Union Jack (Jack Harries)

One

SOVI 

   With a thud, Sovi's army green colored suitcase was out of her half brother's chevy and into her hands. Well...the handle of it, that is. Daniel scanned his younger half sister; the last time he'd seen her, she was a girl with sandy blonde hair and keen on wearing converse and dresses. 7 years later, she had still sandy blonde hair, dip dyed in pink that is, and was insistent on wearing skinny jeans and a black pair of  Dr. Martens. 

"Jesus, pink dip dye?" he said, examining the strand that fell out of her slouchy beanie, "how'd you get the folks to be okay with that?" 

"It's called mistakes of spring break, dear brother." Sovi laughed, tucking the strand back into her messy bun, "hmm, that should be my very first short film. The Mistakes of Spring Break... Directed by Sovi Richter; based on a true story....sound appealing?"

"Alright, alright, little miss director. Get a move on, wouldn't want you to be late."

"who cares if I'm late?" Sovi shrugged, "I'm trying to get by at least one summer as someone really good at being invisible." 

"Who are you, Mia Thermopolis?"

Sovi turned her heel, waving her brother goodbye and shouting a "nope, I'm invisible." as a reply.

If walking away worked out well enough, going by as invisible certainly didn't. Heads turned as Sovi walked past other students of the film program, which she didn't understand. She wasn't wearing anything special; just an oversized long sleeved shirt over a white crop top, black jeans, Dr. Martens and a beanie to hide her hair. 

"Ooh, cool hair." 

The girl at the registration table marvelled at her hair. Sovi tucked the loose strand behind her ear, "it's not allowed, is it? because I totally couldn't find any sandy blonde hair dye back in Maine and I--"

the girl laughed, "it's fine for the summer program, but if you're going to be attending LFA, you're going to have to find some sandy blonde dye" Sovi glanced around the room; the girls around seemed to have been nodding in approval of her hair and were even intrigued where to get theirs done.

Sovi faked smiled as she took her room number and turned around to walk back to her room. But it was then that she'd bumped into someone along the way. "Sorry" she said, looking up at him. He met her with a kind smile, "no problem." he said, "nice hair by the way."

Now practically everyone in the room was looking at them. 

So much for being invisible. 

JACK

"Is that sort of hair allowed?" Jack asked, watching the girl with the green suitcase and dip dyed hair walk away. "For the summer program, yes." replied the girl at the registration table, "you know, she asked that same question."

"Drat" Jack joked, "if I knew, I should've gotten my hair dip dyed too." 

"well, it's very common in America, you know." 

"Oh, she's American?"

"Can't  you tell by the accent?" the girl smiled, handing him a piece of paper with his room number.

       Ah, the mystery American shows up again Jack thought, seeing the girl with dip dyed hair again at the orientation. She was wearing a beanie again but this time, was wearing mad men style glasses. Well, that explains it why she bumped into me earlier He thought again. The program director walked in, making him shrug the thoughts about the mystery American. 

For now.

"Alright everyone" said the program director, John, "as you all know, the commencement exercises of the summer program will include the Students' Film Festival, wherein we'll be showing all the films you've been working on all summer. We'll be grouping you into teams of 8 basing these categories as your assignment: Independent, Romantic Comedy, Drama, Action, Horror/Thriller, Documentary and Silent Films. Let's get started."

Names were being called here and there, groups were getting bigger and Jack's heart raced with each name being called. Compared to the others attending the program, he had basic information. And by basic, meaning filming with an HD Camera and editing on Final Cut Pro.

The only consolation he had was that the American hadn't been called yet. 

"Richter, Sofia Vi--"

"Um, you can call me Sovi." she spoke up. The program director seemed to be amused and so kindly smiled, "well, Sovi" he said, "you're in the Romantic Comedy group."

He stood corrected. 

He looked down on his desk, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone else who hadn't been called.

"Harries, Jackson?" 

Well, finally! Jack thought as he perked up, "that's me!"

"Alright, you're in Romantic Comedy as well."

What a coincidence that is.

SOVI

"Interesting name you got there"

Sovi let herself have a laugh as her groupmates chatted away, slowly getting to know each other. The fact she was in the group with the guy she'd bumped into earlier today, barely made it okay that she'd been drawn out to the Romantic Comedy group. 

She wanted Indie. 

She wanted to be the one enthusiastic about directing. The one, chatting away to get her other groupmates talking.

Instead, she got Romantic comedy and was the groupmate the others tried to get to talk. 

"Sovi" a redhead named Laura said, "yeah, Sovi....I mean, all I can think of is the Soviet Union."

"Not too far from the truth" laughed Sovi, "at least, that's what my dad calls me when I'm trying to get him to let me do something."

"like dye your hair?" chirped another girl with a European accent named Suze, "goodness, I'm so jealous. If I knew we were allowed, I would've." 

"Life lesson learned: never dip dye your hair pink when you have an impossible natural hair color to find." Sovi said, "but I'd be happy to help you with yours." 

I think I just made a new friend. 

JACK 

    "Well, you should check it out. It's a pretty cool channel if you ask me" Jack said, explaining what JacksGap was, "but when you come across the videos with a guy named Finn who looks like me, he's not real." 

The group laughed but Sovi just gave a kind smile, hoping sooner or later time would pass faster. Jack looked at her; she was watching the clock tick. Her eyes, despite hiding behind her mad men styled glasses were actually a bright blue. There was something about her, as cliche as that sounded. 

She had dip dyed hair, vintage glasses and she dressed like she was in NYU.

So, what was she doing here in London? 

"you know, the more you stare at it, the slower it goes" said Jack, making Sovi look at him instead. 

"You're really weird, you know that?"

Jack smiled cheekily, "so are you."

"me?" Sovi gasped, "just because I have pink hair."

"me?" Jack gasped mockingly, "just because I have a YouTube channel?" 

Sovi put a hand on her hip and looked up at Jack with a smile, "you're alright for a Brit."

"and you're alright for a Yank." Jack replied, "so tell me, would a hipster like you go to something as mainstream as....say, Starbucks?"

SOVI 

"Jack Harries asked you out." said Suze as she and Sovi walked to one of their classes together. 

"Jack Harries asked you out?" chimed in another one of their groupmates, Lara, who was Irish. 

Part of Sovi rejoiced as she can finally use one of the lines from Why We Broke Up, which had been her favorite book for 2 years now. 

"No" she shrugged, just like the lead character, Min Green, said in the book, "he just...asked if he could ask me out." 

I've always wanted to say that.