by Megan Linski
“Um, I hate to break this to you Raz,” Soldier says. “But if you’re going to put on a movie you’re going to need people. A lot of people.”
“Not necessarily,” I protest. “We can make it a small production.”
“Do you want it to be a real movie? Or a smaller one with only a few actors?” Zoar says. He’s finally stopped humming.
“If you want to make a full movie, you need a cast,” Pepper states. “We can’t do all the work ourselves.”
I look around the room. Since we’re going to be mostly filming it this hour…
I decide to take a chance. I stand up on my desk, and wave my arm around.
“Hey!” I say. The room goes quiet, and for the first time I’m glad I have such a big mouth. “Listen up! Me and my friends are going to make a movie! Is there anyone in here who wants to help out?”
I can see the looks on their faces already. They want to make fun of me.
“A movie?” one of the jocks says. “What are you talking about?”
I shrug. “You know. Get a camera, make a script, and film it. We’re making it all in this class, since there’s nothing else to do.”
“All in one hour?” some girl in the back asks.
“No,” I say, my patience waning. I don’t even want to work with these people! But what choice do I have? I have to reign them in, in order to get them to like me. “We’ll work on it all year, I guess.”
“Who will supervise?” another girl asks.
“Or teach?” Maymee has her arms crossed. I can tell she thinks it’s a dumb idea.
“Nobody!” I say. “We’ll teach ourselves! We’ll just do it our way, how we want. So far we have three actors and a director. Does anybody else want to help out?”
The room is quiet. Maybe my idea is stupid. Everybody is too scared to volunteer for anything.
Then, amazingly, some kid with glasses raises his hand. I point at him and he says, “I can put it all together on the computer, and do some special effects if you want. I need practice with CGI for my college application.”
“That’d be cool,” I say in relief. Finally, some outside help.
“What’s the storyline?” a girl in the back asks. I think her name is Ola.
“We don’t have one yet,” I shrug. “We haven’t got a script.”
“I can do that,” Ola says. She grabs a boy next to her and said, “Me and my friend Perry can write it. Anything you guys want to put in?”
“It has to have a villain with huge guns,” Soldier says. He’s getting annoying with the gun thing.
“A war scene!” Don shouts, and I’m surprised he’s getting into it.
“Romance ending in tragedy,” Maymee says with a daydreamy look.
“Don’t forget zombies,” the kid with glasses says.
Everyone looks at him. He shrugs and says, “What? Zombie movies are cool.”
“So are we good?” I ask. “A romantic tragedy with a villain who has big guns…”
“Controlling the zombies?” Pepper smiles.
I nod. This is not a genre-specific movie, but I don’t really give a damn. I turn to jocks hanging in the corner and ask, “Are you in?”
The rest of them shrug. “Better than being bored around here all day,” some guy I’m sure is called Freddie says.
“What do we do when we’re done with it?” Ola asks.
“We should probably put it online, and make copies for ourselves. Maybe if we’re good enough we can send it into a film contest, or even put on a showing in town,” I suggest. To sweeten the deal, I say, “We might get some scholarship money for it.”
The room is buzzing with excitement now. Perry stands up and says, “Ola will come over to my house tomorrow and we’ll work on the script. Anybody have a camera?”
“I do,” Don says. “I can bring it on Monday.”
“Great,” I say. “Anybody else want to join in?”
Maymee sighs. “I suppose I could help you create the set and be the makeup artist.”
“You’re not putting anything on my face,” Puppy mumbles under her breath.
There’s a group over in the corner who looks pretty shy. One of the boys there says, “We’ll be your film crew, and some of us can act. The rest of us can help Wizard.” They point to the guy with the glasses.
The number of suggestions grow. By the time we’re done we have a full cast of actors, a film crew, a set crew and a special effects team. Over half the class is taking part.
Almost everyone is upset when the bell rings. I head to my next class, but I can’t concentrate for the rest of the day because of the nervous feeling in my stomach. Plans and ideas for the movie are running through my head like wildfire. Is this really going to work?
I’m not sure, but if it doesn’t… it really doesn’t help my cover as Razberry Sweet.
* * *
For once, I want the weekend to go by quickly. School started on a Thursday this year, giving us only two days of class before Saturday. Uncle Logan and Aunt Sara notice my excitement about returning to school and are pretty confused about it. Mitzy asks if I’m sick.
I try to think about the movie as much as possible. Whenever I don’t, I think of Cayman. Several times over the weekend, I throw up.
I need this movie to work out. Cayman had ceased haunting my dreams alone and is now hanging around with me during the daytime. If I don’t distract myself by making this film, I’ll go mad.
I need something to put all this anxiety and pain and… bullshit into.
But by the time Monday rolls around, I’m worried. What if everyone had forgotten about the movie? What if, even worse, they all realized what a dumb idea it really is?
My fears are cast aside, however, when I find the same group of people hanging around my desk at fourth hour.
“Hey Razberry, are we going to start today? I’ve got the camera.” Don holds it up.
I can’t believe my eyes. Ola and Perry have half a script in their hands already.
“We worked on it for hours. It’s only a rough draft, but we figure we can work out the kinks as we go along,” Ola says.
“As we go along? Don’t we have to do it, like, step by step?” Freddie asks.
“You don’t film scenes in order,” I tell him. “You have to work around actor’s schedules. In our case, it’s the scriptwriter’s schedules.”
“Well, let’s start then,” Don says. “What’s the first finished scene that you guys came up with?”
Ola ruffles through the pages. “It’s a scene where the main character, that’s you, Carmen, is trapped in the zombie fortress. Her friend, that’s you, Raz, breaks in to get her out.”
“How do I do that?” I ask, looking over her shoulder.
“We figured that we could put her in the janitor’s closet all tied up, and you come through the door to get her out. Once you unbind her, you escape through the door and go out into the courtyard, where you do battle with the zombies,” Perry says.
“Who are?” Don asks.
“You, Zoar, and Soldier as leader,” Perry says.
“How are we going to make it look real?” Pepper asks.
Perry shakes his head. “We didn’t figure that part out yet. You’re the director.”
Pepper cocks her head. “I suppose we could do some special effects.” She looks at Wizard.
“Leave it to me,” he says, nodding. “I’ll make it look real.”
“Let’s go then,” I say. I’m eager to rehearse.
“Here’s your script,” Ola pulls out a binder from her bag. “And here’s Puppy’s. The other three should study their lines while you all are in the janitor’s closet. Everybody else can brainstorm.”
“Ooh, Puppy and Razberry in the closet together,” Zoar says teasingly.
Puppy hits him on the shoulder and says, “Shut up, Zoar.”
We find some rope in the closet across the hall, and Soldier adds a nice effect by stuffing a torn piece of fabric in Puppy’s mouth. Th
e look on her face is half funny, half terrifying. I wonder if she’ll eat me when I unbind her.
“All right, Raz, go behind those shelves,” Pepper points. “If you come out at just the right angle Wizard can make it look like you’re phasing through the wall.”
“Gotcha,” I smile. I go behind the shelves. Brody, our camera man, says, “Rolling.”
I jog out from behind the shelves.
“Stop stop stop.” Pepper jumps up and pushes me back. “You look like you’re skipping through strawberry fields, not participating in a rescue mission.”
“What, no I’m not! I’m in a hurry!” I protest.
“You’ve broken through an infiltration of zombies! You’re not going to come skipping out of there with flowers in your pants!” she says. “Now do it over!”
Sighing, I try again. Pepper is ridiculously bossy, and picky.
After the third time, I finally get it right (by Pepper’s standards).
I go over and yank off Puppy’s gag. She yells, “Ouch! That hurt!”
“Cut!” Pepper shakes her head. “This is getting nowhere.”
I look at the rag in my hand and say, “Maybe it would be better if I left it in.” I stuff it back in Puppy’s mouth. She gets up, chasing me around the room with her hands tied behind her back. She’s screaming behind the fabric, and when she spits it out she yells, “Get back over here, Raz!”
“Hey, watch the camera!” Brody yells as we nearly send it (and him) flying. Puppy lunges a kick at me and it connects. I trip and fall into the shelves of supplies. It all comes crashing down onto the floor in a giant heap.
“Great,” Puppy grumbles. “I knew this was a bad idea. Nice going, Raz.”
“Hey, you kicked me!” I protest.
We start bickering until Pepper comes between us and says, “You two have to clean this up. We can’t start over until it’s done.”
“I’m not helping him when he made the mess.” Puppy unties her arms.
“Yes you are, if you don’t want to get in trouble. Now come on.” The three of us start lifting up the shelves and putting things back where they belong. Brody, mysteriously, is nowhere to be found.
By the time the cleaning is done the bell rings. Pepper gives us an aggravated look and says, “Tomorrow we’re starting over immediately. Learn your lines.” She grabs her bag and heads out of there, and Puppy and I are left standing alone.
Puppy is still glaring at me. I raise my arms and say, “Hey, don’t look at me. You kicked me.”
Her glare changes into a smile. Then she breaks into a laugh, shaking her head. “That was actually kind of… fun,” she states.
“Really?” I ask.
“Yeah.” She beams at me. “Honestly, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I can’t wait until tomorrow.”
When we clamber out of the janitor’s closet together, she’s still smiling.
Inside, I feel victorious. I’m finally getting through to her.
* * *
It takes three days to get the escape scene right. By the time we finished it everybody but us knew our lines for the next take, and we had to memorize them in a hurry.
We decided to film the next section at Soldier’s house after school. Puppy and Soldier are the only actors needed for the take and Brody’s there for the camera, but I’m tagging along just to see if Pepper can squeeze me in somewhere.
Soldier lives in a pretty big house in the suburbs, but his backyard is tiny compared to what we have on the farm. I can smell something cooking from a grill outside.
“Over here, guys,” Soldier says, and he waves his hand. He’s barbecuing burgers on his dad’s grill for dinner. “You want to eat before or after we start?”
“Let’s practice first,” Pepper suggests, and she nods to Brody. “That way once we eat we can start filming.”
“Fine by me,” Puppy says. Everybody is already in their assigned costumes, mostly leather and jeans to fit the zombie apocalypse theme. Soldier, for an extra effect, is carrying a menacing, yet fake, sword that we borrowed from Wizard, because Wizard is the only guy geeky enough to have something like that (besides me, and I wasn’t going to let anybody know I had one).
Soldier gestures to me and says, “Watch the grill while we’re filming, okay?”
I nod. Pepper’s already barking orders.
“Now remember,” Pepper says. “This is an intense intimidation scene. Soldier, you’re going to need to be really demanding and ready to attack. Puppy, you need to be resistant, unforgiving. Ready, set, action!”
“Lyles!” Puppy roars. “I’ve come back for you!”
I stand back, impressed. For as much resistance that Puppy gave me for being in this movie, she’s actually really good. A natural actress, I’d say.
Soldier turns, amusement on his face. “Ah, young Theophania. I was hoping you would return. I have a favor to ask of you.”
I hold back a small laugh. Soldier’s a really bad actor. But it doesn’t really matter. We’re only doing this movie for fun, and me for practice. Even so, I can’t stop watching.
“Don’t tempt me. Where is the weapon?” Puppy hisses.
As the scene goes on, Puppy’s dialogue draws me in. I can practically smell the charred zombie flesh, see the small back smoke of the battlefield puffing through the air. It’s almost as if something’s burning.
“Do as I say,” Soldier pokes Puppy squarely in the chest, “or else all of your race will be demolished.”
“I’m not giving you any of your demands!” Puppy shouts, standing up to him. They’re so different in height, the shot is nearly comical.
Puppy opens her mouth to say her next line, but instead of, “Now perish you zombie freak!” it comes out as, “Holy crap, the grill’s on fire!”
I turn around and realize the burgers have erupted into three-foot high flames. I jump back with my hands in front of my face and Soldier runs to get the hose.
“No, wait, stop!” I say, but it’s too late. Soldier starts squirting the water out of the hose like a mad fireman. The jet of water hits me, mostly in the face.
I’m dripping, and so is the grill when he’s done. “Fire’s out,” Soldier says with a smile.
I wring out my shirt with a sour expression, totally soaked. It doesn’t help when Brody zooms in on the camera and says, “Excellent. I’m really getting a great take here.”
“Brody, I swear, you’re having a love affair with the camera. Now please, get it out of my face,” I snap.
“Great Raz,” Pepper growls. “Now we have nothing to eat.”
“No biggie, I can just go inside and make more on the stove,” Soldier shrugs.
“No, you’re not,” Pepper says, and she shoves me forward. “Razberry here can walk his butt uptown and get us something, since it’s his fault he almost caught your damn yard on fire.”
Puppy is giggling. She puts her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound.
She thinks I’m funny.
Pepper is glaring at me, but I really don’t care. I’d do it again as long as it made Puppy laugh.
Chapter 3 - The Beginning of a Midsummer’s Nightmare
On my first day of detention, I walk down to the empty classroom after school and take my seat. Goose holds the door open, looking like he wants nothing more than for me to evaporate on the spot. I swear, why do people who hate kids get into teaching them?
When I see Maymee sitting there, too, I try not to act surprised. I take a desk three spots away from her and wait, but it’s obvious that there are no more kids coming. Goose must have picked this little time-out special just for us.
“Half an hour.” Goose points at the clock. “I have an important call to make. I’ll be back.”
Goose goes out the door and I swear he locks it. I stare at the back of Maymee’s head, dread filling up my stomach. Is this his strategy? Locking Makeout Maymee and I in one room and seeing who will come out alive? She and I have our differences, sure, but we aren’t about to claw at ea
ch other. Now if Puppy were in my place instead…
If this is detention, it’s not that bad. Nothing like spending time in a cell.
Five minutes pass in silence. Maymee chews on her nails and I stare at the walls. The unbearable quiet is about to make me crack. I’m forced to say something to stop the ringing in my ears.
“So, what are you in for?” I ask, wondering if she’ll answer.
Maymee turns in her seat. “Too many counts of PDA. Apparently French kissing in the halls is a crime.” She rolls her eyes. “You?”
“I ran away from Goose.” I smirk. “On accident, but I still did it. I guess that was the second offense. The first one was when I called him Miami Vice.”
“Nice.” She cackles. “You know, it’s a really cool idea, you coming up with the movie thing. People are actually excited about it. I’ve never seen our grade so unified.”
“Our study hall class, you mean,” I say.
“Word has gotten around,” she says. “Some people think you’re pretty dumb.”
“Thanks,” I say sourly.
“But not me!” she says quickly. “I mean, I love it! It’s actually a blast. Do you really want to show it to an audience?”
“I don’t know,” I say slowly. “It would be nice, but we’d have to find a place to show it. If we can’t do that we should just send it into a contest or something.”
“Yeah,” she agrees.
She moves down a few desks and says, “I have a question. Will you tell me what happened over the summer with Bethany Cade? I mean, what really happened? All I hear are rumors, and I’d like to hear your side of the story.”
My good mood vanishes. This had been Goose’s strategy. To lock me up with Maymee because he knew she would question the snot out of me until I gave her every last detail or dropped dead from the interrogation. He really is out to get me.
“Nothing happened,” I say cooly. “I was telling the truth.”
“No you weren’t,” she replies. “My bullshit meter is flawless, Raz. I can tell when people are lying, because I’ve done it enough myself.”
She leans forward even more, until she’s sitting on the chair on her knees. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”