Page 21 of Anyone But the Superstar

There’s a pause from the press, like they’re too stunned to attack. Normally, they’d jump on a new source, someone unused to choosing their answers with care to avoid having their words twisted later.

But perhaps as the new source of information is a pregnant woman who’s seemingly acting out a scene from an eighteenth-century Georgian debutante ball in the middle of a state-of-the-art NASA training facilityafterher blonde counterpart strutted off on a mission to find her husband for sex, the press is too dumbfounded to pounce.

Even for Hollywood, it’s a lot to take in.

Liz

‘I can see you, you know.’

Sighing, I emerge from my hiding spot behind Iron Man. If Iron Man was white and gold robot with a NASA emblem on the center of his chest.

Peeking around the robot, I smile at Em, who, rather than smile back, is staring at my legs, clearly visible seeing as NASA’s Iron Man is just a torso suspended from the ceiling by straps.

‘I always sucked at hide and seek.’

The corner of Em’s lips tilts up. ‘And following directions?’ She points at the red tape in front of her gold shoes. Red tape I clearly stepped over to reach my hiding spot.

My smile tightens. ‘Uh, sorry?’

‘Hmmm.’ Em lifts one eyebrow.

She and my brother Thomas would get along like gangbusters.

Holding my bag close so as not to knock into anything, I move around the dissected Iron Man toward Em.

‘The press junket is over, by the way.’ Em watches my progress like a hawk. ‘Has been for the past ten minutes.’

‘Oh, ah, that’s good.’

Em levels me a look that makes me stand up straight. ‘Do I need to get involved?’

Playing dumb, I concentrate extra hard on stepping over the red tape. ‘What do you mean?’

Shaking her head, Em turns, walking away from the robot and back toward the ISS mock-up. ‘Your professor was looking for you.’

Despite my longer legs, I have to double-step to keep up with the petite PR manager. ‘Oh, shoot, I?—’

Em stops and I have to stutter-step to avoid crashing into her. ‘And he told me about your problem.’

‘Problem?’ For a second, I think she means Felix Jones, before I remember that as my professor doesn’t know, he couldn’t tell her.

Em frowns. ‘Your housing problem?’

‘Oh, that.’

‘Yes, that.’ Her eyes narrow slightly as if trying to read my thoughts. Thankfully, she decides not to delve further and resumes walking. ‘I found a place for you to stay nearby.’

Relief courses through me as I jog-step to catch up to her. ‘You did?’

‘Yes, but it comes with a price.’

‘Oh.’ I calculate the balance in my bank account and what I could save on hotel and car rental. ‘How much?’

Em stops just outside the red tape laid out in front of the ISS mock-up where the director and my professor are talking.

Seeing me, my professor brightens. ‘Liz…’ His eyes widen at his mistake, probably mirroring mine. ‘…zzzANNE! There you are.’ He waves me over. ‘Come learn the first steps of storyboarding.’

I can feel Em’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my face.