Lights, Cameras, Maze Runner! (completed)

four (part one)

It's now June 25. I've been here in Louisiana for exactly twenty days now.

And they have been twenty of the best days of my life, if not the best.

Because I'm the director's assistant, I've been working a little bit in every department on the set. I've helped the women working makeup and costumes round up actors so they can get ready to film. Makeup is a little hard to help with because the makeup artists are all professionals, while I can barely apply my mascara. I work better in costumes, because I'm pretty good at hanging up clothes and rounding up actors. I also get along better with the women working in costumes.

 In addition, I go out and fetch people drinks around noon. I usually have to take two trips to the Dunkin' Donuts due to the number of drinks I have to pick up, but sometimes I have the help of Will or Thomas on the drink run (mostly Thomas). I've gotten familiar with the employees at Dunkin', and I even once had the help of Alyssa from the shop to carry the drinks back to the set. Kaya was right; Alyssa and I became friends quickly. 

It takes an army to make a movie. Wes wasn't kidding when he said that. Witnessing the filming and production of a movie is an extraordinary experience. It's really eye-opening to see how crazy scenes with the stuff like fights and action are filmed.

In my twenty days here at the set of The Maze Runner, I've grown close to the three ladies working the makeup truck, Mary, Sarah and Michelle, and every lead actor, especially Thomas. I usually spend time with people and talk to them in their trailers, just to give them a break from the stressful life of moviemaking. I've become good friends with everyone, but I spend the most time with Thomas. Just about every time we're not needed for makeup or costumes (and in Thomas' case, filming), we spend time talking.

I'm now on my lunch break with him.

And it's also my nineteenth birthday, but no one on the set knows. Wes has agreed not to tell anyone because I don't like the attention that comes with birthdays.

Thomas and I sit on the floor against the walls in the trailer he shares with Will, Ki, and Dylan. The trailer is usually used for some chill space when the actors have time off.

For lunch today, we eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Usually, Wes makes cast and crew members bring their own food, but once a week he'll order about twenty pizzas from the place Thomas, Ki, Will, Kaya, Dylan and I ate from that night we all hung out for the first time.

"So, Kelsey, let's move on to our next conversation topic," Thomas suggests, looking at his sheet of topics. "Next up on the list is 'life before this movie'."

Thomas and I have a system where if we have a topic of conversation we'd like to discuss with each other, we write it down. Then, in moments like these, we bounce back and forth between our two papers for ideas.

"This is an easy one!" I say, finishing my sandwich. "Before I came here to Louisiana, I was a college freshman, trying to decide what her major is. Well, come to think of it, I still am that person. I work at a fancy restaurant as a busgirl, dishwasher, waitress, and hostess. I do it all. I have a secret passion for poetry. No one knows about it, even though I actually just told you," I chuckle at Thomas. 

It's true. Not even Mallory knows about my love of poetry.

Outside the trailer, we hear a piercing scream, and I know the only person on the set who can make a sound in that high of a pitch is Kaya. Then, we hear a string of curse words, a gunshot, and cheers.

I look at Thomas, who is very confused. "Kaya probably found her snake, and then got scared." I grin, knowing how much Kaya wanted to find a snake and inspect it.