Dreams of Stardom (Hollywood SI)

To put it simply, Roger was having a bad day. His insomnia wasn't as severe as some people have it, but lately, it had been getting worse. Usually, after taking medication, there were one or two days each week when he couldn't sleep at all. But this whole week, he hadn't gotten even a wink. This condition was quite common among veteran soldiers.

Steve knew about his condition when Roger joined as Troy’s bodyguard. So when Roger called Steve to tell him about the boy’s shenanigans a day before, Steve asked about his sleep, and Roger told the truth.

“Why don’t you consult Dr. Alexander Wong?” Steve had said casually. “He is the best private neurologist in LA and much better than anything you’ll get under the NHS in London. Call him to see if he is available for an appointment at such short notice. If he's not, I know someone who will get you an appointment. He’s a little pricey, but don't worry, I’ll cover your consultation and meds.”

While Roger’s doctor in the UK was good, a second opinion couldn’t hurt, could it? With that thought in mind, he called Dr. Wong's office, and as luck would have it, there was a last-minute cancellation, and he got an appointment. The meeting and commute wouldn’t take more than an hour, as he had told Troy, and after dropping the boy off at Stephen Chbosky’s place, Roger sped toward the doctor’s office. The appointment was quick, and the doctor was very thorough. Roger hoped the new meds would be better for him, and maybe, just maybe, he would be able to sleep soundly for a full week this time.

As he was driving back to pick up Troy, the car swerved suddenly without him turning the steering wheel. Thankfully, Roger was able to pull the car over safely. But only then did he realize the big problem. Two tires of his car had been punctured at the same time. This couldn’t be a coincidence. If it had been just one tire, he would have used the spare. Upon closer inspection, he found that someone had pricked a long iron nail into both rear tires. He looked around for his phone in the car, only to realize that he didn’t have it. He must have left it at the doctor’s office. Now, he was stranded in the middle of the highway, in a foreign country, without a spare tire, or even a phone to call someone.

It was only his mild luck that a police car stopped by soon and gave him a lift back to the doctor’s office. The officer even gave Roger the phone number of a towing company to take the car to a nearby tire shop. Getting his phone back from the doctor’s office, Roger was amazed to see the missed calls from Tobias. He called Tobias back to ask what had happened.

“Don’t worry, dude,” Tobias had said. “Chbosky drove Troy and me back. Though you should come back soon because Troy will be alone here. I’m going to a friend’s place.”

Roger wanted to tell Tobias to stay home until he got back, but for some reason, he didn’t. He hailed a cab back to Troy’s place. As soon as he got out, he knew something was not right. When he was near the door, he heard a faint shout of, “HELP ME, LOKI!”

He ran at full speed, his gun drawn and ready to shoot. His heart sank when he heard a gunshot. He pushed himself to run even faster, racing up the stairs as the frantic sounds of a fight reached his ears. When he burst into the room, the scene before him confirmed his worst fears. Near the door, the dog was sprawled on the floor, while a naked Troy stood over a badly beaten girl in her late teens. Troy's face was bruised, and his hands were bloodied. He aimed the gun at the girl. Roger knew he had to do something before this situation got any worse.

“Don’t do it, Troy,” Roger called out, leveling his gun toward the girl. “Step back. I’ll take care of it.”

But Troy wasn’t listening.

 As Troy’s finger hovered over the trigger, Roger did the only thing that made sense to him and dived. His aim was true, and he was successfully able to redirect Troy’s hand away from the girl. Just in time too, because the gun went off right that moment.

BANG

The gun had drilled a hole in the floor tile nearby, not the girl’s head as Troy was aiming for. The girl had seemingly passed out from the shock of the gun. Her bloodied face didn’t look too good, but at least Roger could rest assured that the girl was alive.

Roger knew this wasn’t the time to dwell on his lapse in security. It was time for immediate damage control. This was an absolute shit show. As soon as any version of the truth came out, it would be a media circus, unlike anything they’d seen before. Troy had already been through so much a few years ago with his biological mother. Roger couldn’t bear to see him shattered again. A boy he had grown to love as his own son. As Troy stood frozen, Roger could see he was in shock.

“Troy,” Roger called out softly but got no response. He moved forward and placed a hand on Troy’s shoulder gently, careful not to startle the boy too much. “Hey, come on. It’s okay.”

As if those words were magic, Troy spoke, “It’s not. Why did you stop me?” His breathing quickened as he started hyperventilating. “Do you have any idea what she wanted to do to me? Holy fucking shit! I can’t believe she almost… she…”

Roger could sense Troy was having a panic attack, so he raised his voice, “Troy!” He grabbed Troy’s shoulders, uncaring of his state of undress. “Calm down. Breathe with me. Come on. One, two, three, breathe in. One, two, three, breathe out.”

At first, it seemed like Troy would ignore him, but eventually, he started copying Roger’s breathing and calmed down somewhat. As calm as one could be after such a vicious attack on him.

“Feeling better now?” Roger asked.

“Better?” Troy asked hysterically. “Some psycho woman broke into my house, tried to force herself on me, fought me almost to death, and then she killed my dog! How can I feel better? This is the single worst day of my life! You should have been here to handle it!” He shouted at the top of his voice. “Where the fuck were you? Now Loki is dead because of you!”

As if a dam had burst, Troy’s eyes welled up as he realized Loki’s fate. He dropped the gun on the floor, sidestepped Roger, and rushed over to the prone form of his beloved husky. Troy hugged him and cried, “Loki, why?”

Troy might have been too out of it to know what was happening, but Roger heard it clearly when the dog started whining.

“Troy!” Roger called out urgently. “He’s alive. Look!”

Troy separated from the dog to see that Loki had opened his eyes. Seeing Troy looking at him, he barked loudly. There wasn’t even a hint of pain in his bark. Was the dog even shot?

“Loki!” Troy cried out in joy this time, hugging his pet again.

Then, coming to the same conclusion as Roger, Troy separated from Loki and checked him from head to toe. Roger also stepped closer to inspect Loki’s wound, only to find that there was no wound at all. The dog wasn’t bleeding. The only discrepancy in his fur was a small patch near his cheek, where it looked like someone had used a drill to cut the hair. The bullet the girl shot at Loki must have grazed his fur, and the cowardly dog must have fainted from the shock. Whoever chose a husky didn't make the right choice. If Roger is still in Troy's employment after this fiasco, he'd get him a German Shepherd.

While Troy was showering affections on Loki, Roger used that chance to tie up the girl using the same rope she was planning to tie up Troy with.

“Troy,” Roger said urgently. “Get up, right now.”

Sensing the urgency in his bodyguard’s tone, Troy did as he was told.

“Listen carefully,” Roger began while pointing around the bedroom. “This, is a crime scene now. The police will have to be called. It’s unavoidable. So, first of all, clean yourself up and get dressed.”

Troy tensed up hearing that. “It will create another media storm, won’t it?”

Roger grimaced because even he couldn’t deny the truth. “Let’s not think about that right now and focus on what’s important. First of all, keep in mind that you did nothing wrong. None of it was your fault at all. You got that?” At Troy’s shaky nod, Roger continued, “Repeat that sentence in your head at least a hundred times. I can’t have you blaming yourself over nothing.” When Troy nodded again, this time much confidently, Roger continued, “Good lad. Remember, as per American laws you have the right to protect yourself if someone breaks into your home, so whatever happened to this girl was clearly self-defense.”

“Gia,” Troy spoke up bitterly. “That’s her name.”

Troy nodded silently.

“I’ll keep that in mind for the authorities,” Roger nodded while looking down at a still passed-out girl, only the slow rise and fall of her chest indicating that she was alive. “She must have been the one to puncture the car to stop me from coming here.”

“Shouldn’t we contact a lawyer first?” Troy asked hesitantly. “I’ve heard police can be difficult.”

Roger silently mulled over the question. Now that he thought about it, it was logical to call the lawyer before calling the police. It had slipped his mind, but thankfully, it hadn’t slipped Troy’s.

“Good thinking,” Roger nodded. “You go clean up, and I’ll make some calls, starting with your father. Use a different bathroom. I’ll handle this one.” Then he placed a hand on Troy’s shoulder again and said, “Don’t worry, everything will be okay now that I’m here.”

As Troy grabbed a towel to finally cover himself, and walked over to a different bathroom to clean up, Roger quickly dialed his employer, Steve Kloves. As fate would have it, the girl chose that moment to stir from unconsciousness. Roger stepped a few feet away from her, but still kept her in his eyesight.

"Roger?" Steve asked in surprise given how late it was in London.

“Steve, there has been a serious situation here.”

(Break)

As Emily watched the news on TV, she was frozen in shock, unable to move from her spot. She couldn’t believe that her favorite actor in the world—and surprisingly, a pen pal—had gone through something so horrific. And given who was reporting the news, she knew this wasn’t some hoax.

“Our top story tonight is the shocking incident involving teen sensation Troy Armitage,” said Matt Lauer, the star news reporter of NBC News. “The 14-year-old superstar, known for movies like [Harry Potter], was involved in a terrifying home invasion last night."

Emily’s breath caught as she heard the news. A home invasion was one of the worst things that could happen to anyone.

“Troy, who usually resides in London, was visiting LA to sign his next film. A 20-year-old woman, identified as Gia Vlahos, allegedly broke into the young star's residence, armed with a gun, while Troy was alone at home. According to the police report, the woman threatened Troy before a struggle ensued. A few gunshots were fired in the house.”

Emily's heart raced as she listened, her anxiety mounting.

“In a dramatic turn of events, Troy Armitage showed great bravery by disarming the woman and defeating her, until his bodyguard, Roger Carpenter, who had just arrived at the scene, intervened. The intruder has been apprehended by the police, and will likely face prosecution for attempted murder."

‘But what happened to Troy?’ Emily thought desperately. ‘Is he okay?’

“This shocking event has left fans of the young superstar in disbelief. Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the break-in, but it is speculated that the woman was a fan of Troy, and this was an obsession taken to the extreme. For now, Troy Armitage is reportedly safe but shaken by the traumatic experience. He left for London earlier today. Troy’s representatives have declined to comment on the situation for now. Our thoughts are with Troy and his family during this difficult time. My question to everyone is, how safe are we in our homes when even celebrities like Troy Armitage are not fully safe from a home invasion?”

“Holy shit!” Emily cursed out loud.

“Emily,” her mother chided gently, though there was no heat in her voice because she too was shaken by the news. “Don’t you think you should contact him, honey?”

“He would still be on the flight if he left for London,” Emily noted. “Even if he were free, everyone would be calling him, so it's unlikely he will pick up my call.” Suddenly her face lit up as thought came to her mind. “But I know who to contact.”

She raced up to her room for some privacy and dialed the one person she thought might know what was happening. Her friend was in New York, thousands of miles away from Emily, who lived in Arizona. Hopefully, he would be awake, since New York was three hours ahead, and it was already evening here.

Ring ring

“Hi, Emily,” Benji Cooper’s voice came through from the other end. “Did you see the news too?”

Realizing he wasn’t in the mood for an idle chat either, Emily got straight to the point. “Yes. Do you know anything? Have you talked to Troy?”

“Yeah, I called him a few hours ago,” he said hesitantly. “I didn’t know at the time that this had happened, so he filled me in.”

“Is it true then?” Emily asked desperately. “What the media is saying.”

“Mostly, yeah,” Benji confirmed. “He was allowed to go to London after a brief questioning. He didn’t sound his normal self…” He paused uncomfortably before saying, “I don’t think I should tell you anything else. Troy’s forbidden me to.”

“It’s okay,” Emily reassured him. “Just tell me, is he okay?”

Benji didn’t respond for a few moments. Emily began to wonder if there was some connectivity issue, but just as she was about to ask, he finally spoke. “I don’t know, Emily. We barely spoke for two or three minutes, and even then, he just gave me a brief rundown of what happened. His plane was about to take off, so he couldn’t talk any longer. Physically, he’s fine, but mentally… I’m not so sure.”

Neither of them spoke for the next few moments.

“Thank you for telling me that,” Emily said finally. “I guess I’ll email him then.”

“Sure.”

She disconnected the call not long after that. As Emily reflected on her life, she was amazed by how much it had changed in the last few years, all because of one vacation in New York. That day when she went to see [Billy Elliot: The Musical] with her family, she had no idea she would be lucky enough to go backstage and talk to Troy—an actor she had adored for years.

Troy was a sweetheart, and he even gave her his email address. While she was ecstatic, her mother told her it was unlikely Troy would respond personally, if at all. But he did. Their conversations didn’t end after that initial email; they continued talking for months. Troy was always insightful and polite in his messages. It was he who suggested that Emily try acting classes, even going so far as to offer to pay for them. Though her parents didn’t accept his offer and enrolled her in classes on their own, Emily appreciated his gesture a lot.

She also stayed in touch with Benji, and after some time, the three exchanged phone numbers. While calling Troy was a bit impractical since he was usually in London, they still exchanged emails and sometimes even video-called each other over the internet. It was amazing to know that despite being such a big celebrity, Troy was just a regular guy like anyone else.

Emily would be lying if she said she didn’t have feelings for Troy—how could anyone not fall for a guy who checked every box? But she knew he had a British girlfriend, though he hadn’t told her who it was for privacy reasons. Emily’s heart broke a little that day when she found out, but she pushed those feelings aside, focusing instead on their friendship.

After shooting a quick email to Troy asking if he was alright, Emily searched online for more news about Troy’s LA home invasion. The top search results didn’t add any new information, so she opened a page further down the list.

RedPillRevealer: The real reason that poor girl came to Troy is because she was pregnant with his child. Troy found out about it and asked her to come to his home and then forced fed her an abortion pill. That’s the harsh reality of Hollywood.

Emily could only gape at the hate the writer was spreading about Troy—a boy who had done nothing wrong. 

The worst part was that people were actually agreeing with the writer in the comments.

TinfoilHatExpert: I knew he would turn out bad. Has any child star ever grown up normally?'

TruthTeller01: What were you expecting, huh? When the whole world treats you like a hero, one day you start agreeing with them. This is the result.

Hunter74: All these news channels are making up lies to save Troy’s image. I bet it’s Warner Bros pulling the strings.

Being who she was, Emily couldn’t just let it go. She created an account on the website and started typing a long comment of her own. She would stay up all night if she had to, but she wasn’t going to let even a single bad comment go unanswered. She chose the username ‘SweetStone’ to hide her identity.

SweetStone: Do you motherf#cking assholes have nothing good to do in your own lives instead of talking shit about someone else?

MovieBuffGeek: Exactly! That boy was viciously attacked in his own home, and you people are making it far more sinister that it really is.

Emma was pleasantly surprised that she wasn’t the only Troy supporter on this forum.

RedPillRevealer: Think about it, though. The media’s protecting him because he’s a celebrity. We common folk won’t ever know the real truth. I lost my virginity at 14, so Troy could do the same. For a stuck-up superstar, girls must be throwing themselves at him left, right and center. I don’t think it’s too farfetched to say that the woman could have been a girlfriend or even a prostitute.

SweetStone: I have met him personally, and let me assure you, he’s nothing like what you are insinuating. He’s soooo cool and polite. It’s only people like you @RedPillRevealer who make him out to be a villain without any proof whatsoever.

ArmitageArmy: This is why the internet is the worst sometimes. Troy literally could’ve died, and all you care about is inventing some drama where there’s none. If someone points a gun at you, are you going to have a “lovers’ spat” or are you going to defend yourself??

TroyFan_88: You guys are the worst! Y’all would rather believe some far-fetched scandal than admit Troy handled a scary situation like a boss. Stop trying to tear down people for clicks.

CynicalScribe: It’s sad how quickly people want to jump to conclusions. Can we just acknowledge that no matter what, the guy had a gun pointed at him and acted in self-defense? That’s scary as hell, and most of us would’ve been paralyzed with fear. He deserves respect for staying calm.

TheRealTruth24: @CynicalScribe EXACTLY! It's crazy how conspiracy theorists always twist reality to fit their wild stories. If Troy had done nothing, they'd be saying he's weak or stupid. But because he fought back, now he's hiding a relationship? Shut the f#ck up ppl and mind your own business!

SweetStone: Also, do you think the police are stupid? They won’t know at all if the woman was not a home invader and someone else entirely.

MovieBuffGeek: @SweetStone The stupid ones are the people commenting here against Troy. I have made popcorn, and can’t wait for these assholes to go down royally.

DeepDiveTheorist: Not jumping on the bandwagon, but celebs do have the tendency to cover things up. I’m not saying that the girl was his girlfriend or a prostitute, but I find it too fantastical to think that a single girl was able to break into one of those high-security places in Beverly Hills of all places.

RedPillRevealer: Exactly my point! It sounds like a plot of a cheesy D-grade horror flick.

SweetStone: @RedPillRevealer You sound like the result of a cheesy gangbang porno. Go to your Mom and ask her to get her tubes tied so that more ppl like you won’t come out of her.

Comment Deleted.

@SweetStone was banned by the moderators for 24 hours.

Those assholes! Emily was fuming with anger that they blocked her access temporarily. Yet, a small part of her was satisfied that at least now Troy’s Army™ was here to take down those assholes on the internet even if she wasn’t.

Now if only she could get in contact with Troy to see if he was alright...

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