Imposter by Antony John Page A

what?
    â€œWhy did you do it, Maggie?” I ask.
    She stops in the doorway. She’s breathing fast. “You’ve seen how it works. Kris and Sabrina can say and do whatever the hell they want, and no one calls them on it. You’re never going to shine as long as they’re the ones in the spotlight. But now Kris is gone.”
    â€œYou stupid woman,” snarls Brian, fist pressed tight against his forehead. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    â€œOh really? Then why was I at the party in the first place, huh? Because you two were busy selling your souls to get Kris freakin’ Ellis to sign on, that’s why.” She turns to me, her expression different, pleading. “Do you really believe Kris was in this thing to play second string to you? You stood up for me, Seth. Now I’m standing up for you. Doesn’t matter how much Kris wants to bring you down, he’s
done
. And I’m glad I was the one who made it happen.”
    â€œWhat about Tamara?” I ask.
    â€œWhat about her? Tamara lost the moral high ground when she cheated on her fiancé.”
    â€œAnd Sabrina?” adds Ryder. “What if we’ve lost her too?”
    Maggie grips the door handle. “Then good riddance. She’s no different from Kris. We all know why Annaleigh left the party early last night.”
    Brian glares at her. “Get the hell out!”
    â€œWhy shouldn’t Seth know what she said about him?” she fires back.
    â€œWhat
who
said about me?” I ask.
    â€œWhy, your dear friend Sabrina, of course. Said the first read-through wasn’t a rehearsal, it was a humiliation. Called you a fucking mess. Said that if that’s all you’ve got, the whole movie is screwed. Those are pretty much direct quotes, by the way. Just ask Annaleigh.”
    Maggie slams the door behind her and I’m alone with the two men who control my future. Do they feel the same way as Sabrina? Is that why they wanted Kris on board?
    Maybe Sabrina’s right—I
was
a mess at that first rehearsal. Still, I can’t believe she said those things. Who does that to a fellow actor?
    â€œIs it true, what Maggie just said?” I ask Ryder.
    He looks at everything except me. “It’s what Annaleigh told us.”
    â€œLook, I’m sorry,” I say. “I was distracted during the read-through. I’d just seen the picture of me and Kris in the newspaper and—”
    The door flies open and Tracie blusters in. “Did you just fire Maggie?”
    â€œYeah,” says Brian. “And don’t tell me I can’t legally do that.”
    â€œYou can’t legally—”
    â€œBullshit! She leaked confidential information. Seth told her about Kris and Tamara, and she sold the story.”
    â€œI know what she did, Brian. I was listening at the door.”
    â€œI thought you made her sign a nondisclosure.”
    â€œI did, but it only covers the movie. Kris never signed a contract, so technically he’s nothing to do with the movie. Neither’s Tamara. And Maggie knows it.”
    Silence. A few words from Tracie and Brian’s pent-up anger counts for nothing.
    â€œWe should sue her anyway,” says Ryder.
    Tracie purses her lips. “For what? Telling the truth? If we so much as threaten her, she’ll name her sources. In other words,
Seth
.” She turns to me. “So are you willing to go on oath and say she’s lying, or would you admit that you told her everything she passed along?”
    I lower my eyes. “I’d have to admit it.”
    â€œUh-huh. And tell me, who gets thrown under the bus then—her, or you?” She puts her fingers under my chin and forces me to look her in the eye. It’s the first time she has seemed remotely sympathetic. “Take it from me—Maggie didn’t commit a crime. She sold information she never should’ve had. It may feel the same,