Prologue

David Archuleta felt his stomach twist into rigid knots as the plane descended. He’d never liked flying and landing was always the worst part. The painful popping in his ears began to subside as they approached the runway and he breathed a shaky sigh of relief. I should be used to this by now, he thought to himself, preparing to disembark. And yet the strong wave of nausea he felt was a reminder that he definitely wasn’t. His manager, Kari, looked at him sympathetically, seeing the ashen appearance of his face. She’d been with him from the beginning and was used to the effect flying sometimes had on him.

“Wow, you’re making progress. You didn’t actually toss your cookies this time,” she half-joked.

‘Toss your cookies?’ Who says that anymore?” he asked with a weak smile. She laughed at him.

After taking a few minutes to compose himself, David moved gingerly towards the plane exit.

“International pop star David Archuleta will be making his television miniseries adebut in TV 5’s “Nandito Ako…” proclaimed a local news broadcast, as they walked down the concourse. As excited as he was about this new project, David couldn’t help but also be nervous. He’d played himself before in a couple of U.S. television shows, but this would be his first real acting role. When the offer was presented to him, he’d been very hesitant. After all, he wasn’t an actor. Singing had always been his passion, ever since he was eight years old and had seen a video of Les Miserables that his parents often played. But, if nothing else, these last four years had shown him that amazing things could happen when you didn’t play it safe.

It had all started with the singing reality show American Idol. At the time, he’d been just a shy sixteen year old kid from Murray, Utah who’d just gotten his first job. When the opportunity to audition for American Idol came, he was more than a little afraid. Was he good enough to compete with all of the incredible singers who auditioned year after year? Would it be a waste of time and money to fly all the way to L.A. only to be sent home? In the end, he’d decided that pursuing his dream was worth the risk and that decision had paid off big time. He’d claimed the runner-up position that year and had been offered a record deal that very night. It was the beginning of an incredible journey – three albums, international tours, music awards -– it was all an amazing dream come true that made this new venture possible.

“Are you ready?” asked Kari, looking at him expectantly.

Her bright voice penetrated his contemplative reverie and looking around he realized that they were in the airport lobby surrounded by a huge media throng and thousands of screaming fans. Even though he’d visited before and experienced the warmth of the people, David wasn’t prepared for this. Even though it had been four years since American Idol, fan support was something that he never took for granted.

He took a deep breath. “Yes,” he replied, grinning and waving to the crowd.

It was quite a chaotic scene with all of the fans as well as media outlets vying for his attention. At the front of the welcome crowd were two people who he recognized instantly as the actresses who would be his main co-stars: Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Eula Caballero.

“Hi! I’m Eula,” said the shorter one, stepping forward and shaking David’s hand. “I’m a huge fan!”

Her bubbly personality was contagious and David found himself grinning back at her.

“It’s great to meet you, Eula. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Me, too!” she said in an excited tone of voice.

David turned his attention to the more reserved brunette standing next to her. Their eyes met and he was struck by their beautiful chestnut hue and her welcoming smile.

“You must be Jasmine,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” She gestured towards the crowd. “Do you ever get used to this?”

He grinned. “Nope. It never gets old.”

For a moment, she eyed him pensively, as if she were trying to make up her mind about something.

“I like you already,” she said finally.” I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

David held her gaze. “So do I,” he said.

Smiling back at her, he had a feeling that this would be an experience that he wouldn’t soon forget.
____________________________________________________________________

“Cut! That’s a wrap!” yelled director Mac Alejandre. “Great job everyone!”

David breathed a sigh of relief. The last few weeks had really flown by quickly. He’d just taped his last scene and couldn’t believe it was over. Looking around at all the amazing people he’d gotten to know, he knew he’d miss them and this experience.

“I want to say a special thank you to you, David,” said Mac. “I know this was your first acting gig but you were awesome. It has truly been a pleasure to work with you. You really are a natural.”

David blushed as the entire cast and crew erupted in applause. He’d always been uncomfortable with praise and this was no exception, especially coming from a director like Mac who was world renowned and much sought after. It was definitely an honor to work with him.

“Thanks so much,” he said, addressing everyone. “This has been wonderful, an experience I’ll never forget. All of you have made this so special for me and I’m going to miss you guys. Thanks again.”

As he spoke, his eyes connected with one person in particular that he knew he’d miss most of all. He’d gotten close to everyone, but he and Jasmine had a special connection. It had only been a few weeks and yet David felt like he’d known her for much longer. They’d talked about everything – their careers, their dreams, their families, and even their faiths. He would miss their time together.

“Congratulations!” Jasmine said as she walked over to him. “You finished your first starring role.”

“Thanks,” said David smiling. “I can’t believe it. The time has just flown by.”

“You did great. I just wish there was more time to celebrate. Are you sure you have to leave tomorrow?” she asked ruefully.

Wow, she’s beautiful, he thought to himself before giving himself a mental shake. He’d had to do that a lot over the past few weeks. He kept reminding himself that they were nothing more than friends.

Even if he wanted more, it would never work. He’d be leaving on his church mission in a couple of months and would be gone for two years. His faith had always been a priority in his life and he’d always known that he would serve a mission eventually. He knew that most people thought he was crazy to put his career on hold for two years, virtually cut off from family and friends but it was something he had to do, something that he wanted to do. And yet, when the time came to make the decision, it hadn’t been easy.

“Unfortunately yes,” said David. “I mean, I’m glad to be going home to see my family, but this has been such a great experience. I don’t want it to end.”

She smiled sadly. “I know what you mean,” she said. “I feel the same way.

“But you have other projects coming up soon. You’ll be pretty busy,” said David.

“Yes, but it won’t be the same. This was really special,” said Jasmine. He had the most gorgeous eyes she’d ever seen. She could feel heat creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks as she started to blush. What had gotten into her?

“I mean, for one thing, you won’t be there to break out in song at every opportunity,” she quickly added to lighten the moment.

David laughed. “I guess that’s true,” he said. “And you probably won’t have anyone to play practical jokes on.”

“That too,” said Jasmine, chuckling. They’d shared a few pranks during the past few weeks. At first, she didn’t know how David would respond to this silly side of her, but he’d been a good sport and had actually retaliated. She was glad to see that he was no slouch when it came to fun and games. It probably came from growing up with three younger sisters and a brother at home.

Jasmine smiled. “Well, hopefully we can keep in touch. I’ll write you…maybe you’ll write back,” she said tentatively.

David hesitated. Although he wanted to stay in touch, he didn’t want to make any promises. He knew that while away he would be very focused on his duties as a missionary. 

“To be honest, I’m not sure. I don’t know how much time I’ll have, but I will definitely try,” he replied, and immediately regretted it. As he looked at her, he was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

Jasmine felt like the wind had suddenly been knocked out of her. She was shocked and confused by the sharp disappointment she felt. Where was this coming from? After all, they’d only known each other for a few weeks.

“Oh,” she said, taken aback. “I guess this is really goodbye then.”

“Jasmine, I’m sorry…” he began and reached out to comfort her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. Despite what he tried to tell himself, he knew that theirs was more than just a casual friendship. He hadn’t meant to be insensitive but he didn’t want to make promises that he couldn’t keep. Maybe it was better that they not have any expectations of anything more serious.

“No, David, it’s okay,” Jasmine said quickly, embarrassed by this unexpected show of emotion. She felt so foolish. The guy was going away for two years. Had she really expected that there could be anything more between them? What had gotten into her? And yet, the thought of not continuing their friendship deeply saddened her.

“I’m the one who’s sorry,” she laughed nervously. “I know you’ll be busy. I think all the excitement has gotten me feeling a little emotional. But, I just wanted to say that it was really great working with you, David, and I wish you all the best…I’ll miss you. Have a safe trip.”

Before he could respond, she quickly leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. With one last smile, she turned and walked away.