Free Hollywood Star by Rowan Coleman Page A

stepped in smoothly. “But they haven’t seen each other since filming wrapped. As far as we understand it, Sean is living peacefully in England enjoying life out of the spotlight. I’m sure that is exactly what all his fans want for him, so hopefully it will stay that way.”
    The audience applauded again and I closed my eyes for a second, feeling the heat in my face. I had broken my promise not to talk about Sean to anyone by talking about Sean to, well, most of America. Back home, everybody knew he went to Sylvia Lighthouse’s Academy, but no one talked about it outside school because the academy has a very strict privacy and confidentially policy to protect its more famous students. (We’ve got a couple of princesses, a prime minister’s son and one ex film star.) Everyone treated Sean like a normal boy and that was the way he liked it. Yes, I had broken my promise in front of twenty million people, but it was only because people were telling lies about him. I was sure he’d understand that. And I was fairly sure I didn’t give away anything too important.
    “You also worked with Imogene Grant on that film, didn’t you, Ruby?” Carl asked me.
    “Yes,” I said, glad to be talking about anything else apart from Sean. “Imogene is a wonderful actress and an amazing person.”
    “Of course.” Carl leant in close to me, cutting across Jeremy who was forced to lean backwards into the sofa. “Know any good secrets about Imogene?” he asked, waggling his brows. “Any reason why she’s got a spring in her step and a sparkle in her eye recently? Any truth to those rumours that she has a new love in her life?”
    “I do know a secret actually,” I said, making the audience laugh again.
    Jeremy looked at me. “Ruby, perhaps—” he began.
    “You do? Is it a big secret?” Carl asked me gleefully, ignoring Jeremy.
    “It’s massive,” I told him seriously with a slow nod of my head.
    “Will it make the headlines in the morning?” Carl said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
    “It will,” I said. “Although Imogene might kill me for telling you!”
    “Come on, Ruby, spill it right here, right now!” Carl demanded, grinning at the studio audience. “What is this huge secret that Imogene has been hiding all of these months?”
    “She likes full-fat mayonnaise on her cheese salad sandwich,” I said.
    The audience erupted into applause and laughter, and Carl reached out and shook my hand vigorously. Then I saw a man behind the camera making a “wind it up” motion with his hands and Carl turned to the autocue once more.
    “Well that’s all we’ve got time for tonight. Very many thanks to our guests, Christian Dane! Pete Peterson! Jeremy Fort! And tonight, ladies and gentleman, a star was born – Miss Ruby Parker!”
    From: Nydia ([email protected])
    To: Rubes ([email protected])
    Sublect: Re: Hello From Hollyuuood
    Hello Ruby,
    How are you? Hope you had a good Christmas. We did. iTly brothers nearly killed each other again fighting ouer each other’s presents, Dad ate so much he nearly exploded and Mum is moaning about the needles dropping off the Christmas tree!
    Hi Ruby, this is me, Annie-Marie. My Christmas was OK in the end. Mum and Dad were actually back in the country at the same time so all four of us were sitting around the table for Christmas lunch, except that Mum didn’t eat anything and Dad drank too much wine and Chris ate like a pig so he could leave early and go and see his girlfriend. Nobody really spoke to each other except to read the jokes out of the crackers which were rubbish so I sneaked awayand spent the afternoon with Pilar, not that anyone seemed to notice. But I don’t care because everything else is great. Sean is great. He sends his loue and says he hopes they are not eating you alive in La-La Land (I think he means Los Angeles). I haue some modelling work for H&M! By this summer you’ll see me modelling their teen range in all the shops and