It Was A Whole Thing | Herophine

Publicity Stunt 2

I kick the ball and it lurches straight to the steel corner of the goal, missing just a fraction of an inch and I let out a frustrated groan, throwing my head back and closing my eyes while pinching the bridge of my nose. I could hear my mates' shouts in the background, obviously frustrated by my shit play.

It's been pretty much a shit day for me and it started the moment I opened my e-mails and got the news from Jamie that the filming for After We Fell has been postponed for another few months because of scheduling issues and Anna releasing a new book. I'm not mad that Anna's making moves with that new book; on the contrary, I'm very happy for her. She's very lovely even if her two leads are frequently butting heads off screen. She honestly deserves the best.

I am, however, pissed at my co-start. Josephine Langford. Fuck, even her name annoys the shit out of me. Little miss know-it-all. Little miss prim and proper. Condescending bitch that she is. I could go on and on, really. She's the reason filming had to be pushed to a later part of the year and I am pissed the fuck off. I had already said no to two campaigns and another movie because of After We Fell and yet there she was, accepting another project even though she already knew when the tentative schedule for filming the third movie will be. Granted that it's a Marvel movie, she signed a contract with Anna first. Just like I did.

Hell, I want to punch someone right now!

Jamie said she'll try to see if she can move my schedules around so I don't have an additional three-month vacation. I've already been on a three-week vacation and although it's been a blast catching up with my family and the gang, I'm already itching to work for a new project. I'll agree to whatever Jamie can get me. I'm sick of not working and I was actually looking forward to filming the third movie.

But she just had to ruin all that by being a bloody diva.

The game ends with us losing and these wankers won't shut the fuck up about me throwing the game away. Pricks. I was just not in the mood. We take a quick shower to freshen up before heading to the nearby pub we frequent where the rest of the gang is already waiting for us. Our usual light banters occupy us though part of me is still not with them right now. Even when we finally get to the pub and order our first round of beers. Even when Mitch has her entire body latched onto me. I'm not making an effort to conceal my mood from them and they're smart enough not to get under my skin at the moment.

I'm on my third bottle of beer when Felix nudges my other side, the one that's free of Mitch. She's been whispering to my ear and asking me to take her back to my place but I'm just not in the mood. I'm waiting for a call from my manager and the last thing I need is to receive said call in the middle of getting off with her. And to be quite honest, her usually seductive mewls and purrs just isn't doing it for me. She sounds desperate and obnoxious and very irritating. I'm one second away from telling her off so I turn my full attention to Felix, disentangling myself from Mitch and not even giving her an explanation as I follow Felix out of the pud.

He hands me his pack of tens after grabbing a stick for himself. "You look like you need a smoke," he chuckles, lighting the cigarette between his lips, his other hand cupping and shielding the tip and light until it catches.

"Thanks, man," I nod, taking a stick for myself and doing the same thing.

I take a long drag, letting the smoke of death fill my lungs and feeling the tension ease out before puffing the smoke up into the cold night air of South London. I quickly take another pull, holding it in for a few seconds before exhaling again. I roll my neck and shoulder around and groan in satisfaction at the popping and cracking sounds coming off my joints with my eyes close.

There's a long moment of silence between us and I'm glad Felix knows me well enough that this is what I need right now. Quiet. Away from the nonsense of our mates. He's taken his phone out as I finish off my first stick, already grabbing for a second one. I watch people walking past us, the light traffic on the street in front of us. Watching but not really looking. Just something to take my mind off stuff. Josephine's tiny frame and that deceivingly angelic face of hers swarming my thoughts and I hate it.