I've really never given too much thought to stars or the rich and famous because they're in a totally different world than me. They're unattainable and perfect and live in Hollywood while I'm here in Sioux City, Iowa (population 82,000), living in the real world with all the normal people that are just trying to pay our bills and get through life day by day.

I'm a barista at a little hole in the wall coffee shop on my college campus and most of my repeat customers know my name and I know their order by heart before they even say it. I graduated high school four years ago and started taking classes for Business Management at Morningside College, a little local community college and I've been working there and saving up to buy my own house after graduation.

Nothing fancy, just a little starter home that I can have all to myself and know that it's mine, something cheap and outdated that I can gut and remodel and make my own. That's the dream anyway. I've been saving for five years and have $52,000 saved up, which on a barista's salary is an amazing accomplishment. Sometimes I felt like giving up because it felt like I'd never get there but now I'm so close I can see the finish line.

Through the years my Dad has offered to help but I told him no because I want to do this on my own, to feel like I really accomplished something without anybody's help. Plus I don't want to take the little bit of money he has. Me and my Dad live in a small two bedroom house, just the two of us and he makes barely enough as a librarian to cover the bills.

"Brenley, are you sure you really want to buy a house here sweetheart and tie yourself down to this town for the rest of your life?" Dad asked one morning when I came downstairs to make us breakfast before my shift at the coffee shop.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with this town?" I asked, grabbing the eggs and bacon from the refrigerator.

"Nothing. This is a perfectly good town Bren but you've never been anywhere but here."

"That's not true. I've gone fishing in Canada with you," I told him as I set a pan on the stove and turned on the heat. "And we've gone to Mount Rushmore."

"Yeah honey but those places aren't that far away. It's a great big world out there. I'd love for you to travel and have some adventures before you tie yourself down to one place for the rest of your life."

"That's what the internet's for Dad. I can get on Youtube and see everyone else's adventures and it's as if I'm there. It's safer and cheaper that way," I told him, as I broke four eggs into the hot skillet and scrambled them up.

Dad laughed. "Watching someone else's adventures on Youtube isn't the same as being there and experiencing them for yourself. That's like saying that watching someone else eat a steak on a video is the same as eating it yourself. In a video you can't smell the steak or taste the delicious flavors. You can't savor the texture as it melts in your mouth as you chew it up. It's just not the same."

"I'm not really interested in traveling the world Dad. That was you and Mom's thing but I'm perfectly happy being here," I told him with a smile as I scooped the eggs out onto two plates and slid one in front of him before pouring us both a cup of coffee.

Dad lifted his hand and ran it through his black hair that was now peppered on the sides with grey and let out an exhale. He always got that look on his face any time I mentioned Mom. She had passed away when I was five from a sudden heart attack and Dad was left to raise me on his own.

"Well, there's something I have to tell you," he said, looking down and taking a sip of his coffee.

"What?" I asked, feeling worried by the guilty expression written all over his face.

"I sort of, signed you up for something," he said sheepishly.

"What?" I asked, afraid of what he was about to say.

"Well, there was a competition online, one of those sweepstakes that you put in for never expecting in a million years to actually win but I won, or technically you won because I used your name."

"What was the prize?" I asked, taking a bite of my toast and sipping my steaming coffee.

"An all-expenses paid trip to Hollywood to spend a week with Dylan Chase to see what it's like to live like a movie star for a week and you even get to go to a movie premiere with him and be an extra in his new movie."

"What?" I laughed. "There's no way we won something like that. That kind of stuff happens to other people, not us. It's probably a scam."

Dad smiled at me and said, "Not this time. This time we got lucky. Look," he said, typing on his laptop before sliding it across the counter in front of me.

There was a page pulled up from the website of Dad's favorite talk show 'Spill the Tea with Tammy' that said, "Win a True Movie Star Experience from the #1 daytime talk show in the U.S. for the last five years" and it had a woman in big sunglasses with a boa around her neck walking on a red carpet with paparazzi flashing her picture.

I read out loud from the screen. "Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a star? Here's your chance to find out. One lucky winner will get the full star treatment and experience what it's like to be rich and famous for a week. They'll get to attend a movie premiere, be an extra in a real Hollywood movie, attend an industry party full of A list celebrities, eat at a 3 star Michelin restaurant, and go shopping on Rodeo Drive. The best part is they'll be doing all of this with film and music megastar Dylan Chase," I read out loud in disbelief.

I looked over at my Dad. "Are you serious? We actually won this contest? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," he told me with a huge smile. "Look at this email I received."

He pulled up his email and I read off the subject line, "Spill the Tea with Tammy says Congratulations! You've won! You're a star!" and I skimmed over the rest of the email, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Wow," I said in awe. "I can't believe it. And you used my name? I'm the one that gets to go do all this?"

He nodded with a smile, "Yeah. I did this for you. Isn't it great?"

I thought about it for a second and said, "Yeah it's great Dad but I can't take a week off without notice. The coffee shop needs me and I need the money. Plus even if it says 'All expenses paid' I'm sure there's going to be some costs."

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that. I already cleared it with Dave and he said he can cover your shifts and I talked to the producer at Spill the Tea with Tammy and she said the movie production company that's sponsoring this gives you $3,000 cash to cover incidentals like shopping and sightseeing, that kind of stuff. That's way more than you make in a week at the coffee shop. The hotel, food, transportation, all that's covered. It literally won't cost you a dime!"

I took a breath in and let it out, thinking it over.

"But I've never even flown before and I don't want to go all the way to Hollywood all by myself."

"You won't be by yourself. The Producer said Dylan's personal assistant will pick you straight up from the airport and they'll have guides and assistants that help you the whole time you're there. You need to do this Bren. How many people can say they hung out with Dylan Chase for a week and got to be in a movie? It's the chance of a lifetime!" my Dad said excitedly.

I looked into his pleading face and could tell this really meant a lot to him. As much as I wanted to say no, I could tell if I did, it would absolutely break his heart. He looked so happy and thrilled that we actually won.

I took a deep breath in and let it out and reluctantly said, "Fine. Fine. I guess I'll go."

"Yes!" my Dad cheered loudly, getting up out of his chair and coming around the table to give me a tight hug.

"You won't regret it Brenley. You're gonna have so much fun," he said as he squeezed me tight.

"Yeah," I said half-heartedly, patting his back.

He pulled back from the hug and looked at me with a huge smile on his face, "You better start packing soon! You leave in a week!"

Pretty soon he left for work and I trudged out the door and flopped into the driver's seat of my black 1998 Honda Civic two door coupe that had a few dings but got me where I needed to go, most of the time. It left me stranded more times than I could count, but I was just thankful I had a car. As I pulled out of the driveway I saw that my car had left a small oil spot on the concrete and I groaned, because a repair bill was the last thing I needed right now.

I put my phone on speaker and dialed my best friend Ellie's number.

"Hey hoe," she answered. "What's up?"

"Hey you won't guess in a million years what my Dad did."

"What did he do this time?" she laughed.

"He signed up for a contest under my name, without my permission I might add, and he actually won."

"Really? What did you win?"

"An all expenses paid trip to Hollywood to hang out with Dylan Chase for a week to see what it's like to be a celebrity."

"WHAT!? Are you serious?" she laughed. "You lucky bitch! I hate you."

I laughed. "Yeah. Well, I don't feel lucky. I can feel my anxiety spiking just thinking about flying all the way to L.A. by myself to hang out with some rich snobby asshole with an overinflated ego for a whole week. That doesn't sound like my idea of fun Ellie. I'd rather shave my head bald and go to class naked for a week."

Ellie laughed. "Only you could win something like this and not be excited Brenley."

"Yeah, well I'm sure Dylan Chase isn't real excited to be hanging out with me either. Why would he be? If it wouldn't break my Dad's heart I'd turn it down and not go."

"Have I ever told you, you worry and overthink things way too much Brenley? I bet you're going to have the time of your life."

"Yeah right," I sighed. "I'll be lucky if I even make it back alive."

"That's the spirit," she said sarcastically, with a laugh.