Page 3 of Star Pupil

“A trailer?” I squealed. This was better than any birthday gift my mom could have gotten me because Stella and Brooke were enough to drive anyone insane. Although they played my best friends in the movie, we could barely stand each other in real life. Both girls were obsessed with their looks, clothes and boys. They’d made it more than clear that they didn’t understand how I’d been cast as the lead since I wasn’t up to their standards.

I didn’t really care about their opinion of me, but I was forced to spend practically every waking hour with them. What made it even worse was that my mom thought I should be more like them, and she had no problem letting me know it. The petty side of me was looking forward to their reactions to the news.

“Where is it?”

Mrs. Stanton gave me directions, and I was quickly on my way across the lot. It didn’t take me long to find it since I’d been given a prime spot amongst the other trailers. I stood staring at the sign with my name on the door in awe when it opened and my appreciation shifted from the trailer to the man standing in the door.

I’d met lots of cute guys since moving to California, but none of them made my heart race the way this one did. It wasn’t his good looks that sent butterflies swarming in my belly—although his thick, dark hair, deep-brown eyes, toothpaste-commercial-worthy smile, tan skin and tall, athletic build all added up to an insanely hot package—it was the look in those sexy eyes as they swept up my body. I practically felt the heat of his stare against my skin.

“Mr. Stone?” I asked shakily. I didn’t really think he was my new teacher, there was no way a guy like him spent his days teaching Hollywood actors on set. Not when he should be in front of the camera.

“Finally.”

Or, at least, that’s what it sounded like he’d rasped, nodding in confirmation as he came down the steps to stretch his right hand out to me.

“Avery?” he asked. Well, it should have come across like a question, except it sounded as though he knew darn well who I was.

“Hello,” I breathed out. “Yes, I’m Avery.”

“I hope you don’t mind that I made myself comfortable while I waited for you.”

“Mind?” I repeated blankly. My eyes dropped to the buttons on his navy blue shirt, and I couldn’t help but think that he should have gotten more comfortable by loosening a few of them. Then I would have been able to see if his chest was smooth or had a sprinkling of hair. My fingers twitched at the thought, so I gripped the gift bag I was holding tighter against my own chest to stop myself from doing something stupid—like rip off my new teacher’s clothes.

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