I make my way through the crowd and take the microphone from Sky. Then I turn and face the room. I see all the faces I know so well and I smile.
"If there is anyone in this room who might be in denial about Family Affair ending, we all know it's me," I say and everyone laughs. "I've taken this really hard, but I know I'm not alone anymore." The crowd grows quiet. "You guys are like a second family to me." I feel myself begin to get choked up, but I try to fight it. "The thing that helps me get through all this is that I know we're going through it together. This show and the people who make it are a big part of all our lives and just because we stop taping the show doesn't mean that won't continue. I'm going to take with me everything you've taught me and hopefully the next project I work on will be that much better because of everything I learned from you. I love you guys so much," I say and now the tears are coming. "Thank you for a great run."
Everyone applauds. Trevor whistles. Even Sky looks weepy. I hand the microphone to Trevor and make my way back over to my family and friends. Mom is crying. Dad pats me hard on the back a few times and I know he's trying to hold it together. Liz squeezes my hand tightly. Then I turn and kiss Austin.
"You sounded great up there," he tells me softly. "And you're right, this is not the end for any of you," Austin says. "You've got the play to look forward to, and me to come home to, and so much more."
I grin. "You're right." I hold him tight. "It's kind of exciting, isn't it?" I have goosebumps.
Who knows what I'll be doing next week, or three or six months from now? But you know what? It doesn't matter. I'll make it work. Whatever happens next, I'm sure it's going to be a great adventure.
HOLLYWOOD NATION'S. . . . . .
Kaitlin Burke Tackles Broadway!by Marleyna Martin
Family Affair's Samantha is all grown up and taking on her toughest role yet--live theater--in the Broadway smash Meeting of the Minds. Does she have what it takes?
Kaitlin Burke is a pro when it comes to television drama. After years playing Samantha Buchanan, this 17-year-old has perfected the art of a good catfight, how to brawl with her mom and cry over boyfriend problems. But is she ready to do it all live? Come this May, she'll have to. Kaitlin begins a ten-week run in Meeting of the Minds playing wise-cracking Andie Amber. She takes over for original, beloved castmember Meg Valentine. The surprise casting choice has many wondering: Does Kaitlin have the chops for such a part? "Kaitlin was genius as Sam, and had some great film roles to date, but it will be a real test to her strength as an actress for her to take on Andie," admits one casting agent. "Hollywood will be watching very closely." We checked in with Kaitlin to hear how she's readying for a move to New York.
HN: Kaitlin Burke on Broadway! How does it feel to know your name will soon be up in lights?
KB: Exciting, nerve-wracking, thrilling . . . I still can't believe it's happening. I'm so thankful that the cast has given me the opportunity to work with them.
HN: Have you ever done live the-ater before?
KB: Um, no. (laughs) I've done acting workshops that teach you how to ready yourself for the stage, but this will be my first time in front of a live audience.
HN: Emma Price, who plays Jenny, is a bit of a firecracker, as well as a trained theater actress. Are you ready to go toe-to-toe with her?
KB: I hope I will be when the time comes! (laughs) I've only met Emma briefly, but she was really nice. I head to New York in April, after I finish press for Family Affair's final episode.
HN: Dylan Carter, your love interest in the play, is easy on the eyes, isn't he?
KB: He's definitely cute, but I'm taken!
HN: What are you most looking forward to doing in New York?
KB: Everything. Seeing the museums, shopping, checking out all the landmarks. My mom is looking into a trip out to the Hamptons too. I keep telling her I don't get much time off. I don't think she's listening. *
Kaitlin's run in Meeting of the Minds starts May 1.
DON'T STOP READING YET . . .
You didn't think that just because my show ended, my story had too, did you?
No way!
My career is far from over. First stop: New York, New York. The stage is going to be a whole new experience for me and what better place to have it than Manhattan? Mom says I'm already getting invitations to fetes from the Upper East Side to the Hamptons. But don't worry, I'm going to keep things low-key this time around. I've had my fill of being a gossip girl. This summer, I'm all about work. I just hope the critics don't pan me. Nadine says the tabloids already started quizzing every casting agent out there about my chances of getting a standing ovation. Sigh.
At least I have my family and friends for support. Everyone is coming to New York, and with Liz as my roomie, I know we're going to have a blast. I just wish Austin was coming too. What's an extended vacation in New York without your boyfriend to treat you to a carriage ride through Central Park? I'm sure it will work out, though. Hollywood is all about happy endings.
But wait. We're not talking about Hollywood anymore, are we? I'm going to be in New York and that's a whole different ballgame. What do they always say about the Big Apple? If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. I hope I'm ready.
Broadway Lights
Secrets of My Hollywood Life
Coming in May 2010
Acknowledgments
I have nothing but love for my amazing editors, Cindy Eagan and Kate Sullivan. Not only are they well-versed in all things Kaitlin, they also come up with cool Secrets titles, like this one -- Paparazzi Princess! (Special thanks go to Kate for helping me fine-tune Kaitlin's "Paparazzi Princess" song. Even with her help, it is safe to say I will probably never add songwriter to my resume.)
My agent Laura Dail deserves huge praise, not only for always having my back, but for putting up with endless phone calls from me worrying about plot points, deadlines, and the like, all of which -- as she patiently points out -- come together nicely in the end. And to Tamar Ellman, for helping me brave foreign waters and their confusing contracts.
To the amazing team at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers -- Ames O'Neil, Melanie Chang, Andrew Smith, Lisa Ickowicz, Melanie Sanders, and Tracy Shaw (for yet another brilliant cover design) -- I can't thank you enough for showering Secrets with so much love.
To Mara Reinstein, who I bombarded with e-mails and calls about paparazzi practices, catfights, and celebrity meltdowns -- I'm eternally grateful (as always).
Special thanks go to my tireless mom, Lynn Calonita, who has logged more hours with Tyler than a grandmother/babysitter should have to, just to make sure I always make my deadlines. I really couldn't do any of this without you. Love also to my dad, Nick Calonita, Nicole and John Neary, my grandfather Nick Calonita, Gail Smith, and Brian Smith for their endless support.
Finally, to my wonderful family -- my husband Mike, my son Tyler, and our way-too-pampered Chihuahua, Jack -- thank you for making home the sweetest place to be.
If you love
Secrets of My Hollywood Life, you'll adore Jen Calonita's
Sleepaway Girls
When Sam's best friend gets her first boyfriend, she's not ready to spend the summer being a third wheel. So she applies to be a camp counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines. But it's not going to be all kumbayya and s'mores. If Ashley, the camp's queen bee, doesn't ruin Sam's summer, then her raging crush on the cute and flirtatious Hunter just might. At least she has the gang of girls who become fast friends with her--the Sleepaway Girls.
Turn the page for a sneak peek of Sleepaway Girls.
Jen Calonita's newest novel is a fresh look into the worldof sleepaway summer camp--where the queen bee can
make life hell for a new CIT.
Sleepaway Girls
Two hours later, Mom and I were practically running to the mess hall, which according to the map was right down this super green, grassy hill. My heart was in my throat as I raced up the wood building's well-worn wood steps and pulled open the dou
ble doors. The large, open room had high ceilings with wood beams that held up rows and rows of camp banners. THE GREEN MACHINE -- 2003 COLOR WAR VICTORS! announced one. WELCOME (BACK) TO THE PINES! declared a large red one. And across the back wall was a glass cabinet full of trophies. The only thing missing were the people. Mom and I were standing in front of rows of empty picnic tables covered with folders and papers and discarded jackets. "They're not here." I freaked out. I was actually yelling. One of my biggest pet peeves was being late.
"Samantha Montgomery?" I heard someone bellow, and I turned around.
"Yes?" I said uncertainly.
A tall man wearing camouflage fatigues and holding a megaphone was walking toward us. He had white hair, was tan like it was the middle of August instead of late June, and his teeth were an eerie shade of white. The man bounded up the steps and shook my hand vigorously. "Alan Hitchens, but you can call me Hitch."
"Hi, Hitch," I shook his hand lightly and smiled nervously. "I'm really sorry we're late. There was an accident on the expressway and . . ." I stopped talking.
Hitch had dropped my hand and was looking at my mother. "Pamela, it's so nice to finally meet you," he said with a large smile.
My mom made that weird gurgling sound again. "It's nice to meet you too, Alan," Mom gushed, smoothing her fitted, white button-down shirt self-consciously. "I'm sorry Sam is late." Now that we were out of the car and I could get a good look at Mom, I realized she had dressed up for this meeting. Gone were her usual working or weekend attire (suits or sweats and oversized tees, respectively) and in their place she had on tailored khaki capris and Coach ballet flats that didn't mask her height (5' 9½"), but did look nice. She was wearing makeup on her pale face and her brown hair, so similar to my own in all but texture, was its usual straight self.
"A few counselors are late and I suspect they're all in the same position," Hitch said and turned to me. "Sam, why don't you say good-bye to your mom, and I'll help her unload your bags so you can head down to the field and join the game. Ask for Alexis. She's my eldest daughter."
"Game?" I had only been here five minutes and I was already confused.
Hitch looked from me to my mother. "I find the best way to figure out which CITs belong with which counselors is to get them involved in teamwork. There's time to go over rules and paperwork during grub or campfires. Today they're playing dodgeball."
"Dodgeball?" I asked. I hadn't played dodgeball since the sixth grade and I wasn't good at it back then. I had a hard time playing any game that involved flying balls, which ruled out most gym activities and really aggravated my gym teacher, Mrs. Pepper.
"That's a wonderful idea," my mom gushed. Now that I'd met Hitch, I wasn't so sure he was my mother's type. Where he was all outdoorsy and tanned like a camp director should be, Mom's skin was milky white from too many hours at the office. The last time she did something outside, it was directing the guys from Crate and Barrel on how to unload her new dresser from the truck. Mom gave me a hug. "Well, this is it," she said, sounding choked up. "Have a great time and I'll talk to you in a few days, before I leave on my business trip."
"Thanks, Mom," I said, feeling awkward in front of Hitch. As I walked away, I could still hear Mom laughing at something Hitch said, but suddenly I felt very alone.
What was I thinking, going to camp? I had no idea what camp involved, and I certainly had never flown solo before. I didn't know anyone on that dodgeball field. I didn't have a best friend to stand next to or even a semi-good friend I could chat with about stupid stuff. I was the newbie, and being the newbie was awkward.
Baby steps, I thought to myself. Just take baby steps. I breathed in the pine scent of the evergreens that lined the dusty dirt path that was spraying dirt all over my feet. One step. Two.
I could do this.
When I got to the bottom of the hill, I could see the game had already started on a slightly muddy field that was boxed in by white spray-painted lines. Just a few yards away were the tennis courts and another field that had bags of athletic equipment waiting on it. There was an overwhelming scent of manure and I realized that the horse stables were on my left. I stood there, taking the scene in, and tried not to pass out from nerves.
That's when I saw him.
He was running across the field -- shirtless, I might add -- and he leapt in front of me and caught the dodgeball seemingly in slow motion. This guy was like an Abercrombie ad come to life. He was tall, but not so tall that I'd have to stand on my tiptoes to reach his lips. He had longish, dirty blond hair that would make Zac Efron's look lame, killer tanned abs that looked like they'd been airbrushed in, and eyes as green as my jade bedroom comforter.
"Hunter!" A pretty girl screamed as the guy threw the ball and it whisked by her face. "You almost hit me," she whined.
His name was Hunter. Hunter and Sam "LastNameUnknown." It had a nice ring to it.
"Sorry, Ash," he said, out of breath. "It's a game. You've got to move or be moved."
At that moment Mr. Ab-solutely perfect, aka Hunter "LastNameUnknown," looked up and saw me. "Water break!" he announced, not taking his eyes off mine, which were blinking rapidly. "Hey," he said and smiled.
I looked around. Yep, I was the only one in this direction. My future husband was talking to me. ME! If I wasn't nervous enough before, I was ready to freak out now. My experience with guys was limited, but when they were that cute, I could barely function.
"You're the new CIT, right?" he asked.
"The new," I repeated dumbly. "You mean I'm the only new one you have?" The thought was terrifying. That meant everyone already knew everyone. I was the only new girl my age. The only one? How could that be? My lack of camp experience was going to stick out like a sore thumb.
He laughed. Not in a mean way, just loud and deep. "As far as I can tell," Hunter said. "What's your name?" he asked me as tried my hardest not to drool over his sweaty torso. "You look familiar," he added.
Uh-oh. I knew that look. I really hoped to avoid this, but I guess that was asking the impossible. The Dial and Dash commercial was so popular it had aired on the Super Bowl twice and been dissected on everything from CNN to the pages of US Weekly. People at the Pines were bound to have seen it.
"My name is Sam." I couldn't take my gaze off his eyes. Up close I could see they were green with flecks of gold in them.
"Hunter," he said revealing a mouth full of perfectly straight, white teeth. Any sense of recognition he had a moment ago seemed to vanish, thank goodness. "Join us for dodgeball," he suggested. "We're short on my side so I guess you're with me. You can stand over there." He pointed to a line of girls who were staring at me curiously.
In a daze, I walked over to my designated spot, trying hard not to slip in the mud that came from the week's worth of rain we had just had in the tri-state area. I smiled awkwardly at the girl next to me. She had red hair and glasses and was wearing a Hello Kitty T-shirt. I looked at her feet. She was smart enough to wear sneakers.
"He's hot, right?" she whispered and took a puff of what looked like an inhaler.
It didn't take a genius to know who she was talking about. "Yes." I sighed. "I'm Sam," I said shyly.
She smiled, revealing her braces. "Emily Kate. But you can call me Em. You're the new CIT, right?"
I guess it was true then. I really was the only new girl. "That's me," I said, trying to sound at ease.
Em nodded. "At the opening breakfast this morning they said there was one new CIT. Everyone else in the program graduated from campers. I'm a CIT too." Em stopped talking and stared at me curiously. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . have we met before?"
Stupid Dial and Dash moment. I couldn't escape it! "Do you live on Long Island?" I asked. I put a hand over my forehead to pretend to block the sun when I was really trying to cover up my face.
I heard a loud laugh and turned around. The pretty, whiny blond girl from earlier was flirting with my Hunter. Okay, maybe he wasn't mine yet, but a girl could hope! I watched as she touched
his chest and pretended to push him. "That's Ashley," Emily told me. "She's a CIT too."
"Are they dating?" I had to ask.
"No." Em shook her head. "Hunter is a counselor. CITs can't date counselors. It's against the rules. Not that Ashley hasn't broken them before." Em grinned. "Ashley usually gets whatever guy she wants. They worship her."
It was easy to see why. Ashley looked like she belonged on America's Next Top Model. She had perfectly straight, non-frizzy blond hair, bronzed skin, and gray eyes. She was also super-skinny. She'd have to be to pull off that baby blue ribbed tank top she was wearing. I repressed the urge to hate her on sight. There was something very familiar about her. I felt like I'd seen her running across a field, or swimming laps in a lake. But how? "I feel like I know her or something," I said as several people started to take the field again. Water break must have been almost over.
"You probably saw her on the camp video," Em offered. "Ashley is the camp model. She's on the cover of the camp brochure, in the commercials, the camp video, all over the merchandise catalog. She's pretty much the Pines spokesgirl." I followed Em onto the field and waited anxiously for the game to start up again. I just hoped I didn't embarrass myself.
So that explained it! She's the one who told me and Mom -- on video of course -- that the Pines had world-class camping facilities and a list of activities to choose from that any camper would dream of. Before I could ask Em anything else, Ashley and a few other girls took places next to us and started talking.
"How was your year, Ash?" someone asked.
"Busy," Ashley said, with a flip of her blond hair. "I had to shoot a whole new line of stuff for camp, on top of the cheerleading calendar I agreed to do at school. My coach saw the Pines stuff and thought my face would so sell a charity calendar."
"Wow," a few girls said breathlessly.
"I met with some modeling agencies in New York too," Ashley added as she examined her bright pink nails.