Back to reality: you've seen her rockin' reality show on MTV. But could Cheyenne's real life be even better?

Ok, so how many 15-year-olds do you know who have their own TV show--and it's actually named after them? And to make things even more freaky, in only a year, almost everyone knows her by her first name. No doubt--Cheyenne Kimball, singer/songwriter/TV star, is headed for a lab future.

But she didn't do it without good o1' spit and elbow grease. She got her first guitar at just 8 years old, penned her first song by 9 and, a few months later, was doing gigs across her native Texas. At 12, Cheyenne was crowned NBC's America's Most Talented Kid and by 13, she had already written--get this!--200 songs.

Her popular MTV reality show Cheyenne documented her life as an up-and-coming star. Her CD The Day Has Come, released last July, got rave reviews. And her first tour is already under her belt. Is it even possible for Cheyenne's "real life" to be more interesting? Even though the TV cameras are now long gone, Cheyenne has a self-assuredness and focus that makes her pretty comfortable with the public adoration.

As Cheyenne sits down to chat it up with GL, she's still flying high from her Sweet 16 birthday bash the previous night. After an album, TV show and tour, is there anything you don't know about Cheyenne's reality? You bet.

She has a boyfriend. Or boy friend. Or whatever

"My birthday was amazing. Jason [Castro, a regular on the show], he surprised me--like, twice! I went over to his house, and his family surprised me. Then, later, I had this huge surprise party waiting for me. It was great! I hung out with all my friends, and we swam in our clothes because I didn't have a bathing suit. Jason got me this decorative egg from Russia, and he put a picture of us in it. And it's just ... so special! I'm going to travel with it everywhere. But we're not really boyfriend and girlfriend. We don't get serious, really. Everything is stressed for me so if we went out when I'm busy.... We're just close friends. We see each other when we can. He's great."

Her music stresses her out more than the cameras did.

"It was a whole other entity having the show--it's just a completely different lifestyle. The CD, it was nerve-racking. You do whatever you can to the album. You put it out. And once you put it out, you can't really do anything else about it. It's done, and it's up to the public as to how it will do. When it started getting good reviews, I was shocked! I mean, I got like three-and-a-half stars from Rolling Stone! I did this album for myself. I wrote the music I wanted to write and made the album I wanted to make. I was so glad people like it."

She has no ambition. Yeah, right!

"I really, really want to be on Saturday Night Live, just for one night. I want to act--I want to be the musical guest and host. And it would be incredible to win a Grammy. And I really, really want to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. I've been in the magazine a couple of times, but the cover would be nice (hint)!"

She thinks a lot about being a good person.

"It means everything to me. My mom is such a great person and keeps me level-headed. She grounds me when I need to be grounded. It's really rubbed off on me, too. Whenever anybody comes up to me and asks me for an autograph or anything like that, I try to be as cordial as possible because I know you can be completely rude to that person and lose a fan forever. I've been around celebrities who have done that to fans, and I'm like, 'Wow! That's not at all how I thought that person would be.'"

She met her best friend online.

"My best friend Katie lives in Florida and is in college. She's 19. She's an amazing friend and so supportive. We met over MySpace. She messaged me and asked if I had songwriting tips for her. Usually, I never check my e-mails because they get overwhelming, but I think it was meant to be. We started talking, and she wasn't trying to be friends with me just because of everything that was going on. She really listened to what I had to say. She flew to Dallas, we hung out and became best friends instantly. I can call her anytime I'm having a terrible day. One time, I made the mistake of reading a mean message online and it hurt me so much. I called her and cried for an hour, and she listened to every word. It's so nice to have that. I have at least one person, my best friend, who really cares about me."

Fame hasn't gone to her head.

"I'm not used to it yet. I'll tell you one thing: Being recognized sucks when you look like crap! The best person who ever approached me was a guy, maybe 23. I was going through security on an airplane, and he was like, "Are they treating you OK?" and I was like, "Yeah." He was like, "Your music is great, and I just wanted to let you know that." No autograph; he didn't ask for a picture. He just asked how I was, and that was cool. I try to make it so that I'm approachable. If I see a girl on the street trying to get a picture of me, I'll walk up and ask if she wants a picture together because that's the kind of person I am."

She nicknames things ... and knows if they are boy things or girl things.

"I just got a new guitar last night for my birthday. Gibson [the guitar company] custom-made it for me. My favorite singer is Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon, so I named it Shannon Hoon. I knew my guitar was a boy when I first saw it. I know it sounds weird, but you just kind of know! I got a new computer last night for my birthday, and I named her Serena because that's my favorite character from Gossip Girls. She's replacing Mr. Slave, my old computer. My phone was Elizabeth Taylor, but she's out of service."

She knows the secret to success.

"Whatever you're into, just do it. Don't do it for the wrong reasons. Don't do it for money or fame. You won't get anywhere that way. If you've got a passion for something, go for it. Also, write your goals down. Believe it or not, everything I write down has come true.... "

The Real Me: Cheyenne on Cheyenne

Random stuff I bet you didn't know about me!

The three things I'd bring to a deserted island are ... my guitar, plus my iPod and laptop, both with endless batteries and wireless Internet access. * I'd be embarrassed if you knew I ... dance in my room alone to Family Force 5's Business Up Front/Party in the Back, jumping on my bed, singing into my brush. I love that CD! * My pet peeve is ... lying. I cannot stand when people lie. * What makes me happy is ... when people show that they care by doing little things. That's the greatest thing ever. I'm not a frou-frou person. * I like to read ... It Girl, which was a spinoff of Gossip Girls. I'm not in high school, so I had to get my gossip somewhere! * My least favorite body part is ... my pinky toe. It's really silly looking! I got it from my mom. It's really fat, and I barely have a little nail on it. It's definitely not cute. * In my closet, you'll find ... cotton leggings. And I love jeans. I like to be really comfortable. But I love heels, too. That's all I wear. * My hair is ... not what you see in pictures! It's pin

straight. I have an amazing hairdresser. He uses a curling iron with a two-inch barrel. You curl the hair, then pin it up and leave it while you do your makeup. Then you take the pincurls out and rat them down a bit, then use some hairspray. But not too much or your hair will get crispy. * My favorite quality is that ... I'm a hard worker, I have an amazing support system but I also have a lot of drive. You have to have that to be in any business, especially this one.