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1.

Themes of alcohol, depression, mental health issues throughout the entire story. I'll add tags as it goes on
Also, this wasn't edited or proof read.
Enjoy <3
-dalal
——

I worked in this industry for a very long time. Granted, I started from the bottom–and was practically still there–but I knew my way around. I knew which parties to avoid and what productions I wanted to work with.
In the beginning, it was a lot of running around town, grabbing coffee's for the actors while simultaneously trying to write something. Back then, I wasn't getting paid. It was a year after coffee runs and no one listening to me that I found myself as an assistant to an actor I could actually tolerate. He was famous, yes, but he also knew how to treat me like a human being.
Jack Jennings.
He was everyone's cup of tea, voted 'Sexiest Alive' at least twice since I started working with him. Of course, all the other assistants I met always asked me how I didn't fall head over heels for him everyday.
It was humorous to think about. If anything, I thought of Jack as a dorky teddy bear.
He was almost like an annoying little brother that was a year older than me.
Jack never called me by your given name and always called me by my nickname, Toots–which I absolutely hated. He made up the name when we first met since he couldn't pronounce my name. I went along with it, though, because I knew that even though my goals were to eventually be writing the scripts that Jack reads off, I was happy with him.
Which was the problem. I got comfortable.
Two years into being Jack's assistant, he was signed into a franchise. It was a big deal considering he would have movie deals for years head in the future.
He was securing his future while I, on the otherhand, was getting comfortable.
The third year I was with him, they started shooting his debut in said franchise.
That's when we all were blessed with meeting Dorian Christopher.
And if you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic.
I hated Dorian. Jack knew it too. Every single day, Dorian acted like I was his personal assistant rather than his costars. Dorian was the star of the movie, starring in at least six other movies in this franchise. He knew his way around and thought just because he was seasoned, he could get away with anything.
He practically tortured me every single day we were on set.
When I wasn't getting the million things he asked for, he was talking down to me about doing it wrong. Not only was he talking to me like I was a child but he was yelling at me in front of the entire staff, except Jack, somehow.
"You know that I wouldn't be here without you, right, toots?" Jack's words were an endless skip on a damaged record. "You can do this! Because guess what, baby girl, if this works out well for me, what do you think it'll do for you!" He whisper-yelled behind whatever room I decided to hide in at this point. I was gripping chopsticks that I hope were sharp enough to stab a certain someone with. Well, not someone. More like a certain star who wanted chopsticks in the first place.
"Put them down, girl... No one is going to hurt you." Jack was known as the class clown of sets, which was good. It tuned down some of my seriousness.
"Look, you need to do something about that guy, he's driving me crazy!" I wasn't even attempting to keep my voice low. What would Dorian even do? Fire me? Guess what, I didn't work for him!
At that point, I took a deep breath and loosened the grip on the makeshift weapon. I felt bad. I could see Jack really struggling with this. We considered each other family. Afterall, we were from the same town. He knew how badly we both wanted to get out of there. That was part of the reason why we worked so well together. Why we tolerated each other for so long. He knew the struggles of the past, his and mine.
But on the other side of it, I could see that him and Dorian really got along. Jack promised me that everyone is trying to navigate through their own damage. That I should give Dorian the benefit of the doubt.
It was something he reminded me every day for the last three weeks while on set.
"I'll do my best to direct his attention off of you for a while, okay?" Jack held his hands up like he was trying to negotiate with a crazed psycho. "We're only here for another week, okay, toots? Do you think you can play nice? For me?"
I should swallow my pride. I know that this is important for Jack. This is important for me too. People talk. If they hear that an assistant hoping to be a screenwriter is hard to work with, they won't wanna work with me. I know Jack was only looking out for me.
I released a sigh of defeat. "Fine. I'm sorry I'm being so crazy... He just drives me–"
"Crazy?" Jack took a wild guess.
"You don't get it. When you're not around, it's like he determines to be a dick to everyone."
"See? It's not just you."
"But it's like when I walk into a room, he gets tunnel vision or something. He hits me with all his attention." I could feel my shoulders sag a little. I could feel that creeping feeling coming on again. That feeling of wanting to give up. That feeling I get before I pack up my things and just drive until I can't focus on the road again.
I knew that feeling too well. That was how I left home. After being hit over and over again, I finally left before deciding not to get back up again.
"I'm sorry. I know you should be out there practicing your lines or whatever you actors do. Instead, you're in here, dealing with one of my countless breakdowns." I looked down at the chopsticks before tossing them on the nearest surface.
"It's okay. We'll both get through this okay? One more week, toots!" Jack gave me one of his bear hugs before looking into my eyes. He made sure that I was okay before nodding his head and making his getaway back onto set.
"I can do this." I mumbled to myself, hoping that if I said it enough times, it might actually come true.