She looked like something from a magazine. So bright and cheerily dressed with perfectly applied eyeliner and princess pink lips. Her spaghetti strap dress reached high thigh. It was white with purple, burgundy red, and brown flowers printed on it. Her light brown hair was in a lazy side pony tail and her bangs were pinned up in a little bump. Her designer purse was brilliant white with a sparkly gold cord wrapped around it many times. Her heels complimented her legs well, making them appear longer than usual. She was stunning in her summer attire.
“Layne! Can you tell us how the song writing is going?” Photographers jumped forward at her and she just smiled and shook her head.
“I’m going to be late, sorry.” She turned and ducked into the car and her driver drove with excellent precision to the exit. Her driver sped off toward the studio.

Nora sat cross legged on the floor of her “writing room”. She wore her light blue sweatpants that said “PINK” on the butt and her notepad was sitting in front of her. She had the desk taken out and some beanbags sat in it’s place. Her guitar was propped up against the wall and her small fridge held some cans of pop and cheese sticks. The room wasn’t big, her closet was bigger than it, but she liked it, because she felt normal when she was in there.
A knock on the door made her stand up and she pulled it open. Layne stood there, looking glamorous as ever.

“Hey, Nora, just wanted to tell you I’m here, on time.” She smirked, her lips forming the perfect mean girl smile.

“I can see that you are.” Nora tried to close the door again, but Layne’s red high heel stuck out and stopped it.

“I was wondering if we could work together today.” Layne made an innocent eyelash bash at her, but anger boiled inside of Nora. Layne was a notorious lyric singer. Last time they had worked “together” Layne had stolen most of the lyrics that Nora had come up with.

“I’m actually almost done with a whole song, so no.” Nora pushed the door shut and leaned against, listening for Layne’s footsteps. Layne waited a moment, they huffed frustratedly and stormed away. Nora smiled to herself and situated herself on a fuzzy orange bean bag.


Nora cleaned up around her small room, getting ready to leave. She sat her notebooks under her bean bag and sat her guitar, acoustic, on it’s stand. She stepped out of the room and locked it behind her. She made her way down the hallway, past the other sound proof rooms and into the lobby. She noticed Clint, her boyfriend sitting in a lounge chair, messing around with his phone.

“Hey,” she said walking over. Clint looked up and grinned.

“Took you long enough, I’ve been here ten minutes.” Clint stood up and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Nora!” A singsong voice called out from behind them and Nora’s shoulders dropped. She turned to face Layne and her boyfriend did as well.

“Layne?” He asked surprised and then he glanced at Nora, then back at Layne.

“You must be her boyfriend.” Layne smiled at him and stuck out her perfect hand. Clint shook it speechlessly. Layne got famous quickly with her daddy’s money’s help and her auto-tuned voice and her catchy stolen tunes glued themselves in every ones brain.

“You didn’t tell me Layne was working here, too,” Clint looked at Nora with disbelief on his face and Nora couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Nora hadn’t released any of her songs to the public, wanting to make the perfect one to be her hit single.

“It must have slipped my mind.” She mumbled and looked at Layne with disgust.

“We should all go get coffee at Maurice’s. They have the best coffee, ever.” Layne grinned at Clint and the dampened it a little when she looked at Nora.

Nora said “No,” the same time that Clint said “Ok.” They looked at each other and Clint got the point.

“I forgot we can’t today.” He said flatly then he turned with Nora and headed towards the door. Layne felt anger burn inside her chest and she called after them.


“Tomorrow then,” but they were already outside.

Layne left the lobby, stomping back to her room. She a nice maple wood desk facing the large window and a vase of flowers from her mother sat on it. She had never had a serious boyfriend, just flings, but Nora had one. Ugh, it made her angry. Layne grabbed the vase and through it in the trash can. She heard the glass shatter at the bottom, but it didn’t help.

Layne slumped in her desk chair and spun herself around to look out the window. Why was she so unlucky.


“What was that back there?” Nora slammed the car door as they walked into the medium size dark green and brick mansion.

“What was what?” After the car ride in silence, Clint had tried forgetting his slight mess up.

“You wanted to go get coffee with Layne.” Nora crossed her arms and walked up the front steps under the palm trees.

“Sorry, I guess I was star struck, or something.” Clint looked at his feet then back at Nora’s face. She tried to look made, but he saw the worry in her eyes. “I’m sorry, really. I don’t want Layne or anything. She’s to hyper anyways. And full of herself.”

Nora’s shoulders relaxed and she smiled at Clint. She pushed open the wooden front door and let them inside.



Layne put her big sunglasses over her head and stormed out to her car, trying not to notice that no paparazzi were waiting outside for her. In her car she scrolled down her long list of friends in her phone and landed on Missy Hollis. Missy was a party girl who always helped Layne forget about her troubles at a club.

“Call Missy,” Layne murmured as she clicked the call button.

“Hey, Layne. What’s up?” Missy answered right away and her perky voice helped Layne sound more cheerful than she felt.

“I was wondering if you would come with me to The Dolphin Club.” Layne liked the drinks they served there, extra salty.

“Actually, I’m staying home with my boyfriend tonight. Sorry.” Missy didn’t sound very sorry.

“Ok, see you later.” Layne hung up and scrolled through her friends again, feeling sorry for her self even more.