The Golden Gate Project

Chapter One

Kaylee

"Good morning, Mr. Ortega. It's an honor to have you here. Thank you for agreeing to the interview."

I shake hands with a strong and serious 17 year old Venezuelan student whose face lights up as he smiles at me.

"The honor is mine. Thank you for bringing such awareness to this place."

I lead him to the interview chair.

"Hopefully this documentary can bring the awareness to this country's issues to get the help it needs." I say as I sit him down and the makeup woman fluffs his face.

"I know you are very busy, so we'll do this quickly."

"Thank you for the consideration." He says kindly as he sits down in his interview chair.

"Maddie are we ready?" I ask my assistant director. She nods, then turns her attention to the crew.

"Quiet on the set!" Ortega fixes his shirt.

"Sound."

"Speeding."

"Camera."

"Rolling."

"And action." I say as I smile at Ortega from next to the camera. He returns the smile.

"We are here today with an unlikely hero in the Venezuelan resistance here in Caracas."

He smiles politely.

"Mr. Ortega, you are a college freshman, how did you become involved in the resistance?"

"The people have been suffering for a long time without sufficient food, water, or necessities and--"

BZZ. BZZ. BZZ.

My phone fills the room with noise. I fumble for my phone as I try to hide my increasingly blushed face behind the camera.

I look at my phone and see that my mom is calling me. It'll have to wait.

I put it on vivibrate and shove it back in my pocket and smile apologetically as Ortega stares awkwardly back at me.

"I'm so sorry. Please continue."

"Well, the government has been refusing to give the people what they need to survi--"

BZZ. BZZ. BZZ.

I cringe as it starts. Ortega and the entire crew freezes. Maddie gives me a look and I pull my phone out and hang up on my mom again.

I shove my phone shakily in my pocket.

"Please, please. I'm so sorry. It won't happen again. Please continue. What about the resistance?"

He gives me a hesitant look then nods.

"Well, the resistance came out of desperation and a need to --"

DING. DING. DING. DING.

Ortega stops and Maddie holds out her hand.

I look down and messages flood my screen.

'Kaylee call me back.'
'This is serious.'
'Call me back right now.'
'Something happened.'

My stomach drops.

"Kaylee." I snap my attention to Maddie who waits expectantly for me to give her my phone.

"Take five?" She gives me a look as I stand up. I mouth 'sorry' to Ortega as I head for the door.

"We have to get this in twenty minutes." She calls.

"I'll be right back." I say as I run outside to the parking lot and wait for my mom to pick up.

First ring.

"Kaylee? Why didn't you answer my calls. I called and texted you." I can tell she's been crying.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I was in the middle of an interview."

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt. I know your work is important." Her voice cracks.

"Mom are you okay?" My heart starts to pound.

"It's Sebastian." She pauses.

"What about Sebastian. Is he okay?"

I can hear her sniffle.

"He um, there was an accident... at school."

"What? What happened? Is he going to be okay?" I can hear her take jagged breaths as she tries to stay calm, "Mom you're really scaring me."

Maddie opens the door and tries to drag me back inside.

"Just a second." I say to her and back away.

"Kaylee we have to finish this. He's going to leave." She stares me down.

"Mom what happened to Sebastian?" I beg. My heart races.

"I'm so sorry... Your brother...He... He didn't..." She breaks down on the other end and I know. I can feel my eyes start to sting.

My older brother and best friend in the world is... dead.

The tears stream and I turn away from Maddie who closes the door behind her, approaching me slowly.

Mom gathers herself as I try to hold it all in, "You have to tell your sister. You have to find Hannah and tell her."

"Mom I can't. I'm sorry I can't just leave." I squeak out.

"She needs to know. I have to stay here. For the..." She can't say funeral.

"I..." What am I supposed to do? My brother is dead. I don't know how I can go on with this production. But I can't quit. And I can't abandon Hannah by not telling her. She deserves to know.

"Don't worry, I'll tell her." The tears cloud my vision.

"Will you come back for the f-f...?" She asks quietly, "He'd want you to be there." She starts to cry again. I can't help but join in the sobs. They rake through my body and I have to sit down. I feel a hand on my back. It's Maddie.

"I love you Mom."

"I love you too sweetie."

"I'll see you soon."

"Okay."

"Bye mom." She sniffles and I hang up.

It's silent.

Sebastian's... gone.

"Kaylee? Are you good to continue?" Maddie asks.

"My brother died." I whisper to the ground, "Freak accident... I guess." I sniffle.

"Oh Kaylee I'm so sorry." She rubs my back and sits next to me on the ground.

The concrete is cold.

"I have to go."

"What? What do you mean?" She is no doubt panicking.

I'm about to walk away from the best chance I'll ever have to be a real filmmaker.

"I have to find my sister. She needs to know."

"Can't you call her?" She asks delicately.

"She's out of reach. I have to go find her. She deserves to know... We have to go to the funeral." I slowly stand up and she stands with me. I face her, bottling it all up, "Tell Ortega I said I was sorry. Family emergency." I turn and begin to walk away.

"What about the film?" She calls after me.

"I'll come back when it's all over. I promise we'll finish this. I just... I have to go." I backtrack towards my car, fumble with my keys, and drive away. From everything.

My brother is dead.