What Money Can't Buy [Chapter One]

I sat down on a chair, clutching my stomach and leaning over. I found it difficult to breath, my chest aching. I was still in shock from what I did. To make it worst, the woman wouldn’t stop crying. She was making me feel worst than ever before. I felt like being in a movie, but this one I didn’t know how to act out anything, and I’m an actress for crying out loud!1

The emergency room was pack with people waiting to see a doctor. There were all different patients in here. Beside me on the right was a young girl with brown hair that was tied up in a ponytail. I’m guessing she was about twelve. Sitting beside her was a man that I guess was her father. Both father and daughter looked so much alike with brown hair and hazel eyes. The girl was clutching her right wrist with her other hand. The right one had a huge purple bruise on it and I think the bone looks out of place. Ouch! I would hate to be in her position at the moment. I’m glad I never broke any of my bones yet. Actually, my career is too important and I really can’t afford to break any of my bones. 2

Across from me was an old man sitting with his wife. The man was holding a towel against his forehead where he had a huge cut with thick red blood pouring out. Two seats down from the old couple was a mother in her late twenties with blonde hair and looked like she was about five months pregnant with her second child. Her first child was sitting on her lap, where the boy looked like he was two, crying his eyes out. She was doing everything she could to try and calm him down. The kid had a scratch over his left eye which looked like it was dry blood, and a bump on his forehead. 3

I turned away from the other patients and turned to the mother that was crying loudly. A nurse was with her trying to calm the woman down. She looked African-American with long black hair that went up to her elbows. She was tall and skinny, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a red shirt. 4

I just wished that this woman would stop crying. I know she is upset but that’s no reason to cry like there’s no tomorrow. She is giving me a headache. Not only is she giving me a headache, so is that stupid two year old kid. 5

I turned away from her and looked down at the floor, staring at my Italian style green high heels. It was hard to forget about what happened with that annoying woman in the background. Come on lady, it’s not the end of the world yet, so you can stop crying now. It’s no good that you’re crying your eyes out while that annoying two year old is doing the same thing. 6

“Excuse me, you’re Klorine McKenzie, aren’t you?” someone asked me.7

I looked up when I heard my name. The girl beside me was staring at me, waiting for me to respond. For a minute I forget my name, forgetting that I’m Klorine McKenzie, a well-known successful child star. Not someone who should be sitting in this waiting room with strangers and putting up with all of this. I have never been inside a real hospital before. I have been in one on a movie set. But it wasn’t a movie set. It’s a lot more chaos in reality.8

Please, can someone tell me that this is a movie set? I’m used to everything being a movie. I don’t know how to act in reality. This is all too much for me.9

“Yes, I am,” I answered the girl, finding my voice.10

The girl’s face lid up when she found out who I was, excited about sitting in a hospital waiting room next to a celebrity. “I’m such a huge fan of you. You’re my favourite actress. I so want to be like you someday.”11

I half smiled at the girl. Truthfully I didn’t know why she wanted to be so selfish and stuck up like me. What did people see in me anyway? I’m trying to figure that out now. It has only taken me thirteen years to realise what a stuck up person I really am. I have never been in a situation like this before until today. I never thought I would end up like other celebrities when they get themselves into situations like this. This is probably going to the media. I’m going to be on the front page of every magazine and newspaper in the world. If only she knew what I did, she wouldn’t want to be in my position. 12

Oh my head hurts even more now. Could someone ‘please’ shut that woman up?13

“Is it possible that I could have your autograph?” the girl asked.14

‘Does it look like I want to be signing autographs right now!?’ I wanted to say to the girl. Really, I am not in the mood to be signing autographs. I have a headache and I’m worried about what the media is going to say when they find out what I have done. That woman makes it even harder to think with all of the wailing she is doing. I’m glad that woman has finally settled her son down. Now it’s just that woman we have to stop. Besides, I don’t have a pen or paper on me.15

Before I could answer the girl, I was distracted as a man came running into the emergency room dressed in a grey suit where I guess he must have come from work, yelling out someone’s name. When I turned to the African-American looking guy, I realised it was the wailing woman’s husband. She ran over to her husband when she saw him. 16

“Bailey, I left work as soon as I got your message,” the man said. “Have you heard anything yet?”17

Bailey threw herself at her husband, buried her face in his chest and continued crying. (Please, just shut up already!) She didn’t answer him at all. It seemed like crying was the only thing she could do. I rolled my eyes at her. How old is this woman? Does she realise she is acting like a baby? I mean, if that two year old has calm down, why can’t she? 18

“Did you see who the person was who hit Hayden?” Bailey’s husband asked, hoping to get a response from his wife this time. 19

Bailey looked up from her husband’s chest, her chocolate brown eyes searching for me. I know she is searching for me. When her eyes landed on me, I got the chills all over. I was afraid what was going to happen once she announces to the entire emergency room that I, Klorine McKenzie, struck her son down with my car. 20

She raised her arm and pointed at me with her index finger. (Has anyone told her that it is rude to point?) “It was Klorine McKenzie. I swear it was her.”21

I felt my stomach tying into knots, and found it even harder to breath. Everyone in the room was staring at me. The patients, the nurses, they all stop what they were doing to hear this shocking announcement. Okay, I’m used to everyone staring at me and I love all of the attention. But this time it was different. I didn’t want anyone staring at me. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to come to the hospital. I should have just driven off rather than coming to the hospital. Or maybe I should have just stayed at home and get my limo driver to take me to the bridal shop. If I did, I wouldn’t be sitting here in this stupid waiting room at the hospital, listening to this stupid woman wail. 22

I stood up from the seat as Bailey’s husband walked over to me. I was scared stiff. I didn’t know what to do or say as this man approached me. Usually if I had to do this in a movie, I would know exactly how to act it out. But this was different. It wasn’t a movie. It was reality. There was no script involve, and I had to improvise my own script rather than getting someone else to write it for me and for me to act it out. 23

“I’m sorry, Sir,” I told the man. “I didn’t mean to.” 24

“What do you think you were doing?” he asked. 25

“I don’t know. It was an accident. I’m sorry.” 26

“I will give you an accident.”27

Without warning, the guy held up his right fist and punched me in the nose. I was knocked over by the force of his punch. I smack my head hard on the floor, just missing the chairs. Great, now I have an even bigger headache than before. 28

The nurse who was trying to keep Bailey calm appeared standing over me. 29

“Klorine, are you okay?” she said, kneeling down beside me. 30

The nurse helped me to sit up. I looked up at Bailey’s husband. He looked like he was going to punched me again. I was about to get up from the floor when I felt something running from my nose, which is strange because I don’t have a cold so why do I have a running nose? I wiped my nose with my hand, only to find blood on it. Oh damn, my nose is bleeding! My nose has never bled before!31

I pushed the nurse away from me and stood up from the floor, standing in front of Bailey’s husband, ready to pound his face for making my nose bleed. No one does that to Klorine McKenzie. Who does he think he is?32

The nurse quickly leaps to her feet, knowing I was probably going to punch this guy back. The father of the girl with the broken wrist got to his feet as well, stepping in between Bailey’s husband and me, telling me to calm down and not turn this waiting room into some kind of battlefield, especially with small children around.33

The nurse grabbed my arms and asked me to sit back down. She told me to hold my nose and lean over. She then ran off to get a cloth to stop the bleeding.34

As I sat there with my head down and leaning over, my hand over my nose, I listened to Bailey as she continued to wail. I wonder if she has anymore water left in her from all that crying she is doing. Her husband was back with her, holding her close to him. I kept sneaking glances at him and he kept throwing death stares at me whenever I looked his way.35

I swear that this has gotta be the worst day of my life. Why couldn’t life be a movie? That way you can press the rewind and take out all of the nightmares that happen in your life. This nightmare I’m having right now would be all over in a jiffy if it was a movie.36

“Mr and Mrs Dorian,” a doctor said, walking into the room from where he just came from the emergency room. He looked serious, and I knew straight away that something horrible has just happened.37

“How’s Hayden?” Bailey said, letting go of her husband and running over to the doctor. “Is he okay? Please tell me he is alright?”38

The doctor took a deep breath and exhales it slowly. “Mr and Mrs Dorian, we did everything to save your son. He broke his neck from the impact and unfortunately it cut off his breathing. I’m sorry.”39

Bailey broke down into more tears, screaming out no. She collapsed from the shock. Her husband kneeled down beside her and held onto her, tears falling down his face. 40

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I just broke a seven year old kid’s neck. I don’t even understand how that happened. I mean, he was riding his bike when I struck him down and thrown from the bike, landing a couple of metres away from where I hit him. I’m a criminal. I just took away an innocent child’s life.41

Bailey’s husband eyed me. I shallowed hard, afraid what he might do to me.42

“I hope you’re happy what you have done,” he said. “Don’t think you will get away with this. I will make sure you will pay for what you have done. Just wait until the media finds out about this. Your reputation is going down.” 43

I continued to stare at him. He turned away from me and turned back to his wife. The thought of losing my reputation terrified me. I am the most successful child star ever. In fact, I’m the richest child star in the whole of Hollywood and the richest child in the whole universe. I can’t afford to lose my good reputation over something stupid. 44

The patients in the room were still staring at me and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to get out of here. The nurse came back with a cloth for me but I pushed her out of the way, without taking the cloth. I just ran, covering my nose with my hand. I ran into the nearest restroom. Thank goodness no one was in there. 45

I grabbed some paper towels and began cleaning my nose with it. Still holding the paper towels against my nose, I looked at myself in the mirror. My long golden brown hair was a mess. Tears were starting to sting my blue eyes. I removed the paper towels to have a look at my nose. It looks fine. It doesn’t look crooked. Thank goodness it wasn’t broken. I’m shooting a new movie tomorrow and there’s no way I can go on set with a broken nose.46

The blood started pouring out of my nose again. I quickly covered my nose with the towels. I ran into an empty stall and locked it. I sat down on the toilet and lean over; putting my head down, hoping this nose bleed will stop.47

I started to think what will happen to me once I step foot out of this hospital. I knew the paparazzi was waiting for me outside with their cameras, ready to snapped a picture of me to put on the front covers of every magazine and newspaper in the world. I don’t even want to know what the headlines will say.48

It’s weird how everything was okay before, and I was the most popular teen. Now I may be the most hated teen. 49

*****************50

‘3 months earlier’51

“Good afternoon, I’m Candice Donaldson. Today on the show we are joined by child star, Klorine McKenzie.”52

I smiled and waved into the audience and the camera as I walked onto the set to join Candice on her talk show. I was there to talk about my career, my future and of course my new movie that was coming out at the cinemas soon. I took a seat next to Candice, my hair flipping around my shoulders as I sat down. The audience continued to cheer for me. 53

“So, Klorine, a lot has happened since you first starred as Kylie in Just the Seven of Us. You were just five years old in that TV show and now look at you. You have just turned eighteen last week.”54

‘Just the Seven of Us’ was the first show that I had ever starred in. My parents decided to give me acting lessons at four after I used to go around the house playing dress-ups, and pretending to be someone I’m not. Shortly after I turned five, I was spotted by a casting agent who came to the studio. She liked me so much that she asked my parents if I could play the part of Kylie in the TV show. We moved from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, USA. I audition for the part of Kylie who was a five year old, adopted from Australia. The show was about a family of seven living together and trying to solve different family problems. 55

Since playing in that show, everyone loves me. I was such a huge success when playing Kylie that I was offered to do my first movie shortly after filming the first season of ‘Just the Seven of Us’. The TV show lasted about nine seasons. Instead of becoming a fading star after the show, I was offered all kinds of movie roles. Not only movies and TV shows I did, but I also done some songs where I have three bestselling albums, which I did after I turned thirteen. I even have my own clothing label at sixteen, dolls, books from my films and shows, perfume, video games – talk about success!56

Now that I have just turned eighteen, I have just become the richest teen in the whole of America and possibly the world. I am even a multimillionaire and soon I will be a billionaire. Who knows what would become after I’m a billionaire. With all of my success I know I would soon become a trillionaire. How cool would that be? I will be the richest person in the whole of Hollywood and the world. 57

“Now, you have just finished making your first adult movie,” Candice continued. “What was it like filming ‘Urban Murders’?”58

“I have to say it was different from what I used to do. It was quite a challenge to move onto a different genre and I enjoyed it.”59

“Would you kindly tell us what the movie is about and maybe something about your character?” 60

“Well, I play Grace, a seventeen year old who dreams of becoming a detective someday like her mother. Her father is always out of town on business trips and her mother is always busy solving cases, so most of the time she is home alone. Grace would sometimes look at her mother’s cases and see if she can help her mother solve them. There is this one case that Grace becomes interested in and decides to help her mother solve it. Someone was going around murdering these women. The case soon becomes dangerous and when Grace’s mother finds out she is solving the case, she puts a stop to it before something happens to her. Being a typical teenager, Grace continues to investigate against her mother’s wishes. As she investigates even more, she is unaware that she is putting herself in danger and might be the next victim to be murdered.”61

Candice became interested. And why wouldn’t she be? It’s a movie starring me!62

“Sounds interesting, Klorine. Is there any chance that you could give us a hint about who could be the murderer?”63

Was this lady joking? Why do I have to tell her what happens? Hasn’t she heard of the cinemas? I mean, that’s why they invented the cinemas so you can go ahead and see it. That’s all she has to do if she wants to know who the murderer is. I don’t get pay to act just to tell everyone what happens in it. If you want to know what happens, all you have to do is get off the couch and either go to the cinemas or to some video store and hire it.64

I smiled politely (it was a fake smile. I didn’t want to be rude and tell her what I really think) and told her that I didn’t want to give away too much of the plot.65

“Now, you also met your fiancé, Luke Baker, on the set,” Candice continued to ask me questions. “What was it like playing alongside Luke?”66

Okay, why are we talking about Luke? Who cares about him? I’m on this talk show to talk about me. ME. Not Luke. ME. I’m the important one here.67

Luke has been acting for a few years, but I have been acting longer than him. We met last year on the set. I had just turned seventeen and he was twenty. We are also one of the hottest couples in Hollywood and have been getting a lot of attention from the paparazzi. Luke proposed to me on the last day of shooting ‘Urban Murders’. The ring was silver with a twenty two carat diamond in the centre. Aren’t I lucky? We are going to be getting married sometime next year when I finished my next movie. 68

I told Candice and the audience how I enjoyed having Luke on set.69

“Now that you’re eighteen, Klorine, what are your plans for the future and things you might be doing next?” Candice wanted to know.70

“There are a lot of things I would really like to do as part of my career, try new things. I have been doing children movies for so long and for me now it’s time to change the genre. Like I said before, playing in the movie was a challenge and I’m planning to do more adult movies.”71

“Are you planning to do anymore singing?”72

“I’m not quite sure yet. I might. I enjoy acting more than singing.”73

“Is there any new movies with you in that we should keep a look out for?” 74

“Yes, I’m going to start filming a new movie in about three months. It’s a drama/mystery/crime/thriller. I’m really excited about doing this movie. The movie probably wouldn’t be release until next year.”75

“That is exciting, Klorine. Can you tell us a bit what the movie is about?”76

“The movie is called ‘Just Like I Predicted’. I play this sixteen year old orphan named Kay who is a psychic. She doesn’t see dead people or anything like that, but she can see the future in her dreams. She sometimes predicts about the good things that might happen but mainly only bad things, and haunts her everyday because she doesn’t know what is going to happen and how it will happen. Kay keeps having these nightmares about this guy who is after her and has no idea why, but soon finds out he is the killer of her parents.”77

“Sounds interesting,” Candice continues. “I can’t wait to see the movie and see you in a grown-up role. I’m sure many people can’t wait to see it either.” 78

Of course no one can wait to see it. The movie stars ME. And from what I heard from critics, this movie is my best performance ever.