Page 47 of Drama Queens Don't Fall For Charming Boys

Why do I feel bad?

“It’s been a great experience so far,” Declan says with a smile. “Even though we had some bumps in the road.” He pins his gaze on me for a second before focusing on his food. A normal person would miss that, but not my mom. Nothing gets past her.

“You guys are working well together?” she asks.

The rest of the sentence hangs in the air. We’re all thinking it—our last project together was a total disaster. Will this one be a disaster, too?

Declan glances at me like he’s not sure how to answer the question.

“We’re both professionals,” I offer.

“Hmm,” Mom says.

“The whole cast and crew are committed to putting on the performance of our lives,” Declan says. “I have no doubt we can do it.”

“Same,” I say.

For the rest of the meal, Declan asks Dad questions about his career, and Dad gives him pointers and advice. He’s also very interested in my mom’s work. I know all this stuff inside out, but it’s interesting to see Declan’s eyes light up with intrigue when he hears about Mom’s work. And he so obviously worships my dad.

The main course of chicken with my grandmother’s secret barbecue sauce is a hit with Declan, too. So is the dessert Mom made over the weekend at Kara’s place. They got the recipe from Chloe and Liam.

“Thanks so much for this amazing meal,” Declan says. “And for being such great hosts. I had a great time here.”

“It was our pleasure,” Mom says. “I’ll pack some leftovers for your brother.”

“Oh, that’s so kind of you. He’ll really appreciate it.”

As Mom does that, Declan asks Dad for a few more pointers, especially about auditions. Hmm…yeah, he’s definitely struggling with that. Rejection is normal in the industry, but it’s obvious it’s more than that.

“Here you go.” Mom hands him a container.

“Thanks so much. I need to get my backpack from your room, Mia.”

As soon as he’s gone, my parents lean in close. “He’s not as bad as you made him out to be,” Mom whispers. “Now that I got to know him a little, he seems like a pretty nice guy.”

“He’s an actor, Mom. You can’t trust anything he says.”

She raises a brow at me.

“What? I do have a point, don’t I, Dad?”

He drums his fingers on the table. “I can’t say for sure, sweetheart. He seems like a good kid to me, too.”

“Please don’t tell me you’ve fallen for his charm, too. Can you believe he put WillowBot under his spell, too? And that’s not even scientifically possible.”

“We’re not under his spell, Mia,” Mom says. “Sure, he’s charming, but I don’t fall for that. What I saw before me was a nice guy.”

This would be the perfect opportunity for me to tell my parents who Declan really is. How he made fun of me after the mortifying incident. But Dad would go ballistic and Mom would kick him out of the house—no Edenbury. No, she would toss him out of the planet. Probably load him on a NASA shuttle and launch him into space. The truth is that once the play is over, I won’t have to see Declan again. There’s no point in making this any worse than it already is.

“He’s polite for sure,” Dad says.

Mom is about to say something, but I hear his footsteps on the stairs and motion for them to keep quiet. Declan walks in with his backpack hanging off one shoulder and his charming smile. “Again, thanks so much for having me for dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Park.”

“Don’t forget this.” Mom hands him the container of food.

“Thanks.”

“I guess I’ll walk you out,” I say.

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