Ms. Tarleen might be a snotty rich lady that always has her nose up in the air, but she knew how to pull together a party.

"Grab those streamers Alyssa. They will look amazing if we drape them across the windows. Tara, don't you think that the vanilla pudding should be next to the cookies? I love dipping my cookies in pudding. Nicolas! Is that table too heavy for you? I can call my chauffeur. He isn't doing much right now."

"I've got it." I grunted. "Thanks."

"This looks amazing Lacy." My mom said, surprised. "I don't know how you do it."

"Not bad." A voice came from the doorway. "Not great but it could have been worse." The voice was of course belonging to my mom's longtime rival, Mrs. Kelley.

Now, I'm sure that you think my mom is a Karen after everything that went down with speaking to the manager thing, but she only gets like that when it comes to this book club, otherwise she's... nice. Mrs. Kelley, on the other hand, is a level ten Karen. Between her "let me see your manager" haircut, her yoga pants, and the sunglasses that are permanently perched on her head, she sends customer service reps running the moment she sets foot in a store.

Mrs. Kelley set her plate of cookies on the table and looked around. She sniffed in a disapproving manner and settled herself down on a chair.

I hate her so much.

"Ian!" Mrs. Kelley snapped. "Stop lurking around and get in here."

Ian Kelley and I have a complicated relationship. We go to school together and run in different crowds. He's more of a jock and I prefer to spend as little time at school as possible. The only reason that our worlds collided was when I was in kindergarten I "accidentally" locked him in the janitor closet. To be fair, he was a bully. Ever since then, for ten years, he tries to return the favor.

Daily.

Our relationship only started getting better after his mom joined the M.A.B.C. and he was exposed to the horror of being a M.A.B.C. kid. At school, it's still exactly the same, but here we are best friends.

"Ian! My man!" I called out as he slouched into the room looking like he died in his sleep.

"Crap you." He answered back.

Okay, so MY relationship with him has gotten better, he still hates me.

It didn't take long for the rest of the M.A.B.C members to trickle in, all of them dragging very unhappy kids in their wake.

The tiny room had nowhere near enough room to hold fifteen book club members, their kids, and a table that was almost bowing from the weight of the food piled on top. During the confusion of everyone trying to find someplace to fit, Alyssa grabbed my arm and said. "She's distracted. Let's get out of here."

This is tradition. The moment her "friends" are here, mom forgets that we exist, and we take advantage of that.

As Alyssa dragged me past, I grabbed a hold of Ian's arm. He glared at me but stayed quiet in order for us to sneak out. He hates me but not enough to stay in this room.

The moment that the door closed behind us Ian tried to bite a chunk out of my arm. I swatted him across the head. "Stop it you trickster."

He glared at me. " I hate you so much."

"Cut it out guys." Alyssa cut in. "She is going to hear us." She held up her purse that was stuffed to the brim with cookies and sandwiches. "I grabbed snacks on the way out."

I almost cried. I didn't realize how hungry I was until this moment. We had been going nonstop since six this morning and I hadn't eaten breakfast.

I gratefully helped myself to the sandwiches. Dear sweet Alyssa. Most of the time I am trying to figure out ways to either put her up for adoption or trying to go back in time to make sure that she never existed but there are certain times that I am thankful for her. This is one of them.

Ian gave her an attempt at a roguish wink. "You are a dear."

I shoved him so hard that he tipped over. "Dude! That's my sister."

He fell a little bit harder than intended and his right arm went right through the floor.

"I think I'm heading back in." I said without missing a beat. Friendship only goes so far.

Alyssa quickly joined my hasty retreat back into the crowded room, leaving Ian trying to jerk his arm free from the floor and cursing my name.

Our short retreat lasted long enough for everyone to have already gone through the snack line and found a seat. I grabbed another plateful of food and escaped to a corner where I sat back and waited for the drama to unfold.

During last month's meeting, their "book" of choice was the Princess Diaries. Normally, they focus only on books, but the Princess Diaries were dubbed so sinful that they had to make an exception. I've still watched it of course. That Saturday night after it was banned Alyssa, Dad, and I all waited until Mom went to bed and then we did a midnight viewing. Alyssa and Dad are huge Disney nerds and I just like breaking rules.

Mom stood up and tapped her spoon against her glass to get everyone's attention. Funny how a bunch of ladies can change the way that you act. She never would have done that with her McDonalds cup.

"I am so glad that you could all make it today." She started. "I am very excited to talk about this month's book The Beginning. Lets go in a circle and give our opinions about it. Mrs. Dawn! You go first."

Mrs. Dawn, a very soft-spoken woman who looked like she wanted to be there just as much as the kids fiddled with her fingers. "This might be a very unpopular opinion, but I really enjoyed the book. I felt that the characters were well written and actually had good backstories that were thought out and it had a storyline that wasn't far-fetched."

"Not to mention the main character, Sebastian, was hot!" Mrs. Kelley cut in. All around the other ladies muttered their agreements.

"I don't think that is the only thing that should be focused on." Mrs. Dawn started.

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Kelley held up the book. On the cover it was a picture of 3 teens, 2 boys and a girl. The one in the middle, Sebastien, had dark brown hair that was just a little too long to not be considered goth and blueish green eyes. The girl was your typical blue-eyed blond-haired beauty while the other boy was flat out bald.

"Wow." I muttered.

"Beautiful." Ms. Tarleen announced. "Exquisite. Exotic."

"I don't think that she knows what that word means." I muttered. "They look pretty European to me."

Alyssa, who had joined me in my corner, elbowed me right in my ribs. "Shut up! I like this book."

"I have news." Ms. Tarleen announced. She paused for a few moments for dramatic affect. "As I am sure most of you know, my fiancé is a movie director in Hollywood and he has taken on a new job. He will be directing the movie production for the Beginning!"

"They're making a movie?!" Mrs. Kelley squealed.

I hate that woman.

"That isn't all." Ms. Tarleen continued. "Mark has asked me to keep an eye out for any undiscovered talent. He really wants this movie to be a stepping stone for some first-time actors and I think that I have found who should be the part of Sebastian!"

"Who!?" My mom chimed in. She is such a suck up.

"Why, your own son of course."

Suddenly I was the center of attention. 40-50-year-old women were eyeing me like I was a slab of meat.

"I think that you should keep looking." Mrs. Kelley said with a sniff. "Nicolas couldn't act if he was held by gunpoint at a cliff's edge."

"Anyone that was holding me at gunpoint at a cliffs edge probably wouldn't be doing it to get me to act." I told her snootily.

I hate her.

"Honestly!" Ms. Tarleen interjected before things could get too crazy. "He matches dear old Seb's description perfectly. As long as he looks the part it doesn't matter if he can act!"

"Hold it right there." Mrs. Dawn chimed in. "That isn't true at all. Nicolas might look the part but looks isn't all that matters. This is why most movie productions fail because they only care about appearances!"

Ms. Tarleen tutted lightly and reached out to stroke Mrs. Dawn's hair. "Never go into the production business darling. Tara." She turned to my mom. " I hope that you don't find it too forward, but I scheduled an audition with Mark and the author of the Beginning, Isabella Garcia. It is in Chicago on Monday at 11. But only if you agree." She gave mom a hopeful look that I knew was actually a "if you don't do it, I will not be taking you to anymore 5-star restaurants" look.

"Of course, I agree." Mom sounded like she was going to faint. "This is a dream come true! He would love to!"

At this point I could barely believe my ears. "Isn't this something we should talk about first?" I asked between gritted teeth.

"No need. You would love to do it." Her eyes got really scary all of a sudden. "Otherwise you might not have a home to come back to."

Mrs. Dawn, dear Mrs. Dawn, the only voice of reason, giggled nervously. "Don't you think that things might be going a little too far? It should be his choice whether he wants to do it and not because he would be kicked out of his house!"

"And Dad would miss me." I added in.

Mom snorted. "He will be on my side. I am the only he needs anyway."

"Things just got real dark real fast." Ian muttered. He had a huge grin on his face and looked like he was having the time of his life. I was starting to not really like Ian.

"I don't think that I like this book." I was on my last leg at this point and wasn't really sure what I was saying, I just couldn't stand by and watch my mother betray me to keep a friend that was miles out of her social league happy.

"I haven't even read it. I can't portray a character I know nothing about."

"The audition isn't until Monday." Alyssa cut in happily. "You can read it by then. I can even read it to you while you are going to bed!"

"I have been betrayed. By my own flesh and blood no less."

"What am I?" Mom asked. "The next door neighbor?"

"Firstly," I said, holding up a finger. "By saying that, you admit that you betrayed me. Secondly," I lowered my head and glared at her. "You are dead to me."

The book club dispersed not long after that. The meetings never last more than an hour and a half. They come, they eat, they say what needs to be said, and they go home. I wish I had more friends like that.

The ride home was awkward. Mom wasn't very happy about me standing up for myself.

"Why couldn't you have waited to tell me your concerns until after the meeting?" She asked as she pouted in the back seat. She had been so mad at me, she made me drive so she wouldn't have to look at me.

"Why couldn't you have waited until after the meeting to talk with me and see if I wanted to audition instead of signing me up without even considering asking me?" I shot back.

"I think this is a really good opportunity for you." Alyssa piped up from the passenger seat.

"No one asked you!" Mom and I snapped at the same time. Alyssa pouted and stuck her earphones in her ears. The music was so loud I could hear One Direction blaring through them.

"At least give it a shot." Mom pleaded. "You probably won't get into the movie."

Knowing my luck, I would be the only one that they consider.

Out loud, I said. "If I have no chance, then why would I bother spending money on a ticket to Chicago? Those are expensive, especially if they're last minute."

Mom scoffed. "You act like we're hurting for money. We can handle it. Your father has a meeting in Chicago on Tuesday. He can leave a day early and you can fly together."

I groaned mentally. If I didn't manage to wriggle out of this, my backup plan was to go and ditch the audition. Maybe I could hang out at the hotel and order room service, or go see that giant polished bean that everyone is always talking about.

"That works out perfectly!" Alyssa said hopefully. She had at some point turned off her music and was listening in again.

"Shut up!" Mom and I said together.

We got home two minutes later, which was a good thing because the tension in the car was thick at best.

Alyssa was the first to get out of the car, slamming the door as she went. I turned off the car and sighed in relief. Dad was home. I was almost positive he would take my side on this. I jumped out of the car and locked the doors as Mom was trying to get out. I had to get in the house and get him on my side before she could.

"Nicolas!" She yelled. "How do I unlock this?"

I ignored her and made a mad dash into the house.

Alyssa had beaten me to him.

"And Nick says that he isn't going to go, but if you left a day early you could fly together. Please? It would mean a lot to Mom."

"Sounds good to me." Dad said. He was barely listening to her. He was tapping away at his laptop at the kitchen table while chugging a thermos of coffee. He looked up when I stalked into the room. "What do you say Nick? We can make a trip of it. I am not scheduled to fly back until Thursday. That gives us most of Monday and all of Wednesday to sightsee."

"No." I said.

"See." Alyssa gestured at me. "He isn't open to the idea at all. He and Mom argued all the way home."

"Nick." My dad finally put down the thermos. "I think you should do it. What are the chances of you getting the part? This is a high profile production. Hundreds, if not thousands of people will be auditioning. And it means so much to your mother." He frowned. "Speaking of your mother, where is she?"

"I locked her in the car." I snapped as I turned on my heel and marched up the stairs.