Chapter Two

'When you can't control what's happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what's happening. That's where the power is'

I couldn't believe what was happening to me right now, Melody was offering me something that I'd dreamed of my whole life, something my family had always said I'd never get. My dad would call it rubbish, my mum would call it pipe dreams and my brother wouldn't even read my stuff.  It wasn't until my brother got his girlfriend, now wife and mother of Scarlett, that he even took a intrest in my writing because Shiela was taking an intrest in what I was doing, she was being a friend, a sister.

Now, here we are in LA and I'm being offered the chance to get Damon and Alex's story a book deal, by Melody Di Angelo, the woman I became friends with is now going to publish my book.

What do I do?

What do I say?

I have known her for nine years and I never knew she wanted to publish my books.

Sitting across from her, I tried to imagine my dreams finally coming true, the thought of showing people that I am a writer, I am someone worth having faith in. I am a author. My family didn't believe I'd ever make it, but Melody does. She has faith in me.

"Will you come?" Melody asked me, pushing her glassing upon her dainty little nose.

"Come... To... A... Publisher..." I hesitated as I knew this would be my first EVER book published.

"Yes"

I shifted my position to face Meghan and Cody who were standing giddy by the counter waiting on my answer.

"Well?" Melody asked me, waiting on my reply.

"Is this even real?"

"Of course my dear, why wouldn't it be?"

Melody sat at the edge of her seat waiting on my reply as my friends came up behind me also wanting my answer.

"Am I even good enough Melody?"

"Who says your not?" Melody asked me as she spots the hesitation in my voice.

"My family, my parents didn't support this move, this job, this risk I was taking"

Running my left hand up the back of my right hand as it sat bent forward, she saw I was getting scared, nervous even.

"Cierra, don't think you're NOT going to be good enough"

"No?"

"No, you are a beautiful, amazing person, who could write for the UK and the US for all I care, because you can do it... and you will make it"

"I will?"

Melody tilted her head to the side as if she was sad at what I said to her, because I was nervous, but she didn't ask me any questions about it. She just left the card on the table, she picked up her books and started to walk out the door.

Up behind me came Cody and Meghan sat where Melody sat, both of them in utter disbelif that I turned down my dream.

"What in the canoli was that Lex?" Cody yelled trying not to swear.

"What if I get stage fright, what if they don't sell"

"Then you'll still have us and the bookstore" Meghan reassured. "It's not the end of the world"

"I'll stay with you every step of the way, I followed you here to LA, I'm not letting you give up now Cierra."

"So, I should phone her then?"

"I'll chase her now" Cody replied running head over heals out the door to save my book deal.

It really showed that I had the most amazing friends in the world, if they were willing to run and save my dreams for me. Rebeca was still at home, in her own rut, I was trying to save her while Meghan and Cody were saving me. It would soon be time to go back to my apartment and see what she had done while I was at the shop, since she didn't show up here like she was supposed to.

Not really all that suprised though, she's been through a hard time back home. I do need to find out more about it though, if I get information from her herself, or see if my brother or sister-in-law knows anything, I need to update him anyway if I am to get my book out in the world, I have been going on about it since he was 12 years old.

I remember telling him about my dreams of living in LA or France with a house and a pool, my books selling off the shelves and my parents calling them pipe dreams, my mum telling me that a story is hard to complete, my dad saying that I am too young and naïve to get a book deal.

I'll end up in a care home, be like somebody who has already lived a full life, had a family, children, grandchild, a job, a chance at love. It felt as if my parents didn't want that for me, like I couldn't handle all that because I'm disabled.

Internet friends told me I could though, and with Cody and Rebecca's support in real life, along with the support from my sister in law, I made that move to LA. I made the with nothing but medication and the cloths on my back.

I arrived in LA with only a week's worth of epilepsy medication, Meghan set me up with an apartment her aunt had been renting out and wanted rid of so I got that without having to buy it. I got a part-time job next to her at a restaurant until we had enough to buy our place. Once we had enough, we bought the building where Maya May's is now.

Here we are, almost nine years later, since opening the shop at only nineteen years old, the shop still looked as good as new and I was finally getting the one thing I set out to travel all this way for, my main characters Chloe and Albert or Alexandra and Damon, their stories A Lovers Struggle short story series and When Hope Fails books are finally going to get reconsigned.

What do I do when or if they ever become number one in the US, in the UK, even around Europe... What would I do?

Where would I go?

What I do is I spend every waking moment getting my dream until one day, they become reality doesn't matter if my family believes in me or not. My friends believe in me, my  friends Cody, Meghan, Rebecca, they are all the family I need to believe in my dreams with me side by side, day by day.

Sitting here, in the shop, waiting for news my whole body started to shake with dispare, had I just ruined my chance? My world was spinning, my dreams, my future, my characters future (if characters had a future) had I ruined that too... Why... Because I was too scared...

Those 10 minutes Cody was gone seemed to be forever, it seemed like my life was back in England, back when I was told I'd never get anywhere other than my bedroom. That I'd never be able to drive, be married, have a dog. All those feelings we're coming back to me, the feeling of failure and regret.

'bang, wallop' the door slammed shut and Cody came rushing in like a horse who just came in first place at the races.

"Ci..e..rr..a.." He started to say panting at every letter of my name.

"What did she say?" I asked him, sitting at the edge of my seat waiting for the cliffhanger, the other shoe to drop.

"Hey, what did she say?"

Catching his breath, Cody picked up one of my short stories off the shelves, the story was about Chloe and Albert.

"Well..."

"These two characters, this amazing series, is going to be the forefront of Melody's publishing house to get you into the next phase of your career"

"What! What do you mean?"

"Cierra, you have a week to finish the next story and then they'll be a meeting with her son and daughter" He started. "Your in, your going to be an author" Cody ended on a high, skipping up and down taking my hand and Meghan's then jumping the three of us jumping around like dancers.

We felt like idiots afterwards, but we were happy idiots. I was officially on my way to becoming a full time real novelist.

Over the next few days, I was focused on finishing Chloe and Albert's story, it had been my soul focus to complete there series before moving on to the next stage of their lives, talking to Melody about where I should take them now. Since they were based on my great grandparents who fought in WWI.

By the following Tuesday, I had completed my short story collection. 'A lovers struggle' series one was complete, I'd let my friends read it, my family had been informed that it was going ahead, my brother and sister in law were supportive of the book deal, my parents were unsure, they think it's a whole lot of my life was wasted by coming here and this is going to be just another wasted part of my journey.

Tuesday morning came, and I remember Rebecca and Meghan came in to my bedroom with a full on English/American breakfast. There was waffles with syrup and then a plate full of eggs, bacon, sausages, beans with toast on the side. It was full on English/American made by my three most supportive friends and family members in the whole of the US.

Searching through my mountain of clothing that have gathered through the years, tossing the clothes for nights out onto my messy bed or the clothes I wear for work, running, coffee-dates. Everything was thrown over my shoulder and onto my bed like a sack of potatoes.

"Cierra, what are you doing?" I heard a voice coming from the doorway of my bedroom.

"Well...I... Uh"

"Right, ok leave it to the professionals"

Rebecca waltzed into my room, showing nothing but the bra and shorts she slept in the night before.

"Meghan, I need you, Cody keep her busy" Rebecca barked, as she ordered them around to make sure that I was getting there on time.

My friends all rallied round to help me get ready for my meeting, a meeting I'd been waiting for my whole life. A meeting my parents said I'd never get, yet here I was with my main dream in my grasp all I had to do was say yes if they liked my first book.

"Meg, Bec, I really need to go... Have you found me an outfit yet?"

"You can not rush beauty" Rebecca waved one finger in my face telling me off like I was a student back at high school again.

"But"

"No, Cierra you have time, time to be a beautiful young woman" Meghan added. "Plus, you never know, you might meet your coffee shop hero again" She told me as she tied my hair up in a ponytail. She softly pulled the head off my plant and put in firmly in my head, attaching a clasp to make it stay.

"Oh, Meghan, it's amazing, my hair is amazing"

"This? Cierra, this is nothing... Wait till you and your hero get married... Then it will be amazing" She smiled. "This style is just ordinary, everyday updo"

"My turn" Rebecca chimed up, coming up from behind.

Turning the chair around to see what Rebecca had chosen, I took a deep breath. She can have a different result to me it comes to clothing. Whilst I wear sensible and appropriate outfits, Rebecca can be led astray easily and picks up clothing fit for strippers and prostutes. I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.

"What do you think?" She asked grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Well..I...Uh..."

"You hate it" Her face fell, as if a drop had just been dropped in the middle of the city.

"No... No... I don't..... I think it's sweet"

She had picked out one of my strapless dresses, one I only wear to a club, a night out. It was pink with a slit down the boddas.

"She's here, she's here... Cierra... She's here" Cody squealed running through with my Disney notebook, Ariel pen and my manuscript that I spent all week and the past three years typing, handwriting and planning out for Chloe and Albert.

'ding, dong'

My doorbell went, and my nerves began.

I walked towards the door and as my shaky, unstable hand turn the handle, I began to realize that this was real. I was really getting my dream. It was going to be a reality as soon as I opened up my front door.

"Oh!"

I stared at the figure standing in my doorway.

"Your not Melody"

"No" She smiled. "My name is Valentina, my mother sent me... She's waiting on us"

"You... You... You look just like..."

"Like my mother" Valentina replied rolling her eyes.

"No, that's not what!"

I couldn't believe it, Melody was right, her daughter was Jasmine's look-alike. She even held her hair up in the same way. Her clothes were different though, she was much more modern and less princess to Jasmine in that department although I could easily make her like Jasmine if she so disiared.

Exiting the building of my apartment block, Valentina was by my side proping me up just like Melody did, She was just like her mother, so kind and caring and she didn't even know me.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked her as we got into the taxi.

"My mom told us, she said you might need help"

"Us?" I questioned her, mysterious to know who the other 'us' was.

"My brother, Nathan, we run our mom's company together since she retired a few years ago"

"Oh!"

I sat on the left side of her and wondered what her brother was like...

Did he look like a Disney prince?

Was he kind and respectful?

How was she going to like my book?

I didn't know what I was going to find once we arrived at Melody's office, if anyone else was going to like my book.

"Miss James, can I ask you something"

"Anything"

"Why us, why my mom"

"I don't understand" I looked at Valentina puzzeled by the question, as if I was in the wrong.

"Well, I know my mom is a do-gooder, and that's why she picked you, but how do we know that your book will be any good?"

"I don't know... I guess you'll just have to read it" I shrugged as I continued to wonder exactly what she meant.

As the taxi pulled up in front of Melody's publishing house, I take a deep breath in and out as if I'm about to go out on stage in front of thousands of of people.

"Cierra, don't worry" Valentina reassured me.

"I need to worry"  I told her. "Worring is my way coping with every situation"

"Why?"

"I guess it helps... It's a long story"

"Oh..."

Facing Valentina, I could see that her mind was focused on what I had on her, as if it played heavily on the way she would make her decision towards Chloe and Albert's future.

My future.

Now, I need to hope and pray that their story A lovers Struggle can surrvie the odds of their very first meeting at a publishing house. My whole life, the last 10 years, me moving to LA, everything was riding on this one meeting, Melody had faith in me and what if I ruined her trust?

What if I ruined everything?

"Ready to go in?" She asked as she took me arm helping me up off the side of the door as I was leaned against it for support.

"Not really" I replied taking a deep breath in and out.

"I'll take you too my mother first, I know you are comfortable with her"

I nodded my head as I followed her into the building. Heading through the heavy glass doorway, above the name 'Melody Di Angelo, Est- 1969', in the lobby hung crystal chandeliers.

As we headed towards the lift, Valentina's phone rang.

"Oh, I'm sorry about this Cierra"

"What is it?"

"It's my boyfriend Toby... Give me a minute and I'll just make this quick call"

As Valentina answered her phone, I looked around for a proper idea of where my book could potentially be making money for years to come.

The place looked so busy, lots of people running in and out of the lifts or up and down the stairs with stacks of paper work, most likely lots of manuscripts for upcoming authors like myself.

After waiting around for her to finish the call, it started to sound like Valentina would never come off the call, so I decided that it was time to find Melody myself.

Even if that meant searching for hours.

After going up and down the lift passing each floor trying to read what was on each level as the doors opened and shut, I finally reached Melody's office about twenty minutes later.

"Cierra, is that you?"

"Melody..." I replied from outside just as my hand was about to knock her door.

Spooky.

It was like she knew who I was already there before I was there. Nobody knows that unless they are physic.

"Cierra, come in"

Walking into her office I could tell she was really into Japanese culture as the flowers were all imported from Japan and her walls had pictures of Japanese trees with animals in front of them. Everything looked Japanese either brought over or imported in.

As I step closer toward her desk, I notice the picture she has of her children Valentina, who I have already met and a boy dressed in a graduation outfit, the picture looked about 5-7 years old so whoever the boy was, I assumed it was her son Nathan must look completely different now.

"Cierra... Cierra, are you ready to show them?"

"Show them my beloved characters?" I queried. "No, not really" I added, nervously clinging to my right elbow wishing for seizure to happen just to get out of the meeting.

"Don't be dear, come with me" She responded.

Walking around her desk, she came up to me and wrapped her arm around my neck, reassuring me that everything was going to be fine.

"See, you'll be fine"

"I'll be fine"

"See.. Take my arm and let's go"

"Melody, I'm ok"

"Cierra, your not, your limping already and I bet you have ran your 6 miles this morning too"

"Y...Y...Yes"

"Ok! So take my arm"

Reluctantly, I take her arm to stop myself from falling over or tripping myself up in the process of walking to the next room.

Approaching the board room, I turn to face Miss Di Angelo, Melody. I wanted some guidance before going into the room where her son and daughter where. I mean they were technically the one's deciding what future A lovers Struggle had in the publishing industry.

The door to where we were going to meet was a wooden door, the left side was shut and the right side was open. I could see Valentina in the reflection of the handle, however I couldn't see her brother.

So, walking in a meer 5 minutes later, I looked at Valentina as I knew who she was and felt comfortable with her. She mouthed the word 'Sorry' however, and I knew that it was because she left me hanging half an hour earlier in the lobby as she spoke to her boyfriend.

Beside her, stood a man I recgioncised, from where I wasn't sure. However, his tall, slim figure and jett brown hair that made him look like Prince Phillip from Sleeping Beauty.

The question I want to know is

Why do I recognize Melody's son?

His sweet smile melted my heart, my mind still wanted to know how my heart knew him.

"Nathan, this is Cierra my talented friend, Cierra, this is my son Nathan" Melody said introducing us. " Of course, you know Val"

"Hi" I replied giving my hand towards them for a shake as you would whenever you met someone new.

When our hands touched, I felt a sense of safety, like a automatically knew that I was safe was him. I didn't know him. He was Melodys son, that's all, yet I felt safe when we touched, a spark in my heart telling me I was safe here and always would be.

"Shall we get started then" Valentina said interrupting Nathan staring at me longing with his big dreamy brown eyes.

"Yes... Of course" Nathan replied as he excused his hand from mine.

Handing my manuscript over to Valentina, I clenched my fists tight for an answer, for someone else to tell me that I was good enough to live out my dream.

As they read over my book, I sat down in the chair beside Melody and opposite Valentina. Melody squeezed my hand tight letting me know that no matter the out come of what her children said, that my story, my baby was ok.

After they spent almost half an hour going over A lovers Struggle, Valentina and Nathan handed my script over to me. They looked at their mother and then back at me.

I wasn't sure what that meant, however I knew that it wasn't good.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Cierra..." Melody began to say trying to make me feel better.

"Miss James, you're story, it's not exactly..."

"Not exactly what?" I riposte replied to Nathan, as I waited for him to rip my story to shreds.

I shoved my chair backwards, my right arm ended up at my torso as I couldn't take the frustration of the not knowing what they were thinking.

I turned to face Melody and took her hand.

"Melody, I am SO sorry" I said as I turned to face her children again. "I don't know what you think my book is about, but I know exactly what you are going to say"

"Cierra..." Melody tries to say.

"Chloe and Albert's story is only just begining"

"Cierra" Valentina calls trying to talk to me again.

"They are much more than a short story, than a character in book. Chloe's journey is only just begun"

"Cierra..." Nathan yet again tried to get through to me.

"No, you don't get it" I started. "I'm tiered of all the 'I'm sorry but no' I just want them to be loved" I continued to say as I began to list off exactly how I felt.

Walking towards the door, I turn to face Melody and mouthed 'I'm sorry' to which she replied 'Don't be' and I walked out, my head sagging down watching every step I took.

Pressing the button to the lift, I turned my attention towards my book that I held in my arms and pulled it close to my chest.

"Miss James"

As I stepped into the lift, I turned around to see Nathan running towards me.

I turned my face away from him as he held his hand out to keep the lift door open.

"I know you"  He said to me, with a question mark on the end of you.

"No, I don't think so" I replied, still focused on my manuscript.

"Yes... Starbucks"

I looked up from my book and stared into his eyes, where I tried my best to remember.

"Starbucks?"

"Yes, you were spilling coffee over me, then you..." He started to say.

"Oh right, uh...." I replied awkwardly remembering how I knew him.

"Then you had a..."

Before finishing his sentence, he reached his arms out and took hold of my body as I fell to the floor.

"As you had a seizure... Just like this"

**************End ****************

- End of Chapter Two, if you have enjoyed this chapter don't forget to vote

- Cierra's story has only just begun, don't forget to let me know what you think

- New Chapter(s) every month

- Contact me on my IG @cristina_writes or my twitter account @Cristina.writes

- All copyrights © to Chloe, Albert, Damon and Alexandra go to the author