Hollywood Heartthrob

06

6
Just Friends

"YOU'RE ON in five, Mr. Hughes."

Ryan nodded at the stage crew member while adjusting his tie. He had always hated being on talk shows. Especially the late-night ones. He hated having to pretend to laugh at an unfunny joke the host would crack. He hated being asked about his personal life and the meaningless questions he'd be forced to answer.

Promote the new movie as much as you can, His manager's voice echoed in his head.

He was only doing this for Kendall's sake. He knew the host would ask him about their relationship. That's all people seemed to care about. Who he was dating. Why couldn't they ask him about his acting or how he felt about politics? Something, anything that actually mattered.

It had been two weeks since Kendall asked Ryan to stay away, and for the most part, he obeyed. Occasionally he would drive past her job or silently watch her walk home.

His actions were justified. He just wanted to make sure she was safe. But he wasn't sure if he'd be able to avoid her much longer.

Cheers from the crowd could be heard from where Ryan's dressing room was located, followed by the host informing them that she'd "be right back after the break."

Ryan picked up a gummy bear from the dish that sat beside other bowls of candy.

Such a waste. Someone should've told them that I don't eat this crap.

The stage crew member knocked on the door before opening it. "You can come backstage now and we'll have hair and makeup do some last touches on you."

Someone had already done his hair and makeup. Why'd they have to do it again?

Agitated with the entire situation, Ryan lugged himself out of his dressing room. He plopped into the director style chair as two women rushed to fix his hair. In the mirror, he practiced changing his bored expression to his fake, charming smile. No one had to know that his happiness wasn't genuine. They just had to think it was.

Anyone who watched him do this would think he was a sociopath.

And maybe he was.

But no one cared about that. No one cared about him. His fans might've claimed that they did, but how could you care about someone you didn't even know? The only person who seemed to want to know the real him was Kendall.

Kendall.

She had told him to stay away, but he didn't care. As soon as he was finished with this stupid interview he'd go to her.

"Welcome back, everybody. Now my next guest is someone who you may know..."

It's showtime.

Ryan stood up from the seat and walked out on stage when the host announced his name.

Cheering.

Screaming.

Clapping.

He'd heard it all multiple times before. Each time made him feel duller than the last. Despite this, he grined, showcasing the top row of his bright white teeth. His swoon-worthy dimples indented the sides of his cheeks as he did so.

Smile and wave. Smile and wave.

The host hugged him and they both sat down while the audience continued to clap. She had tried to get some words in, but was unable to due to the crowd's excessive cheering.

When the noise finally died down, she began to speak again.

"Wow," she smiled. "Every time you come on this show you just get taller and taller. I remember when you first came here, you were about seven or eight."

Ryan sighed. "Those were the better days. I was definitely much cuter back then." The crowd erupted into laughter.

How was that funny?

"So, tell me about The Final Generation."

"Well, it's a dystopian genocide type of film. And it's about a group of young adults who are different from what society deems as acceptable. They end up having to run from the government when one of the people in the group blows their cover. It has a little bit of everything. Humor, action, romance, etcetera."

The host looked at the audience, then back at Ryan. "I think we actually have a clip of you in the movie, so let's watch that." The clip played on a large screen behind them. When it was over, the host spoke again. "That looked fantastic."

Ryan nodded. "It was a really fun scene to shoot and the cast and crew made everything so much more enjoyable."

"The movie actually premiers on February twenty-second, which is your birthday."

"Yeah, it does. The end result of my hard work is kind of like a birthday present to myself."

"Happy early birthday, even though it's a week away."

"Thank you."

The host cleared her throat. "I just have to ask you the question that everyone in America has been dying to know the answer to."

Here it comes.

"I'm sure you've seen the photos by now, and I just have to know. Who is 'mystery woman'?"

Ryan wanted so badly to tell the world what Kendall meant to him. But he couldn't. That would only upset her. "She's someone I just met recently. We're just friends."

The host quirked a brow. "Just friends?"

"Yeah. Just friends."