Chapter 22 – Lana
I leave my trailer after the fitting, feeling like a completely new person. Maybe this is why people act, it’s like putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. I sigh.
Cassie’s clothes are not too much different from mine. Maybe a lighter touch if that’s even possible. I feel lighter. Like this role is supposed to mean hope. Which I guess isn’t that far off since she’s a survivor.
I make my way back to the auditorium. I feel an arm wrap around my waist and I’m startled. I feel myself being lifted and suddenly I’m over someone’s shoulder. I start kicking.
“Lana, relax. It’s just me.” Liam chuckles. I instantly relax, knowing I’m not being kidnapped. “You could’ve given me a warning.” I huff. He chuckles some more. “Just thought you could use some help getting to the auditorium.”
I roll my eyes. “We’re still talking about how clumsy I am?” He pats my ass. “Unfortunately, yes. I couldn’t let you go to the auditorium by yourself. What if you had tripped and broke your ankle or something?” He asks, making tsking noises.
“I mean, that’s what they say in the biz right? Break a leg? An ankle isn’t that far off.” I say. He laughs this time and it’s such a cute sound. I smile.
“You do realize that’s just a saying. They don’t mean it literally.” I giggle. “Well, maybe for someone as accident prone as I am, it means good luck. Or maybe it’s a real occurrence and people just think it’s a saying.”
“You’re ridiculous, Lana.” He shakes his head. I can’t help the smile that’s on my face. I like that we have this type of banter between us. It came so naturally. I hope whatever decision I make, Kai or Liam, is the right one.
We make it to the auditorium and because I got a ride there, upon Liam’s shoulder I didn’t get hurt. Which is still really funny to me. I honestly don’t think I am that clumsy. But what do I know?
A couple hours have gone by. We rehearsed a few times and then we actually got into production mode. They had it all set up for a specific scene.
Cassie and her boyfriend, Damien are supposed to have a heartfelt conversation and then he stabs her. Because surprise, the boyfriend is the killer all along! Okay, that’s not much of a surprise. In most slasher films such as this one it’s the most common conclusion.
We get situated. I start off in the kitchen, making a cup of coffee. Finn yells out, “AND ACTION.”
INT. CASSIE’S KITCHEN - EVENING
Cassie is making a cup of coffee after the long day she has had. Damien is sitting on her couch, waiting to explain himself to her. They are hoping to mend their relationship after someone falsely accuses Damien of being a killer.
Damien
I hope you realize I didn’t do it.
Cassie
Convince me please. I want to believe you but I just don’t know, Damien.
Cassie grabs two cups of coffee and walks into the living room where Damien is sitting. Cassie’s eyes are red rimmed from crying, the exhaustion apparent.
Damien leans back on the couch, waiting for Cassie to respond. She’s calculating in her head, if it could’ve been possible for him to do it or not.
Damien
I was with Jack. You know this. How would I have had time to cross town, murder that girl and come back in time to have a beer at the bar with the boys?
Cassie
Her name was Jennifer. She was my best friend, Damien. I don’t want to believe it. I don’t, because I love you. I know that you’re not capable of something as horrific as what happened to her. But the signs are there.
Damien
What signs? Cassie. How could someone who loves you so much, hurt you by going as far as to murder someone. Especially if that person was your friend?
Damien looks at Cassie. He takes her hand in his. He’s pleading with his eyes. Cassie doesn’t know what to say. She just knows that something is off with Damien but she can’t place it.
Damien
You know me Cassie. How long have we known each other?
Cassie
We’ve known each other for six years.
Damien
Six years. Have I ever hurt you? Really, Cassie, think long and hard. Have I hurt you?
Cassie sits there staring into Damien’s eyes. He raised his voice at her a few times, but was otherwise loving. She takes a shaky sip of her coffee. She sits it down on the coffee table in front of them. He also, sits his coffee cup down. And then he raises his voice.
Damien
CASSIE. Have I hurt you?
Cassie flinches unintentionally. She wasn’t expecting him to snap at her like that. He squeezes her hand.
Cassie
Damien. You’re hurting me right now...
Damien
I’m sorry. Cassie, baby, I love you so much. How do I prove to you that I didn’t do it?
Damien lets go of Cassie’s hand, like it burned him. He looks at her with another pleading look. A tear escapes Cassie’s eye and Damien wipes it away with his thumb.
Cassie pulls back slightly. Damien puts his hand on her cheek and pulls her into him. His lips touch hers. Softly at first. And he kisses her harder before pulling back.
Damien
I would never hurt you Cassie. Please believe me.
Cassie nods her head and kisses him back. She still isn’t sure. But she can’t just leave. Not when there’s so many unknowns. She just hopes she’s making the right decision. That he’s not Jennifer’s killer.
Damien pulls her into his lap. She straddles him. He’s got his hand tangled in her hair as they’re making out. Something in him changes. He opens his eyes.
He fishes a knife out from the couch cushions. Cassie is unaware, losing herself in him. In the lust of wanting him. She’s grinding on him and continuously kissing him.
He runs the knife tip from her chest to her sternum and Cassie opens her eyes as Damien stabs her in the stomach. She’s in shock. She looks down and blood starts spilling out around the knife. Damien grits his teeth.
Damien
You should’ve believed me, Cassie. You wouldn’t have had to die. You could’ve lived in ignorant bliss. But you just had to stick your nose where it wasn’t wanted.
Cassie
D-Damien. Why?
Damien
Why? That is the most common question people tend to ask. It was simple really.
He twists the knife. Blood gurgles in Cassie’s mouth.
Damien
Jennifer was a mistress of mine. Threatened to blab her mouth. I couldn’t have that. She didn’t listen to my threat. She happened to tell one person, but that person is dead too.
Cassie starts to pale from losing blood. Damien pulls the knife out completely. Cassie is gasping for air. She tries to put pressure on the wound. Damien pushes Cassie off of him.
She falls onto the floor, gasping as she tries to crawl away. Damien grabs a handful of her hair and yanks her back. Cassie flails trying to find anything to get away. He pulls her more. Stabs her leg. Cassie screams.
She is finally able to grab ahold of a coffee mug and throws the hot coffee all over him. Cassie scrambles as Damien is yelling from being burned by the coffee.
“CUT” Finn yells. Liam grabs a towel and wipes off the colored water. I get up off the floor. This was insane. Finn gets up from his seat. “That was amazing. Phenomenal. I love you both. The emotions were there. The acting? Spot on.”
Liam and I look at each other. We each have big smiles on our faces. “I think that’ll be a wrap for today. You guys blew this out of the water. I’m so proud of both of you.” Finn says. “Excellent casting.” He adds, looking at Carly.
Carly smiles, and then Finn and Carly leave the room. I squeal, running into Liam’s arms without thinking. He picks me up around the waist and spins me. I wrap my arms around his neck.
He stops and we’re both laughing and panting. He lets go of my waist with one arm to tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. I look away, he puts his hand on my chin, turning my face towards him, we look at each other for a few seconds.
He kisses me. I kiss him back. I wrap my legs around his waist. He wraps his other arm back around my waist. We’re kissing heavily for a little while. He pulls back and sits me down.
We’re both panting from kissing. I tuck my hair behind my ears. He watches me with a certain type of look. It’s hard to place it at the moment. Admiration? A flicker of something else.
“What?” I ask. “You’re amazing, Lana.” I fidget with my hands. I don’t know what to do when men compliment me. I smile at him. “Come by my trailer after you get cleaned up. I have to work tonight but you can come with me.” He says.
I contemplate it. Kai also works there. And he did tell me, he works tonight as well. I don’t know about this, but maybe it’ll give us a chance to talk. I don’t know what I want.
“Okay. I’d love to.” I start to get off the stage. Liam jumps down and he motions for me to jump into his arms. “You’re still not going to let it go, are you?” He chuckles and shakes his head.
I jump. He catches me. He adjusts, so that my legs are draped over his arms and I’ve got my arms wrapped around his neck. His other arm is behind my back.
Liam carries me back to the trailers. He sits me down at the steps of my trailer. He kisses me once more. Then he pulls away. “I’ll see you in about an hour.” He walks over to his trailer.
I bite my lip and go inside. I can’t believe all of this just happened.
As soon as the hour is up, I walk over to Liam’s trailer. I stand in front of his trailer door for a few minutes. I’m nervous. Before I can even decide to back out his trailer door opens.
“I was starting to worry about you.” Liam smirks at me. “Well, I clearly made it here in one piece. I didn’t trip or fall.” I hold my arms out and do a little spin. He chuckles.
“Get your pretty little ass in here.” He motions towards the trailer. I giggle and make my way inside the trailer. I barely walk past him. He wraps his arm around my waist and pins me against the door.
He puts his hand on my cheek and leans in close. “I’m glad you came by.” I look at his brown eyes and then his lips, my heart racing knowing what’s coming next.