Bunny

80

The auditions were over and we all sat in the office, eating pizzas Mr. Durango bought for us while they communicated ideas.

"So then we agree with Morgan." David stated.
"We do."
"I agree and second best was probably Damien." Tommy added.
"Damien wasn't giving as much as Morgan though. But if Morgan can't make it, I guess he is our best shot. We can work with him a bit more."
"I think we can give Damien the role of Stephen." Sofia claimed.
"That's a good idea. Very good idea."
"I'd say that's fair."
"But Annie." Tommy asked. "You can't lie to me and say we found an Annie."
"No, we didn't and that's the problem."

They all seemed deep in their thoughts while they tried to consider roles.

"You know who would make a good Paul?" David asked.
They looked at him.
"Remember Carl?"
"Oh my god why didn't we think of that?!" Sofia asked.
"Carl could definitely play Paul. He was so good as Martin in Last Halloween, I think the two characters resemble one another just in different eras." Tommy stated.
They nodded with "mhms".

Mr. Durango hadn't spoken yet.

"What're your thinking about, Bob?" Sofia wondered and sipped her drink.
"I think I need to do some rewriting," he spoke up.
"What?"
"Why?"
"Isn't it kind of late for that?" They all chimed.
"It's not late because filming hasn't started and we don't even have a full cast yet," Mr. Durango explained.

I just sat in my seat listening while eating my pizza.

"Willow." he called me.
I swallowed. "Yes, sir?"
"How would you like the role of Annie in my film?"

I choked and coughed up a lung.

I grabbed my drink and sipped.

"Uh...No offense to you or to Willow, but uhh...your story is set in 1940..." Tommy reminded him.
I wasn't offended because I thought the same.
"I know when it is." Mr. Durango stated.
"Right..."
"I said I'd do some rewriting. If she agrees."

"Rewriting how?" Sofia wondered.
"That's a secret until I'm done."

"Willow?" he called.
Everyone looked at me.

"I mean I'm completely on board with the idea. She can act." Tommy stated.
"Was better than a lot of the other women candidates." said Sofia.
"The fake tears. She cried on command. The tone. The emotion." David pointed out. "And she only had five minutes to figure it out."

"Willow, would you like the role?" Mr. Durango asked again.

I was sure I should consider this a lot more. Like what if my acting was a fluke? What if I'm camera shy? What if I can't handle the fame?

But instead my mouth spoke too quickly and said,

"Yes. I'd love to." I nodded.

He smiled at me. "Fantastic."

When THE Robert Durango asks you to be in one of his movies, you say yes.
You say yes because nothing else matters.

Might I regret it in the future? I hoped not. But I certainly don't regret it right now.

~~~

I arrived back at my apartment and immediately got on the phone to call my dad.

"Hello?" he answered.
"Good, you're not at work."
"I am not. What's up?"
"Dad..."
"Willow..."
"I'm an actress." I stated.
"Huh?"
"I am an actress. I'm an actress."
He chuckled. "Alright? Since when?"
"Since Mr. Durango asked me to play the leading role in his movie after I acted out the script alongside a different actor at his auditions." I spoke very quickly because I still couldn't believe it.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" he shouted.
"I AM SO SERIOUS!" I shouted back.
"WILLOW, WHAT?!"
I laughed. "I DON'T KNOW! BUT I SAID YES! HE'S DOING REWRITES FOR THE SCRIPT JUST SO I CAN PLAY THE ROLE!"
"ARE YOU KIDDIN' ME?!"
"I'M NOT!"
"WELL CONGRATU-FUCKIN'-LATIONS, KID! WOW!"
I giggled. "THANK YOU!"
"Wow, this is crazy. I'm having heart problems. I can't breathe."
I laughed at him.

"Well what's the movie about? Let me know." he stated.
"Well, originally it was a thriller love story about this couple in the 1940s. They're having all of this romance but there have been murders around the city and she realizes that it just so happens her boyfriend knows every last one of the victims and on days she finds out they died, he was also gone without her knowing where he was. It doesn't help that he used to have a lot of psychological issues and a bad reputation before the two got together but he claimed to have fixed them so that they could be together. So she questions him, he says it isn't him. But she doesn't believe him so she tries investigating while also trying her hardest to not make him think that she doesn't trust him. Because now she's scared of him."
"Wow. That does sound interesting." he replied.
"Yea, but that was the original script. I don't know what changes he's gonna make. Especially since we would be an interracial couple in the 40s. I don't know how they'd be able to let that slide."
"Well, I don't know. A lot of shows have been taken in settings from decades ago and people just do it without explaining it."
"Yea but a lot of people feel like it erases important history that we shouldn't ignore."
"Well either way, you're gonna kill that role."
I snickered. "Dad, you've never seen me act."
"Doesn't even matter. I raised you...kind of...like 50/50."
I laughed.
"I know what you're capable of. Which is funny because you can't lie and acting is just lying on screen for money. So you're ironic."
I laughed again. "Yea, I guess so."

"Damn. Tell Denzel Washington I said hey."
"Dad, Denzel Washington isn't in the movie."
"You'll probably see him at the Oscar's or something, I don't know."
I snickered. "Alright, I'll tell him you said hi."
"Thank you very much."