| 8 |


The drive to the studio seemed like it took forever. So many things were going through her mind as to why Jess was there with Justin and what he wanted her there for. She stopped at a red light and nervously tapped her fingers as she sang along to "Drive" by Incubus. She smirked a bit at the words as she continued a couple blocks down to the studio. She drove around the back and was let in through the double gates to park near 'Studio B'. She walked into the huge building, avoiding props and workers who were getting other sets ready. She saw Justin standing near the wall with some security. They caught eye contact. He was alone.
"So, where's Jess?" she asked as she walked up to him.
"I told her to leave because we needed to talk." he replied bluntly.
"Uh, ok."
They started to walk to the other end of the building. "So, tell me about your friend Jess."
She laughed lightly. "Well, first things first, she's not my friend."
"She told me that you two used to be the best of friends."
"Oh yeah?" she laughed again. "I must of missed that part of my life."
"And that everything she did, you copied her. Every boyfriend she had, you stole. That this whole fascination with me and this movie was all her idea and you took it."
Mya stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him with her mouth wide open. "Oh my God. Are you serious?"
"Afraid so."
"And you believe her?"
No answer.
"You believe her over me? You don't even know her!" she started to yell, making everyone in the building look at them.
"C'mon, let's go in here." he replied as he led her into an office.
"Justin, how can you believe her? She is such a lying bitch!" she exclaimed, turning away from him as tears started to form.
"I don't know what to believe right now. I'm really confused."
"Why would she come over here and tell you this, this bullshit?"
Justin sat down on the chair. "That's what I asked you over here for. What is her motivation?"
"Because she's a bitch. Any questions?"
"Actually, yeah." he replied smartly.
"She is the one stealing everything away from me. She stole my ideas, my thoughts, my dreams, all my boyfriends which to say the least, the next day were always seen in her clique not the other way around. She is trying to take this movie opportunity away when she doesnt have a talented bone in her body."
"See, you are holding alot of hostility towards her also, so how am I supposed to know she made it all up?"
"Simple. In her mind, she never loses. She has to have whatever she goes after, no matter who or what it belongs to and no matter what it takes to get it."
Justin sat up in the chair, obviously confused. "So, what are you trying to say?"
"She found out that I was here. She realized that if I got this role that I would be rich, famous, better than her, whatever she thinks in her twisted mind. She couldn't stand it so she came out here to try to make sure I would lose the role no matter what the cost. Then she saw you and to her dissapointment, I was by your side. I was the last person she ever thought she would see with someone like you. Ya know, famous. So, to answer your question on motivation. One, she wants to get me from getting the role. Second, she is really pissed off right now because I am with you and three, she wants you for herself."
There was a long silence while Justin registered all the information in. He sat a couple more minutes just pondering over everything she had just said.
"Don't you remember how she acted when she saw you at the club?" she continued. "She only wants you because your famous."
Justin skipped her question and asked his own. "Why does she not like you? What happened that you two hate each other?"
"It's just..." she paused. "I don't want to get into that part right now. Please? Just not yet." she turned away from him again.
"Why can't you tell me?" he got up from the chair and walked behind her.
She turned around and looked him in the eye. "I just can't." she finished as she looked down to the floor.
Justin responded by lifting her chin to meet eye to eye again. He leaned over slowly and kissed her softly on the lips. His lips lightly grazed hers, making the kiss seem almost magical.
"No one knows why." she said almost in a whisper.
"I need you to trust me, Mya." he answered. "I won't understand all of this if you don't let me in."
She stared at him intently, letting his words sink in. She heard that line how many times. When she finally started to trust someone, they always let her down. As if he was listening to her thoughts he responded. "I'm not going anywhere. You can trust me. I won't let you down."
She would immediately shut down if it were the case with any other. This time she could see into his eyes like she could see into his soul. She could feel inside his heart the trust that lay inside. She knew he wasn't like the others but yet it was still hard to trust anyone. The chains were still locked around her heart.
"Can you come over to the suite? Just for a little while?"
"Uh. Yeah. I guess. But, not for too long though. I have lots of work to do today before the auditions start tomorrow."
"I thought you weren't going to be part of the casting?" she questioned.
He quickly responded. "I'm not. But, I'm still going to be around all day. I have to finish up some things tonight so that I'll be free to do whatever I want tomorrow."
"Oh. Okay." she understood.
"Well, let's head on over then." he motioned to the door.
"Did you bring your car?" Mya asked quickly.
He sighed. "Unfortunately, no. My bodyguards brought me over."
"Well, then you can just ride with me." she said and then gave him the same soft kiss in return.
He smiled. He was starting to like kissing her. "Sounds good to me."

Mya stood on the balcony an hour later. The warm breeze was hitting her face. She closed her eyes as she let the fresh air flow through her.
"Are you nervous?" Justin asked as he walked onto the balcony.
"Huh?" she replied, startled from his presence.
"About tomorrow. Are you nervous?"
"Oh. Uh. Yeah. A little bit. Why do you ask?"
"You keep your composure well. You seem confident in yourself."
She smiled and looked at him. "Believe me, inside I'm gettin a little queasy. But, the only way you will make it is if you believe in yourself."
Justin smiled at her. "You definately have the right attitude for the job."
"Yeah, if only it were up to you."
"I wouldn't worry too much. With the motivation like yours, I don't think you'll have much of a problem."
She grinned as she looked out to the city that spanned for miles in front of her eyes. "My only problem is the couple thousand other girls with the same motivation and one other that is personnally trying to ruin me."
"Don't let her get to you." he put his hand on her arm. "Whatever is going on between you, you have to just put it behind you and focus on what you came here to do."
She smiled again and moved in closer to him. "The only way to put it behind me is to let the reality of it all go away. And, it never will."
"I wish I knew what was going on." he replied quickly.
She didn't immediately respond. She turned her attention back towards the city. The sun was setting and the lights had started to turn on in all of the buildings. She looked back into the suite, where Drew and Amy were watching the TV. She looked back at Justin who was still waiting for her to say something.
"C'mon. Let's go inside." she said as she pulled him with her back through the glass doors.
They returned quietly and sat beside Amy and Drew as they sat snuggly together watching a movie. Mya decided to tell Justin about what was going on between her and Jess but had also decided to tell Amy and Drew something that they didn't know. But, before she could speak, Amy interrupted.
"Hey, do you mind if we talk for a minute?" she sat up and looked at her and then Justin.
Mya looked over to Justin and then back to Amy. "Sure. It's okay. He can stay."
"Ok." Amy straightened herself. "While you were gone earlier today, Jess stopped by. She had a few interesting things to say."
"Oh great." Mya sighed as she put her head in her hands.
"She told us not to trust you and that you are a liar and you keep secrets."
"Oh, and I forgot that she is a saint right?" she exclaimed.
"Mya, it's ok. We know how she is, but, she said that you have kept a big secret from everyone all your life. And, I know that people keep secrets and stuff but, how does she know something so big that even Drew and I, your best friends, don't even know?"
Mya sat in silence, pondering the results of what the truth would bring, if she should even tell them after all this time. Or, she could lie and keep it inside for even longer. She knew that it hadn't bothered her by not telling anyone as she grew up but maybe it was time to let it all go. She looked at Justin. He sat calmly beside her awaiting her answer. She knew she could trust him. She decided that it was time that he should trust her, too.
"Ok. Well, first off, this is going to be hard to tell you because I dont know if you will understand. Jess knows the secret because it is not a secret to her. It is her reality also that she has to live with everyday."
Amy and Drew made a strange face. "I don't think we understand." she replied.
"Ugghh!" she exclaimed. "I just wish Jess wasn't here so then this wouldn't have had to become a problem."
"Well just tell us. Get it off your chest. You seem to must have been holding something for a long time." Drew spoke.
"Fine." she bluntly replied. "Ok, well here goes." she sighed and stood up. She couldn't sit any longer as her impatience grew on her. "People make mistakes when they are young. You know that we have. Well, my father was pretty wild back in his days. He met a woman and she had his baby. They stayed together for a few years and right before they were about to get married, she found out that he had been sleeping around with someone else and that woman was pregnant with his baby. Obviously they had a messy break up. She vowed to never let him see their child again and they left town. My father married the woman that he was having the affair with and nine months later I was born." she finished.
There was a long silence until it all sank in and then Amy finally spoke. "So, your father was having a fling with your mother and you were the child. Who was the other woman and child?"
"The woman was Andrea Evans." she quickly answered.
"Whoa, wait!" Amy gasped. "Is this the same Evans as..."
"Yes!" Mya interrupted as she tried to keep the tears from falling.
"Jess is your sister?" Drew asked but he knew the answer.
"And she hates me because she says I took her father away from her. Something that I had no control over."
"Oh, wow." Amy gasped again as she stood up and walked to the balcony door. "This is really really....shocking."
Justin walked over to Mya and comforted her. He knew that it must have been hard to tell everyone a big secret that she had kept for a long time.
"How did you find out?" Drew spoke again.
Mya paused before she started. "Uh, well he told me when he was dying in the hospital. He thought it was right for me to know. But, I never told anyone that I knew, except for Jess. I told her that I knew the truth and that just made her hate me more. That is when she became personally vengeful. She did everything to ruin my life and my reputation. And she is still trying to do it now."
"Mya," Amy said consolingly as she hugged her. "I understand why you wouldn't tell anyone. Just don't think that we are mad at you because you didn't tell us. I'm sure Jess thought we would be furious, but, she doesn't know us too well I guess."
"Yeah. It's cool. It's a little weird but we are okay with it." Drew jumped in.
"Thanks guys. It means everything to me that you guys didn't totally freak out on me."
"Well, I sure as heck ain't goin no where." Justin joked, trying to make her smile.
"It'll be alright. Don't worry about it anymore." Amy added.
"But, I have to. She is still waiting out there somewhere, still waiting to mess something else up for me. Like tomorrow for example." she paused. "God, I wish she would just go away!"
"You know what? Just go and do your thing and stop worrying about her." Justin said seriously. "Remember everything you told me on the balcony? You have the confidence and the desire for the job. Don't worry about anything else."
"Ok." she said softly as she shook her head.
"Hey, I hate to cut this short but I have to get going."
"It's cool. I'll walk you out." she replied as she walked towards the door.
"Bye Justin." Amy jumped in.
"Yeah, later man!" Drew said from the couch.
"Later guys. See ya tomorrow!" he finished as he and Mya walked out into the hall.
"I'm really tired."
Justin put his hands around her face. "You definately had a long day. You better get to bed because you will have a long one tomorrow."
Mya yawned. "How do you do this everyday?"
He smiled. "I'm used to it by now. My clock is properly organized."
Mya laughed a little and continued. "I'm glad you understand about all this. I feel better that everything is out in the open now."
"Only the truth sets you free I guess. Everything will be fine."
"Well I better let you go now. I'm gonna go relax and talk to them for a bit."
"Yeah, good idea. I'll see you around tomorrow."
"Definately." she smiled as she leaned over and kissed him.
"I am really starting to like this." he finished as he broke away.
"Good cuz so am I."
Justin's security team appeared in the hall to escort him to his next destination. "Bye Mya."
"See ya." she waved to him as he walked down the hall. She sighed as she walked back into the suite and closed the door.

~ Chapter 9 ~