First Stop, New York Read Online Free Page A

and Corliss kept putting it back on.
    “But do I hafta? Legendth only die in plane crasheth.”
    Corliss sighed, impressed by his skewed reasoning. “Legend,” she said, using her strictest babysitter voice. She knew zilch about child psychology, but she guessed it was necessary to establish firm parameters with difficult kids. “It’s a rule in
my car
that anyone under the age of puberty should be strapped in.”
    “But ith a
rental
car…” he chirped, unbuckling his seat belt yet again.
    “Legend, work with me here. What if a cop gave me a ticket?”
    “Maxth would reimburth you,” replied Legend.
    “I can’t bill my new boss for a traffic ticket the first day of work! Please, Legend, if you keep the seat belt on, I promise to get you some peanut brittle at the Farmers Market on our way back to the studio.”
    Legend pouted and looked out the window.
This is a kid who probably has a closet full of peanut brittle from the Farmers Market,
thought Corliss. She strapped him back in and hoped for the best.
    This trip was turning into a nightmare. Corliss had a GPS in the car, but the minute they were off the UBC lot, Legend had offered a surefire “shortcut”—which Corliss had been naive enough to take. A drive directly over Laurel Canyon that should have taken half an hour was now clocking in at ninety minutes—with no end in sight.
    “The beach?!” shrieked Corliss as she realized she’d headed in the wrong direction yet again. Sure enough, dead in front of them was the West Coast itself. She swore to herself she wouldn’t cry.
    Legend looked at Corliss with the innocent eyes of a cherub.
Could he have planned this?
thought Corliss.
    “Legend, why did you tell me to go west on the 10 freeway just now?”
    The pudgy lisper shrugged. “Becauth I like to thee all the cool carth.”
    Corliss took a big breath. “Okay, I’m taking big breaths to calm myself. So here’s what we’re going to do. From now on we are going to listen to the electronic GPS lady. I gave you your turn and now it’s hers, okay?”
    “But that lady ithn’t even real!”
    “I know, she’s a computer. And computers are our friends.”
    “Okay, Corlith. There’s jutht one thing I want to know.”
    “Of course, Legend—anything. I want us to be buddies! So what do you want to know?”
    “Um, hath anyone ever put their hot dog in your hamburger?”
    Back at the Soundstage—11:43 A.M.
    JB ran back into the cavernous room. His face was flushed, and sweat dappled his brow.
    “JB,” said Max sternly, “five-minute breaks are not
twenty
-minute breaks.”
    “Yes, Max, sorry. Just checking my e-mail.” He scuttled over to his chair and reorganized his pencils.
    “Fine, but don’t let it happen again. We’ll be on a very tight schedule with this production and it’s imperative that everyone be prompt.”
    Max approached the table where all the actors sat waiting for him. He sized them up as the pieces of clay he thought them to be. They looked up at him with anticipation. Even Rocco seemed ready to start.
    “Okay, before we begin, I have a few words about your characters. Trent, you’re playing Travis, the lifeguard. Good guy, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He’s been involved with Alecia on and off, but Tessa immediately replaces her in his heart. Tanya, you’re playing Tessa. Extremely sweet girl who would give a starving man the bikini top off her back. She’s new in town and a little naive. Anushka, you’re playing Alecia. Afterthe sun itself, she’s the hottest thing on the beach. She’s with Ramone now, but still has lingering feelings for Travis. Rocco, you’re playing Ramone, the mysterious muscly guy who’s head- over-heels for Alecia. And JB, you’re playing Ollie, the lovable geek who’s everybody’s confidant.”
    JB raised his hand. “So I take it we’ve all been cast against type?”
    Everyone thought that was funny—except Max.
    “You get exactly one funny-guy comment like that per day,