talk much, and she doesn’t seem interested in making new friends. She clings to Damian a lot.”
“Mm. I’d cling to him too, to be honest.”
Gemma laughed, clucking at Zoe with a playful disapproval.
“What? You guys broke up forever ago – ”
“La la la la la!” Gemma shouted over her, widening her eyes at Zoe, who suddenly clasped her hand to her mouth. Until that point, she had done a good job keeping mum about Gemma’s other life around people who weren’t privy to the information. She understood the massive security risks at stake, especially since the photo leak. They both glanced tensely at Perrin, who seemed too engrossed in her emails to have heard them. Gemma let out a huge sigh before turning to Zoe. “Good job,” she mouthed.
“God, sorry,” Zoe mouthed back. She frowned, sliding her pinky down her cheek to mimic a tear.
Gemma cracked a smile. “It’s fine,” she whispered, rolling her eyes.
Penelope heaved a sigh of her own and shook her head at the girls before clearing her throat. “Okay, crazies. Ready to go?”
Gemma took one last look in the mirror and nodded, holding her hand out for Zoe’s. She took a deep breath to ease the vague anxiety turning her stomach, putting on her most winning smile. “Now or never,” she said.
~
The cheers grew progressively louder as each of the four emerged from the SUV. Out first was Zoe, then Tyler. Then out stepped Damian with Gemma behind. They waved to the hundreds of fans gathered outside the television studios, all there to catch a glimpse of their entrance into the building. As instructed by Perrin, Tyler locked arms with Zoe as Gemma did with Damian. “So you all look like friends,” Perrin had explained. “People love celebrity friendships."
She seemed right about that. The fans cooed and squealed even more as Tyler and Zoe made silly faces together for a fan’s camera. Meanwhile Gemma and Damian pointed and laughed.
“They’re suck freaks,” Gemma shook her head.
“How long have they known each other?” Damian asked.
“Only a little longer than we’ve known each other,” Gemma smiled. She brushed a strand of jet black hair from her face, glancing behind to locate Perrin. Who she saw instead was Nicki, walking alongside Elizabeth. Their eyes met and Gemma smiled. To her surprise, Nicki gave a blatant eye roll before looking away. Gemma quickly turned back around.
“So,” she cleared her throat, glancing up at Damian as they entered the building. “Nicki’s sure supportive, accompanying you everywhere.”
Damian smiled. “Yeah. She’s trying to pick up a few things from Aiden and Elizabeth. You know, maybe explore the PR field.” He paused. “And probably keep an eye on me for as long as she can.” He laughed, turning around to wink at Nicki. Gemma took a peek behind as well, catching a glimpse of Nicki cracking a smile, though it faded when she caught Gemma’s eye once again. Weird , Gemma frowned to herself.
As much as it bothered her, she forced herself to think of other things. She had an interview after all, and a massive event to promote.
“Here’s a question that I think we’re all curious about,” the perky host smiled wide at them. “This is a hugely powerful group of teen idols we have here – do you four actually hang out as friends? Outside of work purposes?” The four of them laughed graciously.
“She and I, definitely,” Zoe started, pointing at Gemma, who grinned. “You probably read about that last year,” she laughed, heaving a playful sigh. “Tyler and I actually knew each other before I even met Bee, and Damian and I met most recently, but he’s kind of my savior here because these two are always making out.”
A low murmur of “boos” swept the studio audience of mostly young girls.
“Zoe!” Gemma laughed, peering at a disapproving Perrin behind the cameras. She faced
“Mm. I’d cling to him too, to be honest.”
Gemma laughed, clucking at Zoe with a playful disapproval.
“What? You guys broke up forever ago – ”
“La la la la la!” Gemma shouted over her, widening her eyes at Zoe, who suddenly clasped her hand to her mouth. Until that point, she had done a good job keeping mum about Gemma’s other life around people who weren’t privy to the information. She understood the massive security risks at stake, especially since the photo leak. They both glanced tensely at Perrin, who seemed too engrossed in her emails to have heard them. Gemma let out a huge sigh before turning to Zoe. “Good job,” she mouthed.
“God, sorry,” Zoe mouthed back. She frowned, sliding her pinky down her cheek to mimic a tear.
Gemma cracked a smile. “It’s fine,” she whispered, rolling her eyes.
Penelope heaved a sigh of her own and shook her head at the girls before clearing her throat. “Okay, crazies. Ready to go?”
Gemma took one last look in the mirror and nodded, holding her hand out for Zoe’s. She took a deep breath to ease the vague anxiety turning her stomach, putting on her most winning smile. “Now or never,” she said.
~
The cheers grew progressively louder as each of the four emerged from the SUV. Out first was Zoe, then Tyler. Then out stepped Damian with Gemma behind. They waved to the hundreds of fans gathered outside the television studios, all there to catch a glimpse of their entrance into the building. As instructed by Perrin, Tyler locked arms with Zoe as Gemma did with Damian. “So you all look like friends,” Perrin had explained. “People love celebrity friendships."
She seemed right about that. The fans cooed and squealed even more as Tyler and Zoe made silly faces together for a fan’s camera. Meanwhile Gemma and Damian pointed and laughed.
“They’re suck freaks,” Gemma shook her head.
“How long have they known each other?” Damian asked.
“Only a little longer than we’ve known each other,” Gemma smiled. She brushed a strand of jet black hair from her face, glancing behind to locate Perrin. Who she saw instead was Nicki, walking alongside Elizabeth. Their eyes met and Gemma smiled. To her surprise, Nicki gave a blatant eye roll before looking away. Gemma quickly turned back around.
“So,” she cleared her throat, glancing up at Damian as they entered the building. “Nicki’s sure supportive, accompanying you everywhere.”
Damian smiled. “Yeah. She’s trying to pick up a few things from Aiden and Elizabeth. You know, maybe explore the PR field.” He paused. “And probably keep an eye on me for as long as she can.” He laughed, turning around to wink at Nicki. Gemma took a peek behind as well, catching a glimpse of Nicki cracking a smile, though it faded when she caught Gemma’s eye once again. Weird , Gemma frowned to herself.
As much as it bothered her, she forced herself to think of other things. She had an interview after all, and a massive event to promote.
“Here’s a question that I think we’re all curious about,” the perky host smiled wide at them. “This is a hugely powerful group of teen idols we have here – do you four actually hang out as friends? Outside of work purposes?” The four of them laughed graciously.
“She and I, definitely,” Zoe started, pointing at Gemma, who grinned. “You probably read about that last year,” she laughed, heaving a playful sigh. “Tyler and I actually knew each other before I even met Bee, and Damian and I met most recently, but he’s kind of my savior here because these two are always making out.”
A low murmur of “boos” swept the studio audience of mostly young girls.
“Zoe!” Gemma laughed, peering at a disapproving Perrin behind the cameras. She faced
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