"A lot," Nadine says. "Rodney is coming back with the car right now. You have to meet with the executive producer of that ensemble family drama TV pilot tonight. He's flying out to scout locations in Vancouver tomorrow and he needs to make his casting decisions right away. It's tonight or never. You have to go."

"You're kidding, right?" I complain. This was the show I was least interested in and now I'm being dragged out of here for a meeting without even being consulted first? This is crazy! I'm with the one person who actually cares about what I'm feeling and now I have to leave. I won't do it! "Forget the show," I say defiantly. "If it has to be tonight, I don't want to go."

"Don't make me call back your mother and Seth and tell them that," Nadine warns. "Be reasonable. You can have dinner with Austin afterward. If you even think you might want in on this show, the meeting has to be now."

I want to throw a fit again, but if I do that I might break Austin's phone too. I cover his phone with my hand, stare at the sky, and scream. I turn to Austin and grumpily explain what's going on. "What do you think I should do?" I ask him.

"Dinner can wait," he insists. "Burke, what if this show is the one? Go to the meeting. I'll shower, Rod will pick me up, and then if it's not too late we'll have dinner afterward. You don't want to miss the chance just because we have a dinner reservation, do you?"

Part of me does. I feel so powerless. But I don't really have a choice about this meeting, do I? If I don't go, Mom will kill me. And so will Laney. And Seth. And, it seems, Nadine. If I do go, I lose out on my time with Austin. It's so unfair. Ava's right. When do I get to do what I want to do?

I uncover the phone and sigh heavily. "I'll be standing in the school parking lot in five," I say curtly to Nadine and then hang up without saying goodbye.

I'm about to put my personal life on hold. Again.

Wednesday, January 21

NOTE TO SELF:

Set up Jay Godfrey fitting 4 Vanity Fair dress!

Order car 4 VF party.

Choose Oscar gift suites 2 attend.

RSVP yes 2 Gucci dinner.

Call J.J. Abrams back.

Call back Seth. Break news about pilot gently.

HOLLYWOOD NATION'S. . . . . . .

Family Affair--What Your Favorite Family

Members Are Doing Nextby Kathleen Pearl

They've made us laugh, they've made us cry, and now they're leaving us with an empty hole in our hearts and in our TV schedules on Sunday nights. Thankfully, there is life after the Buchanan clan skips town. You can still catch your favorite stars on the screen, both big and small, this coming year. Here's what theFamily Affairstars have planned for an after-party.