Page 31 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

I laugh. “I know.”

“Very well. Can you please put me back down so I can continue cleaning your room?”

“You really don’t have to—”

“I wish to do it,” she insists. “It is part of my looking out for you.”

“Okay.” I put her down and she continues cleaning up my room.

I manage to finish my homework just as my parents come home from work. I help Mom and Dad with dinner, and once we’re done eating, I start a video call with my Musketeers.

“Hey,” Zoey says as she appears on my screen.

Rylee joins two seconds later and waves.

“Hi, guys,” I say. “How was your date with Mason, Rylee?”

She looks like she has hearts in her eyes. “It was so awesome! Mason is so sweet. He surprised me by taking me to watch a street magician perform. His tricks were so amazing! And then we had ice cream at Madame Freezie.”

“Sounds like the perfect date,” Zoey says. “Kade spent the afternoon with Aunt Ally at the mall, shopping for new clothes. I would have gone with them, but I have a murderous test tomorrow. How was your afternoon, Mia?”

With an exaggerated sigh, I smack my face on my desk. “Ow!” I so did not mean to slam it that hard. Can one get a concussion from that?

“You okay?” they both ask.

“I’m fine, thanks. My acting career? Not so much.”

They both gape at me. “What?”

“Okay, I’m being overdramatic. But I sucked at rehearsal, guys. Like, I super super sucked. It was horrible.”

“What happened?” Zoey asks.

“Well…” I enlighten them about the horror show that took place only a few hours ago.

“I don’t get it,” I say. “Declan and I had terrible chemistry on the set of The Beat of My Heart, and apparently we had great chemistry at yesterday’s rehearsal, and then today was terrible. How could that be? Either we have chemistry or we don’t.”

They’re both quiet as they contemplate it. Then Rylee says, “Maybe not. I mean, you had a crush on him on set and it made you super nervous when you were around him, right? That probably affected your performance, and maybe that’s why you guys didn’t have great chemistry. But your chemistry was great yesterday because you weren’t nervous around him. All you focused on was the play. But then today…”

“And today, I was a mess,” I finish for her. “It’s those darn eyes.”

“What?” Zoey asks.

“Have you ever seen Declan’s eyes close up before? Gosh, they’re mesmerizing. Like emeralds. No, they’re prettier than emeralds. Ugh, why does the dude have to be so darn good looking?”

“Do you think you can get past everything and play the part of Scarlett?” Rylee asks.

“I think you can,” Zoey says. “No, I know you can. Mia, you’re one of the most talented people I know. You can do anything. You just have to push whatever happened between you and Declan out of your mind. I mean, he’s not obsessing over it like you are, is he?”

“Definitely not,” I say. “I’m sure he doesn’t even think twice about me.”

“Then why should you give him a second thought?”

“Especially when he didn’t treat you right,” Rylee says. “I mean, I don’t think it would be healthy or good for the play for you to hold a grudge against him, but you don’t have to be his best friend. Just do what you do, and be the best at it. Because that’s who you are, Mia Park—a girl who puts her all into everything she does.”

My friends are right. Why am I so torn up over the whole thing? Declan clearly isn’t, and he’s certainly living the life with all his HartHeads chasing him around school (okay, okay, they’re not really chasing him…). And what am I doing? Messing up my performance when I should be shining. No, I need to forget the sweet, kind guy I met on set. He only exists in my head. And one day, I’ll meet a real sweet, nice, kind guy who will treat me the way I deserve to be treated.

I smile at my friends. “Thanks, guys. Seriously, what would I do without you? Jump off a cliff, that’s what,” I joke. “You guys keep my dramatic brain sane.”

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