Hollywood Hills, one week before the gym incident
Looking back, I can see now that the changes between Dan and me had started long before that one Monday afternoon at the gym. I really should have noticed the incoming trouble sooner. Maybe put a stop to it when I still could. Unfortunately, I had never been great with change.
"We really should be at the training centre, Luce!" Her long, dark brown hair blew in my face as we walked down the promenade of Venice Beach, hands full of shopping bags. "Oh please, we rehearsed for two hours, got the moves down-"
"Almost! And it was one and a half hours," I interrupted while trying to catch up with her. How she managed to be that fast in those heeled ankle boots was beyond me. Even after years of walking red carpets in monstrous heels, I always felt like walking on stilts. But damn it, Lucy had been right – they were cute. And on sale.
"Whatever. But what's the use of being rich if you can't have a little fun? Also – we haven't had any time to celebrate that you're back!" Lucy stopped in front of a storefront and pushed down her overly big sunglasses to eye a dress. I looked at it too – it was cute indeed, just not 3000 bucks cute. I shook my head. During my hiatus, I really had gotten accustomed to my life before fame and money. Price ranges like that made me squirm.
"No – you're right…it's just – I don't want to disappoint anyone! I mean I've stayed away long enough and- "
"And with good reason." Lucy had pushed the sunglasses onto the tip of her nose and eyed me with that strict 'I might as well be a teacher' look of hers that she usually only used on the boys. I shut my mouth and simply nodded in defeat.
I really had needed the break. As much as I loved acting and our crew – and of course my four friends turned family, the industry would have killed me had I stayed any longer. Like it almost killed them… I cringed at the melodramatic voice in my head. Quickly, I put on a smile and waited for Luce to give into the call of the polka dot dress. My grin grew as she opened her mouth and – screamed?
Confusion dripped over both our faces, until we realized that the scream came from across the street, followed by a shrill: "OH MY FUCKING GOD! That's Lucy and Carly from that superhero series! I can't believe it! Oh my – !" We saw the hyperventilating girl jump up and down in the reflection of the glass. Shit.
We were out without any security. If our management got wind of that, we'd be toast.
"Come on! Time to go!" I reached for Lucy's arm and pulled her with me. Groaning and grumbling, she stumbled after me. "Seriously –"She pushed back the sunglasses as we jogged down the road, ducking between a group of unsuspecting tourists, hoping that the mass of bodies would let us vanish, "That's why the rich stay rich – they can't shop in peace!"
I let out a loud snort. Sure Lucy, that's why.
The gates of our mansion squeaked tiredly, as I pulled up the driveway, spotting the opened front door immediately. "Oh shoot, the guys are already back from the interview." Lucy looked up from her phone, checking if anyone had posted something about our shopping trip, but so far, it looked like as if we had actually gotten lucky.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Ben texted and said they had to cancel on the puppy interview. One of the dogs had something bad to eat and – well…the studio wasn't useable anymore…."
I chose not to ask any further questions. The mental image building in my head was more than enough info. "They're making chili. Asked if we wanted some too. I said only if Raph isn't allowed to control the spice." That made me grin. Raph was very proud of his Mexican heritage and loved to express it through food. The rest of us, but especially Ben, weren't in possession of bowels of steel.
While Lucy unloaded her newest treasures, I paused for a moment to take in the front view of the place we called home. It wasn't one of those cold glass boxes you saw all over LA, thank God. Ours had character. The sun-washed stucco walls and wide arches made it welcoming, the red-tiled roof curling at the edges like it was smiling down at us. Wrought-iron balconies clung to the upper floor, half-swallowed by bougainvillea that seemed determined to take over. Inside, the old-world charm spilled into high ceilings and playful corners, but with just enough modern polish - big windows, glass doors, light everywhere - to make it feel open. It was still grand, yes. But it made us feel safe.
We had moved in during rehearsals of season one, as a temporary solution until we all found something of our own, but the mid-century style mansion had quickly captured all of our hearts with its charming architecture and lush garden that functioned as a whimsical escape from our harsh life and endless schedule.
Also, as it turned out, we all really needed one another to stay sane. We all had to learn that lesson the hard way unfortunately, but now, I was positive that we'd been through pretty much any shit that could come with being in the acting business.
By the time Lucy and I had entered the kitchen, the guys had done most of the cooking, but we were right on time for the usual showdown. Ben versus Raph. Spice or no spice – the age-old battle revived more often than the characters we played on our show.
Our kitchen was big and bright, the kind of space that wrapped around you the moment you walked in. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching on brass handles and bouncing across the wide-plank floors. I tiptoed across them carefully, they stretched out like an old storybook, worn but proud, softened by a faded rug that always made the place feel lived-in instead of perfect. The beams overhead gave it that sturdy, lived-in feeling, grounded by Ben's plants that crowded the corners and spilled from shelves, making the room feel alive, and the marble counters stretched out in neat, endless lines, already cluttered with bowls, ladles, and - of course - Ben's ridiculous clipboard he used to keep our schedule in check as if it wasn't our PR-manager Eric's job.
Lucy sighed loudly as she sidestepped around me and pushed herself between Ben and Raph, who stood in front of the kitchen aisle, and ungodly amount of chilis spread out in front of them. "You won't die from one ghost pepper!" Raph brandished the vegetable like a weapon, earning a dramatic eyeroll from Ben, who yanked his pristine white shirt over his nose like it was a hazmat suit. Our curly headed giant – ironically also our youngest – shook his head and sighed deeply at Ben's disgusted antics.
In the middle of it all, Dan stirred the massive pot bubbling away on the stove right in front of the window, while fending off Snuzzles, our perpetually starving cat, who had decided tonight was the night to mount a full assault.
I bit my lip to stifle a laugh, then padded over to him, leaving it to Lucy and Ben to save our tongues from Raph's spice-attack.
"They're still at it?" I asked, hopping onto the counter next to Dan. He looked up from the pot and a smile crept across his features as he realized I had taken my usual spot.
"As if there will ever be chili without it," he grinned, and pushed a strand of hair back. I still wasn't used to it being so long. It made him look like Prince Caspian from Narnia. "So, how was combat training?" The wolfish grin from Dan was all it took to make the guilt come back. Why did he always know when something was up?
I pressed my lips together. That's when Lucy came up to us, to throw the tags of her new clothes into the trash. Dan's eyes flickered between my face and her and went wide as he read my expression correctly. "You - Carly Winter - skipped training for a shopping trip? Didn't think I'd live long enough to see that."
The irony wasn't lost on me. Normally, the roles would have been swapped, normally, it was Dan who would have skipped our duties to have a little fun - but a day of shopping had been too tempting, and I had promised my therapist at our last session I wouldn't put as much pressure on my work anymore.
Dan shook his head but grinned. "I'm proud of you! But don't get mad when I kick your butt in rehearsals on Monday!"
I snorted and crossed my arms, leaning against the corner cabinets while kicking Dan softly with my foot. He grinned even wider, the challenge making his eyes spark with anticipation. I held back a snort at how easily excitable he was and pushed my foot once again into his hip. He leaned into my touch for a second, then his gaze softened. So did mine. A wordless reassurance that things were good.
A loud, pitiful meow of Snuzzles captured Dan's attention again and I took the opportunity to let my gaze wander across the room for a little. God, I had missed the calm of our home and the chaos of my friends so much.
Dan handed me the wooden spoon before swooping the cat into his arms, scolding our fur-ball:" You've been off the streets for seven years now. Stop acting like we don't feed you!" But Snuzzles simply yawned, thoroughly unimpressed.
The kitchen settled into a comfortable rhythm as we prepared dinner together. I watched my friends from my spot in the corner, warmth spreading through me. Yes, it had been the right choice to come back.