simbelmyne

Disclaimer: the actors are not mine, the fangirls are.

THE HUNT

Dani cleaned her glasses and put them back on her nose. She was nervous, but it wasn't excitement, it was real fear.

What if Sheryl was right and he was really in town? What if they really got t o see him? What if they got to talk to him? What if....?

Dani was shaking and hoped that none of the "Bloomin'girlz" noticed.

Luckily, they didn't.

They were all sitting in the van of Michelle's mother. Michelle sat in front, combing her long blonde hair, while chatting with Lila, who sat behind her. Lila was pulling her t-shirt and jeans around, not happy about the way she looked. Michelle's mother had agreed to drive them to the Marriott-complex, and leave them there for shopping. She would pick the girls up after a couple of hours.

What the good woman didn't know, was that all five "Bloomin'girlz" were going on a hunt, the most difficult of all: star-hunt. Specifically, an Orlisafari, as they described it.

It had been a couple of days before, when Jenn had called Dani and screamed into the phone: "He is coming to town!!! Can you believe it? He will be here, for a night and I know where he will be staying!"

It took Dani about a whole minute to figure out who "he" was. Of course, it had to be "him": Orlando Bloom.

"Are you sure? I mean how could he?" stuttered Dani.

"Ben is working at the Marriott-complex and saw the reservations ..." said Jenn and added hastily "I have to call the others ... be sure to have Friday afternoon off!".

Dani looked around her room, and saw the book with the purple binding. Her diary.

Inside the book there were a couple of pictures of Orlando Bloom. She had been a fan of him since seeing Lord of the Rings. And when she saw the real Orlando in the Internet, with his dark hair and soulful eyes ... her dreams had a new lead actor.

Then Jenn had found out about her secret and had almost dragged Dani to join "Bloomin'girlz", the fan club at school. Dani knew that Sheryl, Lila and specially Jessica didn't think much of her, but they surely admired Jenn. So, she became a member of the club.

They didn't do much, except trade photos from the Internet and tidbits and gossip they read on the various sites.

Jessica, Lila and Sheryl made a point of letting Dani know she was part of the group because of Jenn. And Dani ...well, remained in the group because of Jenn.

"Hey Dani, we are already there ... wake up!"

Jenn's voice intruded into Dani's musings. As always.

Jenn smiled to her friend and Dani smiled back. Jenn was her best friend ever, and they understood another very well, though they were as different as night and day.

Jenn was a spirited redhead with green eyes and a temper. She was shorter than Dani, but Jenn always stood out with her "I own the world"-attitude and attracted people to her like a magnet. They had been friends almost forever, and Jenn never left Dani out of anything she did, no matter what.

Dani was the quiet one no one noticed, especially around such lively girls as the ones of the group. So she mostly gave in to musing and daydreaming.

Michelle's mother left the girls at the entrance of the Marriots-complex-mall and promised to pick them up later.

"Ladies" said Jessica, "we have a bit of time before the planned time of arrival. Let's get somewhere where we can go through the plan again." And the lanky brunette led the way towards the ice-cream parlor near the center of the mall. All the others trailed behind her, Dani last in line.

The girls sat down and ordered sodas, then Jessica began giving the instructions over a drawing of the Marriot-compound. She was like a general revising a battle-plan .

"We all have our cell-phones, right? So Lila covers the north entrance, Michelle the east entrance, Jenn covers the hotel lobby and I will be overlooking from here ... Dani may cover the elevators."

All agreed and were synchronizing their wrist watches, as Dani softly asked:

"And when we see him and call the others, what next?"

Four pairs of eyes focused on Dani with disbelief.

"What next? Well we will surround him and ask him for pictures and autographs and hugs and ... well whatever we get from him, of course! Are you dumb or what?" said Jessica.

Dani turned crimson and nodded, then realized that she was nodding to the question about being dumb and shook her head, while the "Bloomin'girlz" were laughing hard about her.

'Yeah, dumb, really dumb' she thought, as she walked away towards the elevators.

Dani walked to the big hall were the elevators were located. There were a lot of people in the mall, as usual for a Friday afternoon.

She felt strange, standing around in a big hall packed with people busy going on their own errands, overlooking the crowd after the one person she had never met before but was sure to identify. After all, she had seen all the pictures of him there were to see on the Internet and in the magazines.

Dani often imagined and dreamed new adventures, where Orlando would play the lead, the hero; a myriad of stories popped into her head. Sometimes she would imagine herself in the story, as the heroine or the damsel in distress being saved by the handsome actor. But she never ever had thought about what would happen if she met him up close and personal. 'I hope I faint', she told herself. But then, the probability that she might be the one to see him... who was she kidding anyway?.

She bought herself a bag of M&M's, not daring to walk too far away from her assigned spot and sat down on a bench. It was the time appointed for his arrival the hotel, and nervousness took over her. She munched her M&M's quietly, waiting for her cell-phone to ring.

Even though she was waiting for it, the ringing of the Star Wars Imperial March from her cell-phone caught her distracted.

"Yes?" she said into the phone.

"I see him. Oh my God, it's him!" Lila's breathless voice came over the line and hung up.

That was the signal. Dani looked over to where Lila was supposed to be standing and didn't see her. She decided to wait.

Lila was running towards where she had seen a lanky young man with dark hair and dark glasses appear in the crowd. It had to be Orlando! She saw the figure and ran after it, while going through the speed-dial of her phone.

The young man appeared and disappeared a couple of times from her sight, but she did not slow down her pace.

Sometimes it seemed like the man was closer, then disappeared and appeared further away.

She thought she saw the man enter the Nautica store and ran inside, hitting a low shelf spilling on-sale-sweaters on the floor. She tried to grab the arm of the man she was following as she was caught in mid-stride and held back not very gently. She found herself looking into the face of a very angry security guard.

"What do you think you are doing, young lady?"

"I want to talk to ....."

Lila turned to look where she had last seen the thin dark haired man she was following. He was gone.

Dani had seen Lila pursuing a man and charging into Nautica, but hadn't moved from her assigned position. After all, the mere thought of grabbing Orli seemed somehow not right to her .... She wouldn't like to be in his shoes.

Her cell-phone rang again. This time it was Michelle. "Subject in sight: sunglasses, blue jacket, faded jeans ... moving southwest towards Jessica's position. He is ours, Jess ... let's go for it!"

Dani peered down to the main gallery of the mall and saw someone fitting the description walking with large strides, trying to reach the hotel lobby. She was shaking. The man absolutely looked like Orlando Bloom. And he was running straight into Jessica's clutches. She didn't dare to imagine what Jessica would do to the actor (besides drooling all over him). He deserved better than that.

So she dared to do something to change the odds. She rang up Jenn. "Jenn, I see him from here. Tell the girls he is now going towards you, he seems to be going to the parking lot ... run!!!!"

'Hope you forgive me, dear friend!' she said in her head, as she entered the elevator and rode down to the mall level. She searched in her backpack and under her diary with the purple binding there was a package of chewing gum. Pulling up the stripe, she chewed as fast as possible on it before reaching the lower level. 'Gods of the actors, smile upon me and let him come this way" she prayed, not knowing if there actually were gods for the actors.

There was a couple waiting for the elevator as she arrived and Dani put on her most serious face. "I am sorry, sirs, the elevator is under maintenance she said, and jammed the stop button, fixing it with the chewing gum.

She looked around from the elevator door and saw him, actually walking her way. She waited until he was close enough, grabbed the bigger man by the arm and pulled him into the lift. Dani caught him by surprise and he almost fell against the elevator wall, while she unblocked the door button and pushed the one for the highest level.

Once the elevator was moving she turned around and found herself looking into the very angry face of Orlando Bloom.

"What in bloody hell are you doing?" he said.

Dani was speechless at first, then blushed furiously and couldn't stand his gaze. She looked down and tried to explain. "There are some girls out there, from a fan club and we ... they... were waiting for you ... to assault you ...or for a hug or an autograph .. and I thought ... I am very sorry ... Mr. Bloom..". She felt like crying. The man was most probably going to turn her over to security and then her parents would have to pick her up. 'how stupid can you be, Dani' she told herself.

Orlando's frown slowly dissolved as he was slowly understanding the situation, or at least part of it. "And I suppose YOU are no threat to my physical well-being, right?"

Dani couldn't stop the tears running down her cheeks. "I am your admirer; Mr. Bloom, but I would never ... I am so sorry, Sir. Please don't turn me over to the police."

The elevator was still ascending. Luckily nobody stopped it until it reached the top level.

Once there, the doors opened and Dani stood there, sobbing softly, not daring to look up. Orlando looked at the young girl and took her hand, pulling her out of the elevator.

"Okay dear, so you just wanted to save me from your fellow fans?" he asked her.

She just nodded.

He sighed heavily. "Then, I suppose I must thank you for your efforts kid."

Dani looked up to him. "You are not going to call security?".

He grinned. "No, unless you go rabid or your friends actually assault me."

She looked at him with big eyes. "I'd never ... thank you, Mr. Bloom!". Then she took a good look at him and felt her knees weaken. Goodness, the man was gorgeous in person! No photograph would ever catch the amazing changing of expressions in his eyes. Dani gawked.

Orlando had seen the expression often enough, to recognize a truly infatuated teen fan in front of him. "Thank you, dear! Do you want an autograph?"

Dani blushed furiously again, as she reached into the backpack and retrieved the diary. "If you would be so kind, Sir,"
Orlando was still grinning. This was a shy one. "Purple? Great color, love. And your name is ..."

"Dani, Sir."

So he wrote in the last page. "With heartfelt thanks for Dani, my savior, love Orlando Bloom."

Dani received the book and looked at him in awe. "Thank you ,Mr. Bloom. You are the greatest!!!"

Orlando turned around and led her to the elevator. "Thanks to you, dear. Look me up in ten years!". And before he pushed the button for the main level of the mall, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Dani's cell phone rang and she answered. It was Jessica.

"You stupid nerd, we lost him because of you! And you left your post! Where the hell are you!"

Dani was still touching her cheek, there where HE had kissed her and holding her diary to her heart.

"I ... had to ... had to ... go to the bathroom. I am sorry, Jessica. I am in the elevator. I will be there right away," she stuttered.

Dani reached the lowest level and confronted Jessica and Michelle, both looking at her with murder in their eyes. Jenn though, was giving her an odd look, and hugged her, while the other two continued calling her dumb, stupid and blind.

Jessica and Michelle walked away , to look again if they could see Orlando and to try to get Lila from the malls security. Jenn led Dani to the ice-cream parlor and ordered a coke.

After serving some for Dani, Jenn took the bottle, drank a bit and asked.

"So, was OB nice to you?"

" What?" Dani almost spit the soda she was drinking all over the table.

"Come on, Dani, it's me. You never could have seen him from where you stood. And I saw you in the elevator. Was he nice?"

Dani blushed and felt awful. "I am sorry Jenn, I just didn't want ..."

Jenn laughed. "Well you had more guts pulling off that stunt than we would have assaulting him. Answer the question."
Dani told her all that happened in the elevator, then the autograph and the kiss.

Jenn sighed loudly. "Dani, I love you dearly and you deserved to meet him. Just let's keep it to ourselves, before Jessica scratches our eyes out. Anyway, I think we won't belong much longer to the "Bloomin'girlz" ... care to join Elijah Wood's Fan club?"

Both girls stood up and hugged, before walking out towards the parking lot, where Michelle's mother was to meet them.

Fin.

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