Silver Lining

Prologue

GUIDE ON MAKING A GOOD MOVIE FOR DUMMIES by Timothy Lipniscky

"Here's one great theme in making a good movie for the generation today. This is great for giving the youth a little heads-up for a better future: 'If something's bound to happen, it will.' The teenage years is the most complicated but the best stage any human being will ever step their feet on. The world of discovery and curiosity revolves around them in search for the future, career, dreams and most especially, love."

"Screw this!" muttered Elizabeth. She got up from her seat on the library table, almost letting it fall but grabbed it in no time. She returned the book she was reading on the bookshelf neatly and scurried off. Physically, Elizabeth looked calm and composed but in her head, she just wanted to curse right there and then and wouldn't care being scolded by the strict librarian or being kicked out of the library.

She was just so sick living in a world where it's so full of a clichéd life that can be seen in books and movies. But that wasn't the reason of her being pissed off. She was just looking for something hogwash to blame on just to keep her mind busy from her bad mood.

'They sure can fake it.' Thought Elizabeth when she suddenly remembered famous Hollywood movie stars strutting down on the red carpet during the recent Oscars. Sure, the movies today were unique and exceptional with its impressive cinematography and astonishing story flow. But she just wished that one day, movies were premiered on what's truly happening in real life, may it be ordinary or uncustomary. That's why after graduation, she wishes to take a course on filmmaking and documentaries in fulfilling her dreams of becoming a director.

For Elizabeth, she feels that her future is single-handedly planned out already by God. That there can be no changes, no spontaneous encounters. Just a plain and predictable life. She always did good. She was just a quiet kid seen in a corner of a room curled up in a book all day and watched various documentaries seen in Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Her parents feared of her quietness but find it amusing. She remembers her mom telling her that she was worried when she was pregnant with her and she couldn't feel a kick, thinking Elizabeth was already a dead fetus. That's how quiet she was, and the family appreciates having a sense of serenity in the household. Aside from her quietude, she was an outstanding student with straight As. For sure, she has a successful future ahead of her. But sometimes, it can be a lonely and boring world to live in.

Elizabeth thought about it solemnly as she sooner realized she was past her house. She shrugged off her lost of focus and went inside.

"I'm home!" No response but barking sounds lit up the quiet atmosphere as Elizabeth's dog, Paris. A cute shitzu with brown spots on her ears. She had Paris as a farewell gift from her rich best friend, Opal who is now living in England finishing her last year of high school there before moving back to California to go to college with her at the University of California, Berkeley. Paris came running from the kitchen to greet Elizabeth the second she opened the door. Elizabeth bent down, scooping her up in her arms and allowing the dog to plant wet kisses on her face. The unconditional love of the little dog made her feel all warm and happy inside. She dropped Paris from the carpeted floor of their living room and let her play with her pink chewtoy shaped liked a bone.

She went to the kitchen, her mom was probably at the market cause it was a Sunday. She went to the fridge and grabbed an apple. She walked towards the masters bedroom hearing gunshots in the surround speaker of her parents' flatscreen TV as she took a bite of her apple, opened the door and found her dad soundly asleep with a remote in hand. She looked at the television with the movie The Expendables flashing through the screen. Shaking her head, she turned off the television. She walked closer to her sleeping dad, took the remote out of his hand and tucked him in. She went for a kiss on the forehead and suddenly her dad snored loudly. She chuckled lightly and left, finishing her apple and went to her bedroom.

She lied on her bed with such force, it bounced lightly. Paris came in to the door, successfully jumping from the floor to her 3 foot high bed despite her small physique. She crawled up to her owner's lying body putting her chin on Elizabeth's chest and staring at her intently. Elizabeth smiled, ruffled the shitzu's fur and gave a small peck on her wet nose. Looking up to the ceiling, she started thinking. Elizabeth likes to daydream a lot but this time, she was recurring a memory. That special, memorable night. But before that night, she can't stop thinking about how it first happened. For once in her life, she finally realized that unexpected encounters can happen in her so-planned out life.