Page 41 of Fangirl

And then, Melinda leans forward, her voice barely above a whisper.

"YouareAnlon."

CHAPTER 8

AMY

Today sucks.

There are no two ways about it.

Firstly, Maya is off today, which means I’m forced to eat lunch in the chaotic lunchroom, pretending I don’t notice how awkwardly I sit here, avoiding eye contact and scrolling through my phone like I have something important to do.

That alone would be manageable if I wasn’t running on a pathetic three hours of sleep after staying up way too latechatting with Eli. This current state of sleep deprivation is starting to trigger a flare-up, my joints aching in protest at the lack of rest.

And, like the sore, sleep-deprived idiot I am, I forgot my headphones, which means I have no choice but to endure the mind-numbing conversations happening around me—on the train this morning, in this lunchroom now, everywhere.

But the real killing blow?

It comes halfway through my pasta and tuna salad.

I scroll absently through my feed, mid-bite, when a headline freezes me in place.

Breaking News: Melinda James Confirms Casting Choice—Jake Hollander Will Be Prince Anlon.

I snort loudly, drawing a weird look from the guy across from me. I don’t care; I keep reading.

"I was impressed by Jake’s ability to understand Anlon and his motivations. It was like he was a fan of the series himself. I’m confident we found the perfect Anlon."

I snort again. This time, nearly choking on my food.

What a load of shit.

There’s no way Melinda James,theMelinda James, actually chose Mr. Abs-for-Brains because she genuinely believes he’s the perfect Anlon. She has to be contractually obligated to say that. Studios love pushing the biggest name possible, slapping his face on posters, and selling tickets off the back of his jawline alone.

I stab at my salad with unnecessary aggression.

Maybe she didn’t have a choice.

I’ve seen some of the contracts Maya works on. It’s entirely possible she had zero say in casting, that her handswere tied from the beginning.

That has to be it because Melinda James is way above selling out like that.

I finish my food, scowling at it like it personally offended me.

And honestly? I just want this entire day to be over so I can go home and…

I pause.

For the first time all year, I don’t want to vent to Maya. No. I want to vent to Eli.

And I don’t know what that means for our relationship.

Well, no, that’s a lie. I know exactly what it means.

I’m completely, hopelessly smitten with my online crush.

And I’m screwed.