If this is a rom-com, kill the director | Jenlisa

Anyone but her, and her

"You know, for someone who does what you do, you really are the least romantic person I've ever met."

Lisa Manoban, up and coming star and the film industry's new golden girl, clasps a coffee cup in one hand and her phone in the other, resting her bag on her hip. Though her hands are full, she still manages to be somehow together – her posture perfect and her hair falling down her shoulder. She's picture-perfect perfection, and the cameras have always known it.

She snorts, her eyes flickering up from her phone to glance at her companion. "What do I need romance for?" she says, looking back down to finish her text.

"Well, you'd think that the girl who's starred in so many romantic comedies would have plenty of experience with that. When are you gonna get a boyfriend?" her cousin, Rosie, says.

Lisa slips her phone into her bag and quirks an eyebrow at her cousin. "Never thought I see the day that Rosie Park was bugging me to get a boyfriend."

"Or a girlfriend then, I don't care, I don't know what you're into. Anything that I can tell the thirsty reporters who keep asking me about it," Rosie says. "As if that's the most interesting thing they can get from me."

Lisa gives a hollow laugh. "So that's what this is about."

Rosie's walk becomes more of a stomp as they turn a corner and enter a big, grey building. "I did press work for a film I was in this summer and all they could talk about was what I thought about you."

Lisa stops for a moment to talk to the receptionist at the desk, and listen to the directions for the room they want. Once they are alone again, she sucks in a breath in sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she says. "You'll get your big break sometime soon, and then all the reporters will be prying into your love life instead of mine."

Rosie grins. "Here's to hoping. I love you Lis, but I'm damn tired of hearing about you all the time."

They head up a set of stairs. Lisa leans over Rosie's ear and whispers "Shall we fake a fight?" conspiratorially.

"The press would love that!"

—————-

"Girls! I'm so glad you finally made it!"

Jay Park, Rosie's father and Lisa's uncle, opens his arms up wide as the two of them enter his office. In recent years, Jay had become a hugely successful film director, one of the most popular in mainstream film. He was known for being unafraid to delve into controversial topics, and as such had earned the nickname 'Fearless Jay.'

The two slip themselves into chairs in front of Jay's desk. Rosie adopts a casual pose, slumping in her seat, because it's her father, for goodness sake. If you can't act casual around family, when can you?

"Well, I'll just get right into it," Jay says, a bright smile across his face. "As you both know, my film company's next project is a modified adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I'm thrilled to let you know that Lisa has won the part of Romeo."

Lisa shoots a glance at Rosie and watches her expression shift ever so slightly into one of disappointment. The look is gone as soon as it was there, but Lisa saw it.

"I presume Rosie has a role too?" she says, glancing back up at her uncle.

"Of course!" Jay says, clapping his hands together. "We'll let her read in for some of the parts and then we'll pick the one she excels at. Now, I'm sure you're dying to know who your Juliet is!"

Lisa nods, chewing on her lips as casting another glance over at Rosie, guilt eating away at her stomach.

"Well, I'm sure you're going to be very excited about this, Lis, because we're giving you the chance to work with possibly the most wanted star this year," he says, sliding a picture over the desk towards them. "Jennie Kim."

————-

The chair Jennie Kim sits in is profoundly uncomfortable. It reminds her of the nasty plastic chairs they used to have at school, and she idly thinks to herself that she'd thought she'd got past the stage of nasty uncomfortable chairs when she finished full-time education. Heck, she'd thought she'd got past that stage when she got famous.

She twiddles her thumbs while she waits for her agent to finish talking on the phone.

"Well, Jen," the man says, when he's finally finished his conversation. "I've just spoken to the casting director and you've got the part of Juliet."

Jennie's never really sure what the professional way to respond is when she's told she's won a role, so she just says "Wow, that's great," and hopes that she doesn't sound sarcastic. "Who's my Romeo?" she tacks on afterwards, just in case she did sound sarcastic.

Her agent smiles. "She's gotten pretty popular over the years. Lisa Manoban."

All at once Jennie feels like she's just got an ice-cold bucket of water dumped over her head. "No. Not her."

She grips the handles of her chair and frowns.

"Something wrong, Ms. Kim?"

"Not her," she says again, glowering at the floor. "I can't work with her."

Her agent takes her glasses off and rubs them with a cleaning wipe, something Jennie's always found to be a threatening gesture.

"Ms. Kim, may I remind you that refusing this role will reflect badly over your entire career?"

"Yes, but-"

"And refusing a role simply because of your dislike of another actress would be even worse?"

"Yes, but she-"

Her agents sends her a firm look. "I suggest you settle whatever quarrel you have with Ms. Manoban and take the role, or you'll find yourself with fewer parts in the future. Do remember this is your job, Ms. Kim, no matter how famous or privileged you get."

Jennie sinks back into her seat and holds back a petulant sigh. "Yes, sir," is all she says.

————

Rosie splutters when she hears the name, and then lets back a full-on laugh. "Oh, this is priceless," she says, unable to keep a grin from her face.

Lisa is still staring at the picture, her mouth open. "No," she says, when her mouth finally remembers how speech works. "Not her."

"Something wrong?" Jay asks, slightly perturbed by the situation.

"They have history," Rosie says in a sing-song voice, pressing a hand over her face to stop the giggles.

Lisa elbows her cousin in the ribs to shut her up, and then looks back towards Jay. "I can't work with her," she pleads. "I can't."

"You've met before? But surely I would have known if you two had worked together before?" Jay says.

"She went to our college," Rosie chips in.

Lisa slumps in the chair, forgetting all she's ever been taught about professionalism, folding her arms and pouting.

Jay looks between the two of them and shakes his head. "She's a good actor."

"She's a bitch," Lisa says, refusing to look at Jay.

Jay frowns and pulls himself forward, glaring at Lisa across the desk. "Don't think that because we're family, that you get to talk like that in here. You're a professional actress, Lisa, act like one."

Lisa lets out a huff, but sits up properly.

"Now, I don't know what happened between you and Jennie, but you better bury the hatchet for this. This is a big deal, this could send your career flying. You'd stop being cast in romantic comedies and get better parts," Jay says.

Lisa glances up and sits up straighter, letting out a sigh. "Okay," she says. "I'll try my best to work with Jennie."

But when she sees Rosie smirking in the corner of her eye, and when she thinks about having to work with Jennie Kim, of all people, she wonders whether this whole gig is worth her career at all.