one of them - j.flatters

x. made of stars

APRIL 2018 - LOS ANGELES
The cast had been filming five days a week for two months now and if they should all be exhausted, which they were, they didn't feel it. At least for Eliana. She radiated energy on set, she was always the one who brought back smiles on cast's and crew's faces when parts of shooting got complicated and harder. When waiting for her scenes, the brunette would make rounds in between takes and ask if any technicians needed water, coffee, energy drinks or snacks. Just like a waitress, she would write everyone's orders down on a small notebook that Bailey had lent her. Sometimes, Trinity or any of the other young cast would help her but over the last few weeks, Eliana had made everyone's work more enjoyable and lighter. Those were the persons Eliana would see everyday for the next several months, it only seemed natural for the girl to treat them as family, and family helped one another. Like every Friday, Eliana changed from her wetsuit to her father's grey hoodie, she brought it with her everyday. The girl put her bag on the counter's changing rooms by the mirror where she took her hairbrush out, brushing her wet and tangled hair with it. Being in the bigger water tank had been excruciatingly harder for the young girl's body whom even after months of training, had still troubles of holding her breath underwater for several minutes. But at least, she wasn't the only one who's body seemed to not get used to it, Sam's record was easily twenty seconds before the man had to come up for air, making the young girl feel less like a failure as her costars all succeeded in doing most of their scenes in one or two takes. Eliana's cellphone lit up on the counter as the contact picture of her mother appeared on the screen, the girl quickly turned around the phone. She dreaded Fridays for only one reason: her mother's weekly visits. After the ringtone stopped echoing in the room, Eliana grabbed her cellphone and looked through her notifications.

1 missed call from Mom
Mom: Hey, chérie!
Can't wait to hear about this week, call me.

A guilty feeling submerged the girl's chest, her eyes watering as she remembered who had gotten her to this place, who had made her every dreams of becoming an actress come true. Eliana dialed her mother's phone number, her thumb slightly shaking from the overwhelm.

"Hey, mom. Sorry I missed your call I was changing." She lied. 

"Oh, don't worry, baby. So, did you had a good week? How was everything on set?"

"Good." Annie thought her daughter would elaborate on the matter but the young girl stayed silent after her reply. The woman knew having a teenager could have its hard times but it made it all so much more difficult now that Eliana was far from home.

"I guess you're tired, we'll talk tomorrow. I should land around twelve tonight so don't wait up." Annie chuckled to her own joke as her heartbeat picked up when she heard a faint amused laugh on the other end of the line. Happy to hear the sound of her daughter's laugh.

"I won't. Travel safe, see you tomorrow, mom."

Eliana hung up the phone, her chest feeling lighter from before the call with her mother. Even after everything her mother had done for the brunette, she just couldn't find any motivation to have a profound conversation with the woman. Eliana loved Annie but there had always been something off, misplaced about their relationship, like there was a wall that separated them both. The girl's thoughts were interrupted by Britain who unlocked one of the changing room's stall, timidly exiting as he made Eliana understood that he had eavesdropped her conversation. Yet, the seventeen year old didn't seemed to mind, actually, she was relieved it was Britain and not one of the others. The curly haired boy immediately red the girl's expression as he watched it through the reflection, her head slowly lifting to meet his eyes as she gave him a reassuring smile.

"Game night?" Britain suggested, in hope of cheering up the girl as she had once mentioned the stress her mother's visit could brought her. 

"Text it in the group chat." The girl nodded, a slight smile creeping on her lips.