Lights! Camera - ; Tyrus

Scene 12

*Mild Trigger warning*

Teddy *exclaims*: You won! Are you happy now? Are you finally happy? *throws paper at Andrew* So you can go back to your perfect little life, with your perfect little girlfriend, and your perfect little job. Are you happy?

Andrew *While crying*: I...

Teddy: Would you even miss me?

- Act 3, scene 26 from "The Big Idea"

Written and directed by Cyrus Goodman

TJ

Everyone was staring at me.

Which wouldn't be too weird. I mean, I am the lead of the movie. And supposedly "attractive" to everyone else, at least some people. So saying this wouldn't be strange.

Except it wasn't just on set. It was at the Starbucks this morning as well. A girl was staring at me from her table, several feet away, while I was in line. I smiled awkwardly. Maybe she wanted an autograph.

But as I got my coffee and walked over to her table, she scowled so suddenly and so fiercely that I had to back down.

And that wasn't the end of it. At least two others were like that on my way to work.

So I think I have a right to call it strange. Don't you think?

On set most of the other actors (especially female) are exactly the same. It's hard to act when behind their eyes you can see how un-goddamn-happy they are with me. I keep stumbling over my words as their emotion takes me over, as I can't help but question everything.

What did I do wrong?

It's even worse that Cyrus isn't with us today. He's doing other work in another room. At least that's what Nick says. But it feels like he isn't anywhere. I can't feel him. Maybe I don't want to, I don't know.

What did I do wrong?

After many stares, and much worrying and my mental state of no understanding and feeling attacked slowly chipping away I grab Jonah by the arm into a side alley on sent.

"Jo, what is happening today?" I put whatever energy I have left into my eyes.

Jonah's eyes dart onto the man made floor. He looks... He looks sheepish.

"Jonah?" I say again, I can't even believe the untrustworthy taste in my words.

His ears pinken (which must be hard based on his make up department) and still doesn't look up as he blurts, "The Media found out you lied about NYU!"

I drop his arm, slightly taken back, "That's what this is about? Are you serious?"

Jonah shakes his head, "And that... And that you're gay."

I take a step back and my hands cover my face. "Oh my god. You would think after everything, that wouldn't matter."

"Well they don't want some queer guy being the hot one..." Jonah shrugs with hurt in his eyes, with knowing. "They don't even care about the plot. Just you. I can't imagine what Cyrus would be feeling if they knew."

"He doesn't know?" That should have been my first question. If Cyrus found out it was my lying that ruined his movie.

"Well..." J looks up.

"Well, Jonah!?"

"Imkindoftheonewhotoldhim." He says suddenly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just he was really sad about something the other day so I took him to my place with the others and it just slipped!"

Cyrus was sad about our kiss?

Dammit, TJ. That's not the point.

"So what your saying is that now the majority of the female population hates me. Didn't even care about the plot of Cyrus's movie, and Cyrus is ultimately too depressed to do anything about it?"

Jonah gives a meek nod.

"Holy- I mean, what are we going to do about it?" It feels like all my happiness has just leaked away and flowed down the train. All of this seems pretty irredeemable.

I take my phone out of my back pocket and take it off airplane mode (you don't want notifications while filming) suddenly millions of comments from twitter, Instagram, texts even a news article flash, filling up my once empty screen.

I flick through them all on the lock screen.

Not one of them is from Cyrus.

At that moment Kira, in her dark red robe and loud matching high heels, storms up to me. Her mascara is streaming down her face like a wet painting. She sniffs, "Cyrus told me all about it. Oh TJ, it's horrible what they've done to you. And such a sensitive subject." Then I feel her arms wrap around me in a snake like grasp.

"Cyrus told you?" Is all I can say, I really don't want to be dealing with Kira right now.

"He texted me about it, saying that it could ruin your reputation." I see the faintest tip of a smirk on her dark mouth.

Wait.

"Did you tell anyone else?" I ask slowly. I try to pull away from her reach.

"Well of course not. Then you wouldn't even be on set! And be so heartbroken." Kira is pouting like she feels sorry for me. Like I'm her little pet.

Did Cyrus set me up? 

No, of course not.

But he did feel upset over our last conversation. And Telling Kira, she would instantly want me off set so she could actually screw someone around here. Did he do this to get me to quit? Or to fire me?

But that can't be right.

But what if he never wanted to see me again?

Kira is still holding onto me. "TJ? Are you alright?" My face must look incredibly surly because she is smiling even more now.

Suddenly a terrible idea pops up in my head.

I try to look as injured as possible. "Yeah, well no actually. Could you take me to where Cyrus is? I need to speak with him." You're an actor TJ, it shouldn't be this hard. But Kira seems to buy it.

"Of course! But just make sure to come back and talk to me if anything goes wrong. I can't imagine what these horrible rumors must be doing to you." Kira on the other hand, who is also an actor, doesn't seem to be selling anything.

Kira leads me, by the hand, to out the front of the Directors trailers where Cyrus and about five other people stand out the front. One of the is a press man. Perfect, just enough people to cause a scene, but not enough to ruin it.

Cyrus is running his fingers through his hair, looking incredibly stressed, and like he has been crying (he still looks beautiful, but that's not the point).

"Did you do this?" I shout to him, all head whip around in my direction. Cyrus just stares at me with hollow eyes.

Sorry, Muffin.

"Did you seriously do this to me? My own Director? I thought we were friends! And now you go behind my back to spread untrue rumors just to get me off set?" The press guy is scribbling notes down as I raise my voice.

Cyrus doesn't say anything, he does open his mouth, but words fail him. 

"And now you have the audacity to not even talk to me professionally about it!" I turn to press guy, "Don't even bother talking to him, he's too busy trying to give his script a full movie plot than tell some attention seekers the truth." And press guy is nodding!

Final blow, TJ.

"I'm done with you, I'm done with this set. Goodbye."

And then, while squeezing Kira's hand, I walk away.

I can feel the chaotic energy as I do.

But just as I'm out of reach and I know nobody else is watching, I turn my head for just a second, and smile at Cyrus.