The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

38

IT WAS TWO WHOLE YEARS since Mason had last seen Cameron in person, and even as the both of us picked him up and welcomed him at the airport, it was me who kissed Cameron on the lips and hugged him, me who burst into girlfriend tears who hadn't seen her long distance boyfriend in two years. The airport pickup was surrounded with his fans and a few reporters/paparazzis. And even though we both knew it was for the press, for Cameron's parents who would probably then see this on the news later, for both him and Cameron's safety, I knew he felt all too dreadful being there. I wish I didn't have to witness him putting such an effort to hide in his urge to hug Cameron when we picked him up. And I wished the world itself was better.

Me and Mason had both been a little worried about Cameron finding out the actual conditions Hollywood studios had greeted us with, and a great deal of examples would be not finding my name in many places in news articles, or not seeing me in much movies, and lastly our apartment we had been staying at. It was small, rented, and the life of something I had thought I wouldn't be going back to. Well here we are.

But Cameron, even if he did know or figured it out, he didn't let on. Once he dropped his stuff in our apartment, he didn't even take a second glance at our place, all he did was grab Mason up and spun him around in a never ending hug. And with that, all my—our—doubts and worries faded.

There was a lot of catching up to do, and as we did, there were many topics being avoided. Like my career, or the mention of me still pretending to be Cameron's lover and his parents, and of course there was something I didn't mention.

"Maeve has a new project coming up," Mason says, pouring the both of us some water.

"Is that so?" I didn't know I missed his smiling dimples so much until he was here, and I truly had to admit without my two best friends life would have buried me with only work and competitions.

I touched the tip of my bangs, which I had just gotten since Mr. Henreid (the producer I had slept with) invited me to play the lead female role. I looked good, but I did miss the times when the feeling of something did not cover my forehead. Still, it was just hair, and after the role I would just grow it back.

"Yeah," Mason answered for me, bringing us our cups of water. He was smiling, and I made myself smile back. He didn't know how that role had been given to me, and I would go on extreme lengths to make sure he doesn't find out. How much it'd hurt him if he did.

"Well, did you check the script yet? What information do you know about it? Is there a name?" I couldn't tell if Cameron was more eager than me, but I was too excited to look onto it and evaluate.

"I don't know what other actors and actresses are playing the other roles, not that I would know any of them here." Mason gave me a little bit of a downside look before pulling a chair out to sit with us. "But the plot does seem pretty unique, the name is 'All Eyes On Us'. I think they said they'll call me around four today to inform me of some more information." I took a sip of my glass of water before giving both of them a small smirk. "But of course, the lead role is mine."

Cameron starts to tell us about how this time he came is just for visiting—Mason was down—but how he's also looking for possible studios who'll work with his agent to get him some projects if he can. But soon, he said, he'll be joining us. And I let myself wondered just a little longer if he'd go through the same discrimination and mock I had been going through.

I checked the clock after a while, and it was a few minutes before the call was supposed to come. I was both a little giddy and nervous, but Mason assured me everything will be fine. In the same moments before I received the call, someone had called Cameron and he went over to take that call in the bathroom just a little after my phone rang.

"Hi, is this Maeve Lively?"

I don't recognize the voice, but there's still that huge irritation in me as part of my name is cut out again. But as always, I let it slide.

"Yeah, are you here to tell me about All Eyes On Us?"

The voice clears and in the background I can hear the sound of shuffling paper. "Yes, so shooting time will start in three days, and the casting directors have already made the casting list. It's best to get to know them soon, here, go get a pen and piece of paper, I'll drop in their names and contact information."

I rolled my eyes, because hey, I wasn't one to want to get to know people. I respond with an okay but I don't move from where I am to get something to write with or a piece of paper. Across from me where Mason was sitting, he offers me a nervous grin.

My phone that was next to my ear starts going on and on with names and numbers and emails, I was just starting to get bored when one name stopped everything.

"...and then there's Michael Gordon who's playing——"

"Wait wait wait, what was that previous name you said who's playing one of the side characters to the female lead?"

I must have misheard, it couldn't be. It can't be.

"Uhhh," there's more paper shuffling but then her name came at last. "Oh right here, Klarise Kong is playing Rene Liang."

My world seemed to have stopped, like it had once did when I met her.

"Do you need me to repeat her contact info?" When I don't answer he says, "Here, I'll just say it again..."

As he blabbered on, I looked at Mason across the table, and his mouth was mouthing the words: is everything going smoothly? I couldn't answer him with a nod or a shake of the head because I didn't know. I didn't know if everything was going smoothly, I could barely think in those few moments.

"You should talk to her, it's important for you two to get to know each other since you'll have many scenes together."

For the rest of the call as he went on with the list of names and contact info, I felt like I was frozen in time. It wasn't until he quite as ended the call that I woke up again, and I had realized what was happening. I was going to star in a film with Klarise Kong.