Just Friends (15 page)

August 8
th

E
than only stayed two days. He didn’t say where he was going. We barely spoke to one another since he arrived. Luckily for me, they required me on set throughout most of the day. Ethan and I both knew there was awkwardness between us. Maybe we need time apart, or to be alone and talk. Right now, I want to hurry and finish the movie. That way, I can focus on my personal life. I’m sure these feelings for Ethan will fade. I’m trying to persuade myself that it’s only jealousy.

The first month of filming is over and the second is about to undergo. The final day of filming has been set for the twenty-seventh. Three more weeks. How time has flown.

I need to straighten things up with Eleanor. We’ve lost our sister like relationship, now we only chat about the film. I don’t want her to think I hate her. At this moment in time, I do, I really do. But I can’t blame her, she’s chosen the right guy who makes her happy, which is what she deserves. I just wish she could’ve found someone else.

On set today, I’m thrown through a glass window. Well, it wasn’t real glass. The glass was replaced with sugar glass. I believe that’s its official name. Real glass would hurt, a lot. Sugar glass is a really delicate glass they use for most action films and it breaks really easily. A man picks me up and throws me through the windowpane. They placed this huge beanbag cushion on the other side so I would land safely.

“Action!” Stanley shouted.

Then this guy called John, grabs the top and bottom of my jacket, picks me up, and throws me through the glass. During this I’m trapped in an uncontrollable laughter.

“I’m so sorry,” John kept saying. He felt really bad for throwing me through the glass. He thought he was being too rough.

“Don’t be silly, this is fun!” I replied.

It took us many takes to perfect it because we couldn’t stop laughing for the first few. When I say we, I mean myself. I hope they place those takes of me laughing in the credits at the end, if there’s any. The window replacement people weren’t too appreciative of my laughing as you can imagine. They must’ve hated me. Most of the cast and crew saw the funny side of it. It was good for everyone to have a little laugh and release some stress. Sometimes people forget that you need to have fun.

August 9
th

S
tanley came into my trailer again this morning. I really thought he’d shout at me this time for laughing throughout the whole window scene.

“I’ve noticed you’re behaving a little odd lately, August. You’ve not been yourself. Is something wrong? If there is you can tell me.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine Stanley. I’m sorry for laughing yesterday.”

Stanley stroked his chin, deep in thought. “Don’t worry about that, everyone found it very amusing.”

I giggled. “Everything’s fine Stanley, you needn’t worry.”

“So the fact that your co-star is sleeping with your best friend isn’t bothering you at all?”

My face dropped. “Why can’t you call it dating?” I snapped.

“There’s my answer.” He said, raising his eyebrows.

I placed my head into my hands and moaned. “Come on, talk to Stanley. What’s wrong my lovely?” He placed his hands on my shoulders.

“I love himmmmm.” I murmured through my hands.

“Are you sure its not because you don’t want to loose your best friend?”

I brought my head from out of my hands and checked my make up in the mirror. “I don’t knowwww.” I sounded like a child.

“Ahhh.” He paused. “Well, I have experience in this field August. I too am stuck in this lagoon of friendship with someone we know.”

At first I didn’t care if he had been in my position or not. But I realised who he was speaking about. Ms. Andrews, well Jasmine.

I turned and faced him. “Really? Did you ever tell her?”

He shook his head. “When the time came to tell her, I was too late. She’d already found someone.”

I walked over to my trailer door and locked it. I didn’t want anyone barging in on our heart to heart conversation. Stanley found a seat on the chair I was sitting on. “I’ve always been afraid of telling her.”

I could see he was disappointed with himself. But I burst into laughter, which probably wasn’t the most appropriate thing to do.

“What’s so funny?” He asked before joining me in laughter.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I thought you were gay!”

He stopped laughing and shook his head. “Wow, thanks August! Great confidence boost right there!”

I stopped laughing. “I’m sorry! You always seem flirty with the male producers! Why don’t you tell her? It’s never too late, Stanley.”

Stanley scrunched up his face. “I can’t August. What if she says no or doesn’t feel the same way? Or even worse, thinks I’m flirting with the male producers like you!”

I knelt down beside him after laughing. “You won’t know if you don’t try, will you? If she doesn’t feel the same way you can play the school kid card. I was only joking or my friend dared me to do it.”

Stanley smiled and stood. “I’ll make you a deal, August. I’ll tell Jasmine, but only if you promise to tell Ethan, when he’s no longer with Eleanor. Let’s face it… she’s useless at relationships. I’ll admit the last one wasn’t her fault.”

He offered his hand for me to shake in agreement.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Fine, you’ve got a deal.”

A knock came at the door. “Are you guys finished yet?”

Stanley unlocked the trailer door and opened it. “Do we look finished?”

A huge bundle of apologies came from outside the door. Stanley turned, smiled and winked at me. “Back to work, August.”

He re-opened the door and stomped towards the station. He’s the best.

August 16
th

T
oday is my nineteenth birthday. It’s upsetting I can’t spend it with my family. They always spoil me on my birthday. Instead, I was thousands of miles away sat feeling sorry for myself in my hotel room, staring at Ethan’s clock. I’m living the dream, doing what I love. But I can’t help feeling empty and alone. Mum woke me at 5:00am, calling me to sing happy birthday. As you can imagine, I wasn’t too impressed with her. I growled at her down the phone.

“Oh stop being a grumpy bum.”

“It’s 5:00am Mum. I think you can allow my grumpiness.”

Then there was a knock at my hotel door. “Mum someone is at my door, I’ll speak to you later ok?” She then said three thousand things at once. Why do Mum’s randomly shout all these things to you at the end of phone calls?

“Ok sweetie happy birthday, call me later, promise I’ll come visit soon, I love you, I hope everything is going well, say hello to everyone for me, don’t forget to take plenty of photos for me. Bye, bye, bye, bye.”

It was too early to be dealing with phone calls and people at my door on my birthday. I rolled off my bed and kept the covers wrapped around me as I stumbled downstairs and dawdled to the door. I begged it not to be everyone waiting on the other side ready to shout
surprise!
I looked hideous and just wanted to sleep. I pawed at the door with my eyes closed in search of the handle. I swung the door open to find Eleanor stood with a huge grin on her face and a bouquet of flowers in her arms.

“Good morning birthday girl, rise and shine.”

I wanted to slam the door on her and return to bed to tell you the truth, and almost did. I squinted at her. My eyes were still half asleep.

“Can we talk? I was hoping we could get Breakfast together. Sorry it’s so early, I couldn’t sleep.” She said with a puppy dog expression on her face.

“Sure, let me get ready.” I replied, waving my hand at her to come in. She shuffled past me and placed the bouquet on the table. Then planted her behind on the edge of the sofa with a grin on her face. “Let me have a shower first and then we can go down.” I mumbled. “Ok!”

“Since you found out about me and Ethan, I feel like we’ve been drifting apart. We always clicked before. We were like sisters. I don’t want you to think I will affect your friendship with Ethan.” Eleanor said as I poured my tea.

I appreciated her saying this because it was true, every word.

“Ethan’s never had a girlfriend before, and I don’t know how to react to it and I didn’t speak to Ethan at all when he was here.”

Eleanor smiled and grabbed my hands. “He adores you, August. We both do. Nothing will change! You and I will see more of each other, that’s all.”

I accepted everything she said like a grown up best friend who wasn’t in love with her boyfriend would.

“August, can I ask you something?” Eleanor asked with a serious stare.

I thought this was it. The moment she asked if I love him.
What am I supposed to say?
I can’t lie to her. “Sure.” My bottom lip started to tremble.

“When you last saw Ethan was he having nightmares?”

I immediately relaxed, but was concerned about the question she had asked me. “A week before I left we fell asleep watching a movie and during the night he jolted me up with his arm. He said he had a nightmare and he didn’t want to talk about it.” I stared down at my teaspoon. This means that Ethan has been having the same reoccurring nightmare for two months. That’s a worrying amount of time. Maybe we needed to get him help.

“He did the same with me. Woke me up during the night, but he refused to talk about it, too. Do you think we should get him a psychiatrist?”

It was an odd conversation to be having with Eleanor, but it was nice to finally talk to her about Ethan. There isn’t anyone else I can think of (other than me) that I would rather see Ethan with.

We sat and ate breakfast together. If her and Ethan weren’t together, this would’ve been the perfect start to my birthday. We both agreed that if his nightmares continue after we finish the movie, then we would get him a psychiatrist. As I entered my trailer that morning, there was a small white card on my side. I slid the card off the edge of the table.

Happy birthday my dearest dwarf. Look outside x

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it was from Ethan. I frowned at the card. I returned to my trailer door and peaked out of it. Nothing caught my eye. I opened the door fully, still nothing. I shrugged and shut the door. The card definitely instructed to look outside. I shuffled around, still analysing the card. And there he was, sat in my chair.

“How are things?” Ethan asked, holding a bottle of foundation, looking upon it with mystery.

I rolled my eyes at him. “Can you never use a door?”

I walked over and hugged him around his neck. He was wearing one of his tartan ties. I bought him this one for our seventh Christmas together.

“You know me. I never like to do anything simple.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing. Your presents are over there.” He pointed at a two bags and a box lying on the sofa.

“Thank you.” I said, kissing his cheek and patting his shoulders.

His eyes met mine in the mirror for a second. I was hoping my eyes read
I love you, pick me
so I wouldn’t have to say it myself.

“Right, open them before you have to go.” He stood and picked up the bags, placing them on the floor and sitting on the sofa. “This one first.” He passed me a small bag as I sat beside him. I squeezed it before looking inside it felt soft and squishy, an item of clothing. It was a pair of socks.

“You always need a boring gift on your birthday don’t you. They have a letter
A
on them though. I chose wisely.”

“You’re so clever.” I joked.

Ethan passed me a package. It was a book. They’re easy to identify. It was a brochure of an apartment called
The August Sky
. I flicked through the pages to view the most breathtaking property I had ever seen. It was like something you would see a villain use in a spy movie. Everything was so bright and modern and pretty. “I don’t understand. What’s this?”

“This, my dear, is our new apartment in New York. I bought it the same day I met Eleanor. I named it after you.”

I nodded calmly, “Cool.” I dropped the book onto the floor and scratched my nose. Then flung myself at him and hugged him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, this is the best gift
ever!
Its so pretty and
beautiful!
”