Sunshine [Owen Joyner]

13.

GUYS!!! Sunshine just hit 3.5k reads!!! you guys are seriously so amazing ahhhh
as usual, thank you so so much for all of your support on the story!! i love reading through all of your comments :)
here's another chapter! let me know what you guys think!! enjoy, sunshine babies<3

The filming for Julie and the Phantoms officially comes to an end today.

I've been milling around on set all day simply because I knew it's the last day and I wanted to be there with everyone when they wrapped. Maybe it's my FOMO speaking, but I didn't mind. Most days, I'd rather be bored on set than bored and alone at the apartment.

For the last week, the boys and Madison have been perfecting the Stand Tall scene alongside Kenny, and they finished filming that yesterday, along with the scene that follows it when Julie finds the boys after the show. Today is all about the scene before Stand Tall, when Julie is about to leave for the show and says goodbye to the boys. I don't entirely understand why this is the last scene being filmed, but I suppose it has something to do with the Stand Tall suits and making sure the boys looked the same.

Sacha and Cheyenne's scene as Caleb and Nick has already been filmed, and now all that's left is Julie finding the boys.

The sun has already started setting because the scene is supposed to be during sunset, meaning there was a small time crunch. But the guys and Madi have run through these lines time and time again...I'm sure they'll nail it down quickly.

As I'm standing off to the side, watching Kenny talk with a few of the camera men, I see a certain blonde wearing a baby blue shirt walk up to me in the corner of my eye.

"Hi, sunshine," I greet the boy, taking in his appearance. All week, I've gotten so used to him wearing that light pink suit, and something about seeing him back in blue is refreshing to me. Don't get me wrong...the pink suit is truly iconic, and Owen looks fantastic in it, but I really enjoy the casual look. Or maybe it's just because Owen has been complaining about how uncomfortable the suit is all week and telling me that he prefers his usual t-shirt or hoodie.

"Hey," he responds softly, also watching Kenny and the camera men.

"You doin' okay?" I ask, pouting my lips at the boy who is obviously feeling sad about the end of filming.

"Yeah," he shrugs. "A little sad."

"Yeah. This all sucks, huh?" I very softly nudge his shoulder and he nods, still staring off into space. "We still have more than a week together," I remind him. The corners of his mouth turn up in such a slight way that I wouldn't have even noticed if I wasn't already staring at his lips.

I'm not great at comforting people. I never have been, and there's a good chance that I never will be. It's just not my thing, but all I want to do right now is bring comfort to my friend and I don't know how to do that.

I sit, wracking my brain for something, anything, that will maybe make him feel better, but nothing comes to mind. So we sit in silence, me leaning into his arm ever so slightly, the both of us staring as the camera men get ready to film one final scene for Julie and the Phantoms.

After a few minutes, Charlie, Jer, and Madi all make their way us and Kenny is calling the three of the phantoms into the garage so they can begin filming. Madi isn't actually in this scene today, it's just her stunt double and her back. Owen looks down at me, blowing a big breath of air out. I reach up, squeezing his shoulder softly as I whisper, "Just enjoy it. Don't think too much until it's time to cry, okay?"

This made him blow out a chuckle, making my chest feel lighter because I know that I made him feel at least a little bit better.

As the three boys wander over to Kenny, I make my way over to Madison, who is standing off to the side with sadness written all over her face. She finished filming her final scene with the boys early this morning and has just been hanging around ever since.