Chapter 2

Hot Bubblegum by SoapyMayhem

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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. . . *¨`*•.¸Hot Bubblegum¸.•*¨`* . . .

Chapter 2

*~Bella Swan~*

"Where are you off to today?" Renee asked curiously as I trudged back downstairs, having changed out of my pajamas and into some normal street clothes - a pair of black skinny jeans, red chucks, and a white graphic tee.

I shrugged her off, pretending like I hadn't been planning this day for the last twelve months.

"Just gonna test out the new car, I suppose. I might do a little shopping too."

"Will you stop by and see Mikey?" she pressed with a suggestive nudge, her tone high pitched and excited. "I bet he got you something nice and sparkly."

"Umm… no… I don't think I want to see Mikey," I replied, barely containing a grimace.

Like me, Mike Newton starred in his own Disney Channel series - a show called Double Trouble where he played Joey and Jeremiah - twins. The fact that he played two characters did nothing to curb his ego. He thought he was some kind of child prodigy - a fucking genius thespian - as if he wasn't following in the footsteps of "acting greats" like Lindsey Lohan.

"Aww, what happened, angel?"

Wow. She doesn't already know this?

Renee was a bit of an absentee parent, who also didn't know I wasn't a virgin anymore, and I planned to keep it that way as long as possible, if only to avoid the safe sex talk. There was no way I was going to admit to her that I was stupid enough to believe that Mike would want me after I let him screw me. I had to give her the watered down version - suitable for adults.

"He said he wanted to get back with Jessica Stanley. It was over a month ago - don't you read the tabloids, Mom?" Annoyance filled my tone in response to the realization that I had to repeat the story - I'd already relayed it to some of my co-workers and a few paps just to get them off my back. I guess I couldn't blame her though - Renee wasn't much for gossip and she and Phil had been off vacationing in Sydney that week anyway.

The sad thing was, Phil knew. He'd already advised my publicist to have me play up the whole 'heartbroken' angle. Why? I had no clue to what benefit it served.

If I was being honest, I had to admit that I wasn't all that heartbroken to begin with - more annoyed.

Mike and Jessica were always on-again off-again, which is why I wasn't that surprised when I found them together so soon. We hadn't even been broken up a day before I spotted him, near the studio parking lot with his tongue down her throat. At this point, I was pretty sure he'd used me to play the jealousy card in an attempt to get back into her bed again.

Mission accomplished, prick.

Thankfully, that was my final day of shooting for Girl Next Door, aside from a few pickup shots.

The studio still wanted me to do more episodes, not to mention another Girl Next Door movie, but I refused to commit to any new contracts with them. There was no amount of money in the world that would make me subject myself to that bullshit again, especially not when I'd have to put up with that slimy director for the two or three months it would take to film it.

Thankfully, Phil was on my side in that sense, but only because he thought I needed to start doing more mature projects since I was a bit older and growing out of my childish features. He wanted me follow in the footsteps of my fellow Disney Channel alumni and become a superstar.

What he didn't know was that I wanted out of the business altogether. Maybe I'd come back a few years down the road, act in some independent films, or at least something I could be proud of, but first I wanted to go to college, study something - anything.

I just wanted to be normal - have a normal life, a normal boyfriend who didn't run around trying to stroke his ego by fucking starlets.

"That's too bad - Mikey was a real cutie," she said, snapping me out of my thoughts just in time to segue into another frustrating topic. "You know, I can't believe you didn't want to have a birthday party."

Oh God… not this shit again.

Renee just didn't understand that I didn't have many real friends, at least none my age.

She expected me to invite all those anorexic, backstabbing bitches, and their douchey, money-hungry, ass-grabbing boyfriends. Well, rather than put on a fake smile and pretend to have fun, I made my first decision as an adult - I declined having a birthday party.

"I'm gone. Don't wait up," I shouted before rushing out the door, feeling a pulse of excitement shoot through my veins.

Free at last.

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