Chapter Two
1259 Words
Chapter Two
“I’m nervous,” I admit to Marina.
She hands me my favorite white chocolate iced coffee and smiles. “Don’t be. Matt is really nice. You’ll shine in this pre-production meeting.”
“I wish you were working on this,” I admit.
For some reason, even though I am thrilled to be working on Flower Queen, this first pre-production meeting has me incredibly nervous. Maybe it is because I didn’t have to audition for this. Matt, a rising director in his own right, has given me this role without any audition or reading. What if we start going over the script and he decides I’m not a good fit? My mind is getting the best of me in spite of how I am trying to calm down.
Marina met up with me to wish me good luck before I headed toward the studio and I am grateful for her kind words. I realize that through everything, I have made an actual friend who is standing by my side, which means more to me than she will ever know.
“I’ve seen you on set, Jenny. A big production, on top of that. Everyone on the crew loved you. You were sweet to everyone, even people who usually get ignored. You were a hard worker and didn’t even let your bruised knee stop you. People talked about you so much that Matt gave you this role,” Marina repeated, a speech she has given me often the last couple of days.
I take a deep breath. “You’re right. It’s just hard for me not to get hung up on my insecurities, at least in my head. Like, what if everyone is giggling about my s*x tape behind my back?”
Marina takes a sip of her coffee and looks thoughtful. “f**k them.”
I let out a laugh and feel a little bit better. Marina smiles at me, and we leave the coffee shop together. Before we depart, she stops and lowers her voice.
“When are you calling you-know-who?”
“Marina, it isn’t Voldemort, you can say her name,” I point out to her. “And maybe tonight. I’m nervous about that, too. I don’t want to come across like a weirdo, but I really want to see what I can find out.”
“You’ll be okay. She probably won’t have any qualms bashing on him. She sounds pretty pissed off.”
“True. Well, I better get going. I’ll text you.”
As I get into my car, giving Marina a wave, my phone goes off. I see that it is Jon. My heart gives a hard thump, which I try to ignore as I answer.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I just wanted to wish you good luck today,” Jon says. “I know you have your first pre-production meeting today.”
“Thank you for calling. I’m really nervous but Marina treated me to a coffee and I’m feeling a bit better now.”
“You’ll do great, Jenny. You always make a positive impression with people. And Matt wants you on this project. I wouldn’t be too worried. Just be yourself.”
His voice is soft and kind, and I try to ignore the way my heart races. I wish every time I spoke to him, I felt nothing but friendship for him. It feels as if I am constantly reminding myself why I have lied and told him we have to be friends. I don’t want him trying to save me from Rich and getting sucked into Rich’s twisted world.
“Thanks, Jon,” I reply gently, hoping my voice sounds even.
Jon clears his throat. “Call me afterward? If you want, I mean.”
“I will, thanks. I better go or I’ll be late.”
We say goodbye and I hang up the call, an empty feeling settling over me. I ignore it, telling myself now isn’t the time to fall into a negative headspace. I want to make a good impression at this pre-production meeting.
>>
“We’re wrapping up casting on that role,” Matt says to me as we go through the script. “We’ll have the neighbor casting finished soon.”
I nod and make a note. My script is covered in notes. Originally, I had thought the meeting would be about production and a few things about the script. But Matt has us go through the script line by line, going over ideas and other things about production. I am glad I brought a small notebook with me, even though everyone else is writing in their iPads. I suppose I am old fashioned in that respect – I like writing on the script and my notebook instead.
“Okay, great,” I reply, as I scan the page.
The neighbor is a minor role that I only interact with a couple of times, so the fact that it is not being casted yet doesn’t really bother me. The rest of the cast is mostly in place. Matt launches into an explanation for what he wants for the next scene and I find myself listening to him closely. I can see why he is rising quickly.
Matt didn’t look like I thought he was going to. He is incredibly skinny, as if he rarely eats and when he does it isn’t anything more than a salad. His hair is messy from how he runs his fingers through it constantly when speaking. He also looks exhausted, as if he hasn’t slept in ages. From the amount of thought that he has put into the script, I can easily see him up all night, thinking about the next scene. He is clearly dedicated and considers this film important in his career.
By the time we finish going through everything with the rest of the cast, it is four hours later and my stomach is growling. I dart my eyes around but no one seems to notice how loud it is. As people file out, Matt calls me back to him. I head over and sit back down across from him. Once the room is empty, he clears his throat.
“I’m glad you signed on for this film. I feel like both of us are on the rise, and I wanted to make this film together,” he says, and I feel excited that he sees me in the same boat as him.
“I really love the script. And your past films really struck a chord with me.”
I had made sure to watch his last two films before meeting with Matt today. It seemed only proper to know exactly who I was working with. His slow style and wide shots to illustrate the character’s loneliness seem to hit a note with me and I found myself adoring them. The script for Flower Queen is a little wider in scope with themes but the core theme of loneliness and fear of rejection is one I can relate to all too well.
Matt smiles. “I’m thrilled you took the time to see my other films. Listen, if you have any ideas on your own character, I always want to hear them. I don’t want you to think this is just a role where you come in and recite your lines and you’re done with it. I really want you to get into it.”
“I will. Thank you again for this chance,” I say as we shake hands and leave the room.
A bubble of happiness rises in my chest. I am thrilled to be getting a role I can truly dig my teeth into. My previous roles hadn’t allowed anything like that. Beloved was meatier but the director had a set vision for my character. Knowing I can explore my character on Flower Queen and even pitch my own thoughts has me massively excited.
I’m going to put my heart and soul into this, I think excitedly as I get into my car.
- Writer
