Page 15 of Dream On

But the biggest surprise…is that I surprised him too.

Chapter 5

Lex

My mother’s garbled voice manages to reach my ears as I float beneath the crystal-blue water. Sunlight filters through, a soft contrast to the shrapnel sounding from above.

“Lexington! Dammit, get out of there.”

Fuck it all.

There’s nowhere to hide in this big-ass, smothering house.

I shoot up from the bottom and break the surface, shaking chlorine droplets out of my hair. Mom stands at the base of the in-ground, free-form pool, her garnet toenail polish blending with the line of flower bushes rimming the edge. “What.”

“There’s an audition in the city tomorrow at noon. Bianca pulled some strings, so you should plan to be there.”

Because she’s such a saint. “Can’t. I have school.”

She narrows her eyes at me, arms crossing over a lacy white kimono. “I’ll call you out.”

“No can do. Big test.”

Before I can sink back under, Mom snaps her fingers at me and lurches forward. “We moved across the country for you. Uprooted our entire lives, and for what? Because you werejaded. Depressed and reclusive, bordering on mutinous.” Her lips thin. “Your father is busting his ass to get us back on our feet. You’re going to pull your weight around here too.”

“I’m sure you’re real broken up about Dad’s long hours at the office.”

Shadows skate across her painted face. “Don’t.”

I lean back and float across the water, staring up at the wispy clouds. So free. So peaceful. By society’s standards, I have it all, and here I am, jealous of the goddamn sky.

Water splashes my mother’s bare toes when I kick my feet, and she steps backward with an addled sigh.

“Besides,” I continue, leisurely making my way around the pool. “I do pull my weight. I go to school, do my homework, don’t talk back unless it’s warranted.” It’s always warranted. “You know, teenager shit.”

“You’re more than the average teenager, Lexington, and you know that. You have responsibilities to uphold. I paved a star-studded path for you, and you seem apt to throw it all away. It doesn’t make any sense.”

My jaw tightens. She has no fucking idea. “Did I tell you that I got the lead role in the school musical?” I definitely didn’t tell her that. “Moulin Rouge!Thought you’d be proud.”

Mom sighs again, the sound more worn out than addled now. “A high school play. We both know that’s beneath you.”

“So says the woman known for playing Susan, the snakelike widow, in the daytime dramaSecrets of Sacramento. A deep, insightful interpretation of melodrama and manipulation.”

“Don’t mock me.”

“Stage acting takes grit, you know. Real talent. Just because I’m not out on the streets of LA trying to impress money-hungry suits doesn’t mean I’m entirely useless.” I lift up and wade over to the edge of the pool, resting my forearms along the ledge. Mom stares down at me with a ticking jaw and pointed stare. “Could be fun.”

“It’s not about fun. It’s about carving out your future, earning your successes through hard work.” Her posture slackens, the fire in her eyes softening to a dull gleam. “What happened to you? You used to be so…”

I tear my eyes away from hers and shove back the dark memories trying to claw their way through me.

I can’t let her see. Can’t let her know.

Popping out of the pool with a splash, I twist around and take a seat, dangling my feet in the water with my back to her. “I used to be what? Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed?”

“Something like that.” She takes a seat beside me on the edge, her own feet dipping into the crystalline blue. “You were right on the cusp of moving into adult roles, claiming your spot among the greats. You had the world at your fingertips. And then something snapped.”

“Hollywood just wasn’t what I wanted anymore.”