I've got a new way of doing things.

This time, I'm the one pulling the strings.

Lights! Camera! Action!

You've never seen anything like the new me before.

And you probably never will again, you bores.

"It's so cute," Christy coos when the song is over. I glance at Austin. He's trying his hardest not to laugh. I don't blame him.

"Listen, Christy," I start to say, but there is a loud bang and the front doors clang open.

"KATIE!" Lauren and Ava shriek. They're both disheveled, their hair is a bit messed up, and they're wearing dark sunglasses, jeans, and rumpled tees.

"What are you guys doing here?" I try to sound calm, but I start to wheeze. I can't breathe.

"We've been looking for you everywhere," Ava says, walking right in, grabbing a carrot stick from an assistant's plate and plopping down on the couch across from ours. She has her Pomeranian, Calou, with her and she puts the dog down and lets her run around the room. She's so wound up she starts doing laps around the coffee table. "You never told us where your photo shoot was today, but we called Gary -- he's outside with Larry -- and they said they followed you here. So here we are! Oh, by the way, Rod-o is in hot water."

That's what they've started calling Rodney. It drives him nuts.

"Why?" I ask. And how the heck were we followed? I didn't see anyone tailing us.

"Rod-o saw Gary and Larry trying to sneak up the private road and he tried to block them from coming up the street. Gary's car accidentally hit yours and now Rod is waiting for a tow truck." Ava giggles.

"Oh my God," I blurt out. This is not good. Ava and Lauren are crashing my shoot, the paparazzi are outside and my bodyguard is tied up. Laney isn't here to save me either. Is it hot in here? I grab a napkin off the table and begin fanning myself. Christy looks on in confusion.

"He's fine," Lauren enthuses. "He said to tell you not to let Gary and Larry in and that he'd be here in a jif. Gary wanted to know if you'd come outside and take pictures when you were done," she adds and then she spots Austin. "Hey, A! What's up? I'm Lauren."

"Hi." Austin's voice sounds like steel.

An ear-piercing shriek disrupts the awkward moment. "Lau, Lau, come here and look at these clothes!" Ava is standing at a rack; with sticky fingers from the donut she just grabbed off one of the trays, and is flipping through dresses. I see Christy cringe.

"Excuse me," an assistant says. "Could you be careful with those clothes? They're borrowed and we can't get any stains on them."

Ava ignores her. Instead she gasps. "KATIE, you've got to wear this!" She holds up a one-shoulder Grecian gown that would make me look like a potato sack.