Beautiful cover to the side is by @hotteas :)
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*Adrian's POV*
"Adrian Chapmen, how do you explain this?!"
I rolled my eyes from my slumping position on the chair. The minute I parked my car in the driveway, my manager comes out all red in the face. I swear if this was a cartoon, his face could've melted with all the heat in his head. Yes, I did expect the video from the Halloween Party to be posted on Youtube. With the generation today, you think they wouldn't?
My problem is that I don't find it a big deal. Thomas has been my manager for as long as I remember. He was the one that arranged my first audition that landed me my first movie career and later launched my career. One of many cons of having him is that he's strict. And I don't mean 'Come-home-before-curfew-or-you're-grounded' strict, I mean 'If-you-screw-one-detail-your-ass-is-dead' military strict.
My parents stand behind me in the office. They care about my career a lot, sometimes more than me. But the reason Thomas was flipping his shit at me was for the smallest, most ridiculous of reasons. An action that is so normal my parents couldn't give a damn that I did it. An action I've done only God knows how many times that it's been a part of my daily life, a routine of mine. Now you may be wondering what meaningless action could have Thomas pulling his hair out but my family staring at him like he's a complete moron.
I stared at the monitor in front of me with a blank face. The paused scene in front of me completely didn't faze me even in the slightest.
It was a shot of me kissing Macey's cheek.
I kissed her cheek. Did I kiss her lips? No. Did I kiss her neck? No. Did I kiss anywhere else? No. Were we making out on the spot and sucking each other's face off? NO! I kissed my best friend's cheek! I didn't drag her into a bedroom and rip her clothes off while filming the whole thing for God's sake!
Kissing Macey to me was a part of life. She's my best friend, she means the world to me. Not that I've told her that... But I assume she knows it. Macey and I are like peanut better and jelly, she's the ping to my pong, the ying to my yang, the normal to my crazy. Telling me that I can't kiss my Sweet Macey is like forbidding Brynn from liking One Direction.
Never. Gonna. Happen.
"Well?!" Thomas hissed. My eyes flicked between him and the screen. Then I looked up at my parents with a 'Seriously?' look. Dad literally rolled his eyes at Thomas.
"Are you kidding?" He asked dryly. "You're freaking out because my son kissed his best friend on the cheek?"
"Yes!" Thomas shouted, enraged at the fact. "This video got 500,000 views so far! Do you know how many of his fans are gossiping over this.. this.. Macey character?!"
Moron. And quiet frankly, I didn't like the way he said Macey's name. Like it was cursed or like some creepy hobo walking around the streets and not the girl I care for dearly.
"Thomas," My mom started. Her voice was calm but I could tell the words 'You dragged us all the way over here for this?' was at the tip of her tongue. "Macey has been apart of Adrian's life since 1st grade. Those two are so unbelievably close that this," She gestured to the screen. "Is completely normal."
"This is trending everywhere, Mrs. Chapmen. Several of Adrian's fans think that there is some relationship going on between this girl and Adrian!"
"Her name," I snapped tersely. "Is Macey. She's been my best friend for as long as I can remember and I've done this a thousand times –"
"A thousand times?!" Thomas cut me off again. Dear God, seriously? I've gave fans kisses on the cheek before so why is it a big deal that I kissed my best friend.
"Thomas, you can't be serious." My dad exasperated. He was in the middle of watching a basketball game when Thomas demanded a meeting. Get in between my dad and his sports time, Dave Chapmen won't be very pleasant.
"I am serious because this –"
"Alright that's it!" A new voice cut in. I turned in my seat to see Kelly strutting her way into the office with a very annoyed expression on her face. It was an expression she always wore around Thomas because she thinks he is a, and I quote, 'Complete douche who thinks he owns you'. Whenever one of these 'meetings' are called she would storm out of the room claiming she wants nothing to do with Thomas's plans for me but would be standing right around the corner listening in just in case he did something she didn't like for me.
Which was pretty much all the time.
"Listen here, Tommy," She scowled, emphasizing the name that Thomas hates with all his heart. She slammed her hands on the desk and leaned towards him with the coldest of glares. "Macey isn't some slut on the street, alright? She's a great girl and Adrian's little 'Sweet Macey'. They've known each other since grade school and as close as best friends can get. You may be his manager but you can't order him around like he's a dog. My little bro can kiss whoever he freaking wants to kiss."
Big sister to the rescue! I rested back in the chair with a smug look on my face. Kelly may be some highly well known fashion designer, but she was my big sister and we still look out for each other. Emma is Kelly's best friend and they've known each other way before Macey and I were even brought into this world. Macey is like a sister to Kelly and she isn't going to let somebody rant on about her – let alone someone she despises with everything's she has.
"This Macey girl –" Can he not just say 'Macey'? Now I was starting to get pissed. "Could ruin Adrian's reputation, his career –"
"Adrian's career is on hold. He's on break." Kelly stretched the word as if Thomas was incapable of understanding simple English.
"That doesn't mean –"
"Um.." Another voice cut in. I know that voice.
Everyone snapped their heads towards the door of the office. A very pale faced Macey was standing under the door frame practically shaking in her shoes. I abruptly stood from my seat. Why was she here? Did something bad happen? Last time we spoke, Macey said she had dance practice after school.
"Hey kid, what're you doing here?" My dad asked, confusion dripping with every word.
Macey took another step into the office. My gaze dropped down to the hand that was playing with the pendant hanging around her neck. The pendant I gave her. Now that I think about it, I've never really seen her without it. It was always there hanging around her neck.
I smiled at the fact.
Macey looked at Thomas and then to me. "Two guys in black suits jumped me when I was walking and brought me here." She replied quietly.
Kelly rounded towards Thomas. "You sent Ross and Mauricio to drag Macey here against her own will?!" She shrieked. By the looks of it, Kelly was all but willing to jump across the desk and claw his eyes out.
"I think it would be best if Macey was here when we set the ground rules." Thomas replied.
"Ground rules?" I repeated incredulously.
"Yes we need to talk about what you can and can not do with Macey here."
"Thomas this really isn't necessary." Mom sighed, looking frazzled by this conversation. My dad threw his hands up in the air exasperatedly.
"Are you for real?" Kelly shouted at Thomas. Ground rules? Was he seriously going to tell me what I can and can not do with Macey?
The whole room burst into one big argument. Macey watched the scene unfold before her before she caught sight of the computer screen. Her hands clamped over her mouth completely horrified.
"Oh my God!" Macey's muffled shriek caused the argument to come to a halt. She was staring at the computer screen with a pain expression, like she just committed the crime of the century. "Is this because Adrian kissed me?" She asked Thomas. "You think it's going to ruin his reputation or something?"
"Precisely." Thomas said. Okay, it was my turn to be insanely pissed at my own manager. I don't want Macey acting like she just stabbed a bunny because I kissed her cheek. We've done it so many times before and I'm not going to let my manager demand that it stops.
"Oh no," Macey groaned. "I am so s–"
"NO!" Kelly shouted, slapping a hand over Macey's mouth before she could finish her sentence. "No." She repeated directly to Thomas. "She is not going to apologize over something as stupid as this!"
Thomas glared at Kelly. "I'm doing this on behalf of Adrian's career, Kelly. Fans don't want to see Adrian kissing just some random girl at a party. Not to mention that the other girl accuses Macey of being possessive over Adrian making his fans think the same. What happened at that party did not make Adrian look good nor did it for you Macey."
Macey flinched at Thomas's words.
Kelly slammed the desk once again and went around the desk to push Thomas roughly. "Macey isn't some random slut that you always set up with Adrian!"
"Enough!" My mom ordered loudly. I had almost forgotten she and dad were here. "It was a simple kiss, Thomas. Stop being so dramatic. Keep in mind that, Thomas, you work for us and that we can fire you when needed. We will not listen to your useless ranting about something as ordinary as our son kissing his best friend's cheek!"
"Adrian shouldn't be kissing some nobody at a party!" Thomas shouted in defense.
That's it.
"I'm not going to listen to your stupid rules about this, Thomas," I snapped. I walked over to Macey and wrapped an arm around her waist. She tensed under my hold. "If there's one thing you can't control it's who I get to be with, who I'm friends with, and what I may and may not do with them. Who I kiss is none of your concern and if I want to kiss Macey then hell I will. Macey's a great girl and you can't keep me from doing whatever the damn I want to do. So you could shove your orders up your ass and leave it at that."
I left after that, slamming the door closed and dragging Macey with me. My anger was still high by the time we started down the grand stair case. How could Thomas say that in front of Macey? Especially after he sent my old bodyguards to go and practically kidnap her. He called her a nobody! My fans may not know her but that doesn't lessen Macey's value to me. She wasn't a nobody in my book. Not even close.
When it comes to being with Macey, I become a whole different person compared to what the whole world thinks I am. Every time I'm with her, I can let go. I don't need to watch my actions just to impress the fans, I don't need be around some whore that I couldn't care less about just for the press, and I don't need to be some heartthrob for all the girls out there.
I can be me. Laid back, joking around, normal me. I can go out in public and do whatever the hell I want. Macey brings out the old me and I don't want Thomas shutting her out of my life. This is Adrian Chapmen's life not famous Adrian Chapmen's life. He can't control this side of me. So if he wants to boss me around and tell me I can't do simple things like kissing Macey then he should take my advice and shove his orders up his –
"Adrian, please slow down." Macey's soft voice made me loosen the death grip I had on her wrist and slow down my fast pace. She stumbled on the last step but I shot out and wrapped my arms around her.
"Macey," I started. She didn't look at me. Her eyes stayed on my plain white shirt, avoiding my gaze. "Mace, look at me." I tried again. When she didn't move whatsoever, I wrapped my fingers around her chin and tilted her face up so I could look into her eyes. My anger spiked again when her eyes turned out glossy.
"I got to go," She whispered. Macey tore out of my grip and started towards the door. I mentally punched Thomas in the face a billion times as I ran after her and whirled her around to face me.
"Macey," I cupped her face between mine but she flinched and shied away. I sighed. "Macey, listen to me. Don't let what Thomas said get to you, okay? They're not true and nothing is going to change between us. You mean so much more to me than what Thomas gives your credit for." I said.
She didn't believe me. I knew she didn't. Even after the smallest nod I've ever seen her give, I knew she was thinking about what he said. But I also knew that she needed time so I didn't push it. I leaned in to kiss her cheek but Macey flinched once again and placed her hands on my chest to keep me away.
This is what I was afraid of. That Macey would think she wasn't worthy of hanging out with me because she was normal. And Thomas just about rubbed it in her face like the idiot he is. I don't know why I haven't fired him yet and got a better manager.
"I've got to get to dance practice or Lucile will get mad. I'll call you later." Macey told me quietly. She was out the door after that.
Kelly always suggested that I fire Thomas.
Maybe I should consider it.
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WHO'S AWESOME?! CHAPTER BEFORE I LEAVE FOR CAL AND JUST 3 DAYS AFTER IT WAS ALREADY UPDATEDI!! I updated this because this chapter was fairly easy for me to write and I just love Adrian and Macey <3
CHILDHOOD CRUSH REACHED 1,000 VIEWS! AHH!! And to think I, on April 4, 2013, got on this website to read and read only ;) Thanks soooo much guys for those who continue to support my story!!
I LOVE YOU GUYS!! Vote, comment, share, and fan while I'm gone for 5 days! I promise I'll update when I get the chance <33
Lots and Lots of Love,
-Jess :) <33
That cute little song to the side ;)