Dreams of Stardom (Hollywood SI)

"I just want to talk to her, Jackie," Troy said emphatically.

"And I told you that she is studying for her mock exams," Emma's mother retorted. "Why can't you come back in a few weeks when she's done with all her exams rather than disturbing her right now with…whatever this is?"

From what Emma could gather, her mother wasn't too happy with Troy at the moment and wasn't shy about showing her disapproval. With the way their breakup had affected Emma, it made sense. Troy hadn't said anything mean or done anything that could be considered retaliatory, but the way he blatantly ignored her afterward didn't sit right with her. After all, it was Troy who had made a pact that the two of them would remain friends even if they broke up. And now, here they were.

"Fine," Troy said with clear frustration in his voice. "I'll come back in two weeks. I want to bury the hatchet and make things right between us once more. We still have to work together for years to come, and I don't want any differences between us to come between our work or, heaven forbid, create another controversy."

Jackie's tone softened slightly when she said, "Of course. That's very mature of you, Troy. I'll make sure—"

"Troy?" Emma couldn't stay hidden any longer. She had to confront him now.

Her mother and Troy turned toward the girl who had just come into the living room. As soon as the two teenagers' eyes met, neither of them could look away.

"Emma! I told you to focus on your studies," her mother said.

"I'm taking a break, Mum," Emma replied, but her eyes never left Troy's. Brown eyes met green in a staring competition that neither wanted to lose. A competition Emma lost, so she quickly averted her gaze from him.

"I can come back later if you're busy," Troy said as soon as Emma looked away.

"No," she shook her head. "It's better if we get this out of the way, or I'll keep wondering why you're here. That reminds me—why are you here, Troy? Are you here to apologize for ignoring me?"

"No," Troy said clearly. "I didn't do anything wrong. You broke up with me. I just wanted some space to get over you. Now that I have, I want things to go back to normal between us."

"Define normal," Emma said, stopping Troy in his tracks.

"Before we became a couple," he said after a few moments. "The way it was between you, me, and Jamie. I'm not asking for anything else. I just want to know that if I have a problem, I can talk to you without thinking twice about it. The same goes for you. You used to call me all the time before we started going out. I wish we could go back to those days."

While she didn't say it out loud, Emma used to call him because she had a crush on Troy at the time. But now… things could never go back to normal.

Yet, she knew that nothing good would come from prolonging their mutual suffering. But before anything could be resolved, she needed to clarify one thing with Troy.

"Mum," she said, turning to her mother. "Can you give us a little privacy?"

The older woman hesitated for a few moments, but eventually, she trusted her daughter enough to nod and leave the two teens alone in the living room.

Troy didn't question Emma's motive, simply raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I have to tell you that I'm not dating Nicholas Hoult," Emma said hurriedly. At Troy's confused expression, she explained further, "He and I go to the same school when we're not filming, but that's all. I don't even know him that well. And since the rumors about the two of us were so close to home, my publicist suggested I should consider dating someone else to throw everyone off the real thing."

Troy could only gape at her in silence. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, unable to come up with anything coherent for a few moments before finally settling on, "Why didn't you tell me then?"

"I tried," Emma retorted. "God knows I tried so many times. I knew you were hurting and just wanted to tell you I hadn't moved on yet either, but you just wouldn't listen. You really need to work on your people skills."

Troy closed his eyes in defeat before nodding slowly. He opened them again and said in the most earnest voice, "I'm sorry, Emma. I'm really sorry for ignoring you when you were just trying to help me."

"It's okay," she smiled. "I think I deserved to be ignored and more. I'm beyond apologetic for the way I broke up with you. I could've done it in a much better way."

"Let bygones be bygones and start afresh," Troy said jovially before offering her a handshake. "Hello. I'm Troy Armitage. Nice to meet you."

Emma couldn't help but grin widely at her ex-boyfriend's antics before shaking his hand back. "Nice to meet you, Troy. I'm Emma Watson." Her smile dimmed slightly when she added, "I can't make any promises at the moment, but I'll try my best to be your friend again."

It was then that Emma's mother walked back into the living room. Their five minutes must have been up.

"Thank you," Troy said. "Now, can I please get your new number? That was a dick move you pulled, by the way." He surreptitiously glanced at Emma's mother as he said the last part, indicating that he knew whose idea it was not to give him her number.

"Your dad has it," Emma said, confused. Being the producer of [Harry Potter], it would be odd if Steve didn't have her phone number.

"He refused to give it to me," Troy replied. "Said that if I didn't get it from you, he wouldn't give it to me either. That's why I didn't call before coming here today."

"Fine," Emma relented.

Jackie interjected, "Don't call or text until your exams are over, Emma." She may have addressed her daughter, but she was looking at Troy, making it clear the message was for him.

"Okay," Troy agreed, before taking out his phone and handing it over to Emma who quickly typed her new number in.

(Break)

I stood motionless as the dark-skinned beauty stepped forward and kissed me softly on the lips. As much as I wanted to return the favor, I didn't.

Rihanna pulled back after a few moments, realizing I wasn't kissing her back.

"You love someone else," she said matter-of-factly.

"I… do," I confirmed after some hesitation.

Rihanna looked away, and I could see the indecision on her face. Thankfully, it didn't last long before she gave me a small smile. I could see the hidden pain in her eyes when she said, "She's a lucky girl."

"She is," I agreed.

"Go get her then. Just don't forget that you still owe me a song."

I nodded once before stepping away. Then I paused, came back, and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Rihanna. If things were just a little different, we—"

"Stop," she cut me off. "Just go before I… Just go."

I didn't say anything else because I knew it would only make things worse. So I turned and ran in the opposite direction.

"Cut!" Daldry announced loudly. "Good job, Troy. Rihanna, you were phenomenal just now. This was exactly what I needed for this shot."

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Really," Daldry said in a reassuring tone.

"He's right," I concurred as I walked back to her. "You were very good just now." That wasn't entirely true, but sometimes some things had to be said to reassure your fellow actors.

Rihanna was many things, a phenomenal singer, unparalleled beauty, and a fun person to hang out with, but a good actress she was not. This had already been our twelfth take, and finally, she had done a good enough job for the scene to pass. Usually, when shooting with Emily or me, Daldry never compromised, settling for nothing less than absolute perfection. But working with a non-actress like Rihanna was a different matter entirely, and he settled for the first "okay" shot.

An actress like Emily or even Emma could have performed better than Rihanna in probably their first take. The only reason Rihanna had been cast, despite her lack of acting talent, was that her character had fewer than five minutes of lines. It wouldn't affect the film too badly if she wasn't the best actress.

Daldry continued, "It's your and Emily's scene next, Troy. But before we move on…" He raised his voice significantly. "Everyone, give it up for Rihanna, who just finished all her scenes in her very first film!"

The cast and crew members present on set immediately started clapping for Rihanna, who bowed in embarrassment. I had to hand it to Daldry—he knew exactly how to make everyone on set feel special. Such shoutouts were common during his shoots. Even actors with a single scene lasting just a few hours received them. These weren't limited to the cast, either; the crew got them as well. It was one of the biggest reasons I hadn't thought twice about selecting him as the director for this film.

"Oh, stop now," Rihanna said as the crew kept applauding. "I'll blush if you don't."

"I wouldn't mind seeing you all flustered," I said matter-of-factly when the applause died down.

"Of course, you wouldn't," Rihanna said exaggeratedly before lowering her voice. "Have you decided about what I asked you earlier? Now that my scenes are over, I don't really have a reason to stay behind in London unless…"

She trailed off evasively, glancing around at the lingering crew members. Neither of us knew exactly who might be listening to our conversation.

Before I could reply, Emily and Rob walked over hand in hand, though Emily quickly let go as soon as she noticed me looking at their connected hands. To be honest, I had sort of accepted that Emily was with Rob and that I wouldn't be getting together with her. After I had some time to think it through, I realized that Emily and I wouldn't have worked out. She's a good friend, and they are so rare to find when you're as famous as I am. You would always second-guess whether they're your actually your friend or for your fame/money.

"If it isn't the lovebirds," Rihanna called out, blissfully unaware of the subtle drama unfolding between Emily and I. "I have to say, you two look so cute together."

"Thanks, Rihanna," Emily replied with a visible blush, carefully avoiding my gaze.

Seeing her like that made me realize that I put her in a difficult spot after my impromptu and very badly thought out proposal. I had to make this right before this gets any more awkward.

"She's right," I said to Emily. "You two do look good together."

Emily looked up at me in surprise. I gave her a nod and a genuine smile. She smiled back at me, and seeing her face lit up with joy was exactly what I needed. In that moment, I knew that I had done the right thing.

With that thing out of the way, there was just one thing left, the answer to Rihanna's question. I had thought about it long and hard, naturally, and it didn't take long for me to find the answer.

"Rihanna?"

"Yes, Troy?"

"My answer to your earlier question is yes," I stated clearly.

Emily, Rob, and a few eavesdropping crew members looked confused by my cryptic words, but thankfully, no one asked aloud what I meant.

Rihanna's eyes widened briefly before a huge grin spread across her face. "Glad to know that. Let's continue this talk later. You have a scene to shoot, I guess."

"That we do," I said, turning toward Emily. "Wanna run some lines with me? It'll take Daldry some time to set the scene."

"Sure," Emily agreed easily.

Rob and Rihanna stepped back, leaving me alone with my Emily to prepare for our upcoming scene.

(Break)

At the end of the shoot that day, I didn't go home immediately. Instead, I went to the hotel where Rihanna was staying. I knocked on her door, hoping to surprise her a little. When she opened it partially, I could see the amazement on her face.

"Is this a good time to talk?" I asked. "I would have called, but I thought we should do this in person."

"Oh yeah," she nodded, closing the door briefly to undo the latch before opening it fully.

She was wearing a black tank top and a pair of pink shorts that did nothing to conceal her long, smooth legs. I closed my eyes for a moment, reminding myself again that this was just a transaction, not a real relationship. If Emma could do it, then why couldn't I?

I took a seat on a chair while Rihanna sat cross-legged on the bed.

"So?" she said, prompting me.

"So?" I echoed.

"How do you wanna do this?"

"I have no idea," I admitted. "I thought since you proposed it, you'd have a plan."

From the look on her face, Rihanna didn't appreciate my response. "Last year, I didn't even know I'd release an album, let alone meet people like Jay-Z or you. Why would you think I'd know anything about how this works?"

I sighed in defeat. This is what happens when two clueless people try to navigate uncharted territory. If Rihanna wasn't going to take the lead, I'd have to. I brainstormed for a moment before nodding to myself.

"Okay," I began, taking control of the situation. "To be honest, I don't want a serious relationship. I don't even want to go on dates. But I get the benefits of being in a relationship—it keeps you relevant in the media. If you're fine with that, we can move forward."

"I'm fine with it," she said in her heavy Barbadian accent.

I nodded before asking, "Does Jay-Z or anyone else know you proposed a fake relationship to me?"

"No," she replied. "I didn't tell anyone. That would defeat the purpose."

"That's good," I said. "So let's keep it between us. I'll need to tell my family, though, since they'll know if it's not real. Don't worry—they can keep a secret."

"I won't even tell my family," Rihanna replied matter-of-factly. "They wouldn't keep quiet about it. It's better if they just think we're dating."

"Cool," I said. "I'd suggest an NDA, but since we're both underage, it wouldn't be legally binding. I'll just have to trust you."

"And I'll have to trust you," Rihanna shot back sassily.

"No offense, but if this gets out, I have much more to lose than you."

Rihanna tilted her head in thought before nodding. "True. So, what's your favorite film?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused by the sudden shift in tone.

Rihanna rolled her eyes as if explaining something to a child. "If we're pretending to be a couple, we should at least know basic things about each other."

"[Pulp Fiction]. But shouldn't we start with simpler things, like family, before likes and dislikes?" I countered.

Rihanna looked momentarily embarrassed before nodding. "Yeah, we should. I didn't realize it because everyone seems to know everything about your family." Then she shook her head and continued, "Anyway, I'll start. My full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. I was born in Barbados. My parents divorced three years ago, and I dropped out of high school to pursue my music career. Your turn."

I smiled at her before giving her the barebones version of my life history—the kind of things any girlfriend, real or fake, should probably know.

We talked for what seemed like hours but was probably just one. The time flew by, and I only realized how late it had gotten because I'd come here after the shoot. With tomorrow being the final day of filming, I knew I couldn't afford to be late. So I bid her farewell.

I stood from my seat and walked toward the door. Opening it halfway, I turned back to Rihanna. "I'll discuss this with my parents and work out a strategy to reveal our relationship to the world organically so it doesn't seem fake."

"Okay," she agreed easily.

Before I could step out, Rihanna moved beside me and kissed my cheek.

"We should get used to this," she said innocently. "For appearances' sake."

I stared at her for a moment, gathering my courage before stepping forward. But I wasn't one to settle for her cheek. Her plump lips met mine in a heated clash.

Rihanna froze for a split second, surprised by my sudden move, but quickly recovered and kissed me back with equal fervor. Her soft lips moved against mine in what could only be described as the best kiss of my life. Her mouth opened, and our tongues danced together in a passionate exchange.

When the need for air became too much, Rihanna pulled away, giving me another innocent look. "Are you sure you have to go? I'll make it worth your while if you stay."

I glanced at the Rolex on my wrist, a constant reminder of how late it was and the inevitable lecture I'd get for not telling my parents where I was. My security team was downstairs, and knowing them, they'd already informed Dad of my whereabouts.

But even if I set aside my parents' worries, I couldn't ignore the potential consequences of my next step. One misstep could doom me for the rest of my life.

"Ah, fuck it!" I muttered, stepping back into the room and closing the door behind me. I pulled Rihanna into another kiss, this one even more fervent than before.

Everything else could go to hell for all I cared. Only a fool would turn down a hottie like Rihanna.

___________________________________________

AN: Just wanted to get it out there that I do read most of your comments. I just stopped being as active as I was a few months ago because I have a real life as well which recently got very hectic. I post this story on 5 websites including Pat/reon. If I answer to each and every one of your comment, I would hardly have any time left to myself. So even if I didn't reply to you personally, I will read each and every comment.

Here's the replies to some of your common comments:

1. For some reason, people skim through the story without reading everything and then they don't understand that Troy is not a grown man mentally. So let me say it one more time: Troy doesn't remember his last life fully. He only gets glimpses of future when he reads about/sees something.

2. To those who don't like a particular storyline and want to leave, you can do it silently without making a fuss, I'm not asking you to read my story at a gun point. Commenting it that you're leaving is super rude and just shows your attention seeking habits. It may take only a few seconds for you to write that, but it ruins my mood for hours when someone says that and tens of people like the comment. That makes me think, why am I even posting this story here? Maybe that's why so many writers stop uploading their stories on free sites after a point because of trolls like you.

3. I added the jealousy part in the story because I found it funny. For some reason, most readers took it way too seriously. Calm your horses, it was just meant as a joke. You can't call someone's inner thoughts as being immature. People have all sorts of weird thoughts in their heads. Immature would be if they act upon them. Read the chapter again if you have to, Troy didn't act upon his thoughts.

I would also like to remind you guys to be polite in the comments. Like most normal people, I don't like reading shit about me. If you can't be polite, don't comment. It's as simple as that.

With that said, this is my last chapter of the year (obviously). I hope that 2025 would be a great one for all of you. Happy New Year!