Falling Without Caution

Chapter 8 ~ Elise

  "I hate that I love you," Liam mutters, fingers cupping my jaw and leaving an odd tingly sensation behind, but, instead of my usual disgust, I fight back a giggle from how ridiculous this is. Like everything else in our relationship, it's all a grand lie, an act for the screen. Liam isn't Liam, I'm not Elise, and we're not alone. The cameras are watching, always watching, and the director is eyeing us with pursed lips as tight as a rope pulled taut and a piercing, annoyed look that perpetrates my skin. I hear the words before they even leave his lips.

    "Cut!" Even for Liam's dad, this is a whole other level of crazy. We've been shooting since six a.m., and it's already nine a.m. without even one take of the first part of the scene. The first part, and due to our tight timeline, we have to get two full scenes completed today. "Fiona and James, take ten. Liam and Elise, what in the world is going on?" The director crosses his arms in frustration, and for once I can see the uncanny resemblance between father and son.

    As I succumb to the withering look being thrown at me, Fiona shoots me a sympathetic smile, earning her a nod of gratitude in return. She and I got to talking yesterday after she accidentally talked behind my back, to my face, (weird, I know) and in Fiona's words: 'to my shock, I actually sorta had the time of my life'. She's a rather blunt person—and that was one of the few things she had unexpectedly blurted out last night—yet I have to give it to her: her honesty is quite refreshing.

    "Where's the passion?!" Director Winters booms at us once he has a bit to cool down, "You're supposed to hate your attraction! We're not filming the last scene, we already did that with Elise's sweet little love confession. And frankly, that's not the kind of energy we need right now. If you two can't channel some contempt, I'll make you. Actually, I have a perfect idea. We're going to shoot scene two first. Why don't you two take a little restroom break while I get everyone prepped?"

    Ten minutes later, I'm back, everything is somehow set up perfectly, and everyone is smiling in acknowledgement to something I guess I missed, because Liam's dad is beaming in approval. Not his usual look, and it's much less despicable.

    For a second, I think I see the director subtly nod at Liam, even see Liam gulp in anticipation, a flicker of guilt pass over his face, but the illusion disappears when I blink, and I push it aside. Focus, Elise, focus. I wipe my slightly damp hands off on my jeans and make my way over to everyone else.

    "Wait!" The realization dawns on me as I step into the set that is supposed to be Sophia's home. "I never got my script for this scene!"

    Liam's father flashes me a malicious grin.

    "Ah, but, Miss Wilson, that's exactly the point."

    "Everybody ready?" Director Winters calls (despite popular assumption, no one actually says 'Lights, Camera, Action').

    "Picture is up."

    "Roll sound."

    "Sound... speed!"

    "Rolling," Luke, our cameraman, finishes with, and I brace myself for improvisation, something I haven't done since middle school.

    "Action!"

    Liam, however, seems to know exactly what he's doing as I stand around trying, and failing, not to look like a doofus.

    Is he aware of something I'm not?

    Slowly, he raises his fist, knocking on the set door, and I suck in air with a hiss through my nostril.

    "Come in," I call casually, channeling Sophia's sense of calm and self-assurance.