A request for FridayGirl80
"And done. Go take a look."
It was silly, really, how she was almost afraid. Logically, Stefani knew the reflection staring back at her wouldn't be Ally. Brunette locks would be the sole similarity.
She'd approached all of the characters the same way; outside in first. Then, once she looked the part, she would get to know how they operated. This go around, it would be slightly easier, given she was playing a real person so she had already been diving into research for months.
But there was something about having brown hair again that was vaguely unsettling. It wasn't because she would be tortured by bad memories or anything of the like; it was the opposite. As excited as she was about filming, especially getting to be in her beloved Italy again, it was not without the very real knowledge that the experience would not even come close to A Star is Born. She didn't hold even one illusion that it would.
"I'm sure it looks fine," she tried to downplay, but Freddie was insistent.
"Seriously, in case you hate it."
Carefully, she got up, walked to the vanity, peering closely at the image reflected before her.
And she had to breathe a sigh of relief. Ally was nowhere in sight.
"I love it," she turned to Freddie, a bright smile on her face. "You're a magician."
"You're ready to kick ass now." He returned the gesture, eyes twinkling. "Just two more weeks."
"It's going to fly by."
She was due to quarantine for two weeks before they flew out to Italy, so she and her team were squared away at the Hollywood Hills house and much like the initial part of the quarantine, it was all about staving off boredom, staying relatively sane until they left.
It was nice, having everyone around, especially given the fact she'd just gone though a rather unceremonious break-up, one that had been lingering on the horizon for some time. Still, she could have seen herself being lonely and being with people she loved definitely filled the void.
After emerging from the bathroom to wolf whistles, they settled in to make dinner. Bobby was put in charge of salad, Bo handled the salmon, Robert set the table, Freddie and Sarah sliced the fresh vegetables to roast, while she cooked her famous risotto.
Not long after, everyone sat around the dining room, laughing and telling stories, sipping wine, and enjoying delicious food. It was her favorite time of the day, by far. There was nothing better than gathering for a meal that you had a hand in preparing and getting to experience it with people you loved. It warmed her and she remarked on it, garnering murmurs of agreement.
To her surprise, Bobby raised his glass. "To Stefani. Two weeks from now, we'll be embarking on another film adventure. I'm proud of you, kid."
They toasted her and she hung her head modestly. "I'm just lucky you all are coming with me. It's going to be wonderful."
Tipping back her own glass, she wondered if anyone could detect the slight tremor in her voice, sense the nerves that seemed to lie underneath.
"You're going to kill it," Bo stated firmly, reaching to grasp her hand. "I know it."
Leave it to her best friend to understand exactly what she was feeling without her having to say a word. It was only ever like that with one other person in her life and Bo was well aware of that, too.
"Thanks," she said lightly but she squeezed her fingers in appreciation. "Hopefully all of my homework pays off."
How could she tell Bo or anyone else that it went beyond just some jitters? There was no way she could voice the deep, almost paralyzing fear that she was going to fail.
