Fall

A camera crew came flying at me, followed by Demetri and Alec.

Son of a bitch!

I should have yelled, but all I could do was laugh my ass off as I pulled up my pants and shook my head.

“You…” Alec said as he slapped me on the shoulder. “Have officially been Punk’d.”

I shook my head and looked at the camera saying, “Hi, I’m Jamie Jaymeson and I’ve been Punk’d”

The crew continued filming while I punched Demetri in the arm and rolled my eyes at Alec. We quickly walked through security as tons of cameras went off.

“Hold up.” I grabbed my belongings and followed them through the airport. LA was cool like that. For the most part, people stared and they took pictures, but they never really approached that much — especially if you were with an entourage. Now that Demetri and Alec had shown up though, I knew it was only a matter of time before the three of us were trending on Twitter.

“Hilarious,” I said once we were in the Delta Airlines Club Room.

“I almost pissed myself, I laughed so hard.” Demetri plopped into the large leather chair and spread his arms behind his head “We’ve been planning it for weeks but with the tour and stuff, it started to look like it might not happen, then your agent called and—”

“My agent called to tell you what exactly? That my life was over if I didn’t stop sleeping around? Great to know he’s got my back with the secrecy.”

“Hey!” Alec held up his hands. “Not to be an ass, but he said it would help further the whole innocent thing, you stripping at the airport looking all innocent while people took your picture. Humiliating. You’re welcome.”

“Haven’t you guys done enough to me?” I got up from my seat and grabbed a bottle of beer before sitting back down. “I mean I have exactly two months to clean up my act. The decision’s going to be made, and I want that part. Thanks to you two, my entire whorish escapades were filmed this last summer for the world to see. Apparently,” I said, shrugging. “I’m a whore-addicted Neanderthal.”

“Who uses that word anymore?” Demetri asked. “And not that it matters, but you agreed to the reality show. Not our fault you decided to use it as a platform for beating the Guinness world record for how many girls you could sleep with at once.”

“Whatever.” I picked at the label on the bottle. “I just want to make movies.”

“Then play nice,” Alec said. “Do the little dance they want you to do, let the puppet play you, and move on. It’s only two months, and Seaside is really nice this time of year.”

“If you say nice one more time I’m going to break my beer bottle on your head.” I groaned. “And it’s not nice. Seaside is anything but nice. I seem to remember two rock stars texting me like crazy when they had to move there for the summer, and I don’t get a partner in crime. Nope, it’s just me.”

Alec shrugged.

Demetri grinned.

“Shit.” I rested my head against the chair and closed my eyes. “I really have to do this, don’t I?”

“It would be best for your career,” Alec said seriously. “Besides, you’re already at the airport.”

“And let’s be honest — Seaside is the best place to find your future girl.”

At that I laughed and opened my eyes. “Still stuck on that, huh? I’m not a one-girl man. I’m just not made that way. I like things in pairs, or multiples if at all possible. One girl for the rest of my life? Holy shit, shoot me now.” I shook my head. “Not happening. Ever.”

“He’s going to be eighty and still hitting on chicks at clubs.” Demetri elbowed Alec.

Alec grinned. “A bet.”

“Huh?” Demetri asked.

Oh no. I knew that look. Stupid Alec.

“A bet.” Alec cleared his throat. “I bet you fall for a girl within the next two months.”

“I second that bet.” Demetri winked.

“Holy crap, it’s like you guys are putting a hex on me.” I shuddered and looked away. “Stop it, seriously. Not happening. Have you ever seen me in a relationship? Ever?”

They both shook their heads.

“My point exactly, I wouldn’t even know what to do.”

“It’s called dating.” Alec said it slowly like I was a two-year-old learning how to walk.

“Thanks, jackass.” I threw part of the beer label I’d been twisting in my fingers at his face.

“The role you want…” Demetri cleared his throat, all humor leaving. “It’s that new one about first love?”

“Yeah…” I said slowly. “Why?”

“You need to experience heartbreak in order to play it.”

“Not true,” I argued. “I’ve never been homeless, but I can play the shit out of a homeless guy.”

Alec chuckled. “What Demetri’s trying to say is that you can’t play heartbreak if you’ve never experienced it because it’s different than playing a part. When your heart breaks — when you lose something you want to win — it changes your world. You, my friend…” He pointed directly at me. “…have never been thrown off. You’ve experienced family drama, but you don’t know what it’s like to yearn for someone’s touch, to want them to want you so much that you’d die just for one taste…” He shrugged. “You don’t know that feeling. You don’t even know what it’s like to steal the innocence straight from a girl’s lips. You have to feel it to play it, that’s all I’m saying. You can change your image all you want, but that audition won’t be yours until you know what it’s like to get your earth completely and totally shattered.”