Forever Misunderstood [Hailee Steinfeld]

VIII

Apprehensive.

The one word that could describe my mental state. I exited my parked car and started walking towards our studio lot. My feet felt weighed down like I was trudging through a mud pit. The walk from the car to the lot's entry felt longer and more tiring today than ever. For the first time during the filming of this movie, I didn't want to step foot on set. 

Forcefully, I dragged my churning stomach and occupied mind to my makeup chair. "Hey, Hailee." my lovely make-up artist greeted me. "Hello," I said, scraping every ounce of enthusiasm in my body. It still wasn't enough. 

A tip to every aspiring actor, your make-up artists are the most observant people on set. They see your bare and naked face, without any veil to hide the genuine emotions plastered on your face. Lily was no different. "Hailee. Is everything alright?" she asked. I paused for thought, trying to piece together a satisfactory answer. 

"Nope." 

That is all I could manage. "What's wrong? You can trust me," she asked, putting down her tools. "How can I convince someone that— I care for them without ulterior's motives?" I took a deep breath. "That I see through their outward appearance. That I see them for who they truly are, and it doesn't scare me or push me away. Instead, it draws me more towards them." I asked. "Hmm. That's interesting." Lily replied. I turned to look at her, desperate for an answer. 

"Actions. They speak louder than words. You can never say anything unless you don't display it in your actions." She replied. "But, what if I have tried that? And despite that, he doesn't see it?" I added. "He?" Lily gasped. Then she realised. "Well. He," Lily paused, drawing a breath. "He has to realise that himself. You can try your best, but if Y/N doesn't want to open up, you can't get him to. Relationships are a two-way street, and it doesn't work if traffic isn't flowing freely both ways." Lily answered.

"Thank you," I replied, her reply instilling calmness. "Anytime, Hailee. Men can be tough nuts, but the toughest nuts are the tastiest." "You are a saviour, Lily," I said. "I know. Now, let's get you ready for the scene," she replied, picking up her tools to work her magic.

Twenty minutes later, I got to set, all glammed up and dressed for the scene. This was going to be an intense scene, with an argument breaking out between Y/N's character and my character. I got to my position, running through the lines in my head. Soon, Y/N stepped onto the set. 

He looked exhausted, with droopy eyes and a tired smile covering his feelings. I flashed him a smile, but it went completely ignored. Not a great start. 

"Okay. This is act 2, scene 42. Everyone takes positions." Tom announced through his megaphone. People scattered to their respective positions while I stood glued to my spot. Y/N whispered something in Tom's ear before settling into his position across the room from me. 

"Ready?" Tom asked as he scanned the room. Everyone gave him a thumbs up, green-lighting the scene. "3,2,1. Action." He yelled. 

Y/N rushed across the room, beelining towards me. He walked aggressively, with a look of betrayal on his face. I stepped back, bracing for his reaction. My hands held up firmly to protect me. 

"REBECCA!" He yelled across the room.

I knew that we were shooting a scene, and he was acting. But it didn't feel like it; it felt real. The person charging me from across the room wasn't Alex; it was Y/N. I wasn't Rebecca; right now, I was Hailee.

"Alex. I did what I thought was right." I said, standing my ground.

Y/N didn't slow down or calm down. "YOU THOUGHT! YOU DON'T THINK. WE MADE A PLAN. WE MADE A PLAN, AND YOU STICK TO IT— NO MATTER WHAT." He screamed.