by Kasie West
I smiled. “T minus two hours to take down.”
“Can I eat now?” Grant asked.
“Yes, go eat.”
Grant waved to the room as he left.
“Me too,” Amanda said. “I’ll see you later.” She shut the door behind her, and Abby let out a little squeal.
“I know I shouldn’t think this is cool, because someone has been screwing you over, but . . . ?”
“It’s fine, you can say it,” I said.
“I just met Grant James,” she said.
“You were right,” Cooper joined. “He is very attractive.”
I laughed. “You all okay to hang out here for the next two hours while I’m on set?”
“Yes, we have your boyfriend to grill,” Abby said.
I raised my eyebrows at Donavan, and he said, “I’ll survive.”
“Good. I need to go eat, and next time I see you, hopefully you’ll be surrounding my tormentor.”
I had stepped onto the gravel outside my trailer when Donavan said, “Hey.”
I turned.
“You okay?”
“A little nervous,” I admitted. As much as I wanted to figure out who had been sabotaging me, I also kind of didn’t want to know.
“You don’t think this person would hurt you, do you?”
“I don’t think so. . . .” Although I wasn’t sure. I hadn’t felt safe at all the night before.
“Be careful, okay?”
“I will.” I hugged him.
He moved to kiss me, when I took a step back. “You really want to kiss this?” I pointed at my zombie makeup.
He smiled. “Hey, I started liking you in the middle of you wearing all that.”
I patted his cheek. “That’s sweet, but you still can’t kiss me. I can’t risk you messing it up.”
“Fair enough.” He gave me another hug. “See you later.”
The tip of Benjamin’s sword pressed against my throat. It was cold, and Grant was right, a little sharp.
“Do you know how many people you’ve killed? I can’t let this go on,” Grant said as Benjamin.
“Then don’t,” I growled.
We walked a slow circle, the camera following us.
“Scarlett, what have you become?”
“Exactly what I was meant to.”
He pulled his arm back and thrust the sword forward. I dodged, and we got into our choreographed scuffle. Then Grant stabbed his sword to the right of my neck. The angle of the camera would make it look like it went straight through. I put my hands to my throat, breaking the packets of fake blood I’d been holding. I collapsed to the ground. Grant stood over me, then brought his sword down again. He paused, staring down at me for several moments before Remy called, “Cut!”
I stood, and Simone came forward and cleaned up my neck, then fixed the makeup for another take.
I let my eyes scan over the group of people in the hazy light surrounding me. Remy studied the monitor and pointed out a few things to the cameraperson. Noah was just beyond him, looking over his shoulder. Simone was now talking to Audrey, the hair person. Faith was looking at the script. Next to her, standing alone, was Grant’s agent. We locked eyes for a moment, and he shook his head slightly. I wasn’t sure what that meant. Everyone else was a crew member I’d seen around but had never really conversed with.
My heart picked up speed as I thought about walking through the dark alone.
“You want to take my sword?” Grant whispered from beside me as if he’d read my mind.
I smiled.
Grant’s eyes were now taking in our surroundings as well. “Do you think the person is here right now?”
“I don’t know.”
We ran the scene two more times before Remy said, “That’s a wrap.”
I took a steadying breath. Grant reached over and squeezed my arm. It was a sweet gesture that bolstered my opinion of him.
“I’m right behind you,” he whispered.
I nodded. “Hey,” I said loudly. “Will you walk me back to the trailers? I forgot my light.”
“I need to talk to Remy and watch some raw footage. You’ll be fine,” he said, playing the role I assigned him.
“Fine.”
He smirked and headed over to the monitors. I went for the path. And just like that I was alone in the dark. Just beyond the set I was leaving behind, I stopped and looked back, acted nervous. I took one step back toward the set, but then shook my head and turned back to the path.
I walked slowly to provide plenty of opportunity. The problem was, I really couldn’t see. I should’ve remembered this small detail from the day before. I’d shown the others which path to wait on, but after several more minutes of walking, I wasn’t even sure I was on that path. Especially not when I tripped over a large root. I didn’t remember there being roots on the walking path.
“Crap,” I grunted under my breath. Each step I took forward after that, I used my foot to feel the ground in front of me. This was going to take all night.
Then I heard it. The footsteps behind me again. I looked over my shoulder but saw nothing but blackness.
“Grant?” I knew that wasn’t the plan, but maybe he’d followed me when I got off course.
No response.
“Hello?”
“Are you scared?” a voice whispered.
I let out a scream, hoping my friends would hear it, and took off running. I’d made it only ten steps before I tripped on a root and went down hard, scuffing both palms. I flipped over and scooted backward while looking all around me.
“What do you want from me?” I said.
A rustling sound to my right launched me to my feet again. I should’ve taken Grant’s sword. “I’m over here!” I yelled. My voice bounced off the trees, which wouldn’t help with locating me at all.
Silence.
And then the loudest footsteps yet. Fast. Running toward me. I should’ve run. I needed to run. But the thought of tripping again and having my back to someone coming at me had me doing the exact opposite. I held my ground, and when I saw a dark form reach my field of vision, I launched myself forward, wrapping my arms around it. We both fell. I landed on my back, knocking the wind out of me. The figure rolled off me and bolted. I caught my breath, lying there while I assessed the damage. I seemed okay. I’d probably have a few bruises.
I heard a shout behind me and then several others. I picked myself up off the ground and made my way to the noise.
My friends were there. Donavan was shining a light on someone who was struggling against Cooper’s arms. Grant ran up from a different direction, joining the scuffle.
Abby came to my side. “Sorry! We got to you just as you fell over.”
“Who is it?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
I reached the small knot of people.
“Aaron?” I said.
He pushed against Cooper’s arms one more time but then gave up, a defeated look coming over his face.
“Why?” I asked.
“I didn’t mean for you to fall. You were supposed to run.” His voice sounded panicked, and his eyes darted all around, even though I knew he couldn’t see much of anything with the light shining on him.
“But why did you do all this? Why were you sabotaging me?”
“I wasn’t,” he said, but it wasn’t convincing.
“I know you were, so you might as well talk.”
“I just want to go. Let me go.” There were tears in his voice, even though there were none in his eyes.
“Tell me why first, and then we’ll let you go.”
“Because my dad is a jerk. He traded our year of plans for this stupid movie. He deserves for it to fail epically.”
My eyes went to Donavan, who was still holding his light to Aaron’s face, so I couldn’t really see him. I wondered if Aaron’s bitter feelings toward his dad were something he could relate to.
“And you thought targeting me would make it fail?” I asked.
“I wasn’t targeting you. I was just trying to mess up the movie in general.”
“They all related to me . . . ,” I started to say but then realized they really didn’t. When the light fell over and the headstone was damaged, I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And my zombie face section going missing reflected badly on Leah, not me. The other things seemed directed at me, but I wondered if there were more things that he’d done that I hadn’t even realized.
“That article felt really personal,” I suddenly remembered.
He shook his head. “I didn’t do that. At all. That was probably just crew members talking to the press or something.”
Cooper let go of Aaron, and he just stood there, staring at me, looking miserable. “Are you going to tell my dad?” he asked.
“Of course we’re going to tell your dad,” Grant said.
I held up my hand. “You have two choices. You can stop coming to the set. Or you can keep hanging around and tell your dad yourself.”
“I’ll stop coming,” he said quickly.
“We’re not going tell?” Amanda asked.
“No . . .” I held Aaron’s gaze. “We’re not.”
He gave me a single nod, wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, then said, “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” I responded.
He pushed his way through the group, head hanging, and disappeared into the dark.
“What a little punk,” Amanda said.
Donavan came up to my side. “Did he hurt you?”
I looked at my palms, and he shined his light on them. “Just a few scrapes. I’ll be fine. I’m just glad it’s over.” It was over. I let that sink in. Now I could do my job without distractions.
“This calls for a campfire!” Amanda said.
Thirty-Seven
It had been several weeks of highs and lows, but this, this was definitely the high point—sitting around a campfire, with a movie star, my best friends, and my boyfriend on location at the movie I was filming. I’d taken off my makeup and changed into street clothes. We’d rounded up some chairs, but I preferred the ground, leaning up against Donavan’s knees behind me. He pulled on the ends of my hair as I held a stick over the flames.
“Do you think craft services has marshmallows?” Amanda asked.
“I think they’re gone for the day,” I said. It was close to eleven. My dad had given me permission to stay out late since Abby was in town.
“I think I have some in my trailer,” Grant said.
“You have marshmallows in your trailer?” Abby asked.
“Probably. That Aaron kid always kept me stocked up with treats. I’m going to miss him.”
Silence followed his statement.
“Too soon?” he asked.
We all laughed.
I poked at the logs in the fire with my stick. “I don’t think you have marshmallows in your trailer.”
“I’ll bet you a thousand dollars.”
Amanda threw a small piece of bark into the fire, sending up a few sparks. “Grant, most people say, I’ll bet you five bucks or maybe twenty bucks.”
“What?” he asked.
“Just trying to keep you relatable.”
He gave her a slow smile. “Whoever said I wanted to be relatable?” He stood. “I’m going to get those marshmallows.”
Amanda climbed to her feet. “I’ll come with you, so I can verify that you owe Lacey a thousand bucks.”
I laughed as they walked away.
“I left my phone in your trailer, Lacey,” Abby said. “We’ll be back too.”
“Okay.”
It was just Donavan and me. I leaned my head back on his knees and looked up at the stars. They were so bright up here away from the city lights.
“Thanks for helping today,” I said.
“Any time.” He played with my hair some more before he asked, “Why did you let Aaron off so easy?”
“I don’t know. Not that it excuses his behavior, but I sort of understood his motivation. He’s feeling neglected,” I said. “I’ve been there before.”
“Me too,” Donavan said. “It was nice of you.”
“I know. I’m brilliant.”
Donavan gave a soft laugh. “Yes, you are.”
“I don’t have zombie makeup on anymore,” I said.
“I noticed.”
“That means you can kiss me now.”
He leaned over to where I was still resting on his knees and kissed my forehead.
“That’s nice,” I said, turning around and moving up on to my knees. “But I need more.” I pressed my lips against his.
Epilogue
One Year Later
I knew it wasn’t going to be a blockbuster, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t dressed up like I was some world-famous star for the premiere of Dancing Graves. They had rolled out the red carpet, after all. I was pretty sure they did that for every movie premiere, or just whenever the carpet needed airing out, but whatever. It was red, and I was walking on it.
My dad and mom were bypassing the carpet and meeting me inside. But I had a handsome date decked out in a tuxedo on my arm and was owning every second of this experience.
“Lacey, Lacey! Look over here!” A photographer called, and Donavan and I paused for a moment to pose for a shot.
“Is this more what you had in mind when you thought of people yelling your name?” Donavan asked quietly from beside me.
“Yes, actually.” I squeezed his hand. “Is this what you had in mind when you banned yourself from dating actresses?”
“This part hadn’t even occurred to me. It should’ve gone on the cons list for sure.”
We continued walking, the same scene playing out with the photographers until we were inside.
Amanda and Grant were there, looking amazing. They’d come together, but I didn’t think they were still dating. They’d been on again off again for the last year. I didn’t see them much. I ended up finishing out the school year at the school that had hosted my independent study, surprising both my dad, my mom, and myself. I missed my Central Coast friends, but I wanted to spend more time really connecting with my dad. And the fact that Donavan was there didn’t hurt at all. I also decided I wanted to wait to film another movie until high school was over. It was my senior year; I wanted to experience it. And I had. And now I had my first audition the following week.
Amanda rushed over to give me a hug. “How are you feeling? Are you ready to see your face on a huge screen?”
“I’ve never seen it on one quite so big, so I’ll let you know later.”
Grant sauntered over. “You brought a critic for your date?”
“I’m only your critic,” Donavan said to Grant.
I laughed. “He’s teasing you, Grant.” When he still didn’t laugh, I asked, “How is your shoot-’em-up movie going?” He’d been hired again for his reoccurring role as Heath Hall, the teenaged spy. The role he thought he’d lost.
“Very well,” he said. “There are loads of special effects.”
“Are you trying to say there aren’t any in the movie we’re about to watch?”
He smirked, finally loosening up a bit.
“See you guys later,” I said. “I see my parents.”
My mom and dad had come together as well, even though they were, of course, not together. My mom was still happily married, and my dad was single again. He and Leah had dated only a few months, and last I heard she was back together with Remy. I wondered if I’d see them here tonight. I wondered if that would be awkward. Dad smiled as Donavan and I approached.
“How are you feeling?” Mom asked, sounding like she was the one who might not be able to contain her excitement.
“Excited and kind of terrified.”
“We’re proud of you,” Dad said.
“For what?” I asked. “Getting dressed up and coming to a movie premiere?”
“For seeing it through, even when it got hard.” That was big coming from my dad. He was
part of the reason it had been so hard. But he had let go a lot in the last year. My mom was still as busy as ever, but I knew she was happy for me.
“What do you mean? It was never hard,” I said.
Donavan smiled beside me. He looked so good in a tux.
“So really?” I asked Donavan. “Are you going to review this movie? I know you’re done with the school paper and everything, but maybe for your first piece at college?” Donavan had been accepted at Berkeley, majoring in journalism and communications, and my plan was to be as close to him as possible when I wasn’t filming.
“I’m just going to be your boyfriend tonight,” he said.
“Good answer.” People starting filing into the theater. “Are you all ready?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter if we are,” Donavan said, kissing the back of my hand. “Are you?”
“More than ready.”
Acknowledgments
This book was so much fun to write!! One of the things I did in order to prep myself for it was visit a movie set. My friend was directing a short film and allowed me to come and snoop around the set for a day while they were filming. It was a blast. So thank you, Brock Heasley (with Tremendum Pictures), for the education. And thanks, Ciara Daniel, for allowing me to follow you around like a puppy dog and for answering all my really naive questions. And thank you to actress Ema Horvath for the interview where I became an awkward, unorganized fan. And thanks as well to Nicole Spate and the rest of the cast and crew. You were all awesome. I’m sure I still got things wrong in the book, things that would probably never happen on a set but that I needed to happen for the book, but I hope it at least feels more authentic.
As always, thank you to the readers! You make this possible and I have so much fun meeting you and hearing from you. You are awesome! I’m sure a lot of writers say this, but I think my readers are the absolute best kind of people!
I also want to thank my family. They are such fun people and I love them dearly. So to my husband, Jared, and my kids, Skyler, Autumn, Abby, and Donavan, thanks for the support! I know you have to give a lot of it, and you are all so good at it.
Next, I’d like to thank my agent, Michelle Wolfson. I am always so happy that my green little writer self somehow had the good sense to know you were the right one for me! I have never regretted that decision a day since.
