Page 3 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

We talk for a bit longer before ending the call. Getting up from my bed, I stretch my arms over my head. I’d go back to sleep, but now that I’m awake, all I want to do is play my game.

“Good morning, WillowBot,” I greet the robot sitting on my desk. My twenty-two-year-old sister, Willow, built her when she was in eighth grade. The robot is about two feet tall and looks like a human. Willow has updated her over the years, so much that she almost feels like a human. She goes on standby mode when I sleep, though she’s still alert in case I need her. Willow didn’t let me touch her when I was younger because apparently, all I did was “damage her” (give me a break, I was like ten), but now that she’s at MIT studying for an engineering degree, WillowBot is in my care.

“Good morning, Mia,” she returns the greeting. “I admit, I am surprised you are awake so early on a Sunday.”

“You can blame a stupid celebrity guy for that,” I say as I walk to my closet for clothes.

“A celebrity guy?”

“Declan Hart.”

“Declan Hart. The teenage boy that starred opposite you in The Beat of My Heart.” Her eyes turn blue as she searches online. “I’ve located a video that was posted early this morning…He seems quite popular, for the video is one of the top trending videos today.”

“Sure, whatever. I don’t care about him.”

WillowBot turns to me. “I beg to differ. For if I recall correctly, you spent last week searching his name on social media—”

“Whoa, WillowBot. That’s so not true. I didn’t search him on social media.”

Her eyes turn blue again. “On January 3rd, Mia Park searched for Declan Hart on the social media app called Spill It! at precisely 10:09 PM. She consumed three videos. On January 5th, Mia Park searched for Declan Hart on the social media app called Spill It! at precisely 7:32 PM. She consumed two videos. On January 7th—”

“Oh my gosh, stop!” I cry.

“It is not becoming to lie, Mia.”

I throw my hands on my hips. “I wasn’t searching him because I wanted to know what was up with him. I was searching him because I wanted to know if he told anyone about the—” I shiver in disgust when the horrible kiss plays in my head. “Never mind. I’m going to change.”

After I’m dressed, I make my way downstairs and find my parents in the kitchen eating breakfast. My mom is Charlie Raine Park, a fiery redhead who works as a scientist for NASA. It was her dream job since she was my age—maybe younger—and she’s such a kickbutt for making it come true. My dad is Asher Park, a famous TV and film star. His Korean name is Park Ji-Ho, but when he was discovered at age four, his former manager suggested he choose a more “American” sounding name, so he chose Asher Park. Most of the world knows him by that name, but in my house, he’s Ji-Ho.

I’m more like my dad, since we’re both actors and are very dramatic, but I think my mom’s temper sometimes shoots out of me when I least expect it.

Both Mom and Dad turn to me in surprise when I walk inside. “Is she sleepwalking, Ji-Ho?” Mom asks.

Dad squints at me. “Her eyes are open.”

“The eyes are usually open when someone sleepwalks,” Mom informs him.

“Really? Huh. We’ve been married for over twenty years and I still learn something new every day.” He kisses her.

“I’m awake, I’m awake,” I mutter as I sit down at the table and grab cereal. “Don’t mind me. Just continue making out.”

Some people, like Zoey, don’t like seeing their parents make out, but it’s never bothered me. Maybe because I love seeing how in love Mom and Dad are. They’re so different from each other, yet they have an amazing marriage. They tease each other a lot and argue sometimes, but supposedly, the making up part is worth it. It gives me hope that I can have a relationship like that, too, one day. I just hope it happens soon because I’m so freakin’ impatient.

“Why are you up so early?” Dad asks as he cuts into his omelet.

“My phone woke me up. Stupid Declan posted a video, and Spill It! thought it was imperative that I be notified immediately.”

Mom’s green eyes light up as she laughs. “You’ve been grumbling about him since the summer. Was he really that awful to work with?”

Mom and Dad know that my first kiss was horrible, but what they don’t know is the way Declan behaved toward me afterward. That’s because I didn’t tell anyone, not even my friends. I guess I didn’t want to make a big issue out of it because Mom and Dad can be extremely overprotective sometimes.

“Let’s just say I’ve worked with more pleasant people,” I say.

“I’m proud you were professional about it, sweetie,” Dad says. “Some actors like to cause drama.”

Mom snorts. “Our Mia causes us enough drama,” she jokes.

Dad grins. “She sure does.”

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