On the Move

By Susan Beth Pfeffer

On their first hiatus from TV’s cool new prime-time series, Bill, Miranda, TJ, Alison, Rafe, and Molly are looking forward to getting back to the real world—but will they ever be normal teenagers again?

The first season of Hard Time High is over, and Bill, Miranda, TJ, Alison, Rafe, and Molly have three whole weeks to themselves. It’s back to high school for Bill—no more cramming in homework between takes—and spending quality time with his girlfriend, Calista.
 
After years of acting on the road, Molly can’t wait to share a real Thanksgiving with Miranda and her family in New England. Between a commitment to a holiday parade and a spread for a fashion magazine, Alison won’t have much time for herself. Rafe is taking his parents on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii. And TJ’s headed to Indiana to visit his mom. Then it’s on to New York to meet his East Coast fan club before he strikes out for London and Paris.
 
But it seems that Rafe, Molly, and TJ are keeping major, scandal-worthy secrets. In between reuniting with old friends and doing normal stuff like attending football games, they’re all trying to cope with their new celebrity and wondering what the new season has in store. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Media
• Release date: Feb 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781497682870

Susan Beth Pfeffer

Susan Beth Pfeffer is the author of many books for teens, including the New York Times best-selling novel Life As We Knew It, which was nominated for several state awards, and its companion books, The Dead and the Gone, This World We Live In, and The Shade of the Moon. She lives in Middletown, New York.

Book preview

1

That’s a take! Jerry Zigler boomed from the control booth. Congratulations, everybody. It’s party time!

Molly O’Malley promptly burst into tears.

Everybody else started laughing and clapping, and kissing and hugging. T.J. stared at them, trying not to stare at Molly, whom he yearned to hug, and then walked over to Bill and said, Well, we did it.

What do you mean, we, white man? Bill asked, and laughed as loud as T.J. had ever heard him.

Soon Jerry and everybody else from the booth was down on the set, and there was another round of congratulations. Molly continued to whimper.

I’m sorry, she finally said. But you’re all like family to me.

What do you mean, like? Alison said. "Your mother is family."

Everybody laughed even harder then, including Molly’s mother. Shortly after Hard Time High had begun, Molly’s mother had gotten a small part on the show.

All right, Molly said with a sniffle. Everybody here is like family except my mother.

That only made them laugh harder, T.J. included.

Whatever happened to sentiment! Molly wailed, but she was grinning too. All I want to say is I’m going to miss all of you, God only knows why.

You’re not going to miss me, Miranda Newgate told her. You’re coming home with me, remember?

How can I forget? Molly said, and her tears vanished as quickly as they’d come. I’m going home with you, to spend a real Thanksgiving with a real American family in real New England. Just like I was a real person.

That only made people laugh even harder, but T.J. only smiled ruefully. He knew just what Molly was talking about. Ever since they’d met, when they’d auditioned together for the parts they eventually got, he’d been aware of just how much he and Molly had in common. They’d both been raised to perform. Molly had performed in road shows and dinner theaters all over the country before Dick Goldstein had discovered her and cast her as Kathleen on Hard Time High. And T.J. had spent much of his childhood as a television star. He’d been Mischievous Mike for a lot more of his childhood than he cared to remember. Thanksgivings had never been holidays for him or Molly the way they must have been for Miranda, who had never acted professionally before Hard Time High.

Talk about real people, Bill said, with a grin on his face. For the next three weeks, that’s all I have to deal with. No more crazy actors for three whole weeks.

Some vacation, Rafe Marquez said. You’ll just be going to school full-time.

"But it’s my school, Bill replied. No more running from school here. No more piles of extra homework to do here between takes, so that I won’t fall behind in my classwork. Believe me, three weeks of just going to school sounds like a real vacation to me."

You just want to have lunch with your girlfriend Calista every day, Alison Blake declared.

I can’t deny it, Bill said. Don’t forget, Calista and I and you and Seth are all supposed to go out on a double date together.

If we have the chance, Alison replied. "But first I have to go to New York to do that parade, and then there’s that spread for Image. Then Mom and I are going back to Kansas City to see my father and brothers. Assuming they still remember what we look like."

Alison! her mother cried. Of course they remember.

Sure, Molly said. They watch you on TV every week. They’re bound to remember you.

There are going to be a lot of family reunions around here, Miranda said. Rafe, you live with your folks. How’re you going to spend your vacation time?

It’s a secret, Rafe said with a smirk.

What’s a secret? Alison asked. I thought you and your parents were going on a vacation to Hawaii.

Yeah, that’s no secret, Rafe said. I’m treating them. They deserve it, the way they work. And they won’t quit their jobs, now that I’m in the money. So the least I can do is give them an early Christmas present, a trip to Hawaii. We’re staying at the Hilton there, you know. First class all the way. And I’m paying for all of it.

T.J. laughed to himself. Rafe was an idiot, and he didn’t seem to be getting any smarter. It was no big deal to treat your parents to something big. T.J. had supported his for as long as he could remember. Even now he was sending his mother a weekly check to help her and that new husband of hers out in Indiana. And T.J.’s father had been on the payroll from the moment T.J. had gotten the official word he’d been cast as Kevin. It was a good thing, too. T.J.’s father hadn’t been able to hold onto a job for more than a couple of months since the bad times began, those miserable years after the cancellation of Mischievous Mike and before Hard Time High started. Rafe was lucky to have parents who insisted on working, but there was no way T.J. was going to tell him that.

So what’s the secret? Molly asked.

If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, Rafe replied. Besides, you’ll find out soon enough.

I hate secrets, Molly declared, and then she giggled. Well, actually, I have a secret too, so I guess I don’t hate them too much.

T.J. held his breath. Molly only had one secret that he knew of, and he was it. For reasons T.J. could just barely understand, Dick Goldstein, whose company produced Hard Time High, had decided that he and Molly shouldn’t date each other.

Without Dick Goldstein, T.J.’s father would still be working at the liquor store, drinking up the profits, and T.J. would be struggling to get the breaks he’d need to get back to the top again. Without Dick Goldstein, Molly would still be on the road, doing yet another production of Fiddler on the Roof or The Sound of Music. Dick Goldstein had handed them shortcuts to stardom, and they both knew it, and knew just how dependent they were on Dick’s good graces.

And even with that awareness, they couldn’t make themselves stop seeing each other. T.J. glanced at Molly, hoping his look would show just enough casual interest to be convincing, but none of the love he so desperately felt for her.

T.J. knew exactly how good-looking he was, tall and blond, and muscled to perfection. Just the week before, he’d smiled at some little girl fan, and she’d fainted right at his feet. It had gotten to the point where he almost expected that reaction. His fan clubs were booming, and the teen fan magazines were all begging him for cover articles. He could have just about any girl in America, except maybe Alison, who was crazy in love with Seth, her old boyfriend from home, and maybe Miranda. He wasn’t her type, but she wasn’t his either, so that was fine. But with all those available girls just waiting for him, he had to fall for Molly, who wasn’t even fifteen yet, and had the sort of figure you needed a magnifying glass to find. Molly was nobody’s idea of Miss America, and yet for her T.J. was willing to risk his role on Hard Time High, the respect of Dick Goldstein, maybe his whole future.

He knew Molly was taking an equal risk every time they sneaked out to see each other. But Molly could always go back to the theater. All T.J. had was television. Without it, he was hardly alive.

The problem was, without Molly he was hardly alive either. She was worth all the risk-taking. And as long as T.J.’s father fell asleep by ten over a can of beer and a droning TV set, and Molly’s mother continued to be fond of lengthy evenings at the singles’ bars, he and Molly could have their grabbed moments of time together. Dick would never find out, as long as T.J. and Molly stayed silent and smart.

What secret? Miranda asked. You haven’t told me any secrets, Molly.

That’s because this is a big one, Molly said. You’ll find out when the time is right.

There are too many secrets around here, Miranda replied. T.J., you don’t have any secrets, do you?

I don’t have time for secrets, T.J. declared.

His fan clubs keep him too busy, Alison said. Don’t they, T.J.?

Sure they do, Rafe said. It isn’t easy paying all those people to join his stupid club.

Even if you paid people, they wouldn’t join a club for you, T.J. replied. The other kids laughed. T.J. could no longer remember why he and Rafe disliked each other so much, but they didn’t seem to need a reason anymore.

What are you going to do, T.J.? Bill asked. During our glorious three weeks.

I have some plans, T.J. admitted.

More secrets, Miranda said. T.J., I’m disappointed.

No secrets, T.J. said, although if he could, he would keep his plans to himself. First of all, I’m going to Indiana to visit my mother.

Another reunion, Molly said.

Right, T.J. declared. Then I’m going to New York for a couple of days.

Maybe I’ll see you there, Alison said. We’ll be at the Plaza.

Fine, T.J. said. I’ll look you up when I get there.

And then what? Miranda persisted.

Just a trip, T.J. said, wishing Miranda would drop it already.

T.J. is just being modest, Dick Goldstein declared, walking over to them.

T.J. had to hand it to Dick. He had the quietest feet in Hollywood. The man had a real gift for sneaking up on people. He only hoped Dick never sneaked up on him and Molly.

T.J.? Alison said. Modest?

T.J. is going on a little junket, Dick said. To London and Paris.

You’re kidding, Rafe said. How come T.J. gets to go there, and the rest of us don’t?

Dick laughed. The rest of you never starred as Mischievous Mike, he replied.

Wait a second, Alison said. T.J. played Mischievous Mike years ago. He wasn’t even T.J. then. He was Terry Tyler. I know, because I used to watch him every Monday night.

You and half of America, T.J. said. "‘Make Mondays Memorable with Mischievous Mike.’" In spite of himself, he grinned at the old slogan.

"It seems Mischievous Mike is a big hit over in England, Dick declared. That happens sometimes, an old American TV series goes into European syndication after it’s off the air here, and it becomes a hit all over again. This year it’s Mischievous Mike."

"I hate to state the obvious, Alison said. But T.J.’s grown just a bit since then."

Right, Rafe said. His head’s gotten a lot fatter.

T.J. waited for everybody to stop laughing. "They’re having a Mischievous Mike festival in London in a couple of weeks, he declared. And I’ve been invited."

You’re actually paying money to go there? Rafe asked.

Arrangements have been made, Dick said smoothly. "And while T.J. is there, he’ll appear on local talk shows, and plug Hard Time High, to promote interest in it, so we won’t have to wait until we’ve been off the air for five years before the Europeans discover us."

That’s great, T.J., Miranda said. Do a good job selling us. I’d love to be famous in England.

Are you going alone? Bill asked.

T.J. shook his head. I’m going to meet my agent, Harvey Waldman, in New York, and we’ll fly over together. He has some business to do in London anyway, so it was convenient for him to come with me.

London, Alison said. Kansas City pales in comparison.

Well, Hawaii sure doesn’t, Rafe said, and he began walking away from everybody to check out the platters of cold cuts that had finally appeared. And my secret’s going to make that trip of yours look like garbage, Tyler. You wait and see.

I won’t hold my breath, T.J. said.

The food looks good, Bill said, and he broke away from the group as well. Alison joined him, and Dick Goldstein soon followed.

So, T.J. said to Miranda. You’re going to take care of Molly for us, during vacation?

More like vice versa, I think, Miranda said. This is my first trip home since all this madness began. I can use Molly for protection.

I can’t wait, Molly declared. Miranda’s family serves turkey at Thanksgiving and everything. Cranberry sauce. Pumpkin pie. There’s more too. What else did you say, Miranda?

It’s just food, Molly, Miranda said. Millions of people eat that stuff every Thanksgiving.

I never did, Molly replied. I was always on the road over Thanksgiving. It’s a real big season for road shows, from Thanksgiving through New Year’s. Then in January, you’re laid off.

Not this year, T.J. said. Not the way our Neilsens are going.

All this talk about food makes me hungry, Miranda said. I think I’ll hit the cold cuts before Rafe eats them all.

I’ll join you in a second, Molly said. Later? she mouthed to T.J. as soon as Miranda walked away.

T.J. nodded imperceptibly, then watched as Molly scurried to catch up with Miranda. There was no point tempting himself with all that food. If he wanted to maintain his current weight, he had to keep away from any foods that smelled that good.

He stood still for a moment, looking at all the cast and crew eating the cold cuts and talking about their vacation plans. Three weeks off was a long time, when you realized they’d worked steadily since Hard Time High began shooting back in May. They were due a vacation. T.J. didn’t like the idea of spending so much time away from Molly, but the rest of it sounded great. He hadn’t seen his mother in quite a while, and he’d never met this new husband of hers. A couple of days in New York sounded good too, especially since he was scheduled to meet the president of his East Coast fan club. And then a week in London, and a weekend