Page 7 of My Best Friend Prince Charming

“Between you and me, I recommend you find an agent to help you navigate the contract. Those contracts can be a bit complicated.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“Sure thing,” she said cheerfully. “Hopefully we’ll be seeing a lot more of you in the near future. We’ve been looking for someone just like you for a long time now. We were getting a little bit desperate. Filming begins on the first of June.”

That was a week after graduation. This was all so hard for me to wrap my head around. We ended the call, and I checked the clock. I had work in ten minutes, and I still hadn’t changed into my uniform.

I hurried and put on my navy polo shirt and black apron and said goodbye to my brother and sister on the couch. I was about to leave, but I hesitated by the door, looking back at Ava and Parker.

“I just heard back from the casting company,” I said.

“Already?” Ava said, pausing her show. “I thought they were going to reach out to you in a few days.”

“I guess they changed their minds,” I told her.

“Well, did you get the part?” she asked.

“Yup.”

“No way! You’re going to be totally famous, Ryker!” She jumped up and threw her arms around my neck. “Does this mean we all get to move to Hollywood? I’ve always dreamed of living there.”

“Dude!” Parker said. “That’s awesome!”

Dad came into the room from the kitchen. “Did I just hear you say you got the part?”

“Yeah.”

He crossed the room, and Ava stepped aside from our embrace. He enveloped me in a bear hug. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of you. I know you’re going to do an incredible job. Just don’t forget about us little people when you’re rich and famous.”

“Hang on, guys. I don’t even know if I’m going to accept the role or not. I haven’t decided.”

“How is that even a decision?” Parker asked. “Someone wants to make you rich and famous. There’s only one answer.”

If only it was that simple. “I have to go to work, guys. I’ll let you know as soon as I make a decision.”

As I drove to work, I thought through the implications of accepting the role. Would I lose my scholarship to UNC and postpone my education for the start of a promising film career? It would mean a complete upheaval of my life, something I wasn’t planning and hadn’t foreseen at all. I never thought I’d actually get this role. It seemed too easy. I hadn’t gone to years of film classes or thousands of auditions. This was my first film audition. I didn’t even know I was supposed to bring a resume and headshot.

How could I go to Hollywood and pursue this unexpected career? It would probably mean I’d have to give up my relationship with Shannon, and I wasn’t sure that was something I was willing to sacrifice. How could I abandon her at that school? And especially with Austin lurking around. It was bad enough she was with him in high school. Would he get to be with her in college, too?

If she didn’t want me, she could at least pick a guy who treated her better. But I didn’t think Shannon knew anything different. Austin was the only guy she’d ever dated, and it wasn’t like her dad was a shining example of manhood either. From what I gathered, he’d been emotionally abusive to Shannon and Maddie and their mom. His behavior had only shown Shannon that it was acceptable to treat a woman like garbage.

I pulled into the parking lot behind Skippy’s and climbed out of the car, locking the door behind me. I went inside and greeted my aunt Kristen. She stood behind the bar, wiping it with a rag. The diner wasn’t very busy tonight. A few of the regulars sat in their favorite booths, and a couple with a baby in a high chair sat back in the corner where Shannon and I usually sat. I checked the board to see where my section was for the night. I opened the folder from my apron pocket, where I kept my notepad and tips and receipts. I ripped a few scribbled-on pages from my notepad and tossed them in the garbage can behind the counter.

Usually, Skippy’s was my happy place, but today, not even the smell of burgers sizzling could cheer me up. I normally told Aunt Kristen everything. She was the only person I’d confided in about my true feelings for Shannon. She was like a mom to me. I’d been just a kid, but I still remembered telling her about how I’d been crushing on Shannon secretly.

“Are you okay?” Aunt Kristen asked, following me back through the kitchen to the break room area. “You seem a little off today.”

I considered whether or not to tell her about the results of my audition. I already knew she would try to talk me into accepting the role. I just wasn’t sure I wanted to do that.

“I’m okay,” I said.

She studied me, tapping a pencil against her lips with narrowed eyes. “How did your audition go? That was today, right?”

I blew out a puff of air. I might as well tell her. My entire family already knew anyway. “I got the part.”

She dropped the pencil. “I think I’m in shock right now. Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

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