Now
We both stood there in silence as he studied me, he stared and stared till his eyes dropped to the floor, where his coat was laying. His eyes wide and his mouth opened slightly. I’m rooted to the floor and goosebumps cover my body, this time not of the temperature but of shock. Time seems to slow down around us and I cannot comprehend what I’m seeing.
“I can’t believe this.” He mumbles under his breath. I can read thousands of questions in his Heterochromia eyes, but none are asked. I want to talk with him, shout at him, scream at him and describe all the words I should’ve said ages ago.
The doorbell rings and Vincent and I snap out of our trance. He bends to pick his coat up and I wrap the blanket closer around my shoulders. A young woman walks in, she seems around my age. Her face is covered in freckles and red hair flows around her shoulders. She is wearing sunglasses and a long sweater that reaches her mid thighs. She immediately walks towards us and takes off her sunglasses while she starts talking to Paul who had returned a few seconds ago.
I share one last glance with Vincent before I walk towards her and Paul. It is unlike me to walk towards any social gathering but I will have to go out of my comfort zone if I want to survive around my ex.
“Hey Pandora, this is another one of the stars of the show.” Paul says referring to the redhead next to me. She gives me a big smile before sipping from her coffee.
“I’m Sharon Amulet” “Pandora Lister.” She appears stunned from the words and stares at me with her mouth agape.
“You were Ruby?” I nodded, “Like THE Ruby?”, I nodded again.
“You were my idol! I loved that movie, still do, I have a gathering with my friends once a year and we all watch that movie.” She exclaimed. I smiled at her, I loved that part of my job, where other people feel comfort and joy.
“Weren’t you together with that cute actor back then? With Vincent?” This is a question that I’ve always feared when I did interviews or other events. I swallow and nod. Now the situation is a thousand percent worse, because the ‘cute actor’ that she referred to was standing behind us reading the newspaper.
“Have you seen that man right now? He looks like an actual god, someone who I wouldn’t mind wor-” Paul let a cup fall and my head motioned to stop talking, her face got a confused expression and I feared for what was about to happen.
“Ahem, a refill please,” There he stood behind her. She stared at me with a horrific expression before turning in her seat to meet her ‘cute guy’. Her hands fly in a dramatic movement to her chest and I can hear the breath that escapes her mouth.
“Go on.” Sharon swallows once more before she turns her head to me and whispers a ‘Oh My God’ and turns around so she angles me and Paul again instead of Vincent who is sipping his coffee while walking back to his previous spot.
“So what I was saying, my character is Yvaire Moore, the one who falls in love with a psychopath and then gets murdered because of him in the end.” I laugh at her description and sip my drink. “Sounds fun.” “I’ll make it fun.”
“How about you?” “Ray Winslow, the female lead.” She gave me an impressed look and turned in her chair towards Vincent, who was comfortably reading the newspaper again. “How about you?” He looked at her above his glasses before resetting them on his head. There my heart goes again… “Ashbury Welhaven,” My heart stopped, “The male lead.” Not this again.
Our conversation continues as my new co-actors walk in. There is Zelda Gary, she is quite a popular actress around the world, it feels unreal to act with her. She has black curly hair and the only colour that she wears is black, she came by motorcycle which is amazing. Then there is Roman Moralez. He is a Spanish actor, he’s a bit shorter than Vincent, has black hair that hugs his shoulders. Sharon immediately got a crush on him, I don’t blame her. Otis Devou, he’s young, blonde, skinny, the ultimate insecure type of guy. He walks around but doesn’t talk to anyone. Felix Henley, he is a popular singer but also wants to see if acting is a skill for him, he is a nice guy, he offered me a drink. Also I love love love his music. Then the last person who me and Sharon already hate despite not knowing her, Violet Christina Jasmine Evans, the moment she walked in she jumped -literally- on Vincent, she is still talking with him and surprisingly my ex seems to enjoy her presence. I can feel the flirting here. I feel jealous, I will admit to that, it feels like she is rubbing the fact that Vincent is history in my face. Ugh.
12 years ago
The 1st assistant director is helping me to get ready before we start filming my first official scene with Vincent. The past week was horrible, I missed my parents, my family, my dog. All the actors seemed to hate me and the only one my age is Vincent, the asshole next door. Sometimes he listens to music so loudly that he can’t even hear me knocking at his door for some silence. Last night he was moving his furniture around 2 am. At breakfast he kicks me under the table, I kick back and a fight starts. There was one meeting where he ‘accidentally’ spilled coffee all over my documents and clothing, which led to a very embarrassing encounter in the bathroom where he insisted on helping me dry the papers and my clothes with a hairdryer.
“You are ready to go.” The kind woman said to me before I walked towards my designated spot that was surrounded by multiple pieces of equipment. I could see Vincent from afar sitting on the chair named “Jack Goodwile”, which is named after his character.
“Actors, on your mark please.” The director shouted. The scene was taking place in a beautiful field, where flowers were growing and bees were buzzing. I was wearing a white dress which blew with every direction of the wind, my hair was in a braid and I was holding a bouquet of flowers. I am supposed to start running towards ‘my house’ and while I’m doing so, I will see a boy walking towards his house, I will start talking and then they become friends.
“Ready? And Action!”
I start running, on the marked line under my bare feet. The camera’s are following my every move. I run faster and faster until the marked line under my feet ends and I stare towards Vincent. I look around myself and then walk towards him.
“Walk a bit slower!” I immediately slowed down.
“Hello?” And I start reading my first line.