Trip to Fame

Chapter 13 - Filming

"Hi Cleo." Derek says as I enter the room. The actors are once again sitting down in a circle. Am I late?

As if reading my thoughts, Derek says, "Don't worry, you're not late, we are just all early."
I smile appreciatively. I wave goodbye to Mary and she leaves. I join the circle.
"So did everyone learn their parts?" Derek asks. Everyone nods.
"Good! So let's start with the scene where Beth is sick. Everyone get into costume."

Once again our artists take us to our rooms.

When we are done, we all gather around again. I am wearing a beautiful green dress that brings out my eyes.

While we were getting ready, the prop makers had set up a model room (inside the big room) that we are acting in. It's deigned to be Beth's bedroom.

I am told to sit down on the chair next to Beth's bed, and start crying, while holding Beth's hand. Beth lies in bed, and really does look sick. I haven't met the girl before, but she looks about fifteen and the artists have given her greasy mousey hair, pale face and blue circles around her eyes. For some reason I am creeped instead of sad.

Can I make myself cry?

***

"And cut!" Derek shouts for the twelfth time. He walks over to me. "Cleo, come on. It's our first scene and this is taking too long."

I blush. He's right. We've tried this scene twelve times! The first time I couldn't stop looking at the camera, the second time I sneezed in the middle of it, and the rest of the times I just couldn't cry. I see Josh smiling sympathically across the room. I can't smile back. I am too embarrassed to even look him in the eye. All these people are professionals. It's annoying because I am a good actress. I don't mean to be stuck up but it's true. I am a good actress. I just can't fake cry. And the irritating part is that if only we didn't have to start with the crying scene, Derek might see I'm a good actress. However if he sees me not being able to cry in the first scene, he'll think I'm going to be rubbish at the others. I need a good excuse.

"I'm so sorry, Derek. I just feel a bit faint right now. You see my mother's quite sick and she looks like how the artists have made Beth look, and for me to be in a situation where Beth has the possibility of dying, it just..."
"Oh." He says, his face softened. It worked. "Do you want some one else to do the scene?"

No!

"No, no, no. I just need a five minute break."
"I was going to summon one anyway. It's time we all had a drink. Okay everyone, take five!" He shouts.

I go and sit down on the bench at the wall. I get my water bottle out and take a big swig. I almost choke on it when Josh comes and sits next to me.
"Careful." He says as I cough.
"Sorry..." I splutter. Most girls right now would be traumatised that they had just made fun of themselves in front of a boy. Me? I feel like Josh understands. I have no feelings for him in the way the way that most girls would. I see him as more of a best friend.

"Don't apologise. We've all been there." He says. Sitting down next to me. "So how's it going?"
"Well, right now I am sick of trying to cry. It gets harder and harder each time."
"I understand."
"Do you?"
"Yeah. You can't imagine the amount of times I've had this trouble."
"Really?! So it's normal? I'm not a crap bag at this?"
"Cleo, I've been watching you up there for the last thirty minutes." He says. Great. He reminds me how long it's been. "And even though you couldn't nail the water works, I was intrigued every minute of it." He continues. How sweet!
"Really?"
"Yeah. You had me convinced that you were right there as Amy March, with your sister dying."
I smile the happiest (maybe prettiest) smile I've ever smiled.
"And you were way more brilliant at it than the girl playing Beth." He says.