𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 ☾ 𝐥. 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞

𝟖. 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

— CLEO.

IT'S THE FIRST day of production and the first-day-jitters are at an all-time high. I've been in my trailer rehearsing my lines all morning.

I pace back and forth as Millie, Sofia, and Amybeth get their hair and makeup done. I look up from script, making eye contact with Sofia in the mirror. "I don't think I can do this."

Sofia rolls her eyes, swinging around to face me. "If you actually couldn't do this, you wouldn't be here."

Amybeth nods. "How many times do we have to tell you that your audition was incredible, Cleo? You deserve to be here just as much as everyone else."

I slump down on the couch, throwing my script beside me. "It's because of Louis. I got this because of Louis. Because our chemistry read was good, not because of my audition."

Millie slides off her chair, sitting down beside me on the couch. "Forget Louis, okay? You didn't get it because of him. You got it because you're talented as fuck. Louis was just there to help a bit," she says, squeezing my shoulder before we get called up to shoot.

Forget Louis. I got this.

*⭐️*

We flood onto set, getting in our positions. We're standing in a long school hallway. Red lockers line the walls and the white flooring is so shiny, you could see your reflection across the top.

I breathe in and out, remembering Mia's instructions from that one day over FaceTime.

And then, Jenn yells. "Action!" And we're on.

I play with the lock on the locker, remembering the number: 10-02-28. It opens as I feel Amybeth tap my shoulder.

"Hey, Dais?" she says as I turn to her. I wait for her response, at the same time, trying to remember my own. "Do you know him," she asks, pointing behind me.

I close the locker and turn around to where everyone else is looking. Louis walks down the hallway, a black backpack slung over right shoulder and as he waves at me with his left. I turn around, looking to see if he's waving to anyone else.

He isn't.

He laughs when I point at myself, questioning if that wave was meant for me. He nods and I wave back.

He proceeds to walk over to my spot at the locker, making sure to stand on the marker Jenn set. He leans against the locker. "Didn't think I'd see you again, Mystery Girl," he smirks.

"Again?" Millie whispers to Sofia. She shrugs in response.

I furrow my brows. "You didn't tell me that you went to Laguna," I shake my head. "I've never seen you around before."

"Just transferred," he says. "But I would think that you would sort of know I go here since we were in the same class yesterday. Sat right next to each other and everything."

I nod. "So you must know my name, huh?" I ask, dragging my feet along the tiled floor as everyone around us continues to walk back and forth throughout the hall. Sofia, Millie, and Amybeth are long gone, already off the set as they peek at us behind the cameras.