Puppy Love | Gordon Cormier

Getting close

Aria's eyes landed on me, and she smiled warmly. "Hi, you must be Y/N. I've heard so much about you."

"Yeah, that's me," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "Welcome to the team, Aria."

She stepped closer and extended her hand. "It's great to finally meet you. I've been watching some of your work, and you're amazing!"

I felt my cheeks flush as I shook her hand. "Thanks, that's really sweet of you."

We settled into our seats, scripts in hand, ready to begin. Gordon, sitting across from me, was paired with Aria. They leaned in close to share a script, their heads nearly touching:

(this is not yet filming but the script reading)

Aria read her lines, "Aang, you need to focus. Earthbending requires a strong connection to the ground. Feel it beneath your feet."

Gordon nodded, "I know, Toph, but it's hard when you're yelling at me!

Aria laughed, "That's because you need to listen, Twinkle Toes!"

Ian and Dallas laughed. "That was definitely something..." Dallas said.

Then it was my turn to read my lines. I took a deep breath and focused. "Aang, Toph is right. You need to ground yourself, feel the earth, and let it guide you."

Gordon, still in character, looked between us. "I understand, Linwei. But it's just... so different from airbending."

I continued, "It's supposed to be. You have to embrace the differences to master it."

As we finished reading the scripts, Ian clapped his hands together. "Great job, everyone!"

Just then, the director walked in "Fantastic work, all of you. I wanted to let you know that filming starts in two days, so make sure you're ready. We have a lot to cover, and I’m excited to see what you all bring to your characters."

After the director's announcement, we decided to celebrate by heading to a nearby restaurant.

We settled at a large table, and everyone began ordering their food. Gordon turned to me "....Mind if I sit right next to you?" he asked.

Before I could respond, the rest of the group started making exaggerated throat-clearing sounds and teasing noises.

Ian smirked. "Gordon, making moves already?"

My face flushed, and I glanced at Gordon. He looked embarrassed but laughed it off. "Come on, guys, cut it out!" he said.

Aria, sitting across from us, looked confused, then leaned forward. "Gordon, do you remember the Taekwondo workshop last year? I could have sworn I saw you there."

Gordon's eyes lit up. "Yeah, I was there! I thought you looked familiar. You were incredible during those sparring sessions."

"Do you two already know each other?" I asked, trying to join the conversation.

"Kind of," Aria said, glancing at me. "We didn't really get a chance to talk much back then, but I remember being impressed by Gordon's skills."

Then Kiawentiio suddenly grabbed her phone. "Smile, guys...!" she said, holding the phone up.

As we gathered for the photo, I felt Gordon's hand on my head, playfully trying to mimic two little horns with his fingers. I couldn't help but let out a slight giggle.

After the photo, we continued to enjoy our meal. As the evening wound down and plates were cleared away, I said my goodbyes and headed out.

As I walked outside, I heard the sound of running footsteps coming from behind me.