Two months before the gym incident
One thing you should know before joining the acting industry: you better get used to being alone and be okay with it. Otherwise, you'll feel lonely pretty damn quick, and that's the last thing you want around here. Loneliness made saying yes to things you really shouldn't be to, way too tempting.
The irony of it all, of course, is that you're almost never actually alone. For my introverted nature, most days meant way too many people buzzing around for my liking. But people aren't protection against loneliness. We all knew that. That's why finding someone who truly loved you and could handle all the crap that came with being with us was crucial. The ultimate challenge. There were always more people who either wanted your fame too badly, or couldn't stomach it at all. The middle ground was rare. And yet, somehow, by some miracle, we'd found it. Not just in each other, but in our team too.
The studio smelled faintly of sawdust and coffee, a weird combo that had long since become "home." Light rigs buzzed overhead, spilling down in harsh gold beams that made the fake stone walls look almost real.
Dan, Lucy, and I were on set – a fake old English alleyway, running through some early rehearsals for a bigger fight scene so the set designers could figure out where to build in the stunt parts. Dan was stuck in a harness, imitating Superman. Every time the rigging groaned; he twisted dramatically in the air like he was auditioning for a superhero franchise no one asked for. This was the scene where his character got blasted with a mind-spell and later would on us (lucky me, I'd be the one he'd physically attack).
"You sure you're good?" I asked, not at Dan but Lucy. She and Leena had called it quits after paparazzi ambushed them last week, which had resulted in Leena having a panic attack.
Lucy shrugged, picking at a stray thread on her sleeve, and gave me a small smile. "Yeah, sure. I'm a big girl. I can take it." Her eyes told another story. Just two weeks ago, she'd been glowing. Now her shoulders looked like they carried extra weight.
Eric, glued to his tablet as usual, missed the mood completely. He strolled onto set and announced in an almost military tone, "Lucy, I still need a decision from you on how to go about your split!"
The entire team froze mid-movement for a second to shoot him dirty looks. Eric, unbothered, raised an eyebrow at Lucy, waiting.
She sighed, the sound too small for the cavernous space. "Honestly, I don't care. Send out a statement if you want. At least then we get something good out of this."
I snorted. "We're above that level of needing press, Luce. It's the media's fault this blew up in the first place. Don't give them more fuel."
"Yeah!" Dan was lowered down next to me, boots thudding against the studio floor. He crossed his arms like he'd been serious all along, but his hair was sticking up in about six different directions from static. Lucy and I cracked smiles.
Eric, of course, had a point. "We can go silent, but I can't promise I'll be able to control the narrative then."
And there it was, the annoying truth. The tabloids wouldn't leave us alone. Ignoring them never worked for long.
"Fine. Just do the 'some source confirms' crap and get it over with," Lucy muttered. Eric, satisfied, scurried off, the click of his shoes echoing away.
"Sorry about the breakup…" Eli, one of the writers, appeared with a fresh stack of papers, ink still smelling sharp. He handed Lucy a couple of pages, his hand resting briefly on her shoulder.
Lucy shrugged. "Well, I tried. Better a little love than none at all. Or how did that song go?"
"You mean A Little Bit of Love?" Sasha, Eli's co-writer, drifted in behind him, her messy bun held up by what looked like three stolen pens. She passed me and Dan the rest of the revised dialogue. Those two were lightning-fast at tweaking things. One of the reasons the show was so good, they actually cared. A rare species these days.
"Yeah, that one. Anyway, I'll live. Sure, it sucks, but at least I know I tried. And while it lasted, it was nice." We all nodded. I admired her attitude. I'd never been that brave. For me, the high wasn't worth the crash. Safer to stay single.
Joe, our cameraman, ambled over, glasses sliding down his nose, travel mug in hand. His shirt was flecked with sawdust, like he'd been leaning against half the props. He gave Lucy a warm look. "You'll find something better soon. You deserve it, sweetheart."
A ripple of warmth passed through the set. That was Joe. He made you truly believe the world wasn't all bad.
"Well, and until then, I can cheer you up with some hot tea!" And just like that, the warmth evaporated. Dan and I traded a look.
"Carmen's on the move again…" he muttered, and sure enough, our wardrobe queen marched in, fringe bouncing, sunglasses pushed into place. The scent of her overpowering floral perfume hit a second before she did. "I just talked to Valentina from Blasters! You'll never guess who broke up again!"
Sasha deadpanned, "You can't break up if you're fake dating, Carmen."
"Oh, please," Carmen snorted, tossing a swatch of sequined fabric over her arm. "It's no secret Jack and Anne are doing it. Well - were. Jack's refusing to sit next to her on promo tour, their team's in panic mode. God, I wonder what she did!"
Eli raised an eyebrow. "Since when are sex and dating the same thing?"
"In this industry, true love is whatever your agent says it is," Sasha shot back. "Doesn't matter if you even like your partner, as long as Pepsi slaps their logo on it."
I kept my eyes on my lines, muttering, "Right with you, Sasha." PR relationships were a no-go for me. Carmen shrugged, unbothered. "If the circus made me a billionaire, I'd jump on the carousel too!"
To that Sasha snorted loudly this time. "Yeah, talk to us after one day of that crap. Already forgotten what those three have gone through so far?"
Joe cut in before the argument spiraled. "Either way, fame doesn't make heartbreak any easier. Whatever's going on with Blasters, I'm just glad we don't have those problems here."
That ended it. Everyone drifted back to work, the hum of equipment filling the silence again. The three of us also bent over our scripts, paper rustling, when Lucy suddenly grinned. "I suppose I could try and see another positive side of all this."
Dan and I looked up warily. Nothing good ever started with that grin.
"And what would that be?" Dan asked, already sounding done.
"Easy. Now I have time to refocus on other things. Like Carly's love life."
I squawked, my script flapping in my hands. "What love life? I'm not dating anyone!"
"Exactly," Lucy said sweetly. "Which is why you need my help. I could do wonders, I swear."
I opened my mouth, trying to find a way to express both my sheer horror and gratitude, but Dan was already doubled over laughing. "Oh my God, your face, Carls, it's like she just offered you a Brazilian wax!"
Lucy gasped indignantly. "I wouldn't laugh if I were you, mister. You're next on my list!"
Dan's laughter cut off instantly. A flicker of worry crossed his face, and I nearly clapped at the poetic justice.
"Oh gee, Lucy, I feel bad for your breakup, I do but trust me - I can handle my love life just fine. No need to waste your time here." Dan tried to get out of her net immediately and right on cue, the crew hoisted him back up into the air, ropes creaking as he dangled like a marionette, leaving me behind with no one to hide behind from our meddler.
"Traitor!" I called after him. Dan just grinned down, waving like the smug bastard he was.