𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 || baxter radic (discontinued)

7.

𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒂'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗

"Good work today!" The director calls out as we wrap the scene. There was some odd chemistry brewing between Josh and I and it seems as though the director has noticed. And by the cheeky smile peeking on Josh's lips, he seems to have noticed as well.

"You might have half convinced me that you like me Buttercup." Josh flops his arm over my shoulder as we walk away from set. This man really doesn't know personal space. But he was good today. I'll let him slide... for now.

"Only half?" I question him. "I thought I was very convincing. It took a lot out of me to not want to hurl myself across the room." I smile deviously.

"Always one for dramatics." Says the one who goes out of his way to call me Buttercup. Yeah, I'm the one for dramatics. But I'll play into this, I'll let him take a little win here.

"You're right. I only wanted to do that when we were running lines. I prepared myself for today." I grab his hand with just the tips of my fingers and pull it off my shoulder. "You know you should really learn personal boundaries."

"You love when I touch you." He runs his hands all over my body. "See look at that smile." I am smiling. "You love it."

"I'm only smiling because you're tickling me." I narrow my eyes as my smile fades.

"Why can't you just admit that you're beginning to enjoy being around me? I'm a really great catch, you know?" He goes to wrap his arm back over my shoulder but I slip away from him before he can.

"You're more tolerable. I don't want to whack you as much anymore." I climb into my trailer and look at him from the doorway. "But only slightly."

"You'll love me one-day Buttercup!" He calls out as I shut the door in his face. His words earn an eye roll that I'm glad he can't see. If he did, he'd never let me live it down.

A few days pass. I haven't had any scenes, so I've been able to enjoy my time away. I've been able to speak to my best friend back home. I've been able to video call with my parents. I've been able to get the loving warmth I've been missing. Well, for the most part.

My best friend insists that Josh is using every tactic he possibly can to get me to like him. She believes he fancies me. That my unruly charm of hating him is working against me. The mind always wants what it can't have. And Josh couldn't have me because I didn't want him. I guess I should have come in all happy and cheery. Maybe he wouldn't be trying to bring me to the dark side that way.

After a few talks with her, I find myself stalking his socials a bit more than I originally had. He's a bit of a dumbass. A bit of a mess. But honestly, there is a charm in there somewhere—behind the blanketed memes and overly planned candid photos.

There was no way he was weaseling his way in was he? There was no way that I was going soft to this Australian man. I couldn't break the rule of falling for a costar. It was a difficult task when you work so closely with someone—when you act with so much emotion. But I guess maybe the talk of falling for him was making me actually feel something other than hatred or annoyance.

For now, I'm pushing those thoughts aside because my best friend is waiting for me to call her and if I dwell on this topic any longer I might actually lose my mind.

I pick my phone up off the couch and FaceTime my best friend. She answers immediately beating me to the first words, "hello Buttercup!"

"I swear I will get on a plane and fly half way around the world to kick your ass if you ever do that again." I glare at her through the screen. She burst out in a laughter. "Ohh sooo funny."

"So defensive, you know what that means?" She pokes fun at me, like she always does. This girl lives off picking on me and making me flustered.

"Don't you even say it." I growl. I knew exactly where she was going with her question. My best friend knew me better than anyone. She knew why I acted the way I did. We were practically sisters; we knew everything there was to know about each other.

"Oh I will." I try to talk over her, cover up the words she's blabbering on, but it's no use. She'll just continue on, repeating herself until she gets her point across. "Stella, you like Josh. Just admit it. Admit that you like spending time with him. Admit that you like running lines with him just so you get more time with him. Admit that you like when he calls you Buttercup. Or when he invades your personal bubble you love all too much. Just admit that you like Josh and maybe, just maybe, I'll stop pushing your buttons."

"I'll only admit it if you shut up about it." That statement alone was enough admittance. I mean look at him and his stupid smile. How was I not supposed to catch some sort of feelings. I spend every waking minute of my life reading about how I fall in love with this man in a script. I'm a sucker for a good romance. I just never thought one would actually catch me off guard like he did.

He was persistent. Always pushing. Always living up to the standards people set out for him. Even after all the bashing and trying to push him away, he still sat there trying. He had tenacity, and for that I give him credit where credit is due.

I guess you say, Australia's softened me up a bit. My rigid edges have rounded. My blunt personality has gone dainty. I'm just simply a glass statue, waiting to be shattered. I mean inevitably he was going to shatter me. All boys do. Ask my exes. They didn't go out without trying to ruin my life. I guess that's why most celebrities date other ones. If you don't, you will end up with a cloud of blackmail over your head. At least I didn't have to worry about this here.

But still, in the end, he'd break my heart. Distance would be too much. We'd end up crumbling and all the love would have been for nothing. I could either set myself up for a few months of fun, or I could set myself up for my inevitable doom. It was the glass half full or half empty. I was just struggling to decide what team I wanted to be on.