Free Emancipated by M. G. Reyes Page B

red-faced, almost teary. “Just let me, okay? If I’m too young to join in the fun then at least don’t make me waste my time.”
    Reluctantly, Paolo let her into his room and then stuck a sign that said Private on the outside of the door. As he left, he spotted Candace behind the yellow spiral staircase, unsteady on her feet and blinking. She looked as though she’d had a flashlight shone into her eyes and was leaning on the staircase for support. In one hand she held a cell phone.
    â€œYou okay?” he asked.
    Candace suddenly focused on Paolo. “Omigod. I don’t believe it.”
    â€œWhat?”
    Her eyes lit up. Slowly but surely an expression of pure wonder spread across her face. She raised both hands to her mouth and gasped.
    â€œI got the show. I’m gonna be on TV. Paolo!”
    â€œReally? How? Did you go for another audition?”
    â€œNo . . . it’s . . . I can’t take it in . . . I was one of the alternates. For the part of Gina, in Downtowners .”
    â€œYou were an alternate? I didn’t know that.”
    â€œI didn’t know it, either! My agent decided not to get my hopes up. But the girl who got the part was in some kind of accident. She broke her leg. The other girl they called isn’t available.”
    â€œSo—you’re in?”
    â€œYeah. I mean, kind of a bummer for the girl who first got it. Obviously. But she’s on crutches for eight weeks. And filming starts tomorrow morning. So, hell yeah , I’m in!”
    â€œJeez, Candace. That’s amazing!”
    Candace did a little jump for joy. She threw her arms around Paolo’s neck and squeezed.
    â€œI got it! I mean, I know it isn’t a big part or anything. But that’s good, right? Too much and I’d have problems with school.”
    â€œIt’s awesome!”
    She held her breath, smiling at him. “It really is, isn’t it? And the beauty of it is that the other girl’s agent had already convinced them to let her have hair.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œYeah, originally Gina was going to rock the shaved-head look.”
    Paolo made a face. “Not a good look for a girl.”
    â€œObviously.”
    â€œWe should go inside and tell everyone. Yeah, Candace! Yeah, TV!”
    A few minutes later everyone was raising a glass to Candace’s news. She herself, however, was apparently finding the news increasingly hard to absorb. She grew noticeably quieter. After a while, she disappeared into her room.
    The energy level inside the house soared as the alcohol began to flow even faster. Paolo wandered through the house, picking up discarded plastic cups and plates, cleaning occasional stains from the walls with a kitchen wipe. In his other hand he carried a glass of the cocktail that Lucy had mixed.
    It was the first party he’d ever hosted. Hosting really wasn’t as much fun as attending. He couldn’t relax. He remembered getting totally wasted at parties when he was fourteen. But lately, tennis had dominated his existence. He wasn’t supposed to drink too much. Calories. He glanced at the trickle of people going into Lucy’s room. She’d promised to get hold of some weed. There was a bong party going on in there. Maybe he could risk just a few tokes without getting too bad a case of the munchies. Uncomfortably, Paolo watched the kids waiting to get their chance to go inside. It wasn’t difficult to see the difference between him and them. Everything about their clothes, hair, tattoos, and attitude screamed rebellion.
    Maybe that was why Lucy wasn’t into him?

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    HarperCollins Publishers
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JOHN-MICHAEL
    VENICE BEACH HOUSE, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
    John-Michael made his way downstairs, pausing to admire the decorations that hung in the main hall and living room. He’d insisted that