The Glass Heart
Alexander Hope
Copyright 2011 Alexander Hope
Chapter One
Outside a small café, three drama students waited for Elisabeth Gooding. Candy Wade, a conservative young wanabe actress, thought of all the time spent and wasted pursuing this monthly ritual; waiting for Elisabeth Gooding. Miss Perfect. Never take a friend, who is more beautiful than you, to your auditions; eventually, someone will see Miss Perfect and decide that she should audition alongside you; and damn if your friend doesn’t get the juiciest part of the year. The three of them had been doing the Elisabeth Gooding ritual for five years. Ever since Elisabeth became a TV child-star. Candy felt Elisabeth had got the job and the fame and the money and had done very little to help her best friend, Miss Candy Wade, get into the business. All four of them had started drama school together in Orange County, but now Elisabeth was living in Hollywood and visiting only once a month. A couple of years back, when Elisabeth started her new series, Candy cornered her old friend, at the Burbank Studios, and started a conversation with her.
“But, you promised me" Candy said to Elisabeth.
"I got you three auditions," Elisabeth said.
“You said I didn't nail the Jenny part, but you said I nailed the Ashley part.”
“You nailed it. But Gladie Thompson got the role."
“She's got that role because she is black not because she is a good actor."
“She's got the job because she's a damn good actor. She won the Emmy for best supporting actress in a dramatic series."
“She was given that Emmy because she is the token black for this year."
"Jesus! Candy! She's one of the finest actresses in Hollywood," Elisabeth said. "I can get you the auditions but I can't get you the gigs."
“You should get me a permanent gig on your new series. You owe me. You know I can handle any acting job, as good, if not better than any actress hanging around Hollywood.
“I don’t know that. There are thousands of young women who are more serious about acting than you are and they are not driving their friends crazy with the get me a job conversations.” Elisabeth darted toward Stage 4.
“You’re a greedy selfish snob nosed bitch, Elisabeth Gooding,” Candy shouted as she returned Elisabeth’s wave, “But I love you.” Candy guessed she would be sitting on the uncomfortable steel chairs for the next ten years; waiting for Elisabeth Gooding to come through like she had promised. Ten more life sucking years. Ten more years of wishing Elisabeth Gooding would die, soon. She was tight with three of the writers. They could write her in so she was in the position to star when Elisabeth was found with her head crushed by a big rock that had rolled down Topanga Canyon like the signs warned, “Watch For Falling Rocks.”. Elisabeth’s beautiful face would be unrecognizable. And her perfect body would be all twisted and torn. A chill went up Candy’s spine and imbedded itself at the base of her brain; Her lips began to tremble, involuntarily.
Dancer Read, dressed all in black, with stark-black slick hair, reached over and touched Candy’s arm. “Candy,” she said, "are you okay? Why are you shaking and crying? What you thinking about that’s got you crying?"
Candy jumped up from the table." I'm so damn tired of sitting around waiting for Elisabeth. She's no better actor than anyone of us. We have all taken lessons from Burton Baker. The best. But Elisabeth is the only one getting jobs. I'm sick of it. This is my last year of just waiting around. I'm going to get a new manager. One as evil as Elisabeth's witch-mother. I think that to break into show business, you have to live in Hollywood and have an evil witch of a manager like Elisabeth has in her sucky mother."
Jason Hanks, a young man in baggy shorts, nodded his head but stayed silent.
“Elisabeth's mother is almost as sucky as mine.” Dancer said.
“Your mother is a goddess compared to Beth's.” Candy interrupted. “It's all about money with Miss Witch. But that’s what I need. My agent and my manager are both dweebs. They both think they have done their jobs if I’m seen in a half dozen high-end commercials a year.” Candy said. “Damned Elisabeth makes more money in a week than I make in a year. It’s not fair.”
A brand-new, silver Jag pulled to the curb. The driver's door opened exposing an expensive boot. A glass heart necklace dropped next to the boot. The glass heart cracked forming small fissures across the center of the heart. A perfect hand reached down and picked up the damaged necklace. Elisabeth Gooding, the beautiful, eighteen year old, star of a WB series, stepped from the expensive convertible. She had on a floppy hat and designer sunglasses. She examined the necklace closely. She shook her head. She walked with the necklace swinging from her fingers. Elisabeth walked to the table where her friends were seated. “Look what I did to my beautiful necklace.”
“You have hundreds of necklaces.” Dancer said.
“This one’s from my Grandma.”
“I've got a friend who fixes beautiful things.” Jason said.
Elisabeth handed Jason the necklace. “What you guys been doing?”
“Discussing who has the suckiest mother. You or Dancer?” He said.
“Her mother isn't on her case every minute of the day." Elisabeth said. "Her mother doesn't time their conversations with a constantly ticking pocket watch.”
“My mother never speaks to me. With or without a pocket watch. And what's up with that pocket watch, anyway?” Dancer asked.
“Moms won it for being the ‘Man of The Year’ or being ‘Woman of The Year’ or being Something of The Year. She's more like Witch of The Year. Or Years. She like checks the infamous watch every five minutes to stay on her ridiculous schedule. Or to keep me on my ridiculous schedule She's one big pain.”
“I'll take that pain any day. She got you that show. Movie parts. Made you famous.” Candy said.
“Lisabeth made herself famous.” Jason said. “She's a brilliant actress. And she's stunning looking.”
“We all know you love her. I'm just saying, if you're going to have a witch for a mother, she might as well be a witch who can get you a career in show business.” Candy said.
“Beth would have made it without Miss Witch?” Dancer said.
“I don't know, for sure. I take dance and voice and acting. I hated not being with my friends. But the Witch worked damned hard. Sometimes two jobs. And I loved the dancing and singing right from the start.”
“You would have made it without all that.” Jason said.
“No one makes it without all that. So, what you been doing, Jason?” Elisabeth said.
“He's been horizontal or playing video games.” Candy said. “To find him, you just go by the Game Box or any mattress store.”
Jason checked out the necklace that he rolled around in the palm of his hand. “Am I allowed to defend myself?”
“No, you've checked out of this life because you can't be with Elisabeth.”
“Dancer! Come on! We're just good friends.” Elisabeth said.
“Dancer's not right, often, but when she's right, she's right. Jason's a cork when you're not around.”
“What have you been doing?” Elisabeth looked over at Dancer.
“Waiting to critique your next show.”
“Me too. You’re the only game in town. The only one with a life.” Candy said.
“You guys are starting to tick me off.” She got up and then walked from the table. She got in her convertible and then sped away without waving goodbye to her stunned friends.
Elisabeth drove up and parked her car in front of an expensive house. She entered. Her ten year old sister T.J rushed to the entrance. “Where you been? Moms has been calling. Says you're not answering your cell. Some Doctor guy called like three times.”
Elisabeth walked to the hall table and sa
t down her purse and keys. “I hope you didn't tell mother.”
“About what?”
“About the Doctor.”
“Why shouldn't I? Travis get you PG or something?”
“No! I'm just not feeling well. I don't want mother to know.”
“You don't want her to know that you're taking care of yourself?”
“You know how she is. She'd just say I'm trying to sluff off. She'd check that stupid watch of her's and say, ‘It's time to go’ and.”
“Are you trying to sluff off?”
“No, T.J., I'm really sick. I have no energy. I can't breath.”
“So the Doctor is calling to say what's wrong?”
“I think I already know.”
“Don't do a ‘Miss Drama’ on me. You're not dying or something? You wouldn't do that to me. You wouldn't leave me alone with Moms, would you?”
“No sister would be that cruel.”
They walked toward each other and hugged.
“You’ll tell me what that Doctor says?”
“I will. But this conversation is just between sisters, okay?”
“Okay, but if Moms puts my feet to the coals, I'll rat you out.”
“I would expect nothing less.”
They hugged again.
Inside a plush office, Elisabeth's mother, Natasha, sat behind a desk and spoke into a phone. Elisabeth stood in front of the desk, waiting. Her mother, Natasha, had an open pocket watch in her hand. She kept checking the watch as she spoke into the phone. “You get those tickets by Monday or I'll make sure Elisabeth Gooding