the extra (jenna / female reader)

Chapter 1: Call Times & Coffee

(This is a shorter chapter cause we're introducing you/setting the premise, but mostly all of the chapters are LONG, trust!)

Your POV

I hear the violent sound of a phone alarm within the pleasant dream I'm having, only to come to the harsh reality that my phone is going off in real life and it was, unfortunately, time to get up. I frantically but groggily slap my phone screen in a pathetic attempt to put an end to the noise, eventually turning it off successfully. I hesitantly open my eyes, squinting at the bright light of my phone screen that heavily contrasted the darkness of my bedroom. 5:00 am, ugh.

"Mmmaaahhh." I make an animalistic noise as I stretch under my oh-so-cozy duvet and lay there for a solid 2 minutes, contemplating if I really need to go to work today. Of course I do; I'm an extra on the new Netflix show, Wednesday, and it's the most consistent and rewarding work I've gotten since moving to LA last year. Sure, I had no lines, and these aggressively early call times and brutal 12-hour days were gruesome, and the pay was barely enough to keep me afloat, but every time I get to set I have the time of my life and it makes everything worth it. Not to mention the cast I'm working with is composed of some of the most beautiful, kind humans I've ever encountered. Which says a lot since in my experience, a lot of actors tend to be jaded and rude, especially towards extras.

"Coffee, coffee, coffee." I whisper to no one in particular as I drag myself out of bed and shuffle to my kitchen. I favor espresso shots over full cups of coffee, so I make and down my shot in less than 2 minutes, feeling the warm liquid make its way through my body and the caffeine course through my veins. I had an hour to get to set, which was only a 20-minute walk from the apartments they had us extras in. Even though the Romanian air was frigid, especially this early in the morning, I enjoyed the peace of the trek and the brisk air always did the job in waking me up. Meanwhile, the main cast stayed at a separate complex a bit further away so as not to be disturbed, which was a bummer, but totally understandable.

After taking a quick, warm shower and brushing my teeth, I'm out the door. I didn't have to worry about getting ready since my costume always remained on set, and the glam team did all of our makeup, which went by quickly since we didn't need much as background characters. I pass a few other extras making their way out of the lobby, seemingly having the same call time as me.

"Morning, Y/n. You want a ride today?" One of my co-extras and good friends, Troy, asks. He always offers even though he knows I walk every day, which I thought was nice of him.

"No thank you, but thank you." I offer him a polite smile and put my airpods in as he shrugs in a "suit yourself" motion and waves goodbye before hopping in an Uber. I start my favorite true crime podcast and make my way to work, my hands in my sweatshirt pocket to protect them from the cold. My hands and nose always get the coldest; I make a mental note to invest in some gloves and maybe a scarf. I smile to myself and gain a little pep in my step, despite the vile story unfolding in my ears, as I think about the day ahead. It was going to be long, and exhausting, and repetitive, and I couldn't wait.