Free Every Pearl Has Its Oyster by India Lee Page A

the full story. Too proud to openly grill him about it, Gemma tried to think of a stealthy way to question Tyler about Madison and her progress on set. She had bombed so badly during the screen tests and proven to be a totally undeserving actress, so Gemma was curious about how well received she could possibly be by the cast and crew.
    The answer to her question came quickly though, as she heard the chatter around the room fall to a hush. She looked up to see that one by one, the crewmembers were all turning to face the exit, their mouths falling open as someone strolled through the doors and onto the set.
    “Oh, look at you! You’re perfect!” Sidney bellowed over the stunned silence.
    It was Madison, of course.
    Her long hair had been wound into a messy bun at the top of her head with just a few loose pieces falling down to frame her face. She was wearing a distressed t-shirt cropped just below the Guinness Extra Stout logo and denim short shorts that looked even shorter on her lithe ballerina legs. Finishing the look was a small horseshoe tattoo at her right ankle and a pair of red Converse All Stars. She was like every man’s living, breathing American Dream and unsurprisingly, everyone had been rendered speechless – Tyler included. However within seconds, he gathered himself, looking over at Gemma to see if she’d noticed his momentary daze. She pretended not to, though she eyed him from the side as Madison made her way towards them, biting her pinky nail the entire way over.
    “Hey, Gemma,” she said, her usual megawatt smile looking unsure as she stood before them. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Um… can I call you Gemma? Or is it Bee?”
    “Gemma’s fine,” Gemma answered, squinting at Madison. Was she still trying to act all sweet and coquettish like she had with Tyler at the screen tests? Sure it had worked then but now he was aware of what a completely evil person she was. She had to know that Gemma would have told him the truth about her.
    “So, um.” Madison stuck her hands in the pockets of her shorts but they were too shallow to fit more than the tips of her fingers. She looked awkward, but Gemma didn’t put it past her to use that as part of her shy act. She was the queen of manipulation after all. “So, how are you liking your costume, Tyler? Sidney said we look like we belong together based on wardrobe alone,” Madison laughed, though she stopped almost immediately when Tyler didn’t laugh back. In fact, he barely looked at her. The only acknowledgment he gave was a brisk nod. His coldness pleasantly surprised Gemma while it seemed to confuse Madison. “Um, anyway,” she mumbled, gazing at the floor before raising her eyes to look at Gemma. “I was wondering, Gemma, if we could talk for a moment. In private.”
    They stepped out into the hallway, wary but entirely too curious to refuse the conversation.
    “Listen,” Madison finally said, biting her lip as she stood across from Gemma in the echoing white hallway. “I, um… I know that you and I didn’t really leave off as friends in high school.”
    “And why do you think that is?” Gemma asked, tilting her head. Madison blinked, seeming thrown off.
    “Well. Okay, um, I was about to get there with the whole… horrible things I did to you back at Beauford.” Madison clenched her jaw a bit, loosening the bands in her hair. “So, yeah. I wanted to say that I’m sorry. For the rumors and the mind games and… everything. From the bottom of my heart, I really am so sorry. I was mean spirited and young and completely immature in high school. So please, please accept my apology for what I did to you that year – I was stupid then. Beyond.”
    Gemma stared, blinking. That was too easy. She hadn’t expected Madison to just surrender. It was hardly any fun like that.
    “I just want to make sure that we’re on good terms now,” Madison continued tepidly. “I know you’ve probably told Tyler all about our history by