Page 27 of Every Star that Shines

Delanie blinked again. “You did? Just the two of you?”

“Yeah . . . ?” Marie said with a tone and an expression that said, What are you getting at?

But before Delanie could press further, Desmond’s loading avatar—a photo of him with actor Carlos Valdes from the TV show The Flash—appeared in a separate little rectangle. When his video activated and he saw Delanie, his face broke into a wide grin. “Hey, bumpkin! How’s life in the middle of nowhere?”

He looked like he was holding his phone while relaxing on a couch. His hair was still shiny and gelled back from work, and instead of a sparkly rhinestone outfit, he wore his more typical dark button-down shirt with the cuffs rolled up to show off the tattoo of a cartoon version of the guy in the Gangnam Style video on his inner forearm.

Despite herself, Delanie laughed at his quip, then sobered. “Truthfully, it could be better.”

“Has something gone wrong?” Marie asked.

“No. I just need you to remind me why I keep putting myself out there to chase a dream that doesn’t seem to want me instead of getting on with my life like normal people do.”

“Oh, sweetie,” Marie said. “What happened?” She grew stern. “Have you been on Twitter? I told you—”

“No, no Twitter.” Though Delanie had been tempted, she knew nothing good would come of it. She glanced at the crumpled-up poster in her trash bin—the one of Nathan Tait that had been pinned to the ceiling directly above her bed for the last decade until she had gotten home on Friday night—and sighed. “And nothing’s happened, not really. I’ve just been running into old friends, and they seem to be doing so much better at adulting than I am. They have kids, and businesses, and established careers. And what do I have?”

“Us, for a start,” Desmond said. “I mean, we’re pretty awesome.”

She laughed. “And modest.”

He gave an exaggeratedly enthusiastic nod and a thumbs-up, and she laughed again.

“Okay, so I have the two best friends a girl could ask for. But the parents and kids in the play don’t have any confidence I can do this.”

Desmond gawked. “They told you that?”

“Not exactly,” Delanie said miserably, hating how whiny she sounded. “Well, one did. Amber. She threw my cancellation in my face, right in front of everyone.”

Marie crossed her arms on the table in front of her and leaned into the camera. “That’s only one person. I bet most of them are happy to have you.” She frowned. “I know you’re shaken up right now, but you can’t let a mob of strangers decide who you are. They’re wrong. I know they’re wrong, Desmond knows they’re wrong, and so does anyone else who actually knows you. Which this Amber obviously does not. You’re a great friend, a talented actress, and a very capable person, no matter what the story in your head is saying. And you don’t owe this Amber, or a fickle Twitter mob, or anyone else who doesn’t see how amazing you are, one square inch of your mental real estate.”

“Go, Marie.” Desmond nodded appreciatively. “What she said, Delanie,” he added.

Marie smirked. “Nothing of your own to add, Mr. Sun?”

Desmond looked thoughtful, then said, “You both look fantastic tonight. ”

Marie rolled her eyes, and Desmond gave her a delighted grin.

Delanie bit her nail. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. And, despite everything, Caleb still seems to think I did the right thing in becoming an actress, for some reason.” ‘You’ll become the star you were always meant to be.’ Has he never stopped believing in my dream?

Desmond perked up. “Caleb? Who’s that?”

Delanie swallowed. Why had she said anything about him? “No one. An old friend.” She glanced at Marie, to whom she had mentioned Caleb more than once. Would Marie remember?

Marie’s eyes narrowed. “Your old boyfriend, you mean. The one who broke up with you just before you left for Vancouver and then married your arch-nemesis six months later.”

I guess she does.

“I broke up with him, actually.” Delanie’s voice trembled, and she took a breath to calm herself. Why did she suddenly feel the need to defend him? “After he told me he had to stay behind to help with the family farm.”

“At prom.”

“Well, yes. But I was leaving the next week, and they had just found out how sick his dad was. It’s not like he meant to ruin our prom.”

“I suppose,” Marie said begrudgingly.

“Wait,” said Desmond. “He stayed behind to help with the family farm and then got married to someone else within a year? He was, what, eighteen or nineteen?” He shook his head. “That’s crazy. I don’t care how into this chick he was, why would he do that?”

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