Baby steps - A TNS Fanfiction

Not again

NYC Film Studio

"Piper! Hey!"

Piper turned away from her handbag, in which she was rummaging for her phone. As she expected, Josh was there, swaggering towards her with a hand raised in a wave. She stopped her search and clipped her bag shut; now she just wanted to get out of there.

"No, wait, please!"

She raised her eyebrows, wondering if it was that obvious of her intentions.

"Look, I know things have been awkward in the past, but we really need to keep this professional."

Piper made a noise halfway between disbelief and disgust.

"And that means you at least pretending to tolerate me!" Josh finished, looking just as exasperated.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot - that was my fault, yes, but I'm not the bad guy okay!"

"Fine. Professionals." She held out her hand, and he took it, a strange tingle spreading up her arm.

"Professionals." He agreed, shaking her hand.

They let go, their arms swinging down to their sides as they looked at each other.

"We're going to a restaurant soon, Sunday, the cast and some of the crew. They said you wouldn't come, so there wasn't any point in inviting you, but there's no harm if you want to come," Josh said, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a shrug.

"Thanks... I'll think about it," Piper smiled, clasping her bag shut and going back to the camera to set up.

A few hours later

Piper watched as the younger cast members - specifically Masy and Joseph, who played Emily and Brian from the 20th century  - went over their lines. They were in costumes, and their acting would have been convincing, should they not have been holding their scripts.

"Okay, then Masy you kick over that chair - no, throw your hat at the table and sit on the chair. Yeah, that's good!" The director called from his seat.

Behind the director, Kiki tapped him on the shoulder, and Charles Leeman swung around, frowning.
"What!" He didn't seem to be asking a question, more seemingly snapping at her.

"The camera crew for the documentary is her-"

"What!" He snapped again, cutting her off.

"The camera crew-"

"No I know what you said! That was a what of disbelief! They're here early! Ugh - sit them in the- No actually, Chaves!"

Piper started, but went over to the Charles and Kiki.

"Chaves, take the camera crew and sit them in the crew's break room. They shouldn't get in the way as you should be working at different times anyway. Kiki, go and work that camera. Masy! Joseph! Great job guys, we're going to film it for real now!"

Piper walked away from the sudden bustle of activity as everyone tried to quickly sort out the final camera angles, check the sound, and fix any make up the may have gone astray.

After a while of walking through corridors, she arrived at the main entrance, where a bunch of people were holding luggage in cases. One - a woman - was talking angrily down the phone and pacing, whilst a blonde haired man spoke cheerfully down his mobile.

"Um- Mr Leeman said that you can come to the crew's break room. Would you like me to show you where it is or- "

"Hold on, I'll call you back. Yes thank you, lead the way." The woman on the phone didn't smile or seem particularly grateful, just seemed like she expected something more than a break room.