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Grown Stars

-TayJaguar

Preface

People think a lot of things about you when you say you were a child star. Things like telling you they can pretty much recognize you or what it was like growing up in show business. Don't get me started on all the "where are you now" stuff, that's just a daily part of life. Having the money is nice, but it leaves you with a hole in your life afterwards. Something I didn't think I could fill until a had a blast from the past sweep me off of my feet.

When I was about three years old, and until I was close to twelve, I was in a show called "Growing Manes". It was about my character and his siblings growing up, a good family sitcom that made a lot of money. At the time everyone on the cast was as close as the family we played, but afterwards I sort of drifted away from them, I was adopted at the time and as nice as things were on the set my personal life just led me to being a very inward person. At 16 I got my own place with some of the money I had saved, a couple that were good friends I made on the set, writers for the show, needed a place to have their kid and things with my adopted family were never really anything to cherish, I had become just a way for them to live a lavish lifestyle they always wanted. If I was going to be someone's benefactor in my teens, it might as well be someone I liked.

Just before my 19th birthday, my life changed entirely. The couple and their four-year-old were in a crash. I can't remember how much time I lost after that, just drinking and living aimlessly. I don't drink so much now, but I don't have any real reason to go on. I'm only 22 and I've got just nothing to go on. Yeah, I've still got near thirty million left, but what am I going to spend it on if I don't care? My clothes are still the same clothes I wore when I graduated high school.

But if you're tired of indulging my in telling my sad, sad story, things get better. Starting a couple of months ago I have a good reason to care about things, a reason to live again.

It started with an invitation to something I almost didn't go to...

Chapter 1: Friends are Saviors

"We of 'Genus Studios' invite you, Mr. Faolin Taus, player of Eric "Skid" Mane in the sitcom "Growing Manes", to a cast reunion!

The casts and crews of "Growing Manes" and "Earning Stripes" are invited to the Orion Casino and Convention Center on May the 5th. The theme will be of the "Cinco de Mayo" Crossover episode, dress is casual. "

I read the invitation aloud to myself and gave it more or less a blank look. I remembered vaguely the episode in question, and I remember being all of seven years old at the time. I thought it might be an interesting opportunity to get to see people I had lost touch or frankly forgotten about from a time when my life was pretty great.

I set it down on the kitchen counter with a sigh, on the other hand it could just be a reminder of where I was and where I've ended up. Maybe I shouldn't bother; if one of the four kids on the show doesn't come what could it matter? It laid on the counter starting at me; the opportunity for an even fifty-fifty good or bad. After a couple shots of tequila though I figured really, why not? There's no way it could make things worse, and for once it turns out I was right about that.

That evening I pulled out a black and green polo shirt and grey slacks. I had to shake them out in a cloud of dust. I couldn't remember the last time I had worn anything that nice. I worked out in the morning and wore the same clothes all day normally. I took some mints with me, figuring I might as well make a good impression, even if my whole miserable life was public knowledge. For whatever reason, I really wanted to hope it would be a good thing. It might have just been the tequila still talking though.

When I managed to drive my car to the casino in mostly straight lines, the valet took my keys with a smile, "Welcome Mister uh... Skid... I'm sorry I don't know all the actor's names..."

I gave him my keys and all I could do was smile back "No worries, the us everyone watched then is why we're here."

He took them, looking my fairly junky Buick over anxiously, like he thought it might not work when compared to everyone else's super sports and luxury cars.

Just to mess with him as he was about to drive off, I leaned to the window and smirked, "Be careful, it's as old as I am."

We both laughed and he took it away to be parked, which left me at a doorway into my past. I stood there for a while though, maybe not sure I should go in. I saw my "mom" and her husband shaking hands with people as they were coming in, greeting everyone like old friends. After fifteen minutes of standing out in the cold night I took the plunge, and went into the Casino.

"Fao, sweetie!" She practically cheered, rushing at me and hugging me so tight I was nearly lifted off the floor, "Oh, how have you been, baby? It's been so long, you never talk to anyone honey!"

I barely kept eye contact with her, happy really but just unable to connect from being alone for so long, "Hey, Rubie. Yeah, it's been a long time, it's cool to see you."

She could tell it was a struggle, and I guess figured she's be able to catch me all night once I had warmed back up to being in public, "Good honey, good. Why don't you go settle in? I think your "father" is here somewhere haha... go and have fun, we can catch up later."

"Thanks, mom... Oh..." I just walked away with a blush, I guess all those years of it really programmed me.

We smiled at each other and I went into the sparse crowd, not really outwardly trying to meet people but smiling at faces I half-remembered as I passed. It wasn't too long before someone sought me out though. My big public day out seemed to be a big deal to everyone except me.

"Eric? Wow, you grew up nicely. How are you little guy?" A heavy lioness in her late 20's beamed as she pushed through to me near a poker table.

"Oh, hey Seline." I waved at her and waited while she caught up.

"Darling, really call me Felis! We're here because of all those years as a family, we should embrace it, celebrate it!"

"Alright, Felis then. What have you been up to?" My social side had finally found its way to the surface.

"Oh breaking hearts and cutting rugs, same as it ever was. You would have liked my last one; nice big Doberman. Damn good dancer but damned if he couldn't make decent spaghetti. Had to let the fella go." The sad part was she was almost convincing when she wiped her eye, but that was just the person she was.

"A guy has to be interested in me first. Last time I tried dating I got a lot of pedos that drooled over pictures of me in the show..." And there was the cynic in me, right back to the surface.

"Well if it works it works, right?" Seline giggled and waved me off, "I'll see you around Skid.

Before I even caught my breath from being accosted about not having a man, a booming voice hit me like loud thunder, "HEY! SKID-O!"

I turned around with as genuine a smile as I could muster and faced all 8-foot, 250 pounds of the show's alpha-male. Admittedly less of it was muscle now, but it was hard to mistake his huge famous mane and towering fatherly figure.

"Hey Curt.. er.. 'Dad', how are you?" I asked, always almost afraid to look all the way up at him for being blinded by the lights on the ceiling.

"Well I've been pretty good, I hear you're in a tough spot though."

"Not really a spot, more like my life. But no, no I'm alright."

"Well do you need any help? I mean if you need a few bucks, I've been doing those Carlie's Burger commercials. I haven't seen you in anything, you must be running out buddy..." He already had a check book in hand and an old fatherly smile on his face.

"Thanks, but I'm doing alright. I've got just over three mil in the bank still. I'm good."

The look he gave me left nothing to the imagination, he was dumbfounded and curious, "How did you manage that? I don't have any of that old money left! Are you taking care of yourself right?"

As his huge paw landed on my shoulder and gently clutched it, I felt like it broke through something and a tear started to form, "Yeah... thanks... I'm good. I own a flat and I don't buy much but food.. I uh... excuse me a minute..."

I held his paw for a moment and made a beeline for an exit for some air. I came out on a balcony overlooking the cliff the casino sat on, and I leaned on the stone landing and stared out over the city. Somehow, without me even realizing I had, I had taken a drink off the bar. I knew I hadn't taken anyone's drink as they had been set out before in a mini-fridge, so at least I didn't have to feel like a jerk. I took a deep drink of it and coughed over the edge, the drink was stronger than I thought and it took me a moment to collect myself from the kick. When I did, I watched my tears roll off of my nose and fall off the edge of the cliff, down into a small lake at the bottom.

All I could do for long minutes was sip the drink and rest my head on my arms, fighting off sobbing fits. When I finished it, I held the glass over the edge and swirled the ice and mint around, letting myself be distracted and entranced by the sparkling ice in the moonlight.

When the door opened behind me, I snapped out of it and fumbled the glass, trying desperately to catch it but ultimately it fell down the long way into the lake, "Shit."

"Sorry there, I didn't mean to startle you. It's just crowded as an extras casting in there..."

Not entirely recognizing the voice, I turned my head to see who had joined me. My head snapped around just as quickly; it was one of the actors from the other show, a zebra. Being my favorite subject for certain kinds of internet browsing, the sight shook me a little.

"You want to be alone?" The equine's voice asked comfortingly.

"N.. no that's alright. It's a public balcony." Smiling and stepping over away from the exact center.

Unabashedly, he practically let himself fall exhausted into a lean on the landing right next to me, "Awesome, thanks man. You from the Manes?"

"Yeah.. I was Eric. My names Faolin, Fao if it's easier."

"Eric? Eric... Eric.."

"Oh, uh... Skid."

"Oh? Oh hey!, I was Cleet. On the Stripes, that is." He smiled and offered a hand to shake.

I took it and shook it weakly, I wanted to be courteous but looking at him made my face heat up, "Cool. I didn't watch much of the old shows though. I think I remember... weren't our character's writing to each other for a few years or something?"

"Yeah, I have copies if you want them. Pretty neat they let us do that. Too bad it had to stop..."

"I don't remember why it did..." I looked off into space, thinking hard to remember.

"I hit puberty" The Zebra Stallion admitted honestly, "and I just started asking questions in my letters about it. They thought it wasn't too family friendly so they more or less put a stop to it."

"Shame...." I spoke regretfully "I thought we made great penpals..."

Somewhere in my head, memories I hadn't recalled in ages came rolling back to me, "We started on that episode they themed this off of, didn't we?"

"Yyy-up." He replied with a smile, taking a sip of his own much larger margarita.

"You uh... seeing anyone? That seems to be the topic of conversation with everyone tonight. Except Curt... he tried to give me money."

He laughed openly at that last part, "Really? He did? That's funny, though I guess I haven't seen you in anything... Oh, and no I'm not with anyone. It's tough to find someone with flexible enough schedule to work around me. I'm doing acting and some directing now. You?"

"No, no I just don't get out much. That and it's hard to find guys that aren't into what they saw in the show."

"Guys? Oh, cool. So you're a taker then?" He chuckled and gave me a knock on the shoulder.

"Well.. yeah. I get a lot of pedos trolling for me. I guess I was a pretty boy, hah." I laughed out loud, albeit quietly.

"Well... you are." He said with a smart-assed smile, then it turned into a look of embarrassment, "err.. that is you are now, not as a kid in the show."

I giggled at him, "Thanks. You're pretty nice yourself."

"Well hell. It sounds like you're available. Want to hang out sometime? Working this much makes a guy kinda lonely."

"So does not working at all... yeah that sounds great." Honestly though, I had no clue what I was getting myself into, I said yes on a whim and with a little drunken attraction to a zebra who had a foot on me, probably in more than just height.

The equine held out his arm and nodded towards the entrance, "C'mon. Let's go see who we can see, swap stories maybe."

I took the arm and he led me in, and for a while we went around together talking to cast and crews of both our shows. He had to leave for some night photo shoot but he had put me in just a sparkling mood and the rest of my night was the happy occasion everyone else would say it ought to have been in the first place.