Just Like Me

by Dani Hall

  When our cameras looked for Taylor, we spotted him with none other than Veronica Stouza, his costar for the Zombie movie franchise and famous ex-girlfriend.

  A picture popped up of Taylor and Veronica dancing.

  It would appear that Taylor and Kale don’t actually dance with each other during the night, each keeping to their own different partners. Judging by the pictures, you can tell that Taylor and Veronica are very intimate with each other.

  “Taylor!” I shouted. I swung off my seat and dashed over to the burner, and turned it off. I watched the pancakes smoke and I resisting wrinkling my nose.

  “Sorry, sorry.” Taylor said quickly. He took the pan and dumped the burnt pancakes into a nearby trashcan. “I just don’t see how they can get away with stuff like that. It was one dance! How come they can get pictures up of that one dance, and then the rest of the night I dance with you and it doesn’t even matter?”

  I felt weight in my heart as they showed more pictures on the screen. A new riot came on the screen claiming to be Taylor’s biggest fan club. Girls screamed into a reporter’s microphone that I would pay for breaking Taylor Jett’s heart.

  “I’m the world’s most hated person right now.” I muffled, my hands slightly shaking as I went back around the counter and fumbled with the remote. I turned the T.V. off and sat back down at the bar. I put a hand up to my mouth, unsure of what to say. What to do. If I tried so hard to do the right thing, and it’s still wrong, what the hell was I supposed to do?

  “We’ll go by a store that’s close to here. They’ve got great pancakes and we can get them to go. We have to get on set.” Taylor finally decided.

  Chapter Forty

  We drove up to the convenience store and quickly made our way inside. The person who had gotten my outfits had left a toboggan and a few sets of sunglasses to wear. It felt better not having to wear a huge hoodie everywhere.

  We made our way over to the breakfast section. I couldn’t help but glance up at the T.V. and think about what they said about me being fat. I glanced at all the items, all seeming equally fattening. Taylor was piling sausage, biscuits, and eggs onto a Styrofoam tray that snapped all the goodies in tight. He looked at my empty tray.

  “What are you getting?” He asked, reaching for a cup to pour a cup of hot coffee.

  “I’m not that hungry.” I hedged, but reached for a cup. “I’m really only used to drinking coffee in the morning.”

  He watched me as I poured coffee, mixing cream and sugar into it. He analyzed my face, waiting for me to break or admit to something. I took a sip, burning my mouth but trying to prove that this was all I needed.

  “At least grab a biscuit or something.” He said finally. “We’ll stop somewhere after set and have a big lunch. Ok?”

  I nodded, already cringing inwardly if I actually did get a big lunch today and the media found out.

  Up at the register, I noticed a magazine, The Star Gaze Tribune was flashing a picture of Tony and I dancing together. After Taylor passed the food over to the cashier, he snatched the magazine off the stand. He glanced at it, snorted, and then dropped it. He didn’t bother to pick it up when it fell to the floor.

  Chapter Forty-One

  We didn’t say much on the way to the set where they were filming. I picked at the biscuit that Taylor had thrown on the conveyor belt, uninterested in eating.

  Apparently they started filming a couple weeks ago and this would be a regular event for us on the weekends. Someone had dropped off at least twelve outfits at the house. I had hung them up in the guest room, today picking out a green shirt that only went over one shoulder and a pair of dark jeans.

  “You know, at my place in California, we could have a room decorated for you.”

  “Are you ever even there?”

  “In between movies I am.”

  “So hardly ever?”

  He stuck his tongue out at me. It made me remember just a few hours ago, when I was kissing him…

  “It’s hard to stay in one place when you’ve got movies getting filmed here there and everywhere.”

  “I can imagine.”

  He finally pulled into a factory looking place, parking right in front. We got out and quickly entered the building. Paparazzi were everywhere, snapping pictures and screaming questions. Taylor ignored them and pulled me into the building as quickly as he could. But that didn’t stop them from screaming questions.

  “Taylor, are you and Kale Delaney still in a relationship?”

  “Have flames rekindled with costar, Veronica Stouza?”

  “Is Kale pregnant?”

  He shoved through them fast, pushing me through the entrance before slamming the door behind him. He looked highly annoyed but was unable to express his anger because a man was striding quickly toward him.

  “Taylor, my boy!”

  A short man with balding hair smiled widely as Taylor stood straighter and addressed him.

  “Kale, this is our director. Wade, this is Kale.”

  “Nice to meet you, sir.” I said. He nodded.

  “Yes, yes, yes. Nice to meet you. Taylor…we won’t be having any distractions today during a particular scene will we?” The man seemed to be going a hundred miles an hour, he hardly allowed someone to finish a sentence before he was already replying.

  “No, it won’t be a distraction.”

  “Well then fine, splendid!” This guy was way over the top. Taylor glanced at me, uncomfortable. The short man, Wade, went back over to a set and began directing a guy that was adjusting one of the many lights.

  “He’s worried I’ll distract you?” I whispered. Taylor shook his head.

  “Well, not exactly. Kind of. You see, we’re just…we’re shooting a particular scene today.”

  “What kind of scene?” He hesitated. “Taylor, what kind of scene?”

  “My costar and I, well, we’re filming a kissing scene.”

  I felt a tiny bit of anger bubble under my surface.

  “And you picked today to drag me here?” I hissed.

  “I want you here.” He whispered quickly. “I want you to know about all those types of scenes that go on, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable or think I’m hiding anything from you.”

  “That’s what I’d rather you do. I’d rather wait till the movie comes out. What makes you think I want to see this in person?”

  A girl walked out on to the set then. She was a beautiful girl with blond curly hair and brown eyes. Her tan skin made me look sickly in comparison. She was in a robe and smiled widely at Taylor. She looked like a size 0 too.

  “Hey Taylor.” She slid over, a graceful tone to her voice. “Who is this.” It wasn’t a question; she looked me up and down, a look of distaste in her eyes.

  “Kara, this is Kale. My girlfriend. Kara, Kale.”

  “Hi, nice to meet you, Kale.”

  Kara.

  Why was that name familiar?

  Then it hit me…this was Taylor’s most recent ex. An ex he was about to shoot a movie with? That he was about to do a kissing scene with?

  “Taylor, can I speak to you for a second?” I asked. He nodded, grabbing my arm and easing me through all the expensive looking cameras, microphones and lights.

  “Uh-oh!” I heard Kara sing from behind us. “Someone’s in trouble!”

  He didn’t give a second glance at Kara, who was staring after us. He led me to a door that had his name on it. People were scurrying all over the place. Employees carrying around bags of bread and newspapers, I guess props for the movie. He opened the door and led me inside. Makeup and costume preparation people were everywhere in his room.

  “Taylor!” One girl with an accent said. “Time for makeup, yes?”

  “No.” He said bluntly. “I need a minute, guys.”

  They all grumbled, but filed out slowly. The girl with the accent protested every step of the way out the door. He drummed his fingers on his leg impatiently as they trudged out into the hall. When the last disappeared out the
door he shut and locked it behind him. He took a slow steady breath as he turned to face me.

  “You’re shooting a movie with your ex-girlfriend?” It wasn’t me asking, it was more of me being unable to believe this was happening.

  “Not my ideal cast situation, but yes. She auditioned for the main girl role and got it. I auditioned for the main guy role and got it.”

  “And you didn’t think about telling me, say, before this moment?”

  “It wasn’t important before. When was I going to tell you, exactly? Right after I asked you to be my girlfriend?”

  “What exactly is the plot of this movie?”

  “I play a serial killer. A high-school jock by day, a murderer by night. Kara is my high-school girlfriend, a cheerleader. I play for the football team and she cheers. I was trying to play for quarter back when another jerk got it, so I killed him. That sparked a little bit of insanity inside me, and I go off killing other people. Kara is a scared girlfriend who is at first unaware of my dark abilities. But she eventually finds out that I’m the one killing everyone. Blah, blah, blah.”

  He finished, slightly out of breath, and waited for my reaction.

  “What part are you filming today? Where does kissing a murderer come in?”

  “We’re not filming that scene first. First we’re filming a scene where my parents are discussing the murders of the town. Just about all the kitchen scenes are being filmed today. Then we’re filming a green screen scene. It’s one of the earlier scenes in the movie when I attack a random jogger in the woods and kill her. They had to sculpt a whole sand trail out in front of the green screen, so we won’t have to do any more work with that today. Then we’re filming the scene with Kara. She comes to my house, completely freaked out about the murders. And I…”

  “…comfort her.” I retorted.

  “Well, yea.”

  “And she knew you had the part?”

  “She knew, yea.”

  “I just…I understand it’s your job. I get you have to do this, I do. I get it. And I don’t care that you have to. Well…I do…but I don’t want to sit here and watch you make out with your super-hot-ex-girlfriend-who-happened-to-choose-a-part-that-you’d-be-doing.”

  “It’s not like that. She knows it makes me miserable, that’s why she does it. She doesn’t like me anymore.”

  “You never told me you and Kara’s story.”

  “I told you Chrissie’s.”

  “How long ago did ya’ll break up?”

  “Four months ago.”

  “Why did you break up?”

  “We just didn’t see things eye to eye, we were never serious. It didn’t last long, it’s not a big deal.”

  “I’m having a hard time understanding why you want me here, Taylor.”

  “Because I don’t want you coming and seeing the movie and being surprised when this scene comes up. I don’t want you to think I hid this from you.” He looked exasperated. He stopped drumming his fingers and I saw a little bit of light fade from his eyes. He looked exhausted, and our day hadn’t even started yet. Here he had to do these scenes and work today, and I was giving him hell for just doing his job. Am I the bad guy in all this? “You’re right; this is part of the job. It was part of the role and I had accepted it before I met you. I’d do it again even after I met you, just because it’d be hard to find a role without chemistry between the guy and the girl. Would I have accepted it after I started dating you and found out Kara was the main girl? Probably not. But I want you here,” He took my hands in his. “Because I want you to trust me. I want you to be there so you know exactly what goes on during the set. I don’t want you going and seeing the movie and thinking we had an affair, or something. Because we’re not. Because you’re all that matters. Is this making any sense?”

  I nodded, cringing at the thought of him kissing her when I had just been kissing him that morning.

  “Ok. It is just a kissing scene.” I concluded. Taylor had an uncomfortable look again. “It is just a kissing scene, right?”

  “Well…” He hesitated. I threw my hands up in frustration.

  “Taylor, you want to be honest with me. So be honest with me!”

  “I’m being honest now. It’s a make out scene in a bedroom...but it leads you to believe something else transpires between us.”

  “Ok.” I said through gritted teeth. “What do you have to do, throw her on the bed?” He looked frustrated, so I just waved my hands, blowing it off. “Ok, I don’t want to know. But that’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Ok. I don’t want to see it.”

  A knock on the door sounded.

  “What?” Taylor yelled.

  “Makeup, Mr. Jett.” The girl with the accent yelled.

  “Alright!” He yelled back. He kissed me briefly on the cheek. “Thank-you.” He said, sounding relieved. “Thank-you for just being here.”

  I just nodded, sitting back in a chair as everyone was let in and Taylor Jett to murderer Todd process began. I trapped the anger and frustration down deep at the thought of Taylor kissing another girl and watched as people swarmed all around him, like bees. They dressed Taylor in jeans and a shirt that had a fake school logo on it.

  It was weird seeing the workers put makeup on him, I had to admit. They applied different foundations; it even looked like he had a weird eye liner on. Guy liner. After they finished applying it, Taylor caught me staring.

  “It’s for the camera lighting.” He answered my unspoken question. “So the light reflects correctly and it doesn’t look awkward on screen.”

  “Or you just really enjoy eyeliner enhancing your eyes.”

  “That too.” He said, batting his eyelashes. I still felt extremely uncomfortable. I didn’t want to be here anymore.

  When he was finally done with everything the crew backed off and started slowly exiting the room. Taylor stayed put for a second in his chair and watched my expression as I observed everyone going back to their normal routine.

  “I’m sorry. I should have told you about the scene today. But I was scared you wouldn’t have come.”

  “I wouldn’t have.”

  He slowly stood and strode over to me. He held out his hand, and I took it. I wish this could be easier. I wish I was more accepting, more supportive of this. He helped pull me out of the chair and we walked out of the room and back on to the set. There were different sets throughout the building. I saw a kitchen set on one side. Connected to the kitchen set was a bedroom set. On the far right there was a long trek with dirt on the ground, making a path, and fake trees and plants set here and there with at least three long green screens lining the whole thing.

  “Those are the scenes today. First the kitchen, then the green screen, then the bedroom.”

  “Wouldn’t it have just been easier to shoot that trail thing outside?”

  “It may rain today, so they didn’t want to chance it. Outside scenes are a little more difficult to film.”

  I nodded, watching people angle cameras all around the kitchen set.

  “Ok!” Wade yelled, plopping himself down in an uncomfortable looking chair. “Places people! We’re starting at the top of page 12, parent-kitchen scene.”

  Taylor kissed my cheek before letting go of my hands and heading over to the kitchen set.

  “Chair?” I heard from behind me. I turned to see a nervous looking man holding out another uncomfortable looking chair.

  “Um, ok.” I stumbled over my words, unsure what to say. “Thank-you.”

  The guy nodded, dropping the chair and hurrying away.

  “Places everyone.”

  I felt someone come up beside me and glanced over to see Kara by my side. Her eyes were on Taylor as he positioned himself at a counter.

  “Confused by it all?” She quipped.

  “I’m slowly figuring it all out.”

  “That guy with the chairs and nervously trying to appease everyone is an intern. We use him for stuff like getting everyone coffee o
r bringing chairs to people who come on set.”

  “Good to know.” I muttered. I didn’t like the way her eyes were lingering on Taylor’s chest. I bit my lip, trying to refocus on what was happening on set.

  “Parent kitchen scene, take one.” A guy with one of those black and white slapper things yelled. Did people really use those?

  “Action!” Wade yelled.

  Taylor was by the kitchen sink. Materials for a sandwich were on the counter around him. His ‘parents’ (who were both light skinned and light haired with blue eyes, they looked nothing like Taylor’s tan skin and dark brown eyes) were set off stage.

  When action was yelled, his father walked on to the screen, sitting down at a kitchen table, reading a paper. How cliché. Taylor started pulling bread out of the bag, glancing back as the father walked in.

  “Morning, Todd.”

  “Yea. Morning Dad.”

  “Sleep alright?”

  There was a pause as Taylor briefly looked up from his bread, gazing into nothing. He snapped back, looking at his sandwich.

  “CUT!” Wade bellowed. Both actors stopped and looked back up at Wade. “Ok, Taylor. When he walks in, I want you to yawn as you pull the bread out of the bag.”

  Really? He stopped the whole scene so Taylor would yawn? I heard Kara snicker beside me.

  “Fine.” Taylor said. Prop masters walked onto the set, putting two new pieces into a bag that was supposed to appear halfway full. They took the two pieces he had touched away. They quickly cleaned crumbs off of the counter. Geez.

  “And Norman?”

  “Yea?”

  “Make sure you are oblivious to the pause Taylor emits, you’re observing the newspaper, almost unaware of him.”

  “Alright.” The father said, walking back off stage.

  “Parent-kitchen scene, take two.”

  “ACTION!”

  The father walked back on screen doing the exact same things, and Taylor yawned right when he was told to.

  “Morning, Todd.”

  “Yea. Morning Dad.”

  “Sleep alright?”

  Taylor did the pause thing again. The father kept to his newspaper.

  “Bad dreams.” He remarked, reaching for a jar of peanut butter.