The Alternate Extras of Halesowen

Short Film - The Car Crisis

As the applause died down, Eliott moved back to the centre of the screen. He said that since the boys to the right had volunteered second, they would be up next.

Vector wasn't exactly happy with how his film had turned out, but he could blame that on the bad management he had given it. Or at least that he had trusted the others with it. Out of his group of five, he was the only directorial person within it. And editor. And cameraman. And actor. The others had certain qualities to them, but not enough to bring a film together.

Heading up to the computer, he supposed it was more to do with him not being serious about the day, even if the film's tone had tried exactly that. He'd left it with the others and only issued reshoots of shots sporadically. He knew the others of the room would see how bad it looked, especially after seeing Alicia's film.

The film started with a title appearing over a building. Once the title disappeared, the camera panned from the building.

In the car park, two people stood looking around. It was unclear what they were doing, until one of them started toward a car at random. He raised a hand with the intent of destroying the window, but another hand closed over his own to stop him.

A third person was on the scene. Though shorter than the others, this one had a mask covering his eyes.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" he asked in a strong voice.

"Taking my car," the other said, forcing his own hand down to try and break it free.

"It's not your car. Never has been, and never will."

The mask-wearing man brought his other hand up to stop an attack from the second person, who had snuck up to the others.

"Did you not think I was watching you?" the masked man asked, not looking at the other.

"Gee! Distract him!" the second man said.

The one codenamed Gee used his other hand to try and punch the masked man, though had to work hard to do so and didn't even get close. The masked man, and in fact Gee, had grins on their faces.

"That will never work in the position you are currently in," the masked man stated, though his voice was starting to crack with laughter.

"Lee! Now!" Gee shouted.

Lee pulled away from the masked man and broke from his grip. Rushing straight back in, he threw two punches, which distracted the masked man long enough to allow Gee to escape as well.

Now it was a two-on-one fight, with punches and a few kicks being traded. The masked man was quick, and seemed to dodge out of the way of one person while blocking the other. Gee and Lee realised this, and were starting to back away, but the masked man stayed on them.

With a silent look between them, Gee and Lee stood still. A smile cracked between both of them and the restraint was showing as they tried not to laugh. The masked man had raised fists, and was looking at Gee. With a punch to Gee, he blocked it and grabbed the masked man around the middle, forcing him back.

"Go!" he shouted. Lee ran.

"A simple solution," the masked man said, and threw both hands down onto Gee's back.
Gee was forced to slacken his grip, and the masked man brought a knee up into the other's chest. A breath of air escaped Gee, and he staggered back.

Now free, the masked man used both hands to grab the other's neck, and connected knee with head, though couldn't help but smile at doing so. Gee collapsed on the floor, though the ghost of laughter was on his face. The masked man looked to the other end of the car park to see Lee heading to the main walkway of the buildings.

"He's not getting away from me."

The masked man followed.

At a different car park, the masked man looked around for a sign of Lee. He had seen the other come this way, so he had to be here.

That was revealed to be the case when Lee jumped out from between two cars and landed two hits on the masked man.

"It was too much to hope that Gee could finish you off," Lee said, gritting his teeth in what seemed an attempt to not break a smile.

"You won't either," the masked man said in his strong voice.

He allowed Lee to rain punches on him, carefully stepping backward to a more open area. Once on some grass, the masked man intercepted one of the punches thrown, and grabbed that arm. Throwing Lee onto the floor and keeping with him, the masked man put his weight onto the other's chest with one leg.

"Now, why were you wanting that car?"

"I'm not answering you," Lee said with pain in his voice, but very clearly had the expression of trying not to burst out into laughter.

"I'm warning you," the masked man said in an even stronger voice, though broke out into a grin when he said, "Tell me why or suffer as your friend did."

"Then I guess I'll suffer," Lee said, with a much more convincing look of pain on his face.

In reply, the masked man put his other leg on Lee and jumped up. When both legs landed on Lee's chest, air escaped his mouth, and once the two punches into his chest followed, he had no more air to give and collapsed.

Job done, the masked man stood up and walked off into the distance.

A fade to black let the credits roll, with the masked man being played by Nathan, Gee by Grant, and Lee by Carl. As the credits continued, Vector looked over to the other ten in the room. He knew that lot said his group kept to themselves, and had even heard the reference of secondary group in relation to him and the others. The truth was they hadn't bonded with his group.

During the start of the year, the two groups had formed fast, and when crossover happened, it was usually only with one or two from the larger group. Brandon and Elizabeth had grouped with them on occasion, and Ross and Alicia once, but any other attempts hadn't been successful. As such, his group of five usually stuck together on projects, and the larger group never bothered them.

Vector had hope that the second year would be better, and bring the two groups closer together. Merged together as one big group – maybe not socially outside of classes, but certainly within – he saw himself working with some of the others. Daniel and Quinn were the two he was most interested in working with, as he found they had the more serious attitude to film work he did.
Michael had also said he wouldn't be returning for the second year, and so that would reduce their number by one. If any of the larger group had plans of leaving, he had not heard anything of it.

Applause started and he was surprised. Vector looked around, and saw that the larger group had started it off. His own group had joined in. He smiled, and thought to himself that even if they didn't win, his group had still proved they could make a good film.