Behind The Limelight

07: Best Friends

8 Years Ago

"Just one more month and I'm going to be done with school," Ryker stated with a long sigh.

"You excited?" Ashton asked, looking at the other boy.

"Excited is an understatement," Ryker scoffed.

"Come on," Ashton said. "School can't be that bad."

"You have no idea how lucky you are to be homeschooled. School is a pain in the ass, especially high school," Ryker replied.

"I'd attend a normal school if I was given the choice," Ashton muttered with a light shrug.

The two best friends were sitting beside the pool in Ashton's house, their feet dangling in the water. It was the weekend, and they had just gotten done with their swim. They couldn't meet much during the week days as Ryker had school, so they always made sure to spend the weekend together.

It was mostly at Ashton's house as his parents were too overprotective about him going to Ryker's, considering the other boy lived in a rather...middle class part of the city. Unlike the Archer family. Despite Ryker's background, Ashton's parents didn't mind their friendship. Something Ashton was more than grateful for since Ryker was his only friend.

"Nah. One week in that hellhole and you'd beg to leave," Ryker argued. "You're lucky. Your parents let you work too. Mine won't even let me audition until I graduate."

"Just a month and then you can audition all you want," Ashton said. "Can you imagine how cool it would be if we get to work in a movie together?"

"That'd be awesome," Ryker grinned. "But I don't think I'll ever get cast in a movie. Commercials? Maybe."

"Don't say that," Ashton frowned as he looked at his friend. "You're a great actor. You're gonna take the industry by a storm."

"I wish," Ryker mumbled.

"I've literally seen all of you plays, Ryk, and are you forgetting that we've worked together too? I know you," Ashton stated.

"That was, what? Ten years ago? That too for a cereal ad. I haven't done any acting since," Ryker retorted.

"Theatre counts."

"School theatre doesn't," Ryker said.

"It does when someone is as good as you!" Ashton argued.

Ashton hated seeing Ryker down like this. He knew that Ryker shared the same dream of one day being a famous actor, but unfortunately his path was harder than Ashton's, who pretty much had his entire future laid out in front of him. All thanks to nepotism.

"You're just saying that because you're my best friend," Ryker replied.

"Nah, I'm just stating facts," Ashton said nonchalantly. He paused briefly, before continuing. "You do know that you can talk to my parents too, right? They like you. They'd definitely help you out with contacts in the industry and all that."

"I know," Ryker nodded, "but I want to try on my own first."

Ryker was prideful, and he hated taking help from others. Ashton knew that. He knew that Ryker would never ask his parents to get him an acting gig. He would try and try on his own, and if unsuccessful he would find something else to do. Ashton sighed, he wished that wasn't the case. He wanted nothing more than for Ryker to achieve his dreams, and he hated seeing him dejected.

"Enough about this," Ryker spoke up again. "Let's shower first. I'm dying to start playing Red Dead."

"Aye, aye captain!"