He is no longer the man she loved. He is now the man blinded by the lights of Hollywood. Trace Cyrus has changed.

“All are just some crazy game; it’s so intense, so insane and so… stupid. It’s just wrong, you know. Never would I’ve thought seeing him like that. He’s more of a subtle kind of person. That man is my grandfather for God sake. This is abnormal.”

Sitting on the stone steps of a castle-like academy, a young boy with his brown hair covered underneath a long pointy hat twist and turns a long stick in his hand. Tapping his foot against the ground, he kicked off the steps and walked a meter from where he sat.

“He’s wild. He’s competitive.” He turned to the girl sitting on the steps with a worried look on her face. “He’s still my grandfather, that never going to change now wouldn’t it?”

“No.” the girl with long wavy brown hair answered. She too stood up and walked over to him. “Family is important, even though I am embarrassed and annoyed by mine.”She rolled her eyes there. “But, they always are there for you, no matter what situation you’re in. That is the magic.”

A smile so thin yet big smile formed across the boy’s face. He looked down at the girl and said, “I admire you Alex Russo. In all aspects, you’re my hero.”

She smiled. “So I’ve heard.”

He chuckled.

At the end, they both leaned into an embrace and stood there for a while until another boy came in black robe with yellow crested logo and he went off, “Ah, you two are good now? Boo, this is not what I expected. I thought you just going to like do some random spells and blow up Wiztech. I guess I’m wrong.”

Eyebrows shot up. Eyes rolled and met at one point.

“Oh no, I did not just give you an idea?” the boy replied. Eyes went wide. His hands are trembling. His knees were shaking as he slowly backing away.

“Yeah, you pretty much did.” The girl smirked, pulling out a long wood in bright red from her boot.

“No!” the boy yelled in a high pitched voice and ran off to the back.

Laughter shared right there as soon as the boy went off, leaving the girl and the boy from earlier sharing another moment of their own. For the last time, they just stared at each other, smiling.

End scene.

Behind the scene, right in the hallway of dressing rooms, making clicking sounds which echoes as she walked in her heels. Her long straight brown hair dances in the air just above her white spaghetti lace blouse and her slim fit black pair of jeans.

Walking down the hall as fast as she could, she stopped at one door which, ‘Jennifer Stone’ on the plate on the door and said, “Hey, have you seen Bradley?”

Right inside the room, sitting on the couch, browsing her laptop; she replied, “Nope.”

The girl at the door sighed, “Where is he? Always disappearing like that. Geez.”

“Have you checked outside? Maybe he’s at his car.”

“I hope so, later Jen.” Selena bid adieu to her friend and co-star and walked down the hallway until she found the exit door to the parking lot.

Through the sea of multiple colored vehicles, one stood out because there’s someone sitting on the back trunk of a black Ford Mustang, drinking what it seem like a cola in his hand. A boy in dark brown full unzip jacket with white undershirt and black crop pants chugging his soda.

Selena Gomez sighed and grinned, making her way to him.