Starbird

Chapter 34

It was a blazing morning. The sun had only been up for twenty minutes and the temperature was rising to the nineties. The beach they were filming on was warded off with security and light reflectors, the actors filtering from the nearest air conditioned hotel they could find. 

“I’m so excited right now,” Riley squealed, clutching my bicep.

“Seriously though, where is Liam?” Becca asked for probably the tenth time since we arrived.

“Getting ready. Be patient.”

Becca didn’t like that idea.

“Morning Camille!” I found Finch waving me over and I quickened my pace.

“Hi Lisa, isn’t it a little hot to be filming outside?” I asked, but Finch just shrugged.

“There’s a lot of on and off today. With enough sunblock and shade, they should be okay. Oh, who are your friends?” She asked, noticing Becca and Riley looking around aimlessly.

“Right! This is Riley,” Riley turned sharply, copper hair flicking Becca in the face. “And this is Becca.” Becca outstretched her hand as Finch introduced herself.

“Now, the green room is that area over there,” Finch pointed to a small white tent with a few canvas chairs situated in the sand. We were all going to melt. “If you get to hot, the hotel is allowing us to use Conference Room C. Just show them your pass and they’ll let you up. As for right now, I need to go make some phone calls. Nice meeting you girls.” She adjusted her tablet resting in her arms, lowered her sunglasses, and made her way gracefully across the sand. I didn’t understand how she wasn’t stumbling. 

“How on earth are you friends with a stage manager?” Becca immediately asked.

“Finch isn’t a stage manager. She’s like… the manager. She organizes everything, makes sure everyone’s in order. Honestly, she’s my hero when it comes to these things.”

“Why do you call her Finch?”

“When I first saw her I thought she looked like a bird. When I figured out her last name was Finch it just fit all so perfectly. Now, do you want to go to the green room? They probably have coffee.”

“Cam, it’s almost a hundred degrees and you want coffee?” Riley asked, thinking I was insane.

“Anytime is coffee time.” They rolled their eyes at my coffee craziness and followed me towards the white tent.

Crew members were grabbing buckets of water bottles to distribute and keep handy. The ice in the cooler looked like it was already melting and the people even more so.

“So what do we do while we’re here?” Becca asked, plopping down in one of the canvas chairs.

“Watch? Eat? It’s really not as exciting as you guys might have imagined.”

“You made it sound like the best time of your life,” Riley noted.

“That’s because Liam would come talk to her.”

“Or Carson would flirt with her.”

“That too.”

“Hey! That’s not true! I was perfectly satisfied with sitting in silence drawing or taking pictures.”

“Pictures of a certain Liam Hawthorne,” Becca emphasized. 

“No. Stop.” The two of them smirked and wiggled their eyebrows at me. “Stop.” 

“Hey, he’s a cutie patootie who kiss –”

I slapped my hand over Becca’s mouth. “We don’t talk about that.”