BAD ACTING

RED VINES

        Monday I woke up in Leah's bed alone. Leah's call times for Wild Child usually started at five am. I grabbed my Diesel backpack and left for work. I didn't need to be at the studio until eleven am for Karen's first class, but I arrived at nine and began making copies of scenes for the week.

        At ten my work cell buzzed alerting me to an e-mail about a script revision for Kasey Turner, a twelve-year-old on the Disney Channel show, Double Trouble. I pulled up the e-mail on the office computer and printed out three copies of the episode.

        Karen arrived at ten-thirty, smiling at the stacks of sides piled on the desk.

        "Last minute coaching with Kasey before class," she explained, setting her purse in the empty chair next to mine.

        "I printed out copies of the script revision, they're right here." I handed the episodes to Karen.

        "Excellent, thanks, I'll be in the studio."

        Kasey and her mother waved hello five minutes later, as they entered the office, and walked into the studio to coach with Karen.

        Five minutes before eleven the office and waiting area filled up with the nine to fourteen-year-olds. I pulled up the class list on the computer and clicked each name in attendance.

        Technically my Monday workday ended after class started, so I grabbed my backpack and headed home.

*

        Tuesday at eight am I sat at the YA Studio and printed off all the scenes for Karen's private coaching. Eight, nine, ten, eleven-forty five, and then I picked up Karen's lunch, dropped it off, and left for the day.

        Andrew texted me about meeting him at the gym, and so I drove to the Equinox in Woodland Hills to work out with him. Andrew seemed to be in a better mood than Friday night, and I tried to subtly mention how happy Carrie will be when she sees the party he planned for her.

        After the gym, I drove home and watched music videos in bed. Leah dropped by after filming and we smoked weed, watched more music videos, and fell asleep.

*

        I woke up Wednesday around nine, the scent of Leah's perfume the only evidence left before she left to film hours before. I parked in the lot under the YA studio at ten-fifteen and checked the schedule, emails, and calls from earlier that morning. Karen taught another nine-fourteen-year-old class at eleven. After the class, the girl with the Nylon magazine, Alicia Davenport, stopped at my desk waiting for me to notice her.

        "Hi Alicia," I said smiling

        Alicia placed three magazines in front of me. Vogue. GQ. and Vanity Fair. Blue sticky notes bookmarking each one.

        "What's up?" I asked looking at the magazine covers.

        Alicia opened each magazine to the bookmarked page. The same Diesel ad in all three magazines.

        "You must be into fashion?" I guessed, not knowing what else to say.

        "I want to be a designer," she replied.

        "An actress and a designer?"

        "Yes."

        "Do you sketch your designs?" I asked.

        "I do."

        "I'd love to see them."

        "I'll bring some next week."