Life On Set

Monopoly and movies

I watch as Dads face goes red with anger. Mother's eyes narrow and glare at me in frustration. They started screaming at me, their voices filled with rage.

"After all we've done for you, this is how you repay us? You're being selfish and ungrateful!"

Their anger was palpable, and it filled the air with tension. Dad slammed his fists on the table and I stepped back. Mum on the other hand paced back and forth, continuing to berate me with her harsh words. 

Suddenly they both went dangerously quiet.

"Go to your room now", mum spoke quietly, not meeting my eyes. "Just get out".

I grabbed the large bag of things that I had brought with me and shuffled up to my room. Quietly I opened my phone, I knew it wouldn't be long before they would take it from me so I had to make the most of it. 

Scarly

Me
Didn't go so well
I fear my phone may not be in my possession much longer

To my surprise Scarlett responded to me immediately, it would seem she had been waiting for me. 

Scarlett
Aw bub I'm so sorry
Are you safe?
I can come get you if you need

Me
I think I'll be okay they sent me to my room
If you don't hear from me in 3 days send help

Scarlett
Have they told you you can come back?

Me
Nope not yet

I'll ask them about it in a bit

Scarlett

Goodluck Y/n
Call me if you need anything

 I was smiling at Scarlett's last text when my phone vibrated with another message. I half-expected it to be from Lilly but Lizzie's name appeared instead.

eLIZZIEbeth

Lizzie
Hey love

Scarlett told me what happened
you're only a few hours away I can drive over now?

Me
thank you liz but you don't need to

I'm in my room right now away from them for the moment

Lizzie
If they don't let you come back by tomorrow I'm picking you up

Thats not a question, it's a statement

 I delete the text I was writing telling her not to and instead send a thank you. At that point, I heard loud footsteps coming down the hallway. Judging by the weight and slower pace, Dad was on his way. Hastily I shove my phone under my pillow, get up and start folding a towel that was hanging over the end of my bed. 

Dad walks in and when he sees what I'm doing, he gives me a curt nod. Then he held out his hand expectantly.

"Your phone", he instructs, in a tone that would suggest he doesn't want to be in here much longer.

"I haven't unpacked it yet, it could be anywhere in there", I lie, pointing at the huge bag lying on the floor. Dad sighed and mumbled something about my phone expected to be on the kitchen table in 10 minutes and he began to shuffle out

"Wait Dad! Is there a chance I could go back to set tomorrow, or maybe the day after? We have a very important scene to film an-"

"Look darling, there's no point in us sending you to work if the money doesn't even go toward  the house and our wellbeing. Your mother and I are deciding to pull you out entirely".

It seemed as though in that second the world round me was shrinking all at once. I had to restrain myself from shouting and the words that next came out of my mouth were shaky with frustration.

"You can't just pull me out, I'm one of the main characters, there was a really binding contract. Those people are like my family and I can't just leave".

"Actually Y/n, we can break that contract on the account of your wellbeing, they can find a replacement, and they're not your family, we are".  With that he walked out, looking so proud of himself.

When he was a safe distance away I retrieved my phone and sent a message to the groupchat I had with both Scarlett and Lizzie. 

Charlies Angels

Me

Change of plans, they're pulling me out altogether

Lizzie
We're on our way

I smiled at the immediate response, unfortunately I knew that it would take a few hours for them to get here so regretfully, I carried my phone down to the kitchen. When I put it on the bench my mum looked up and smiled at me.

"Thank you Y/n, we do love you and I'm so proud of how far you've come but this job is interfering with the family".

I slowly nod and force a smile. She comes and gives a stiff hug, instead of finding the comfort I used to feel, it only feels like I'm being trapped and tied back. 

When she pulls away I'm more than grateful for the freedom and start to head back to my bedroom.

"You can unpack your things Y/n, then come downstairs and we'll all play a family board game. I'll get your father". 

I nod again and hurry upstairs, instead of unpacking though, I start to repack, gathering anything I might need and cramming it into the already full bag on the floor. 

After 10 minutes I go back downstairs and find a game of Monopoly was set up.

"You can be the dog Y/n as always", Dad said with a smile. Just like that everything seemed to shift. Throughout the game, there were definitely some petty arguments over who called rent, but there were also friendly trades. The atmosphere of the room seemed to change and by the end of the game when Mum won, everything felt normal. 

Except I knew it wasn't. I knew nothing had really changed. Though I began regretting my decision to call for help. If I just gave them the money, they would let me go back to work, and we could have a happy family again. A few hours later everyone started to feel drowsy. We each got up from the couch where we were watching a movie and said goodnight. 

When I got up to my room though I didn't feel tired. I was wide awake. And I lay in bed wide-eyed, waiting for a car to pull up.