✦ ✧ ✩ Curtain Call ✦ ✧ ✩ - Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 4

[Eris POV]

I will not be the girl who falls in love so quickly and with the obvious choice of a guy. He is too perfect and it's too risky. I've been hurt before so badly I'm not ready to let another man who hasn't got a grip of what reality is break me again. Getting here, to be this strong, was too hard for me. And even if Charlie is perfect for me in every single way, I've decided I'm not doing this to myself again. I can read characters but I'm too naive when it comes to people. Not making that mistake again.

I'm just focusing on myself, on my job.

Kenny was giving a beautiful speech when I locked eyes with him. I felt a swarm of butterflies fly to my chest and stay there, making it hard to breathe. I couldn't distinguish if it was love or alarm.

"And now for the latest addition to team, we have Eri as an on set assistant for myself and Matthew as a consultant for the writers! Give them a warm welcome and let's get this show started!"

I felt my world collapsing the moment I heard his name. What is he doing here?

"Don't worry honey, just staying here for a month, we don't have to make a scene"

I felt his hot breath down my neck. All I could give him was the fakest of smiles, "Don't call me honey" I said under my breath and walked away.

Charlie could notice that Eri was startled by Matthews presence and whatever the fuck he whispered in his ear, so he approached her to calm her down, but she dismissed him.

"Hey I'm sorry Charlie but I really need to focus right now." She told him walking briskly away from him.

"It's okay I just wanted to see if you were okay" He said, but she was long gone.

The first scene they were shooting was the very first musical number "Now or Never". The band got into position and Kenny and Eri sat down behind the monitors. As the first chords started playing Eri grabbed her notepad to study the guys little quirks and movements.

"Take off, last stop, countdown til we blast open the top"

Charlie was already giving so much energy. Eri couldn't stop her face from smiling. The moment the song started he couldn't stop moving his body, specially his feet. Even after 5 takes.

There seemed to be a little kick he did way too much. Eri whispered into Kenny's ear "We need to make that part of the character. Not only when Luke is performing but in other situations".

Charlie noticed they were talking about him and felt a little bump in his energy.

When the harmony between Jeremy and Charlie came in the song Kenny called "CUT!" and let Eri speak "Jeremy maybe approach him as you are singing that part with him. Sing to each other. I want to try something"

The song started again and they got to the part. "CLOSER!" Eri and Kenny yelled. "I think we are close Kenny!" Jer replied.

The song played again about 100 times as they perfected every take.

"We are the revolution that's been singing in the rain" 

Jeremy sang as he brushed his fingers through his hair, sweating from the lights and hard cardio they've been doing.

"Hell yeah dude that was so hot!" Eri shouted at Jeremy hyping him up.

"I'll show you hot" Charlie thought swinging his guitar around his body to catch it back up. Eri didn't say anything, but she felt his legs get tighter and found herself biting her lip, Charlie looked pleased with himself and kept playing.

"I think we are finished with this scene for today guys! Great job! Eri will give you her pointers and well retake it next week"

The band approached Eri, and she immediately took her pad out. "Owen you did great, the camera absolutely loves you. Jeremy you need to let the sexy out more often, specially during performances, I know your character is the funny one but remember he is a flirt too. Charlie you can't drop that energy ever. And I need you to play with that natural chemistry you have with everyone a lot more. Ill talk about the specifics for the characters with everyone separately tho"

"Oooh she is bossy" Owen said "I have to meet Booboo for some rehearsing so put me on the waiting list. Let's go Jer" Jeremy looked at him confused but went with it. "See ya boss"

Charlie stayed, looking at her, defeated. He was such a natural flirt but something about her made him nervous. They sat down in the chairs behind the monitors.

"I guess you are stuck with me again"

"Yeah but you are the one I wrote the most about so it works" She didn't realize that she said that out loud until he heard his response

"I guess you did pay attention to me"

"You thought I didn't?" 

"So what's the eternal list of things you wrote about my performance?" 

Eris face turned serious again as she read the pad and organized her thoughts. Charlie thought that was the sexiest thing anyone ever did. Whenever she got into her work she flew somewhere else  "I would love to go wherever you go when you are writing" he said, almost unconsciously. Eri felt her cheeks burning and her toes curling again. Charlie took a strand of hair that fell on her face and placed it behind her ear, and then proceeded to lift her face up from her pad to just stare into her eyes, their faces inches away and their breathing synchronized. 

The moment was interrupted, and she took his hand off his face. "Eri, we need you in the writers' office to talk about the next scene" Matthew said, with a stone-cold face, dismissing Charlie's existence. "Okay I'll go in a minute" "It can't wait, we need you right now, they start shooting the next scene in 30 minutes" Eri got up and left with him. 

"What were you playing with that little kid? Come on honey" Matthew said, mocking her "You deserve better"

"Are you supposed to be better?" Eri replied, without looking at him and left him behind.