Avery Hayes Makes a Move
The director of the period drama froze, not quite processing what Caleb Sterling had just said. He glanced back at the monitor, his eyes zeroing in on Avery Hayes.
On screen, Avery and Maya Laurent were a perfect match. Their rehearsal had been flawless, and they nailed the official take on the first try. It was only after they'd finished the scene that the director remembered to yell, "Cut!"
The shoot went so smoothly that the crew started watching the two of them with a newfound respect.
It was Maya's first web series, too. She'd been filming for a day, and while she had some talent, the scenes hadn't been going well.
The director had been calling cut on her over and over.
But today, acting opposite Avery, she hadn't been stopped once.
It wasn't just that Avery was making it easy on her; she was subtly guiding Maya, showing her how to bring the scene to life.
Maybe it was their natural chemistry, or the fact that they'd worked together before.
Whatever the reason, nailing it in one take was impressive.
Next up was the scene between Avery and Felicia Moss.
If acting with Maya was a breath of fresh air, acting with Felicia was like slowly suffocating. It wasn't that Felicia was a bad actress, but she was deliberately blocking Avery's light with every move she made.
This scene was supposed to be a major moment for Avery's character.
The director was aiming for something more substantial than a simple romance, and in this period drama, Avery's character represented every forward-thinker of the era, a person willing to sacrifice everything, even their life, to tear down old traditions and find a path to a new dawn.
It was a small role, but she was the heart of the entire show.
"Cut!" the director roared, his patience snapping. "Hey, you, the featured actor! What's wrong with you? Are you deliberately moving out of the light?"
No matter how the cameraman angled the shot, Avery was completely lost in the shadows. She was exhausted.
"I'm so sorry," she said, apologizing to the director before turning to study the hallway set.
And just like that, she finally understood why Maya couldn't stand Felicia.
The woman had so many petty tricks up her sleeve, you could make a reality show out of her scheming.
Stealing the spotlight, sabotaging her character's big moment, it was childish.
Well, if Felicia wanted to upstage her, Avery would show her what it felt like to be outsmarted.
She let out a slow breath, her gaze landing on Felicia, who was smirking from the sidelines.
Avery offered a cool smile in return, then walked over to the lighting technician and whispered something in his ear, pointing to a nearby window.
The tech hesitated for a second, then adjusted a light and gave Avery a subtle nod.
Avery shot a grateful smile back and gave the director a thumbs-up.
"Action!" he yelled.
This time, Avery moved exactly as she had before, but as she did, a powerful beam of light sliced through the scene, illuminating her face. It cast her in an almost angelic glow, her expression perfectly calm.
Felicia, acting opposite her, noticed the dazzling halo and was about to pull her old trick to block the light again. But Avery wasn't about to let that happen.
The director didn't call cut. Without hesitating, Avery grabbed Felicia's hand, yanking her to the left. "They're onto us," she said, delivering her line perfectly. "Go hide. I'll draw them away."
Before Felicia could react, Avery pulled open a nearby door, flicked her wrist, and shoved her straight into the room.
It wasn't just a shove; it was done with skill.
Felicia stumbled two steps, lost her balance, and slammed into a wooden cabinet with a loud thud.
The impact blended perfectly with the sound of Avery slamming the door shut.
Avery then scrambled out the window to make her escape. A few seconds later, the sound of gunshots rang out from beyond the building.
"Cut!" the director finally called.
The moment he did, Felicia limped out of the room, clutching her waist, her face pale. A moment later, Avery walked in calmly from the next hallway. She saw Felicia's furious expression but felt no guilt, completely ignoring her as she walked over to Maya with a faint smile.
Avery knew her own strength. When she'd shoved Felicia, she had calculated the angle perfectly. The girl had either sprained her ankle or bruised her hip. If Felicia was going to sabotage take after take, then Avery wasn't afraid to get physical. Otherwise, she'd be seen as a total pushover.
Felicia had been put in her place with no way to complain.
She glared at Avery, but the serene smile on Avery's face only made her angrier.
If they weren't surrounded by the crew, she would have stormed over and slapped her.
But she had no excuse to lash out. Attacking someone for no reason would get her dragged all over the internet.
From start to finish, Avery had just been playing out the scene from the script.
Felicia rubbed her bruised hip, hissing in pain. She lifted the hem of her costume and twisted to look at the spot. It was already turning a nasty shade of black and blue, a testament to the force Avery had used.
Her eyes darkened. She pulled out her phone, gritted her teeth, and took several photos of the bruise. Then she posted them directly to X.
The caption read: *Some "accidents" are truly unforgettable. Time to learn to be a little "smarter." #WorkLife #SetLife*
The post was vague, but the bitterness was unmistakable. Felicia had been acting for a few years, and while she wasn't a huge star, she had a few hundred thousand followers. The comment section immediately flooded with sympathy.
"Oh my god, Felicia is hurt! Did that happen on set?"
"Ouch, that looks so bad. My heart breaks for you. Felicia, was someone bullying you?"
"Who did this? They hit you so hard. That wasn't a real fight, was it?"
"I heard Felicia is in a period drama. Those shows don't usually have a lot of fight scenes, so why would there be any real fighting?"
Her fans started playing detective, but she didn't reply to a single comment. She just let the post hang there, an open accusation.
After filming wrapped for the day, Avery changed out of her costume and started removing her makeup, completely unaware that she was being passive-aggressively called out online.
Once her face was clean, she got ready to head out.
As for Caleb, she wasn't going to be the one to seek him out.
If he needed something, he knew where to find her.
Just as Avery stepped out of the dressing room, Maya rushed over.
"Avery, that short drama we filmed comes out tonight! I don't have any scenes, so where are you staying? Can I crash with you? I can't take another night in the same building as Felicia. That woman is a walking drama magnet."
Avery raised an eyebrow. Maya had seemed on edge for the past two days. "What did she do now?"
"Last night, in the middle of the night, she was acting completely insane," Maya said. "One minute she was closing the door, the next she was opening it, just slamming it over and over. I was wearing noise-canceling headphones, and she *still* woke me up."
Avery frowned. What was wrong with Felicia Moss? Their schedule wasn't even that crazy. Why was she pulling these stunts instead of sleeping?
Maya went on, "Today, they're mostly filming scenes with the male leads. My big scenes aren't until day five, so I'm free. Let's watch our show together tonight. It's your first one, you know."
Even though it was just a short drama, it was still her first professional project. She had to see how it turned out.
"I also invited Leo and Owen," Maya added. "Let's all get together."
The cast from their last project had all gotten along surprisingly well.
Avery felt pretty lucky about that. For her first time on a set, aside from that weirdo Leo Foster, everyone from the director to the crew had been decent people, not the type to kiss up to the powerful and step on everyone else.
If this current crew had been her first experience, she might have lost interest in acting altogether.
Not wanting to kill Maya's mood, Avery just smiled and nodded, figuring they'd text her the details once they picked a place.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Avery left.
On her way out, the production team handed her a ten-dollar bill.
It was a small tradition, a cash bonus for actors whose characters got killed off.
In the finale, she'd been shot by the second male lead.
It wasn't much money, but Avery was still happy to get it.
She left the film set and was standing by the road waiting for her ride when she heard the harsh screech of tires. A black Bentley slammed to a halt right beside her, its side mirror snagging the fabric of her jacket.