How You and I Collide

XV

"Cut!" The director screamed from behind about three cameras taking multiple angle shots of Michelle and her co-star, Alden.

She immediately broke eye contact with the guy, breaking character. She stood, adjusting her fushia pencil skirt and her style team rushed over to retouch her makeup and hair for the next scene. Then Max came to bring her water as she walked past the camera crew while they started setting up for the next scene in a different part of the small art gallery they had built for this project.

She tipped her head back and took a huge gulps of her water since she felt her throat so dry like a desert. It was hot to sit under bright lights for the past ten hours of nonstop filming and the various changes in business clothing didn't help. She was just happy that her character wasn't the type to be too formal and the style they had agreed on was more casual and colored suits rather than polished ones.

Her schedule had been packed the couple of days, whether it be filming or promotional appearances for the project. She barely slept four hours a night, but her body wasn't feeling it much. It was still less exhausting than those works she did before her success. Her mind, though, when it wasn't preoccupied with work was wondering why she had heard nothing from Anntonia or Emerald. Well, except for the company sending gift sets to every member of the cast and crew at the premiere party for the series. And she couldn't help but surprised but at the same time, disappointed that Glaiza was the only person she recognized from the people who came to deliver the items. The secretary had presented her with a particularly large set of skincare items that she hadn't given a chance to really look at with a wide smile and a card electronically signed by Anntonia and Charlotte wishing her success on her project.

She sank down onto the leather couch in a room that had been designated as a break room for the cast. It was late in the evening and the only scenes remaining are between her and Alden, so the room was emptied out. Max trailed in after her and closed the door behind so that she could get some alone time after being surrounded by hundreds of people all day. And by surrounding means, they were rolling racks of clothes and several chairs in front of mounted mirrors on the wall for the actors and actresses to get ready for scenes. Nothing glamorous since the series filmed across so many locations in the city that it didn't make sense to set-up anything too detailed.

She lazily took off her jacket, slinging it on the space next to her and finished her water as Max gathered and smoothed it, lying it across the armrest on the other side of the couch before taking her seat across from her on a chair. Her manager slash personal assistant held out the script for her that she yanked it from her in exhaustion. She needed to reread it and practice her memorization of her lines because if she was thinking about what to say next in front of the camera, she would not be able to focus on what she was conveying. She also wanted the day to be over, but she didn't want to complain to Max, who had to be there just as long as her, if not more longer each day.

"How many more scenes are there today?" She asked with a deep sigh, having lost count of how many she already did today.

"Three more." Max replied, leaning back in her chair looking tired too. Her eyes were almost closing.

Michelle glanced at the watch she wore and it was 11:25 p.m. Which means she will be done few hours past in midnight.

"Did I get any messages or calls?"

"Not personal ones," Max replied, taking out her personal phone from her pocket and tossing it to her and she caught it easily, turning the screen on to confirm the statement. "Just couple of offers for endorsements since your act of heroism blew up online." The manager chuckled but that made her stifled an irritated grunt.

She might've thought that was a figment of her imagination if the articles hadn't circulated that and other outrageous speculations about her personal life for the past several days since the video was posted online. And since she saved Anntonia's life, she thought the woman would text her or something, but she might as well have been sent some on her way after a casual goodbye. She should've asked her when she said they would talk.