Page 179 of The Compass Series

AIDEN

“ T here’s no way in heaven, earth, or hell I’m attending that party,” Hailee said as we walked home.

It was quite a bizarre first day for me.

The number of photographs people asked me to take with them—teachers included—was odd.

My jaw hurt from smiling so much. It was even odder that I was being asked by the people who mocked my first acting ventures when I was a dancing taco.

I vividly remembered hiding in the custodial closet and sobbing my eyes out from being bullied.

Hailee was the one who found me, and she skipped the rest of her classes to sit with me in said closet.

The only time she left was to go get us some lunch.

By the end of the day, she had me laughing again, too, because Hailee had a way of making shitty days less shitty.

Now those same bullies were asking for my autograph. Life was odd. People were odder.

The one consistent thing? Hailee Jones saving me from the masses and pulling me into closets to remind me to breathe.

I gripped the straps of my backpack. “What? Why not? It’s on our bucket list.”

“I figured that would be one of the items we wouldn’t achieve.”

“But we will! We got a clear as day invite.”

“ We ?!” she remarked. “That was definitely a solo invite.”

I paused, pulled out my cell phone, and began texting.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

My phone dinged, and I smiled as I held the phone in her face.

Aiden: Can I bring a friend to the party, too?

Cara: Sure! Bring whoever you want.

Hailee rolled her eyes. She was a Master of Fine Arts when it came to her eye rolling. Her skill was unmatched. “She doesn’t know that the friend is me. It wasn’t as if I was personally invited.”

“Of course, she knows it’s you.” I wrapped my arm around Hailee’s shoulders and pulled her into a sideways hug. “You’re the only friend I’ve got.”

Being back in my hometown felt better than I thought it would feel.

For the first time in a while, I felt like myself again.

From the outside looking in, I had everything when it came to my acting career.

From the inside looking out, I felt empty.

Coming home was the first thing that made me feel like somehow everything would be all right.

I had a few secrets that had been eating at me since I’d gotten back to Leeks, secrets that I wanted to reveal sooner than later, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to go about it. Two secrets that would undoubtedly change everything for me.

Secret number one: I didn’t want to be an actor anymore.

Being away from home for a whole year came with a heavy dose of homesickness that I didn’t expect.

Sure, before the past year, I’d filmed things for a few months here and there, but being gone for such a long time was a lot harder on me than I thought.

I missed my normal life. I missed my family and Hailee.

Which brought me to secret number two: I. Missed. Hailee.

Throughout our friendship, waves of unexplainable feelings hit me whenever I was around her.

There were times when she’d hug me, and I’d have the urge not to let her go.

Sometimes she’d laugh, and I’d dream about the sound.

There were times when she was doing the most mundane thing, and I’d look at her, and all I’d want to do was cover her face in a thousand kisses.

I always thought those were fleeting feelings.

They came fast but would always dissipate when I thought about how if I did have a crush on my best friend, it could ruin our friendship forever.

Then I went to California for a year. It was almost as if I truly realized how special Hailee was when I was forced to be away from her. People surrounded me nonstop in Los Angeles, but I wasn’t surrounded by my people. My person.

I was determined to tell Hailee about my feelings and then proceed to make my senior year the best year ever with her. I just hadn’t built up the courage yet. Which meant I only had one secret worth focusing on at that time—my growing hatred of acting.

My parents had put a lot of time and money into my acting career.

When I was young and said I wanted to be an actor, they supported it to the fullest. Dad made sure I gave it my all, and I did, but now I didn’t have the same passion I once held for it.

Being around Hollywood somehow made me jaded.

I felt as if I was losing parts of my roots, and even though I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I knew I didn’t want to continue down that road.

Having that conversation with my parents wasn’t going to be easy, but I figured dinner that night would be a good time to just blurt it out. Rip the Band-Aid off.

When I approached the dining room, Dad was already standing, putting food on each plate. He looked up at me and raised an eyebrow. “You and that phone are attached at your hip so much lately. No phones at the dinner table unless it’s for business.”

Dad and his dinnertime rules.

Mom walked into the room and kissed my forehead. “Hey, baby.”

We started eating, and it felt both great and nerve-wracking to have one of Mom’s home-cooked meals.

My mother was a fantastic chef, one of the best in the Midwest, if not the world.

Her restaurant in Chicago was thriving. It was the reason she couldn’t spend as much time in Los Angeles with me as Dad did.

So coming home to her home-cooked meals felt like being spoiled.

My agent said I should’ve avoided certain foods to keep my physique, but I couldn’t pass up Mom’s cooking.

All I knew was if I could have a few days not eating chicken and rice, I would celebrate it.

Before the past few years, I’d never worried about my weight, but over the last year, when I had to get cut for a role, it was all I seemed to ever think about.

I didn’t talk about it to anyone, though, because I would’ve sounded like a little bitch complaining about getting a six-pack and getting paid to act in movies and shows. What a hard life, Aiden.

Therefore, I kept my struggles to myself.

I hated that one of the first things that I did when I got home was weigh in, too. Then the following morning, I weighed myself again. It was as if the number on the scale and the image in the mirror were one of the most important things to me.

Before I left Leeks, I didn’t even own a scale. Now, I could look down and guesstimate how many macros were sitting on my plate. Another reason I wanted out of that industry. Insecurities ran rampant.

“How was your first day?” Mom asked, shaking me from my thoughts.

“Good. I was able to switch lunch so I could have mine with Hailee. The teachers are all nice, too.”

“Are people excited to see you?” she questioned.

“A little too much. It’s weird how people are paying attention to me. I got invited to parties by people who’ve never talked to me before.”

“You should ignore their advancements. It’s easy to celebrate when people think you are successful. You must be careful and smart with individuals,” Dad warned.

“Yeah, it’s just weird is all.”

Dad placed his fork down and clasped his hands together.

“I want to make sure we are on the same page about this school year, Aiden. You know I was against the return because being a public figure makes it harder for you to be a normal teenager. Like you said, people are already treating you differently. So let’s just keep things clean and cut.

In and out, do your homework, get your good grades, and report home. Do you understand?”

I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“And have fun,” Mom said, leaning over to squeeze my forearm. “You’re allowed to have fun, too. It’s your senior year!”

Dad grumbled a little but didn’t disagree with Mom. She seemed to be the only person alive who didn’t get his sharp tongue.

“Actually, I was hoping to talk to you about something,” I said. My hands were sweaty, and my nerves were skyrocketing through the roof, but I figured I might as well put it out on the table. Just a few simple words: I don’t want to be an actor anymore. Easy. Effortless.

“One second, Aiden. Don’t you have something else to tell him, Sam?” Mom asked. “What were you telling me earlier?”

Dad shook his head. “We can save that for another time.”

“Samuel,” Mom sternly stated. “Now’s a perfect time.”

He released a weighted sigh and sat up straighter as he looked at me.

His brows were knitted. A knot formed in my chest as he gave me his hard stare.

The same stare he’d always given me when he was disappointed in something I did.

When he parted his mouth, he said something that almost knocked me backward.

“I’m proud of you. Of the work you’ve done in the past year and the opportunities you’re creating for yourself in the entertainment industry.

I’ve seen how much work you’ve put into it, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

You’ve also changed my life by giving me the opportunity to be your manager.

I couldn’t live out my acting dream because your mother and I took you in, but watching you shine means the world to me.

It feels as if my dreams have come true.

I’m happy because of you, and I am proud of you. ”

I stood there frozen in place, completely stunned by his words. “Uh, what?”

“I said I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah, I heard you… It’s just…” I scratched the back of my neck. “Uh, thanks.”

Well, crap.

He gave one head nod. “Just don’t falter. Now’s the time when you will be tempted to sway or lose your balance. Millions would kill to have your level of success, and it will only keep building, Aiden. Keep your eye on the prize. You’ve got this.”

He shifted the conversation, but my mind stayed on that speech well after dinner was finished. My father, my stone-cold, emotionless robot of a father, just told me he was proud of me.

I’m proud of you.

Seventeen years, and all I’d ever wanted to hear were those words from that man.

That he was proud of me. That he believed in me.

That what I was doing was worth it. That night he gave me those words, and I knew I’d have to keep working to advance my career in order to keep him proud.

No part of me wanted to be an actor, but every part of me wanted to make my father proud.

The sound of knocking on my bedroom window was a sound I had missed. I moved over there to find Hailee standing there with her arms crossed tightly. I opened it, and she scrunched up her nose. “Fine,” she blurted out.

“Fine what?”

“Fine, I’ll go to the stupid party with the stupid people.”

I smirked, tossing my legs over the window ledge and taking a seat. “What changed your mind?”

“The ultimate high school list lacks completion, and who knows when you might be swept off to Los Angeles again before the year is over. Figured we might as well knock off the easiest tasks on the list.”

“I’m not going to argue with you because if I do, I know you’ll change your mind.”

“You’re right.” She sat on the other edge of my windowsill. Her leg brushed against mine, and I silently prayed she wouldn’t move it.

She cleared her throat. “But?—”

“Of course, there’s a but.”

“Don’t sass me, Tom.”

“Lay it on me, Jerry. What are your terms?”

“I don’t want to stay at the party the whole time, but I don’t want to arrive early, either. I need you to go before me, scope it out, give me updates, and then when I show up, you meet me outside to take me inside the house.”

“Okay.”

“That’s not all.”

I sighed. “Of course, it’s not. Continue.”

“You take Carlton with you right away.”

“No way.”

She grimaced. “Come on, Aiden. It will be a good chance for you to get to know him.”

“I don’t want to get to know him.”

“Yeah, I know, but…” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “It’s important to him. He begged me to come.”

I tilted my head toward her in complete dismay. “You’re really friends with him, aren’t you?”

She laughed and shrugged. “I am. You don’t understand.

When you were gone last year, I was lonely.

I had no one to talk to, and Carlton was there when I needed…

a person. Plus, this party is kind of a dream of his.

He’s always wanted to be invited. I figured if he walked in with you, he’d get a few cool points with everyone. ”

“Cool points? What makes you think I have cool points?”

Hailee placed her hands against my shoulders. “My sweet, na?ve, stupid best friend. It’s cute how you don’t see how you instantly became the coolest person at our school today. You have the coolest points that there are to collect.”

“They don’t mean anything. Those people don’t know the real me.”

“Yes.” She nodded. “But I do. And I know you’ll do this for me because I’m your person, and best friends do uncomfortable things for one another in order to make each other happy.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you really playing the best friend card?”

“I’m playing the best friend card.”

“Wow.” I blew out a cloud of smoke. “That’s not fair.”

She smiled.

Crap.

That smile would’ve caused me to do anything she wanted.

“Fine,” I grumbled. “But this means you owe me.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say.” She stood from the ledge to head back to her window, and my eyes tracked every inch of her from behind. Was her butt always that plump? Did it always sit that high? Did her thick thighs always appear so kissable? When did she become so… perfect?

“What do people wear to parties?” she asked, looking over her shoulder toward me as she almost caught me checking her out. “Do I have to wear a dress? I hate dresses.”

I laughed. “You can wear whatever you want, Jerry.”

“That’s not a helpful answer.”

“I’m not a helpful person.”

“Fair enough.”

She went and climbed into her window as I climbed back inside mine. She smiled my way and said, “Welcome home, ugly.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Ugly?”

“With everyone else blowing smoke up your butt, I figured I should keep you humble and grounded.”

I laughed. “Thanks, beautiful,” I said, knowing compliments made her extremely uncomfortable.

“Shut up, Aiden,” she said, followed by her slamming her window closed.

I missed that, too.

Slamming windows and Hailee’s attitude.