Noon Encarnacion:
I feel my face turning red. It goes hot, and I swear, steam is coming off my face. I'm thankful I'm not sweating. Somehow, my face gets even hotter when Nemo grabs my hand.
"You mean a lot to me," Nemo says. "You have been my bestest friend for years, and I can never thank you enough."
As Nemo goes on, I swear I can hear a sizzling sound.
"I know my family isn't much, and I don't know how this will end, but I hope you can give me the chance."
Nemo stops talking and looks at me with his brown eyes. His dark-brown eyes remind me so much of chocolate. I open my mouth to say something, but my mind goes blank. All I can do is look at Nemo, with his face so close to me.
"Noon," Nemo whispers.
"What?"
"Your lines. Say your lines."
"What?"
"Your lines."
"Oh shoot!"
I slap myself on the head, and the whole moment is ruined.
"Cut!"
The director yells from his chair. He sighs before getting up and walking over to me.
"Ovia."
"Uhh, excuse me."
Letting go of my hand, Nemo turns and talks to the director.
"Ovia prefers to go by her nickname. Noon."
"Noon?"
"Yeah. You know. Ovia Afternoon Encarnacion. Afternoon. Noon!"
The director tilts his head as he looks at Nemo. Looking at me, he turns back to Nemo.
"Uhh, okay. Noon."
"Yes?"
"Please, remember your lines."
"Yes. Will do. Sorry for ruining the shoot."
I shoot the director with two thumbs-up and a nod. He nods back and gives me a weak smile.
"Okay. Everyone, turn five!"
The director and the rest of the crew start going on breaks. While the director goes back to talk with some of the other supervisors, crew members run to the snack table, pull out their cell phones, or chat with other crew members.
Sighing and dragging my feet, I walk over to my chair. Falling into the seat, I grab the thick script and start reading again.
"Where is it? Where is it?"
Skimming the lines, my finger sliding across the pages, I hear a voice from behind.
"Our lines are on page 18. Here"
Turning around, I smile when I see Nemo standing behind me. Smiling too, Nemo offers me a bottle of orange juice.
"Thanks."
I take the bottle and twist off the cap. I take a big drink before putting the bottle down and reading my script. While trying to remember my lines, I hear another voice approaching me.
"Do you want some advice?"
Looking up, I see Freddy walking toward me. Smiling and waving when he reaches us, I smile and wave back.
"Hey, Noon."
"Hello, Freddy."
"Hey, Nemo, right?"
"Yeah. Hey. Your name is Freddy. You're also a co-star, like Noon and me."
Leaning forward, Nemo extends his hand. Freddy takes Nemo's hand, and the two shake.
"A pleasure to meet you."
"Same. Anyway, like I said. Noon, do you want some advice on memorizing your lines?"
"Could you?"
"Yes! I've been acting since I was five years old. Of course, back then, I had someone read my lines to me, but I still memorize them."
Letting out a small laugh, I couldn't help but laugh with Freddy.
"Anyway, may I?"
Pointing at something beside me, I turn and see another chair.
"Oh yeah. Go ahead."
"Thank you."
Freddy sits in the chair. He leans toward me and reads some of the lines in my script.
"Okay. The trick to acting and remembering your lines is repetition. You have to repeat your lines over and over."
I open my mouth to say I do that, but Freddy puts up one of his hands, stopping me.
"You have to repeat your lines over and over again, but it also helps to be the person."
"Be the person?"
"Yes. Be the person, and the words will flow naturally. Your character, Tabitha, is a shy girl. She's quiet and reserved when she's around others, but when she's around her childhood friend,"
Freddy turns and looks at Nemo.
"She's really funny, she laughs a lot, and overall, she's just a wonderful person. Right?"
"Yes."
"Well. Then be really funny, laugh a lot, and overall, just be a wonderful person."
"What? I'm not already a wonderful person?"
"No, no, no!"
Freddy leans back with shaking hands. Watching him go from calm to panic in less than a second, I can't help but laugh. As Freddy leans forward and puts his hands down, Emica places her hand on my shoulder.
"Noon, quickly! Behind you."
"What? Hooo!"
Turning my head, I see something flying toward me. Jumping out of the way in time, I watch as the "something", a water balloon, flies past my head. The water balloon hits the floor, and blue paint pours all over the floor.
"Thanks for the head-up," I whisper. I nod at Emica, and she nods back.
"What was that?" The director asks as he runs over to the blue paint.
"Better question," Nemo says. "Who was that?"
Nemo, turning, points at something. I turn to look and see someone in a black jacket hiding behind a display. Getting up from my seat, I charge toward the person. The person sees me and starts running, but before they can get far, my bodyguard appears from the side and grabs them.
"Hey," the person yells. "Let me go. Let me go!"
The person sounds like a girl. She keeps trying to run away, but my bodyguard pulls her toward me. Grabbing and pulling her hood and mask down, I see a young girl with pale skin and short brown hair. She looks about the same age as me, and has amber eyes.
"Uhh. Do I know you?"
"No," the girl growls.
"But I think I do."
"What?"
Turning around, I see Freddy stepping up. I step to the side and let Freddy approach the girl. The girl, seeing Freddy, calms down. She's not shaking and punching my bodyguard's hand anymore.
"Your name is Amber, right?"
"Yes! Freddy. I am so happy you remember me."
Amber smiles, showing Freddy her shining white teeth.
"Amber. What are you doing here?"
"I came here to see you. I read online that you're shooting a new movie here in Boston and came to support you."
"Okay. Thank you, but why throw a balloon filled with blue paint at one of my co-stars?"
Amber's smile vanishes as she turns to look at me. She starts shaking and grinding her teeth, and her amber eyes turn dark red.
"It's because she is a horrible person," Amber answers.
"A horrible person," I repeat. "Excuse me, but what are you talking about? I don't even know you. Have we even met?"
"No, but still. You're a model!"
"So? So what if I'm a model?"
"I know models like you. Stuck-up, selfish, thinking the whole world revolves around you. Well, it doesn't! Freddy deserves to be with someone caring."
"Hey, hey, hey," Nemo says. He grabs me and gently pushes me to the side. "Now, wait a minute. You said you never met Noon. Right?"
"Noon?" Amber laughs. "What kind of name is that?"
"It's a nickname, and if you never met Noon, then you don't get to judge her. Noon is one of the most caring and compassionate people I have ever met!"
I turn away, hoping Nemo doesn't see the smile growing on my face.
"She tricks everyone with respect. She is not stuck-up, she is not selfish, and she does not think the whole world revolves around herself! Now, please get out of here, you crazy stalker!"
Pointing toward the exit, my bodyguard doesn't even wait for me to say anything. He nods and drags Amber away.
"Hey, I am not a crazy stalker! I am just a really big fan! And I am just trying to protect Freddy! Especially after what he did for me!"
"After what he did for me? What?"
I turn to Freddy, who is watching my bodyguard dragging Amber away.
"Freddy. What is she talking about?"
"It's nothing," Freddy answers. Sighing, he grabs my script and gives it back to me. "I'm sorry, Noon, but I'll be right back."
Before I can say anything, Freddy runs away, chasing my bodyguard and Amber. Watching as he pushes open the door and leaves the building, Emica appears beside me.
"What was that about?" she asks.
"I don't know, but I should probably go with him. In case he needs my help."
"Yeah," Nemo says. "I'll go too."
"Shoot!" I think. "I was talking out loud to Emica. I didn't want Nemo to hear."
Grabbing and holding my hand with his hand, Nemo starts pulling me along.
"On the other hand, I'm not complaining."
Nemo and I run out of the studio to go find Freddy.
Don' Yokuna Yokubo:
Opening my eyes, I take a step forward.
"I sense the birth of a new dark spirit. Anger and jealousy. Combined, they can be a fierce weapon."
I tap the floor with my magical staff and start drawing a purple circle. The rune stone in my staff glows with dark magical energy, the energy gathering in the circle before transforming into a large shifting shadow. As my dakura tchingu stands before me, I point at the window.
"Go! Find the hosuto and become one with her!"
I slam my staff down, and my dakura tchingu darts out of my room.
Amber:
Throwing me out and slamming the gate shut, I turn around and yell at the big, dumb bodyguard.
"Well, congratulations on pushing a little girl outside! You earned that four bucks an hour!"
I clap my hands in front of the brute. He lets out a puff of air before turning around and walking away. Clapping until he's gone, I sigh and lower my hands. Turning around, I throw my back against the brick wall and slide down. Slapping myself on the head, I shake it.
"I'm sorry, Freddy. I thought I could help you, like you did for me, but I was wrong."
Slamming my fist against the wall, I raise my head and see a large black void.
"Hello, Amber," a voice echoes. "My name is Don' Yokuna Yokubo, and I want to help you."
"Help me?"
"Yes. Much like that young man, Freddy. I want to help you, too. I can give you special power, but it will cost you."
"You have a deal."