Climate Change
By Tara Bargon
Copyright 2012 Tara Bargon
Chapter One.
In life, there are always hurdles you need to overcome, leap over, destroy and leave behind you. Or in my case, a metal fence that I just wanted to conquer and escape my present situation.
I would’ve been able too if I hadn’t agreed to attend a movie premiere with my friend, Rose McAllen. She was here, like all the other screaming teenage girls that surrounded us, to spot and get a real life glimpse of the Hollywood hottie, the Australian young actor of the year, the one and only, Jayden Boral.
Maybe if I just imagined the crowd wasn’t here, I would calm. Maybe if I could just tune out for a moment my heart would stop trying to climb up my throat. Maybe if I just admitted to my best friend that I was suffering from my secret claustrophobia she would let me slip away and sit down for the first time in over six hours.
“Jess!” Rose screamed at me.
I opened my eyes and looked at her. She grinned down at me as she snatched up my arm and held it in the air. I yanked to bring my arm down, but she held it strong.
“Your number got called!” she yelled at me.
The girl behind me patted me on the shoulder and congratulated me.
“What number?” I asked.
Rose frowned and shook my wrist again. “On the wrist band they gave us when we got here, there’s a number. Every premiere they invite one fan to come and speak with the cast, hang inside and even go to the after party!” She shook my wrist hard enough that it hurt.
I pulled on it again and she let it drop this time, along with her smile.
“Your number got called Jess!” Her eyes saddened as she noticed my lack of excitement.
I reached for her hand and started to pull off her band. She looked at me warily.
“What -” she started to question me.
“Take your band off and swap with me. It’s more important to you.” I ordered her.
She nodded and started to yank on my band. There was no way they were coming off without ripping them. I sighed and Rose let go of my hand too.
“I guess it’s lucky that one of us got chosen.” She muttered.
“I don’t care, honest. I’ll tell them to re draw it again. Let them choose someone else.” The girls behind me seemed to think that was a great idea.
“No Jess!” Rose ordered frantically. “Go for me and ask my questions. Get me their signatures. Meet Jayden.”
Grimacing I said, “I dunno.”
Her expression turned firm. “Take. My. Bloody. Signature. Book.”
I sighed and looked around me. Eagar near faces stared at me, some jealous, others hopeful. Generously, I surrendered. I would go for her.
“Ok, fine.”
I reached out and collected her little book, tucked it under my arm and prepared for battle.
Rose started to quickly ramble off her questions to me. Some were a given and others surprised me. She idolised Jayden, like most girls our age did. He was her unreachable guy. The one she measured all other males against.
A tall, looming man came to face me from the other less crowded side of the fence. He looked me over and with enthusiasm to match my own, he asked, “Are you number four hundred and five?”
I glanced at my wrist and held it out to him. The girls at my back were complaining and saying I didn’t deserve to go. I agreed.
He reached for my wrist and held it in a way to read the numbers. I smiled at him. For such a tall, tough looking guy his touch was smooth and gentle. His strong fingers held my wrist firmly, but his skin felt soft against mine.
“Come on over then.” He said with a wave.
I glanced at Rose and gave her a small smile. She looked excited but there was something else in her eyes. Jealousy maybe? She and I had never had that between us.
I patted her arm. “It’s ok. I’ll ask your questions and get what you want. Just go home and I’ll meet you there.” I gave her a nod and she copied.
The man cleared his throat. “Quickly please.”
“How do I get over?” I asked the man, measuring myself against the fence.
It was too tall for me to lift myself over and was too close to the ground to slip under. Like most problems of this calibre, my salvation would come with the a little help.
Smiling down at me, the large man saw my situation. “Would you prefer for me to lift you or would you like to climb through the crowd to the gate further up?”
I knew what was behind me. I wasn’t going to be able to wiggle through all the girls, the thought was enough for me to swallow my pride. Besides, there was something in his smile that made me want to get closer to him. Maybe for once my shortness had actually come in handy.
I sighed. “A hand to get over would be great, thank you.”
He smiled and it made his tough man expression soften and his face more handsome. His brown eyes looked me over as he reached over the fence for me, and I pressed myself into his arms. He lifted me over the fence like I weighed nothing, cradled me to his chest for a moment and then lowered my feet to the red carpet. There was no crowd on this side that was already a relief. But that also brought a new problem, now I was the crowd’s centre of attention.
“You’re a little thing, aren’t you?” He chuckled a very guy laugh and stepped away from me.
I straightened my clothes and the attraction I felt for the man was washed away by my own annoyance. I gave him a nod to say thank you which made his smile even wider. Glad he was finding this so amusing. My heart was thumping in my throat and my face felt hot with embarrassment. I have no idea why any one would endure this just for a few peoples scribbles.
“Aren’t you able to say thank you?” he murmured as he walked beside, gesturing to the direction he wanted me to go.
I glanced over at my helper, avoiding his eye contact and hiding the heat in my cheeks. “Thank you.”
He grinned and nodded. “You’re welcome.”
Ahead I could see the twenty one year old, blue eyed, blonde haired heart throb that covered every gossip magazine, bus and newspaper entertainment section. He was leaning over the metal fence and signing autographs. An older man approached and greeted me.
“Lucky girl.” The older man said.
I shrugged.
His eyes assessed my reaction. “You were here over night waiting for this, weren’t you?”
My feet ached as evidence of that.
“I was, but I came with a friend, it was her idea.”
The conversation had gotten Jayden’s attention and he stopped signing autographs to listen. I glanced at the star and he smiled his smile.
The bright smile just reeked of a choreographed move, cameras were in the perfect place to snap the famous smile and he gave a short masculine wave to me. He was good looking; most girls say he was blessed with the most amazing pair of eyes. With him so close to me it was easy to see why, he looked great, of course. But a guy that wears lip stick and foundation was so far from sexy, to me anyway.
“Well, I bet she’s real glad she brought you now.” said the older man sarcastically. “Your name, girly?”
“I’m Jessica Jones.” I said introducing myself.
“Dawson.” The older man said professionally. “I am Jayden’s manager. And this,” he said waving absentmindedly towards the security guard, “is Rowan. He is your guard for the evening.”
“I need a guard?” I asked, reaching out to shake Rowans hand.
His teeth were wide and white with only one slightly crocked. Like an imperfection that only made me more aware of how lovely the others were. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be such a drag after all, if I got to have Rowan by my side.
“Last year one
of the girls in the crowd pulled the winners hair and punched her in the nose.” Rowan explained, with a tone that clearly showed how amusing this was to him.
Blinking, and I admit a little worried, I asked, “How crazy do they get?”
Rowan laughed a little deeper and patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I doubt they could even find you once you’re hidden behind me.”
Oh great, short jokes. My favourite.
As if he was worried I had forgotten him, Jayden cleared his throat and brought my attention his way.
The moment my eyes found him he smiled his famous smile. Up close it was still nice, but he just appeared fake. Like his enthusiasm, his happiness to see me and his messy styled hair do.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jessica.” He schmoozed, leaning his body over towards me.
Instinctively, I held out my hand towards him. He looked at it inquisitively, grasped it lightly and let go. His eyes were smouldering with heat, but underneath the heat I could see confusion.
“Ah, you too.” I muttered, bringing my hand back to my side and looking towards Dawson. “So, what do I have to do now?” I asked.
Dawson smiled. “Ah, cooperative and barely even flustered.” He nodded as if he approved. “First, we take photos with the crowd. Jayden will make his way down the crowd waving and doing his thing.” His eyes looked at Jayden and mine followed.
Jayden clearly enjoyed the attention.
“It’s my favourite part.” Jayden confirmed.
“I bet,” I mumbled. Rowan laughed beside me.
Jayden’s eyes narrowed. “Aren’t you a fan of mine?” he asked, starting to let his confusion show.
It was clear that I was behaving differently to what he was expecting. I could guess what Rose would be doing if she was standing here with him. Her heart would be palpitating, she would be probably salivating and suddenly missing at least half her IQ. Suddenly I could understand his confusion.
“Not really.” I admitted.
Jayden’s eyes widened now clearly shocked that I wasn’t his fan. His smile dropped to barely an upturn of his lips. Rowan however, found me hilarious as he clapped me on the back. Even the rather round looking Dawson chuckled.
I don’t know what was making me behave so rudely, it wasn’t me. I think it was mostly Jayden’s high opinion of himself. Even now, as he tried to analyse me, I could tell he was still waiting for a squealing, hugging onslaught.
It seemed to encourage me to give him the opposite; act a little colder, sarcastic and un-star struck just to shake to his confidence a little.
“Great!” Dawson said, interrupting the strange moment. “Jessica, you will go with Rowan to find something more suitable to wear to the party. Then we will met up for more photos and smiles all of that.” he nodded and then gestured for Jayden to go back to signing autographs.
In a flash, Jayden was on, smile clicked into place as he made his way back to the crowd.
Rowan placed his hand on my shoulder and gently guided me towards a white tent.
“You know, I expected him to look a little different with all the air brushing the magazines do to photographs these days. He seems, however, exceedingly sure of himself.” I said, making small talk as we walked along.
Rowan laughed and the deep, soft sound made me glance over at my guard. He was shaking his head, making his unruly long brown hair dance.
“I never thought I’d see the day that Jayden Boral gets offered a hand shake from a girl.” He chuckled, still grinning. “You sure did throw him off his game, Short stuff.”
“What does he normally get offered?” I asked, enjoying that smile of his.
The look on my guards face was suggestive enough.
“Oh.” I gasped, surprised. That had never even occurred to me.
Jeebus.