A slight AU, still set in Hollywood but with the characters being slightly older and on a different show. I own nothing you recognise in this story.

First Day (Chad)

Chad pushed the heavy, squeaking door to Condor studios open with a slight struggle, he ducked inside quickly, with his breathing slightly ragged, after the unusually high Californian autumn breeze had taken it away from him. He entered the studio and shut the door behind him as fast as he could. He sighed with a self satisfied smile at the fact that he had managed to enter the studio unseen by anyone that he knew, and or deemed important in his current red cheeked and damp and tussled haired state. But more importantly to Chad, he was both happy, and impressed that he had been able to avoid any run ins with the paparazzi looking like he currently did.

The last couple of months had been crazier than usual for the young star on the paparazzi front. They had been everywhere he went, more so than usual. For the last few months, they had been outside his apartment, outside Condor studio-among other places- all trying to get candid shots of him and the other stars of Condor Studio's newest show, Students, a comedy show about a group of college students, that had been hyped up to be 'This generations Friends'. The show is due to start airing it's first episode within a few months, meaning that is they are going to stay on schedule, the cast and crew have to start filming as soon as possible.

He checked his phone for the time, only to realise that he had arrived at the studio a little early than asked, seven minutes earlier to be exact. But, Chad Dylan Cooper being early for anything, let alone work (The boy had appeared in various different TV shows as a one off character, or a minor recurring character in the past), was a rarity, and happened about as frequently as a leap year. Chad was notorious for being late, but he was a good actor, and that worked in his favour.

Chad looked around the all but empty studio, looking for signs of someone from hair and make-up who could make him look more presentable, as well as looking for any familiar faces of the few cast members he had met on publicity shoots and a few interviews. There were still two actors he had yet to meet, while he was searching for these people in the all but empty building, his eyes fell onto one of his fellow stars, and a somewhat 'Frienemy' of his from high school, Tawni Hart.

The blonde girl was sat on a fold out directors chair near the doughnut cart, and as usual she was looking at her reflection in her compact mirror, and apparently, she was liking what she saw. Chad sighed once more and rolled his eyes as he walked towards the girl, at least talking to her will buy some time, he thought. He took the seat next to her, Tawni saw Chad from her peripheral vision and said, "Well as I live and breath, Chad Dylan Cooper is early for something." She turned to face the boy closing her compact mirror. "Wow," she said there was a small laugh in her voice, her bright eyes widened as she took in the sight of the windswept boy to her side.

She didn't need to say anything more than this to send Chad into a state of panic. He snatched the mirror from her and frantically checked his own reflection. As soon as he saw himself in the mirror he realised, that while he had looked better, that even with his hair stuck out in all different directions, thanks to the wind; that he could have looked worse, much worse. But still, this thought didn't stop him from running a hand through his hair trying to neaten it out before anyone else could see him looking like this. He turned to face the blonde to his side, who was laughing hysterically. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde who tried to curb her laughter. It was hard, she really couldn't not laugh at him when he reacted this way. Tawni teased everyone she knew like this, but she got so much more enjoyment out of watching Chad freak out then anyone else. It had always been that way. Ever since they met six years ago at the age of fifteen.

"You know," Chad said, "You don't look as good as you think you do." He continued, "And you definitely aren't as funny as you think you are, so good look with this new comedy show." Chad snarked. Tawni rolled her eyes, she snatched her mirror back from him and opened it up again, before she started to apply more of her favourite lipstick, for what Chad could easily guess was at least the second time in an hour.

"Oh please," she said, "You of all people know that I am pretty and hilarious." She replied. The tone of her voice suggested that she thought, and knew this all too well. It was Chad who rolled his eyes this time, though he had gotten used to her narcissism, sometime ago actually, it still never failed to amaze him, just how egotistical she could be. Even though he himself could be very narcissistic at times. He liked to believe that, if it ever came down to a contest between the two of them on who had the biggest ego, that she would win.

Chad turned away from Tawni and looked around the room, watching as the crew sat or walked around with tired looks on their faces. He guessed it was true; no matter what your job is, you hate it. Or at least that's what people have told him in the past. It's safe to say that Chad can vouch for that statement, even though he is an actor, and is living his dream, there have been times he has dreaded going into work, to do a scene that would last roughly five minutes if he was lucky.

"Why did Mr. Condor want us here so early?" Chad asked in a sullen tone, he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time once more to see that is was almost ten, which meant that the other cast members would, or should, be there soon, and the day's work could begin. Chad hated working in the morning, mainly because he hated waking up early in the mornings.

"Stop complaining." Tawni replied, she closed the mirror with a small, yet happy and content sigh. She turned to face Chad and said, "Yes, we had to be up early, I'll admit that I would have liked to have stayed in bed just a little longer." She continued, "But this is the first day of rehearsal, and soon we'll be filming, and making money." She beamed, her smile growing the more she thought about it, "And once the show starts to air, people will want more interviews, getting us more publicity and more work." She shrugged, "I like the sound of that." She said, "Besides, today is the first day that the six stars of the show are going to be all together at the same time. So Marshall and Mr. Condor wanted us here early so we could all meet each other properly."

"So who is it that you haven't met yet, then?" Chad asked, they had all seen pictures of each of the cast members, Chad had made sure that he had scouted them all out by watching clips of them acting in previous things online. He had wanted to make sure that they weren't all talentless, or worse, better than him. This was something that Chad worried about. He didn't mind so much with the actresses, he just liked knowing there wouldn't be much competition between him and the other males on set.

"Grady and Nico," Tawni replied dryly, the look on her face gave the impression that the two names had left a bad taste in her mouth. "Just seeing their head shots was enough to let me know that I don't want to know these boys." She said. Tawni paused and looked down at her nails before looking back up at Chad, "What about you?" She asked.

"Grady and Nico," Tawni replied dryly as if their names left a bad taste in her mouth, "Just seeing their head shots and watching them act was enough to let me know, I don't want to know them." She said, she paused and looked down at her nails before asking, "What about you?"

"Grady and some girl called Sonny." He replied.

"Yeah. I've met her." Tawni said screwing her face up slightly.

"Wait, what's that face for?" Chad asked with a slight panicked chuckle.

"Nothing." Tawni said with a small shrug, "All I am going to say is wait until you meet her." The blonde girl turned her mouth down as id meeting Sonny was going to be a bad, no terrible thing. This instantly put Chad on edge. he had seen pictures of Sonny in magazines, and even in the form of her head shot, he had also seen clips of her acting, all he knew about this girl is that she had talent, and beauty, she had them both in spades. But Tawni had actually met the girl, and there was something in the way she spoke about her that made Chad feel ominous about meeting her.

This is my first SWAC story, so I apologise if anyone is OOC; I am trying my best. So this was just a short chapter as a sort of introduction. The chapters in this story will alternate between Chad and Sonny third person POV. Please read and review, let me know what you think.