Play Pretend | ✓

04 | script reading

"Sky, please tell me you're not leaving! You can't! After all that we've been through, you just don't have the right to say all that! You know about my sister! You know what amount of pain I got through everyday just thinking of her and the accident. I feel like I'm slowly slipping, Sky. And it's you I need the most right now. It's you. You just can't go away, Sky, please! No!"

I ended my piece and looked up shakily at Kiara. I really empathised with Hope, the main character, and that's why I'd poured all my hidden emotions about Tyler into my acting. I hoped it was enough. No pun intended.
Kiara's eyes were glistening as she looked at me. Matt was smiling softly. I asked tentatively, "was it okay?"
Kiara gasped, "Okay? Okay? It was beyong okay, Liz! It was beautiful, amazing! I got tears in my eyes just watching you, and mind you, I never get teary eyed during auditions. You're the one, Liz! You're the one for us! I knew it the moment I heard your backstory."
I grinned widely and my heart leapt a 100 feet in joy and happiness. I chuckled just thinking about Paris' reaction. She'd be sure to rub it in my face, the fact that she was right.
"Thank you, thank you so much Ms Black! You just made my day!" I exclaimed. Kiara beamed. "Oh don't call me Ms Black dear, call me Kiara."
I smiled in reply.
Kiara then proceeded to say, "We'll just inform Maria that the lead has been cast and auditions for the same are not taking place anymore. We'll go for a short break meanwhile. Care to join us, Liz? Then we could discuss some of the formalities with you."
I smiled. "Uh, sure. Are there going to be any more people?"
"We don't think so. Just you, me and Matt. But the lead actor has already been cast and he may join us, I'm not very sure about it though."
I shrugged. "Okay." I was itching to know who the male lead was going to be. But maybe it wasn't yet in my place to ask her. I was new to all of this and wasn't even sure if I should be asking such questions. After all, the entire thing was still under wraps, and they couldn't be expected to trust me fully, considering I was just an ordinary girl. I could easily spill their secrets. Okay, stop overthinking Liz.

**********
Kiara, Matt and I went to a discreet café and sat at the very corner booth. Kiara and Matt both wore thick spectacles just to disguise their regular features. I was about to ask if the lead actor was coming when Kiara beat me to it. She suddenly told me out of the blue, "You acted the part so well, with so much feeling, Liz. Your best friend must've really hurt you bad."
I looked down. "Yeah, yeah he did." Kiara looked so warm and inviting that I felt compelled to tell her more. "Tyler and I first bonded over our mutual hatred for Rapunzel, way back in kindergarten." I laughed a little at the absurdity of the memory. Kiara chuckled too. "I mean, both of us found the idea of her long hair ridiculous. I thought of it as a hassle, while Ty just thought it was 'uncool'. But still we both disliked her, and it's safe to say we became best friends after we discovered that."
"We lived in the same street as well, just two houses apart. We'd go over to each other's houses, play, talk and prank our parents. We were both only children, so we sort of filled the void of siblings in each other's lives. But then as we grew up, he and I became closer and closer, and suddenly I didn't look at him like a brother anymore. And the fact that he was too attractive for his own good and he was quite the playboy in high school didn't help either. He would constantly come to me for help with girls and I'd tell him off for playing with them, but secretly I wished he'd notice me as someone more than a sister one day. But on graduation day the unthinkable happened. He came up to me and told me that he'd got work in another state and it was what he wanted to do. He didn't want to go to college anymore. He just wanted to earn money, that's it. And I didn't like it one bit but I didn't protest. It was his life after all. I just requested one thing--that he keep in touch with me no matter what, that he keep our friendship alive. But he failed. He failed to keep his promise. He left me and never came back."
I exhaled. I'd just bared my soul to Kiara but I didn't exactly want to tell her that this Tyler was the same Tyler she knew and girls all over the world knew and loved. I didn't want her to know just yet.
Kiara reached over and hugged me. "Oh, hun, it must've been hell for you. I can't even imagine a best friend doing that to another best friend."
She then continued, and the words she spoke next made me freeze.
"It must be a coincidence, for the lead actor we've decided to cast opposite you has the same first name as your ex best friend. You must be knowing him, and knowing you young girls you too must be all gaga over him! He's none other than Tyler Callahan! Isn't that awesome? You'll get to work with him in your debut movie!"
I could just stare at Kiara with wide eyes. What? Did I hear that right? No! Did it have to be my luck? It just couldn't be happening! No! I never wanted to see him again, and now I'd have to work with him on set for how many months? Oh god, no freaking way! Hell would freeze over before I even laid my eyes upon that jerk!