Day Dreams and Movie Screens

  Praise for Lena and Wynter Pitts and the

  Lena in the Spotlight Series

  “Tween girls LOVE fiction, but it doesn’t always teach them the best values. That’s why I’m so excited about Wynter Evans Pitts writing with her daughter Alena. This is a book series that will entertain your daughter’s love of reading, but also introduce godly living. Enjoy!”

  —DANNAH GRESH

  “Alena Pitts is an absolute treasure! She and her parents have a heart for ministry and for advancing God’s kingdom. One of the best decisions we made in casting for the movie War Room was in choosing Alena to be Danielle. She not only brought an outstanding performance to the film, but she and her family were a joy to work with. We can look forward to great things from this little world changer.”

  —STEPHEN KENDRICK

  Every little girl dreams and Alena Pitts has written a delightful book series that will help any girl do just that. Taking a cue from her own life as a young actress, Alena weaves a story that will take her reader on a fun adventure while simultaneously encouraging her to both dream and keep first things first. The concepts of faith, family, and following your dreams are all laced together into a tale that is sure to keep any girl turning the pages while she also learns life lessons and is reminded of God’s love.

  —CHRYSTAL EVANS HURST CO-AUTHOR OF KINGDOM WOMAN

  Other Books by Lena Pitts with Wynter Pitts

  Lena in the Spotlight Series

  Hello Stars (Book One)

  ZONDERKIDZ

  Day Dreams and Movie Screens

  Copyright © 2017 by Alena Pitts and Wynter Pitts

  Illustrations © 2017 Zondervan

  This title is also available as a Zondervan ebook.

  Requests for information should be addressed to:

  Zonderkidz, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

  Epub Edition August 2017 ISBN 9780310760627

  ISBN 978-0-310-76063-4

  Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by the publisher, nor does the publisher vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

  Zonderkidz is a trademark of Zondervan.

  Cover Illustration: Annabelle Metayer

  Interior Illustrations: Jacqui Davis

  Interior design: Denise Froehlich

  Printed in the United States of America

  17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 /LSC/ 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Daddy, thank you for always encouraging

  me to be my best and for teaching me

  what it looks like to follow God always.

  I love you.

  Contents

  Praise for Lena and Wynter Pitts and the Lena in the Spotlight Series

  Other Books by Lena Pitts with Wynter Pitts

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Excerpt

  Chapter 1

  “Lena!” “Lena!” “Lena!”

  The sudden chanting of my name caused my knees to jerk and the skin on my face to tighten. I peeked from underneath my shaggy green blanket just enough to see if the voices were as close as they sounded.

  The room was empty but the repetitive squeals from my younger sisters, Ansley, Amber, and Ashton, let me know that they were close.

  “I’m in here!” I spoke in a voice slightly above a whisper, desperately wanting to delay my discovery by just a few more seconds.

  I was on the last page of the first chapter of my new book, Winter Nights by Mallory Winston. I had been waiting to read Mallory’s book ever since I found a signed copy at the bottom of my green polka-dot travel bag three days ago. It was tucked right underneath my black and gold star-covered journal, on top of a baggy full of leftover chocolate chip cookies and an old slide from my last day of filming.

  I ran my eyes across the last line of page twelve and quickly flipped the page. My sisters called my name once again, but this time they were standing near my head. The shrieking pitch of their voices practically pierced my ears. My whole body shook as they jumped up and down, pressing their hands into the cushions and bumping the game room couch.

  “Lena!” Ansley knelt down and tucked her head right under the blanket with me. I reached up and pulled her completely down next to me and tickled her.

  “Le—na—stop—Le . . . ha-ha-ha,” she tried to speak through her giggles but I refused to let her.

  “Huh? Stop laughing so much! I can’t understand you!” I continued to tickle her for a few more seconds, then finally let her go so I could hear what she wanted so badly to say.

  She sat up and tried to catch her breath. “Lena, Mommy wants you!”

  “Oh, oops!” I said while pretending to reach for her one last time before I jumped up off the couch.

  “Hurry up, Lena!” Ashton urged with a hint of excitement in her voice.

  “What are you guys up to?” I asked, slightly suspicious. They seemed a little too excited and eager.

  “Nothing,” Amber blurted out.

  I shook my head at their failed attempts to act normal and darted off in search of Mom.

  I could hear the three of them following me down the hall, through the kitchen, and toward Mom and Dad’s room.

  When we reached my mother’s room, Amber, Ashton, and Ansley stopped at the doorway and took two steps back.

  Ansley balled her hands into tiny fists, tucking them under her chin with a huge grin.

  “Mom?” I called as I peeked my head through the open door.

  “I’m in here, Lena,” she responded from behind her bathroom door. I slowly pushed the door open and spoke cautiously, “Yes, ma’am?”

  There were bubbles teasing the edge of the big tub and the smell of peppermint tickled my nose.

  My mother stood still. Her smile was bright. “Lena, this is for you.” Her voice was soft and crisp at the same time as she waved her hand toward the bubble bath.

  “Huh?” I asked.

  My mother never let anyone, especially not one of us girls, near her bathtub. It’s her favorite spot in the entire house.

  She chuckled and said, “Yes, Lena, you heard me. Tonight this bath is for you.”

  I could hear my sisters giggling outside the door as Mom continued to speak, “I know this summer was not easy for you. You missed your friends and had to cancel a lot of your plans. You worke
d really hard in Los Angeles. I know you didn’t have a lot of time to relax. So, before school starts tomorrow, I wanted to give you a chance to really relax. My bathtub is the most relaxing place in the house—at least in my opinion!”

  She walked toward me, cupped my chin in the palm of her hand, and said, “I’m proud of you. Love ya. Now enjoy!”

  She pulled the door closed behind her as I quickly got rid of my clothes. Then I practically dove in. The top layer of bubbles dispersed and splashes of water hit the floor.

  “My book!” I gasped. I remembered I had left it in the game room and I really wanted to keep reading it.

  “Ansley!” I yelled through the tiny crack in the door and prayed she could hear me. “Can you please get my book?”

  A few seconds later, Ansley came dashing into the bathroom empty handed.

  “What’d you say?”

  “Ansley, I was asking you to bring me my book. Please!”

  “Ohhhhh,” her voice trailed off as she spun around on her heels and sped out of the bathroom, leaving the door wide open.

  “SHUT THE D . . . Ahh, oh well,” I murmured to myself.

  I partially closed my eyes and waited. The smell of peppermint lingered and the water felt like warm silk.

  I leaned my head against the tub. Just as my mind began to drift, I saw a flash of grey and white fur coming toward me.

  “No, Austin!” I screamed as my grey bully pup burst through the open door and did a nosedive into the tub, right on top of me. The remaining bubbles dissolved and water splashed everywhere. Within seconds, Austin popped his soggy face up and placed his front two paws on the edge of the tub. He flung his floppy ears from side-to-side before jumping out. He gave his tail a dramatic shake as he trotted back through the door as if nothing had happened.

  Mom’s fluffy grey rug was so wet it had turned two shades darker. Splashes of water ran down the mirror above the sink and Austin’s wet paw prints made a trail leading out the door.

  I wasn’t sure if I should jump out and attempt to fix Austin’s mess or pretend not to notice and finish trying to relax.

  Deciding it would be better to try to fix the mess, I stood up and reached for my towel. Of course, it was wet, so I grabbed another towel from Mom and Dad’s linen closet, wrapped myself up tight, and used my own wet towel to clean up the floor.

  I was on my knees swiping the wet towel over Austin’s footprints when Mom walked into the room with the phone up to her ear.

  She pursed her lips, but before she could ask me anything, I looked up and said, “Austin.”

  “Oh, okay. Well, Lena . . . ,” Mom started to mouth words to me, but I couldn’t make them out. She was holding her phone out with one hand and directing my attention to the phone with the other.

  “Huh?” I mouthed back to her.

  “Mallory,” Mom mouthed to me and then started speaking out loud again. “I’ll have Lena call you right back. Is that okay, Mallory?”

  My eyes and mouth opened as big as they possibly could. “Mallory?” I gasped.

  Mom said goodbye and pushed the button to end the call.

  “Yes!” she laughed. “That was Mallory.”

  “What did she want?”

  Mom’s eyes widened with her huge grin.

  “You’ll see when you call her back.” She beamed. “After we clean up this mess, of course!”

  She shook her head and joined me on the floor.

  With a little laugh, I begged her one last time to tell me what Mallory wanted, but she refused to break her silence. We wiped towels across the floor as fast as we could. I had not talked to Mallory since our last day of filming three weeks ago. My mind kept running in circles trying to figure out what she could possibly want to talk about.

  As I stood up to gather the now dripping towels, Mom reached out and grabbed them from me.

  “Do you want to finish your bath? It was supposed to be a relaxing treat for you before you start middle school tomorrow—sorry Austin ruined it.”

  “No way! I can’t relax now. I need to call Mallory back! Can I FaceTime her?”

  “Sure, just get dressed first.”

  Holding onto my towel tightly, I sped down the hall and into my room. I spotted the gray Above the Waters sweatshirt my director Mr. Fenway had given me on the last day of filming, threw it over my head, and slid into a pair of black leggings.

  “Mom! I’m ready!” I yelled as I made my way back down the hall followed by Austin, Ansley, Ashton, and Amber.

  Mom handed me her phone and said, “It’s already ringing.”

  A huge smile was plastered across my face when Mallory appeared on the screen.

  “Hi, Lena!” Mallory squealed with her usual enthusiasm.

  In unison my sisters and I squealed back, “Hi!”

  Even Austin yelped a little from all the excitement. Mallory had a way of bringing the excitement out in everyone.

  I stared at her for a moment as she greeted each of my sisters individually. She looked so pretty as always. Her eyelids were covered in silver sparkles that matched her lips and her shirt. Of course, she was wearing her feather earrings and her hair was smoothed into a big bun that nestled just above her right ear.

  “Well, I wanted to give you a call to check on you. I miss seeing you and your family every day! How’s it going since you’ve been home? When does school start?”

  “Aww, I miss seeing you too, and everyone from the cast and crew. I still can’t believe I was in an actual movie. Feels fake—like it never really happened.”

  “Not was, Lena. You are in a real movie!” Mallory assured me playfully.

  I smiled and continued, “School starts tomorrow. I am so excited to see my friends.”

  “Well, that’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

  Mallory’s expression changed slightly, and I could tell she wanted to tell me something important. I leaned in closer to the phone to make sure I didn’t miss anything she was about to say.

  “Lena, I think you know how proud of you I am. You worked really hard this summer, not just at memorizing your lines for the movie, but also at having a good attitude, even when it was really hard for you. You trusted God when you didn’t understand everything He was doing, and you had fun in new circumstances even though you missed home and your friends a whole lot! Whether you realize it or not, you really showed us all what it means to trust God, and to grow. That’s so important.”

  Mallory paused and I said the only two words that came to mind, “Thank you.”

  “Aw, you’re welcome, sweetie. I meant everything I said!”

  I was so close to the phone my nose was practically touching the screen.

  “I’m heading out on tour to record my new live CD, and because Above the Waters will be in theaters in a few weeks, I want to do something special to help promote it. I plan on showing clips of the movie and sharing my experience with the audience at the opening of every show. Sooooo, I was wondering if you might want to come along! It would be so much fun, and I would love for people to see how God is using your talents as well!”

  “Uhhh, wow.” I could have kicked myself. I could not believe that was all I could think to say. But I could not believe my ears.

  “Lena, I’m asking you to come on tour with me! I already talked to your mom and dad. You would have to miss a few weeks of school, and I know how excited you are to be back. Your mom thinks she can arrange it so you can take your schoolwork on the road with us, but it would mean leaving your friends again. Just for a little while though. The tour is only three weeks.

  “I’m sure you need time to think it over. Will you pray about joining me and sharing your story?”

  I was trying to process everything Mallory was saying. But my thoughts were bouncing around in my head, and I couldn’t control them.

  I looked up, and Mom was sitting at the kitchen table smiling from ear-to-ear. She nodded to let me know she approved.

  “I can’t believe it!” I finally had a few more
words to say. “That would be so cool! So yes, I’ll pray about!”

  I watched as Mallory’s expression relaxed a little. “Wonderful! And I can’t wait to see you on the red carpet next month!”

  “I can’t wait to see you either. Maybe even before then.”

  “Can I pray for you now, before we hang up?” Mallory asked.

  “Yes,” I responded with a nod.

  “Dear God, thank you for Lena. God, I know how much she loves you, and I am so grateful for the possibility of having her join me on tour. I pray that you would give her wisdom and let her know what it is that you want her to do. Thank you for her heart and for her love for you. Also, thank you for her family and her sisters, Ansley, Ashton, and Amber! Give them all a great night and wonderful first day of school tomorrow! Amen.”

  “Amen!” Ansley, Ashton, and Amber shouted. As soon as they heard their names mentioned in Mallory’s prayer they had gathered back around the phone.

  “Alright, girls, I’ll talk to you all soon!” Mallory said.

  “Goodnight, Mallory!” Mom called as we hung up the phone.

  I could feel Mom staring at me as she waited for me to share my thoughts.

  I looked up and smiled. “Wow, that’s awesome that Mallory wants me to go on tour with her. But . . .” I hesitated, choosing my words carefully.

  “I’m going to pray about it.”

  I could tell from Mom’s continued stare that she was confused about my lack of excitement and wanted me to say more, but I didn’t really know what else to say. So I smiled one last time and looked away. Singing with Mallory has been a dream of mine since before I even met her, but this didn’t sound like I would be singing. I wasn’t sure I wanted to talk to crowds of people, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to miss so much school. This was my first year of middle school after all, and I was really looking forward to being with my friends again.

  “Okay, girls, let’s get ready for bed. As soon as Dad gets home, we will pray and go to sleep. Big day tomorrow for everyone!”

  We all giggled and scurried off down the hall to get settled in for the night. A few moments later Dad was home. He prayed with us and tucked us each into our beds.