Chapter Three - Casting off the shackles

"What the hell are you doing?" India inquired, as Seren crouched over the bath tub.

Trying to juggle the shower head and rinse the dye from her hair without getting it in her eyes was no mean feat. But as the water began to run clear she flicked began to fumble blindly for the towel.

"Here." Said India, handing it to her. "Why the change?"

The startling black was a shock to her, as she looked in the mirror. She'd always been blonde. It had never faded, even as she grew older.

"New life, new hair." She sighed, rubbing it dry until she was irritated with it and decided to let it dry naturally.

India handed her the hair dryer. "You're going to need this."

But Seren stared at it flatly. She'd never used one before. "Why?"

"Because I have this thing I have to go to, and you're coming with me!"

Seren's first instinct was to object. The city was a stranger to her, and it was almost 10.30 at night. Wasn't 10.30 more of a time to go to bed?

"This is the city that never sleeps." India said, throwing items from her wardrobe onto the bed. "And it would be a shame not to show case the new hair!"

Seren could feel every bone in her body ache for sleep. It had been a long and emotional day. There was so much to think about, to try and make sense of. She hadn't even unpacked.

"Please Seren? It would mean alot to me if you came. It's kinda like this afterparty thing my boss invited me to. There's free drinks, and we can get a cab right there and back. No big deal, I promise!"

There had been a few parties back at the communes before. The older ones would sit and drink the black stuff and smoke joints until their eyes rolled into the back of their heads. It hadn't looked much fun. But maybe parties in New York were different.

"Well, where is it?" She asked, trying not to show too much interest.

"It's at the Hotel Plaza Athenee. It's just one block from here. I need to show my face, talk my boss up to some people and then leave. Seems a shame not to take advantage of the free bubbly. You know that stuff can cost more than a hundred bucks a pop?!"

Somehow, Seren found herself in one of India's little black dresses and in the back of a cab. It was as she had suspected. Parties in New York were different. Any sniff of a joint in this place and all hell would break loose. It was a black tie event. And little swarms of people stood dotted all around the lavishly decorated room. This was more luxury than Seren had ever seen in her life. It was strange to see her cousin so at home amongst these people. And yet it was plainly obvious she was not one of them. But with her hair tied up loosly with red tendrils flowing down her back, she had earned her spot amongst the rich and beautiful. Seren admired her. But didn't wish it for herself. She stood back and let India do her thing. The champagne certainly looked expensive, but when she took a sip the taste was too bitter and dry.

"I'm just going to find the bathroom." She said over India's shoulder, unsure if she actually heard her.

The lobby was full of people checking in or out, arriving to the party or leaving the party. The signs for the bathroom were nowhere to be found, and everyone who looked like they might know where they were stood engaged in important conversations, or rushed around too fast to be stopped.

"I don't really like the hotel...."

Stepping back, Seren moved behind one of the marble pillars.

"No...of course not. I understand that but..."

The man was standing alone, and certainly not a VIP. Dressed in jeans and a hoodie, he looked as lost as she felt.

"I don't mind staying here a few more days...No, I don't want an upgrade! That's what I'm talking about! Somewhere...less..."

His accent was the first thing that struck her. Not New York. Not even American.

"This is too much. I can't stay here the whole shoot. Please sort it out for me? Ok...bye."

Peering out from behind the pillar she watched as the man walked away. He bowed his head and walked through the crowds that were gathering around him. The crowds were starting to bother her too. They were loud and drunk, and their faces were jovial, but unkind. She sensed the vibe of the room, and none of it was real. These people were there to network. Nothing else. These important conversations they were having, they all meant nothing outside the office.

"It's all bullshit." India said, coming up from behind with another glass of the disgusting champagne in her hand.

Seren took it from her politely. "I thought I'd lost you for a minute there, I thought you said you were going to the bathroom?"

Seren shrugged. "I couldn't find it."

"You have to take the elevator. You could use the bathroom down here but you'll probably have pissed your pants by the time you get in there the line is practically out the door."

She pointed to a group of women standing against a wall in the far corner. They looked uncomfortable, but still they wouldn't let go of their gross champagne.

"Which floor do I need?"

India smiled. "There's a ladies room on the first floor, I'll meet you back in there, ok?"

Leaving her drink on a table next to the entrance, Seren made her way through the people towards the elevators. There were three of them. She couldn't decide which one to call, so she pressed them all and waited in the middle. When the one at the furthest end sprung open, she had to run to catch it, slamming her hand against the door which was already closing.

"Damn it!" She whispered, pulling her hand back and realising there was already a mark forming across her palm.

"This one's already done that to me twice." Said a voice she had heard before.

She looked up. It was the English man.

Chapter Two - Robert

There was a flurry of snow in the air as he stepped off the plane. Pulling his jacket tighter around him, there was a small commotion up ahead. Airports were always a minefield for him. Step on one, and it would go off in your face. Keep your head down, and hope you make it to the car ok. Flash lights penetrated the terminal window as he approached it and behind him he heard someone remark that they had seen lightening. If only...he wished. Dashing into the building, glad to be out of the cold he made his way towards the baggage claim and waited by the conveyor belt. His eyes scanned for the red suitcase which was his, praying it would be the first off. It made sense, since he had been the last one on the plane back in London.

As predicted, his case flew past first and he grabbed it quickly, pulling it behind him as he pulled the hood of his jacket over his head. There was no way to get used to it. The flashing lights, the incessant questions. The interest in every move he made. His mind shut down as he made his way through the terminal. Just get to the car...Just get to the car....Surely they had enough pictures?

It was still so new to him. The fame. He'd had a taste of it before, but nothing like this. He'd had no idea how the whole thing would blow up, become a sensation.

"Rob." He heard the voice break into his thoughts and he turned to address the person who had called him.

But he didn't know their face. They were a stranger. Worse, they were paparazzi. And they knew more about him than he knew about them.

"Rob..." Someone called again. "Rob..."

A large hand gripped his shoulder. "Are you deaf?"

Clearly startled, he turned and shrugged the hand off, immediately regretting what he had done.

"Jesus christ, Dean! You're meant to be waiting by the car!"

The large man smiled and gave a sarcastic wave to the camera's which were now backing off.

"I thought you could use a hand." He whispered, taking the red suitcase and leading the young man out of the terminal into a waiting car.

Once behind the blacked out windows, he was finally able to breathe. The man in the driver's seat was someone he didn't recognise, but his bodyguard seemed to know him well, and that was good enough for him. Switching on his cell phone it began to vibrate immediately. It would have to wait. He was exhausted.

"How far is the hotel?" He asked, yawning.

"Manhattan. We got to drive through Queen's first." Dean replied.

He sighed, watching the busy road fly past. "I need a shower and a beer."

"That's all a man needs..." The driver remarked, in a thick New York accent.

Rob leant his head back and felt his eyes become heavy. It never ceased to amaze him how he had ended up here. He was itching to get the script in his bag out and start reading it over again, but he knew the words would merge together on the page. He'd committed to this before his fame had erupted. He'd wanted to do it, regardless of the millions he could have been paid doing other jobs. He had somehow found himself as a proper actor. Getting paid to do Hollywood movies. It didn't tie in with his London childhood. He was still trying to figure it all out.

"I've got three days until filming starts. Seven interviews tomorrow morning and The Late Show tomorrow night. One free day in six months."

It suddenly occured to him that it was possible that he wasn't going to see his family again for almost a year. He'd left them behind at Heathrow, their smiling faces waving him off. His Mother had cried through the smile, and this had bothered him at the time. His sisters, both supportive and worrying had stood there and watched him leave. Lizzie understood better than any of them that his life had changed beyond all recognition. She'd had some fame of her own. But Victoria, in her own way, as the oldest, probably would have worried more anyway.

"This is amazing!" She'd said at the terminal back in England. "I still can't believe it..."

Rob was more neutral. "I've just spent two months filming in Portland, and you can't believe I'm going to New York?" He laughed. "We've been to New York before!"

She brushed off his nonchelant words. "Yes but that was nothing, just a holiday, this is HUGE!"

He tried not to let her words get to him, he smiled and embraced her tightly.

He heard the whispers around them. Is that Robert Pattinson? It is...It's the guy from Twilight!

He knew they heard them too, but they never let on.

"I guess I'll see you guys....when I see you." He said, before boarding the flight in the first class section.

That was something he still wasn't used to. But as the plane had taken off, and England drifted away, that sense of excitement and dread merged together and somehow he managed to fall asleep.

"Rob...Wake up...."

Dean's face was looking down on him. "We're at the hotel."

"Why are we round the back?" Rob inquired.

"You don't want the paps to find out where you're staying, do you? You'll never get any sleep with them flash bulbs going off!"

He felt his cell phone begin to vibrate again.

"I've got to take this..." He said, walking into the back entrance of the hotel he would be calling home.

Chapter One - Serendipity

It was purely by accident that she ended up where she belonged. Ever since she could remember the world had been moving around her. Or perhaps the word didn't move at all, and it was simply her that kept packing up and leaving. Memories of the road were all she had. Home had always been the people around her, never bricks or windows. Her brothers and sisters remembered it better, always sharing stories from before she was born. She was the youngest of six. And significantly younger too. Sometimes she resented that she had a different father. That there had been this entire life that her whole family had shared without her. But it was easy to forget her woes when they packed into the mini bus and moved on to the next commune.

Simeon was the oldest. He was the first to leave the life they had behind and plant some roots in the place where he left his heart. She had missed him at first, but then she realised it was just the child in her that longed for the missing piece in her daily life. Once she realised he was happy where he was, she didn't miss him anymore. Leon was two years younger. And even though he tried to leave along the way, he would always end up back in the mini bus with his latest solo journey behind him. Then came Caleb. Sometimes it seemed as if they were the same person. He wanted the same things she wanted. He was afraid to leave the family fold, but he knew he would someday. Kendra was her only sister. The second to leave. Married a man twice her age at the commune they had lived at in Ohio. She missed her, and not just because she wasn't there. She missed her dearly. And then Ezra. Who was still six years older than her. He wanted more than any of them to quit the road and put down some roots. But he was going blind in both eyes, and he knew his time was coming. She cried the most when she said goodbye to him.

"Wont you come with us? Atleast until we get to Jacksonville?" Her Mother had requested.

"No, I think I'll see how it goes here." She had replied, tearfully.

"Serendipity." Her Mother said, extending a hand out the mini bus to window to place on her daughter's face.

"Please Mom..." She corrected, " Call me Seren."

But her Mother only smiled and nodded. And knew the time had come for her youngest to try and make her way in the world. Perhaps she would be like Leon, and come back once she'd had enough. But somehow she didn't think so.

"I can't go to auditions if I'm on the road." She admitted to her Mother, who had only ever known hippy communes and campsites as her home.

"I know." Her Mother replied, reluctantly starting up the mini bus without her youngest daughter in the back. "Promise me that once you're settled you will call me, write me, anything?"

Seren nodded sincerely and watched her Mother and the brothers who remained with her drive away. Behind her was the future and she walked towards it willingly. There were flickering lights hanging in the night sky, and she got closer she began to see the buildings around them rising from the ground. She pulled the folded napkin from her back pocket and read the address she had scribbled on it again. She was tired and hungry, and instead of searching the city at night she decided to hail a taxi and go directly there. It was easier to take it all in from the safety of the cab. It had been quite random, the fact she was here now. Rolling down the freeway, a map in her hand, she'd thought about the commune in Jacksonville and recoiled at the thought of another six months there. Not because she hated it. But because she'd reached the age of 20 and never known anyone long enough to make a true friend. Something in her had snapped.

New York was where she had come. With the address she sought clutched tightly in her hand. When the cab stopped outside their destination, she didn't know what to do. Sweaty palms had smudged the writing and as she tried to make out the apartment number the cab driver coughed expectantly.

" We're here." He announced gruffly.

"Sorry. " Seren said, gathering her things before handing over most of the little money she had.

The cab had driven off before she could check that she was in the right place. She didn't need to wonder long.

"Hey! Seren!" She heard the voice boom down from a few floors above.

From one of the tiny windows she caught sight of the arms waving wildly down to her, and the familiar shock of red hair.

"Wait, I'll come down."

The street was lined with tree's. Each of the houses and apartment blocks had the staircases leading up to them that she had seen in movies. It was neat and tidy, everybody in their own personal living space. It was almost more than she could take. She'd never had her own room. She'd never had any room before. Before she could contemplate further, the door flew open and India flew into her arms.

"I can't believe you're here!" She proclaimed, holding Seren tight.

It felt good to see her cousin again. And she hugged her back with the same warmth.

"Had to happen sometime." She lamented.

India looked at her one bag. "Travel light these days?" She remarked.

"Can't exactly move around with alot of baggage. I brought clothes and some photos and stuff." Seren shrugged, still taking in her new surroundings.

"I guess not. So let's get you upstairs. Then you can fill your room with so much stuff you'll never go anywhere again!"

India was excitable. But it was to be expected. The last minute phone call had been recieved to screams of delight that her cousin was coming to stay. There had been a time when they had all lived together once. Seren's Mother had insisted on staying an entire year at the commune where her sister lived, and together there was twelve children between them. India was the youngest of her brood too. And even though it had been years since she left that life behind, there was nothing she loved more than the rare visits from family that always reminded her of her childhood. Seren being there was more than she could have asked for.

The apartment so light and airy. The tiny window she had seen from the front belonged in the bathroom, the second bathroom. This made Seren dizzy. The other windows, on the other side over looked central park and panned across the entire wall of the apartment. There was a flat screen tv on the wall opposite, a huge corner sofa facing it and an open plan kitchen around the L shaped corner.

"The bedrooms are over there. I cleaned out the guest room as best I could but there's still no bed. I put a bunk in there, we'll sort that out later."

But she didn't mind. She was used to sleeping on floors.

"This place is amazing." Seren remarked, her eyes scanning the marble work surfaces that gleamed in the shafts of light coming from the street lamps outside. House plants adorned every corner, she guessed in light of the fact there was no garden it was India's way of bringing some of it inside.

"How do you afford this place?" She asked, any sense of formality gone. In their world, questions like these weren't frowned upon.

"Well, I didn't always live somewhere this nice. My first place was practically a slum. But since I got my new job it's been pretty sweet."

She wondered what kind of jobs existed that meant she could afford a place like this.

"I work for the editor of a magazine. I'm her personal assistant. Anything from coffee to paperwork. Which means I'm hardly here. Which almost seems a shame that I live here really. If I can't really enjoy it. But you can now."

She couldn't imagine India as a personal assistant. Her quirky cousin had always been outspoken and independant, never one to take orders. And then it dawned on her that maybe she would have to change too to survive here.

"So when is your first audition?" India asked, breaking into her thoughts.

She almost didn't want to say. "I kinda don't have one." She confessed.

India nodded slowly, as if she was disappointed. "It's dog eat dog out there. Actors are like ten a penny here, it's hard to find a really good one. If you want to make this work, you'll have to work your ass off to get recognised. You need an agent."

The India standing before her now wasn't the girl she had grown up with. She had educated herself so well in city life it almost scared her to think of how little she knew. Perhaps she'd made a mistake. Jacksonville suddenly seemed like the sweeter deal.

"Don't worry." India soothed, picking up on Seren's mood. "With your looks, you'll land audition after audition."

Seren checked herself in the reflection of the windows. "Why do you say that?"

"Are you kidding me? Blonde hair, figure to die for. Kooky style. This bohemian thing you've got going on is all the rage."

Seren shrugged. She'd always dressed like this. Preffering to go barefoot than wear shoes. She only owned two pairs. One for summer, one for winter. She knew instinctively this wasn't a barefoot city. Pulling her fingers through the waves of blonde hair, she decided India was right. And hoped she wouldn't have to change herself too much to get by.

"Thankyou." She said randomly, sighing deeply before falling down onto the edge of the sofa. "I couldn't do this without you. I wouldn't know where to start."

India smiled. "And it is just the start."