𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡, m thames.

eleven

chapter ELEVEN
this, is awkward .

the atmosphere on set had shifted since the sag awards. the kiss between starr and mason had left a lingering tension in the air, one that neither of them seemed ready to address. they went through the motions of filming, hitting their marks and delivering their lines, but the easy banter and stolen glances that had once filled the gaps between takes were gone.

starr could feel the awkwardness like a weight on her chest. every time she caught mason's eye, she felt a rush of emotions she didn't quite know how to handle. she wasn't sure if she was supposed to act like nothing had happened, or if she should try to talk to him about it. but every time she opened her mouth to say something, the words seemed to stick in her throat.

it was clear that mason was struggling too. he was quieter than usual, his usual cocky grin replaced by a more subdued expression. he kept his distance, no longer lingering around her trailer or cracking jokes during downtime. when mark called for a break, mason would disappear, heading off to his trailer without so much as a glance in her direction.

the awkwardness was palpable on set, and even mark seemed to notice. during one of their scenes, a simple exchange between their characters, clara and miller, felt stilted and unnatural. starr could see mark frowning from behind the camera, his sharp eyes watching them closely.

"cut!" mark called, his voice cutting through the silence. he walked over to them, his expression serious. "what's going on with you two?"

"nothing," starr replied quickly, too quickly. she could feel mason's eyes on her, but she kept her gaze fixed on mark, hoping he wouldn't push further.

"it's just... it feels off," mark said, gesturing between them. "there's no spark. no connection. you're supposed to be best friends in this scene, but it feels like you're strangers."

starr bit her lip, trying to come up with an excuse, but she had nothing. she glanced at mason, hoping he might say something, but he just nodded silently, his expression unreadable.

"let's take five," mark said, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "figure this out. i need you both on the same page for the next scene."

starr watched as mark walked away, her stomach twisting with guilt. she knew their awkwardness was affecting the shoot, but she didn't know how to fix it.

she turned to mason, finally gathering the courage to speak. "mason, about... about what happened at the awards..."

mason looked at her, his expression guarded. "yeah?"

"i just... i don't know what to say," starr admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "it's been really weird since then, and i don't want it to be."

mason nodded slowly, his eyes softening just a bit. "yeah, it's been weird for me too. i didn't mean for things to get awkward."

"maybe we should just talk about it," starr suggested, taking a step closer to him. "get it out in the open, so it's not hanging over us all the time."

mason looked down at the ground, his hands shoved into his pockets. "yeah, maybe. but not here, okay? let's just get through today."

starr nodded, though she felt a pang of disappointment. she had hoped they could clear the air right then and there, but she knew it wasn't that simple.

"okay," she agreed. "we'll talk later."

with that, they returned to the set, both of them trying to shake off the awkwardness that clung to them like a shadow. but even as they went through the motions of their scenes, delivering their lines and hitting their marks, the tension remained, a silent reminder of the unresolved feelings between them.

the rest of the day passed in a blur of takes and retakes, each scene feeling more strained than the last. starr could feel the distance growing between them, and it left her feeling hollow, like something important was slipping away.

naya's notes
uh ohh 🥰🥰🥰🥰