Chapter One
Hailey
Current Day
“Cheers to us!” Jolee screeched above the loud booming of the Zydeco band.
The locals loved the Swamp Pop music, and I was no different.
I raised my glass and clinked it against Jolee’s in a show of agreement.
We deserved this night, especially after busting our asses.
Memorizing the lines and movements of the acting role we signed up for a week ago in New Orleans, could be quite difficult.
“Cheers!” I echoed the sentiment before tilting my head back.
I swallowed the sweet strawberry and pineapple flavor of the mixed alcoholic beverage.
I swayed my hips from side to side, allowing the music to travel through my body as I watched my fellow Cajuns celebrating whatever their heart desired tonight.
A stream of colorful lights lit up the night sky as the trellis holding them arched high above our heads.
On most nights, I hung out inside bar rooms or clubs on Bourbon.
Tonight, there seemed to be a celebration I hadn’t heard of, and since Jolee and I had landed the role we’d been wanting, we decided to celebrate our good fortune.
“Ya lookin’ forward to the upcomin’ filmin’ of The Hidden Agenda?” I asked Jolee, forcing myself to be heard above the noisy area.
There was almost no point in discussing anything when the music was so loud it caused the bones inside a person’s body to rattle.
However, I did enjoy talking with Jolee.
She’d been my rock ever since I made the most significant decision of my life.
The day I moved to New Orleans, I had nowhere to live.
Jolee had seen me standing in front of a newspaper stand, perusing the articles.
She’d introduced herself, and the rest was history.
I’d stayed the night at Jolee’s place for a week before we decided that a permanent arrangement was in order.
Well, it was more of a temporary arrangement.
As soon as I saved enough money, I moved into the available unit inside the same building as Jolee.
We’d hit it off so well, and to this day, I consider her my best friend.
She showed me the ropes around the city, and on many nights, we bared our souls to one another. Most discussions centered on our hopes and dreams, while others focused on the past and how we wanted nothing more than to leave old wounds to heal and not reopen them.
She leaned closer to my ear instead of shouting before saying, “I’ve been waitin’ a long time for this moment. It’s my big break, ya know. Least that’s what I’m hopin’ for. I hate the thought of waitin’ and wished we could start shootin’ the script tomorrow.”
I agreed one-hundred percent with Jolee, and responded, “No joke. I know exactly what ya mean. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten such an amazin’ role like this one.”
Jolee grinned and said, “Me too. Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve had some awesome roles but this beats ‘em all. And to top it off, we literally get to be in the same movie together. How sweet is that?”
I grinned, “It’s another once-in-a-lifetime thing. What two best friends auditioned and became characters together in a film? None that I know of. This is so excitin’!”
She clasped my hand and squeezed before letting go.
Jolee had been in the game a few years longer than me, so I could understand the excitement of finally making it to the top.
Of all the people I’d ever met, Jolee deserved the role.
I was satisfied with my place. It wasn’t as important as Jolee’s, but it was much better than the previous ones.
And the best part was that we got to work together in some of the scenes.
I had to admit that tonight was one of the best in my life, not like the one many, many years ago.
The one that pushed me into leaving the town I was born and raised in.
The one where I threw away years of friendship with the one person I thought would be around for me, and I him.
The one moment of my life that changed the course of my future, prom night.
Jolee knew about that night. Maybe not all the horrible details, but the summary of my feelings and why I chose to disappear and ended up in New Orleans. Her words were reassuring, letting me know that no matter what obstacles people face in life, they’re always guided to where they’re needed most.
She told me when we first met; she felt as if it were a miracle.
She struggled with depression, and her counselor mentioned getting out and about and possibly meeting new people.
A few days after Jolee’s doctor’s appointment, we met.
She called it fate. And if you took into consideration the lack of a job and place to live, I would agree with Jolee.
The rest of the night flew by as Jolee, and I had a great outing.
Every few slow songs that played, a man would take one of our hands to dance.
Jolee would snap pictures of our craziness.
We’d stick our tongues out and make silly faces as well as try our best to be serious, but those photos never seemed to come out right.
Jolee loved to take pictures. When I asked her why, she said its memories captured by the moments we made.
She mentioned loving every moment of her life, even the sad and depressed ones.
I couldn’t agree with her more and started to create a collection of pictures for myself.
Sometimes, I would even share them on my social media account, but those times were rare because my account was mainly to gain visibility for acting positions.
I was contacted for parts a few times, and I actually made the cut.
Of course, those weren’t well-known ones, but I made enough money to make ends meet.
Thankfully, an online presence was beneficial; otherwise, I’d be the one homeless and begging for food.
As time progressed, I drank more of the sweet liquid courage, and before I knew it, it was time to go home.
Jolee and I resided close to the party areas of New Orleans, so we usually walked to wherever we wanted to go.
It was great because we didn’t have to worry about a sober driver since we walked.
I stumbled into the apartment complex of our building, opting to check the mail before heading upstairs. Jolee did the same.
I wasn’t far beyond saving yet and could still care for myself.
I hated getting so wasted I didn’t know which way was up or down.
Noticing most of the envelopes were addressed to Jolee, I handed her the mail.
As soon as she gripped the parcel, she gave me a quick hug, said goodnight, and then headed toward her place.
I stood still and stared at the one envelope addressed to me. It was a cream envelope, and the address was written in yellow-gold lettering. I wondered who could’ve sent me such a beautiful piece of mail, until I slid my finger through the flap and tore open the envelope.
My heart quickened as my nerves became unhinged. All past thoughts seemed to rush forward as I read the simple invitation.