"An award for best newcomer," Juliet muttered, scrolling through her phone, her back propped against her bed. Everyone else seemed to have a life brimming with excitement. A ping – an Instagram message from Amanda, accompanied by a flurry of pictures.
'Still not coming?'
The photos depicted wide smiles and celebratory poses. All her friends were there, even Sandra's boyfriend.
Juliet replied nonchalantly, "No thanks," and returned to her scrolling, a silent observer of the vibrant lives of her peers. Even her friends had accomplishments to boast about.
She sighed, dropping her phone onto the bed, arms outstretched in a gesture of frustration. She tugged at her bobbed hair, nearly yanking out a few strands. Picking up the phone again, she checked the time.
Almost eleven pm. She stood abruptly. Time for her nightly dose of celebrity news. Grabbing her blanket and fluffy slippers, she padded into the living room. Her short pajamas were transparent, but she didn't care. She lived alone.
She settled onto the couch, exhaustion weighing heavily on her. Her hand reached for the popcorn strategically placed nearby, the other instinctively grasping the remote.
A press of a button illuminated the television screen. A smile spread across Juliet's face.
Evan Stone.
Juliet's gaze was captivated. She watched, mesmerized, as he smiled during a television interview. His charisma, his undeniable sex appeal, seemed almost tangible.
"He'll never notice me," she whispered, a familiar bitterness lacing her voice. He was an A-list celebrity, the reigning Actor of the Year. And her friends knew how intensely she felt about him.
'How can I make him notice me?' she wondered. She was a fresh graduate, completing a kindergarten teaching internship. 'More importantly, how do I make my life less boring?' The question gnawed at her.
Amanda, a co-pilot, had countless celebrity encounters, boasting of autographs, kisses, and even more intimate encounters.
Sandra, dating an up-and-coming artist, lived a whirlwind of social events. Juliet knew this from her constant posts and gossipy updates.
But Juliet's life was a monotonous cycle: wake, eat, teach, eat, sleep. A boyfriend might have added some excitement, but she'd gained a few pounds recently, and dating was off the table after discovering her previous boyfriend had only been with her to get closer to Sandra.
Nobody wanted to date the fat girl.
She shook off the negative thoughts, refocusing her attention on Evan Stone. She'd even knitted a sweater with his name on the back, patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to present it. A year and a half had passed, and still no way to deliver her gift.
Evan Stone vanished from the screen, replaced by another celebrity. A pang of disappointment pierced her heart. This channel was her only reliable source of Evan, free from the self-consciousness of online stalking. She'd been blocked from all his social media accounts, labeled a stalker.
Her desperate attempts to reach him through countless loving messages had gone unanswered. She just wanted him to know he mattered.
Another ping from Amanda.
'You won't believe who I ran into?'
Casually, Juliet replied, 'Who?'
A voice message followed.
"Evanfuckingstone!"
Juliet's heart leaped. She immediately initiated a video call with Amanda.
Amanda's face appeared on the screen, a drunken grin plastered across her features. A Bieber song blared in the background. "My babyyyy…"
"Where is he?" Juliet demanded.
Amanda pouted. Sandra stumbled into view, even more intoxicated than Amanda.
"Julie!" Sandra shrieked, her eyes barely open, the loud music barely audible. "You have to come here now!" Juliet was surprised by her clarity despite her inebriated state.
"Come over to get wasted? No thanks," Juliet replied impatiently. "Where's he?" Her eyes darted to the mini-dress Amanda had left at her place. She wondered if she could even fit into it.
The camera swung away from Amanda, focusing on a young man with a hairstyle vaguely resembling Evan Stone's. Disappointment washed over Juliet. What had she been thinking? A celebrity of Evan's stature wouldn't be in a local bar.
"Just look at his cute face…" Amanda slurred, grinning childishly, her drool audible.
Juliet sighed. "Sweetie, that's not Evan Stone—"
"I'm getting his number for you—wait, what'd you say?"
Juliet repeated, "That's not him, it's just someone who looks like him."
Amanda paused, turning the camera back to herself. "I'm drunk as hell, aren't I?"
Juliet chuckled, nodding. "Yes, as hell."
"Shit!" Amanda mumbled. "And I have an early morning flight."
"Not tomorrow, the day after… oh shit!" Juliet watched as Sandra collapsed to the floor. Amanda caught her just in time. "Where's Michael?"
"He went to get more beer, I think."
"Oh God, he's wasted too, isn't he?"
Amanda nodded, her pout somehow endearing in her drunken state. Juliet found Amanda's pouting oddly captivating, a stark contrast to her usually intimidating personality.
"Don't worry, his driver's outside. I'm sleeping at Sandra's tonight. I'm afraid she might accidentally burn the house down again."
The memory of Sandra's drunken cooking mishap, narrowly averted by a smoke detector, flashed through Juliet's mind.
"That's better," Juliet said. The call ended with Amanda blowing a kiss at the camera.
Taking a deep breath, Juliet reached to switch off the television, but a word stopped her. Her eyes fixed on the screen.
"Never been in a scandal, yeah? How do you manage that?" A friendly female interviewer asked a man dressed entirely in black. Juliet recognized him instantly; his takeover of a major company nine years ago had gone viral.
He hadn't aged a day.
She watched as the man remained impassive, offering no response.
The screen displayed the headline: [Business Tycoon – Live Interview]
Live interviews were rare occurrences. The public had the opportunity to ask questions directly.
"Another one," the interviewer said, worry lines etched on her forehead as she read a question. "Is it true you're gay? I'm not saying it's bad, I just want to know if I have a chance."
His face remained unreadable. It was almost as if he wasn't even there.
Who in the world held a live interview at eleven at night?
"No," he finally responded, a sigh of relief evident on the interviewer's face.
She looked at the camera. "Once again, I'm Stella Smith, hosting this live interview. Two more questions left, and we're done."
Stella glanced at her iPad and then looked up. "Are you Mr. Vampire? You look the same for years."
Juliet didn't know who asked that question, but she was grateful.
"No."
His responses were unnervingly brief. Stella seemed eager to conclude the interview.
"Final question," she chuckled nervously. "You've never had a girlfriend, why?"
Juliet held her breath. No, it was impossible.
"Work," he replied, his expression giving nothing away.
Stella smiled politely at the camera. "That's all for tonight's live interview. Hope all your questions were answered. See—"
Juliet switched off the television.
She walked back to her room, blanket in hand. Dropping it on the bed, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands.
Back in her room, she lay on her bed, too restless to even pick up her phone.
She desperately wanted to be different, to experience the thrill of parties, to overcome her introversion.
A fleeting moment of fame would suffice. Just an experience, that's all she craved.
"God, I'm miserable," she groaned, clutching her pillow. "I just need to be on the internet." She thought of her paltry two hundred and sixteen Instagram followers. Amanda had gained fame for saving a plane and its passengers, becoming Pilot of the Year. Sandra was constantly in the news due to her association with a rising artist.
She needed to be on the internet, and for a significant reason.
A scandal, a rumor—anything to inject some excitement into her mundane life. But what kind of scandal could she create?
A pregnancy scandal? Terrible idea.
A rumor of being a billionaire's abandoned child? Jail time before any fame.
A relationship scandal? She'd just be another fleeting fling.
Her phone pinged. An Instagram notification. A recording of the live interview had been uploaded to her favorite celebrity gossip page.
It wasn't Evan Stone.
The headline read: 'Never been in a scandal?' It was already trending.
Then it clicked.
A scandal with him was enough. A little taste of fame, the attention of reporters. There would be consequences, and she wanted them too.