Cut!

Take 3 - Change My Mind

A/N: Please comment as you read. It'll mean the world to me.

Walking up to the studio must have been the single-most terrifying experience of my life. My legs trembled with each step, and since Marcus had convinced me to wear high-heeled sandals, once again, I was a walking disaster waiting to happen.

“Is it too late to change my mind?” I muttered through my teeth. I narrowed my eyes and looked at the massive complex in front of me—a movie studio in the middle of Chicago. The main building, a large square-shaped building in the center of a flower- and grass-covered field, was partly hidden behind a large concrete wall with only a dark steel gate separating me from the courtyard. I looked around. The wall’s grey exterior was made more impressive by the magnificent trees lined neatly on its sides. Under the shade of the trees, I saw rows of people with banners. They were probably waiting for someone, and I was thrilled when they didn’t react to my presence—save for a few curious glances, they barely noticed me. I exhaled deeply.

Marcus placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. “You can do this.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. The frantic rhythm of my heartbeat spoke volumes of my inner thoughts. Lucky for me, I just had to convince others that I was okay on the outside.

Taking three quick breaths, I gave Marcus a weak smile before donning a pair of Ludmilla’s designer sunglasses on my face. “Let’s do this, then.”

We could have had Ludmilla’s chauffeur drive us right into the studio, but I convinced Marcus that I would need the small walk to clear my mind. As we made our way to the security officer working the gate, I realized that it’d take a bit more than a short walk to calm my nerves and ease my mind, which spun with all the possible ways I could fail. As I stared at the middle-aged guard, I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out; I was losing my cool.

“Ludmilla Hanson,” Marcus said, saving me from myself.

“Ms. Hanson, just walk right on through,” the guard said, without any expression.

I wondered if the guard deemed me arrogant for letting Marcus talk for me. In the hopes of possibly changing his mind, I sent him a small smile before walking through a small door in the massive steel gate.

As I took in my surroundings, I couldn’t help but stop and gawk. Good God, this place was big. I’d been at smaller studios before, and somehow, I’d gotten it into my head that this wouldn’t be any different.

Boy, I was wrong. I wasn’t sure if this was a movie studio or an amusement park—or maybe a little bit of both.

“Are you okay?” Marcus asked with a voice barely above a whisper.

I could feel his hand pressing gently on my back. Shaking my head, I smiled. “It’s amazing.”

He shrugged. “Don’t get too attached. You’ll only be here a fraction of the next two months.

“I know.”

Ludmilla hadn’t prepared me for this. In her world, this was completely normal. She’d probably scoff once before finding a nice place to sit.

The thoughts of my sister calmed me slightly. She counted on me to do this, and I couldn’t let her down.

After Marcus and I had finished my transformation, we had gone to say our goodbyes. While I would talk to her on the phone every night, I couldn’t risk coming to visit during the shootings. They’d told me that paparazzi would be even harder to evade during that time. I’d given her a hug and found myself satisfied with her arrangements. Ludmilla had been moved to a private room at the center, and Marcus had found another assistant that could keep a secret. Ludmilla and I had advised against bringing more people in, but Marcus had been persistent—he couldn’t leave Ludmilla alone to fend for herself.