CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Well if you're Ever Lonely you can call on me
And I'll be here for you, all you've got to do is call
Said I'm always waiting here for you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
For so many years I have been your friend
We've been though everything time and time again
But I want you to know that I still believe in you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
You've gotta keep trying even though the road get hard
You've gotta keep going on even thought he broke your heart
And if you ever need a friend I will be here for you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
If you're Ever Lonely you can call on me
And I'll be here for you, all you've got to do is call
Said I'm always waiting here for you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
DREW
Drew had just finished getting ready and was inspecting herself in the mirror. She let her blonde hair fall loose down her back. She figured she might as well enjoy it while it lasted. She dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, suede ankle boots, a long white t-shirt, a blazer, and a scarf carelessly draped around her neck.
Today was the first official table read.
She was grateful that she got a day to rest after landing before she had to meet everyone for the first time. She was still extremely exhausted from jet lag but it was slowly getting better. It didn't help that she wasn't a
morning person on top of it all. The table read was to be held in a conference room of the hotel she was staying in. They would all be staying there until the trailers were ready and all the needed equipment made it
onset. She stopped at the hotel restaurant to grab a coffee to go and, with coffee and script in hand, she headed down the hallway to the conference room.
Her heart raced.
Approaching the conference room, she spied Jason and another man standing outside the door. She could have spotted Jason a mile away. He wore his usual uniform of jeans and a t-shirt, his hair pulled back, and a pair of glasses on his face. He smiled when he saw her. "Drew!"
She hugged him hello. "Hey! How are you?"
"Good," he said, smiling like a kid in a candy store. "You ready to do this?"
She found her nerves causing her to blush. "I don't know if ready is the word I'd use..."
"Oh!" Jason said suddenly. "Drew, this is Gerard Cline, our director. Gerard, this is Andrew Brooks. Our Magdara."
The man--the director--standing beside Jason was handsome. He appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties, at least six feet tall, with short dark hair and blue eyes. He was dressed comfortably in jeans and a black button-down shirt. Gerard shook Drew's hand. "Pleasure to meet you," he said. "I shall enjoy working with you."
Drew swooned at his British accent. She was a sucker for accents. "Uh, call me Drew," she said.
This interaction took place before Drew dropped her script, spilled her coffee on it, and then smashed her head against Gerard's as he tried to help. Jason was next to them, losing his mind. Drew glared at him as
she felt the blood rise in her cheeks. She was completely mortified. This was NOT the first impression she had intended to make.
"I am so sorry!" she said. "I guess now is a bad time to tell you I'm a total klutz."
Gerard was chuckling as he held her script up with two fingers. Drew was relieved that he was at least laughing. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off her boss on the first day. "Well, miraculously, the coffee is still in your hand and none of it landed on either of us. However your script is now in an unfortunate state. It's about time to start anyway. We'll provide you with a fresh one."
Drew followed Gerard in the room with Jason behind her. She heard Jason whisper in her ear, "Well that was real smooth."
She turned around and glared at him once more. "Oh just shut up."
He continued smiling as they sat next to each other at the conference table, Jason to her right and Gerard at the other end at the head of the table. Drew's heart was sinking fast at that loss of her script. She had had that script for months now. Sure it looked tattered but it had basically been her lifeline for this movie. All her pages were marked, sections highlighted, notes scribbled all over. Now here she sat with a fresh script with none of her familiar helpful hints. This day was not starting well. She sipped her now half a cup of coffee, struggling with her internal pouting.
Drew finally looked around the table and it was large and completely full. She knew they were meeting with the director and other key crew members along with the main actors of the movie. She wanted to let it all
sink in but she was so nervous the only thing on her mind was her script. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was her nerves. Maybe she dug in her purse for a highlighter and pen and furiously began re-marking her pages out of sudden shyness and nerves. She had hoped that she would be more comfortable with Jason there since she knew him but it was really no help. As it turned out he already knew Gerard from doing stunts on other films with him, so she felt completely alone. Like the new kid. She hadn't expected to feel this way. This was definitely not her first table read. She had done them for her guest stints on a few television shows. This was, however, her first big movie table read. She guessed it wouldn't be much different but it still didn't help her current neurotic state.
Someone was talking. She should have been listening. Instead, she felt like running out the door and hopping a plane back to Tulsa. Had she bitten off more than she could chew?
"...I generally like to just jump right in," Gerard was saying when she finally turned her attention to what was going on around her. "Some directors like to start with key parts and jump around to get a feel of how
everyone interacts. I prefer to do a dry read of the entire script before we start analyzing. If everyone will turn to the first page in their scripts, we'll begin."
Drew's palms were sweaty again. Magdara started the script! She had to read first? She could barely turn the pages.
The shaking of her hand must have been noticeable, because suddenly Jason lightly took ahold of her wrist and she stopped. "Chill out," he said quietly. "We've done this already. It's no different here than what
we went over in Tulsa. You got this."
She smiled at him, gratefully, and took a deep breath. He was right. She had this. She wouldn't have gotten this role if she didn't.
Drew began to read her lines. The first lines of the script were a spell that Magdara is working on before she is rudely interrupted by one of her minions. She began speaking with the accent she had been working on for a
couple of months, and that Jason had helped her perfect back in Tulsa. Her confidence grew as she read and she was so proud of herself.
Then Gerard suddenly cut her off mid-sentence. "Drew, Drew. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Uh, what is it that you're doing there?"
"Um..." Drew wasn't sure how to answer.
Gerard looked at a couple of the crew members at the table then back at her. "Uh, I don't think we've discussed that quite yet..."
"Um, I'm sorry, I just--I didn't think my normal voice would do the trick so I started messing around and...this is what came out," Drew responded.
"Uh-huh," Gerard said, studying her and nodding. "I don't hate it...go ahead and do this read through that way and I'll decide what I think of it once we've finished."
The relief Drew felt when she heard that was almost debilitating.
The rest of the read went smoothly. It seemed to run for HOURS and this was only the first run-through. Jason was a clown, but also a complete professional. She admired him and his confidence. Gerard wasn't so bad. She could definitely feel the intimidating vibes off of him but he had shown that he wasn't a complete hard-ass so she hoped that working with him wouldn't be too horrible. And she absolutely adored the actors
that were in the scenes with her. They were fun. She had a feeling that this would be a fun experience for her. Or so she hoped.
Several hours--several long hours--later, they broke for lunch. Gerard needed to step outside for a smoke break and he asked Drew and Jason to join him. The three of them stepped outside the door into the foggy,
overcast day. "Welcome to Ireland," Gerard joked as he lit his cigarette. "So, I haven't gotten to see much out of the two of you outside the one reading we just did. But I think this is going to go really well with the two of you in this movie together. Granted you really only have, what, two scenes together? But they're the pinnacles of the movie and they really need to WORK. It looks promising."
Drew was silent and Jason smiled, graciously. "Well thank you," he said.
"So, uh, you two know each other, I presume?" Gerard asked, motioned to them with his cigarette.
Drew smiled deviously. "Jason, here, casually dates my best friend."
For the first time since she's known him, she saw Jason blush. Slicking back his already pulled back hair, he smiled nervously. "Well I don't know if I'd consider it casually dating. I mean, we're close friends..."
Gerard smiled knowingly. "Uh-huh," he said. Then he turned to Drew. "What about you? Who are you casually dating?"
She looked at Jason and smiled. "Yeah, I'm not totally casually dating anyone, per se...I mean, I'm definitely not in a committed relationship or anything. It's complicated."
"Ah," Gerard said, taking a drag. "The obligatory 'it's complicated.' But honestly, is it ever REALLY complicated?"
Drew and Jason glanced at each other and it was clear that that statement had set them both back for a second. Thankfully the moment passed quickly when Drew said, "Well what about you? How long have you been married?"
Gerard laughed as he put out his cigarette. "You assume I'm married. I have never been married, I will never BE married."
This made Drew laugh. She supposed that she was stuck on the stereotype that once you reach a certain age that you were just automatically married. "So what do you have against marriage?"
"I can't say I have anything AGAINST it. It's just not my cup of tea. A relationship shouldn't be defined by a large ceremony and a slip of paper. I don't find it necessary. If you're happy with a person, you're happy with them. Why further complicate things?"
"Well, maybe people just WANT to be married," she suggested.
"Then they may marry each other."
Drew was left without a comeback for that one. To each their own, she guessed.
"At any rate," Gerard continued. "I like where you're going with Magdara. We hadn't really discussed an accent or anything but you've given us something to work with. I'm going to put you with a vocal coach to get
it all worked out. You, too, Jason. I know you're still training and I hate to throw all this extra on you, but you need a vocal coach too. We have a month. It's crunch time."
As Gerard headed back in the building, Jason caught Drew before she went in. "Hey, uh," he said shyly. "Do you--do you think I should have pursued Mel a little more?"
Drew was surprised. This was a side to Jason she had never seen. Where was his usual confidence and zen? Was he actually...human? The thought amused her.
"Were you not already doing that?" Drew asked.
"Um...well, she's got all that going on with Taylor and--I didn't expect us to hit it off like we did, honestly. I mean, forgive me for being harsh but when I saw her I thought she was gonna be a good lay and that was gonna be it. But then--I don't know."
"Jason, what happened in Cabo? I mean, seriously."
"I let her go."
Drew raised her eyebrows at him. "You LET her go?"
"Well, I mean, not necessarily like that. We weren't actually committed or anything. I wasn't begging at her feet or anything like certain other men are. I just--I started to feel things I wasn't ready to feel--and I squashed it before anything else came of it. I told her if I couldn't have all of her I couldn't have her at all."
"You've been discussing a relationship?"
"No...I just kinda out and said it."
Drew sighed, speechless. "Uh, wow," she said. "I had no idea about any of this. Um..."
"She says I changed her life."
"That's the truth," she said.
"And I told her I wasn't in a position to make a commitment to her."
"Aren't you?"
"I didn't lie."
"So...all this happened in Cabo?"
"Fuck no, the non commitment thing happened the first night. But I should have--I should have taken her right there. If I had known I would feel things now and that things would have progressed like they did--"
"Jason," Drew said. "Are--are you--?"
"No!" He said quickly. "No. I guess I just kinda wished I had the opportunity, you know?"
"You did..."
Jason laughed and shook his head. "I never had a chance. Not with Taylor involved. What is it? What is it about him? Why--why is it him? I mean he's married for fuck's sake."
"You said yourself you couldn't have all of her."
"I know. I told her I accepted it, no problem."
"Do you?"
"Again, I don't lie."
"So what's the problem?"
"I--I don't know..."
"You miss her?"
"Yeah, I miss her."
"Look, Tay and Mel are...I mean you and Mel have an amazing connection, don't get me wrong. Eerie, actually, it scares the absolute shit out of Tay. But Tay and Mel are different. They have an extensive
history--"
"Yeah, yeah, teenagers, I know."
"Diapers," Drew corrected.
"Diapers," he repeated.
"They've known each other since they were babies. For literally twenty out of the thirty years of their lives it's been just the two of them. In one context or another."
Jason shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky. "Shit. Maybe I totally blew it. I mean, what do I do now? End our friendship or what?"
"Are you fucking crazy? She needs you. It may be completely platonic but she needs you. She got a fucking tattoo for you. And a tattoo is definitely not a Mel character trait, trust me. But you need to determine what
kind of relationship you want to have with her. And if you can truly accept the fact that her heart is where it is then you just need to leave it alone."
"Cabo was awesome," Jason said.
Drew smiled. "Oh, I know. I saw."
He laughed sheepishly. "I don't mean THAT."
"I know," she said. "Look, I know what you're feeling right now. I think right now you're just caught up in the moment. You're overseas, alone, we just had a conversation about relationships and shit. It's going to be a lonely four months. I truly believe that even if Mel didn't exist you'd be lonely anyway. And look at this damn weather," she said, looking around. "If this doesn't spell out gloom and doom, I don't what does."
Jason laughed. "You're right. You're absolutely right. I do care about her though and I really can't be in a relationship. It sucks to know that she may be the one who got away but everything happens for a reason, right?"
Drew laughed with him. "Don't you worry. You may not be getting Mel exactly as you might want her, but you're not going anywhere either. She's made it very clear across the board that either her friendship with you is accepted or the disgruntled parties can hit the road. I know for a fact she's said this to Tay on several occasions."
He smiled in response.
"Hey, I'm on the same lonely four-month journey as you are. We can keep each other company. I'm a pretty good listener. And we have an entire country to explore--if we ever have the time, that is. We'll find plenty of things to keep us busy and we won't even have to think about anybody back home."
"Until they call."
"I'm not really liking this depressing side of you."
"I'm only human."
"Well stop it. Hey, I brought cards. Do you know how to play poker?" she asked as she headed for the door to the hotel.
He raised his eyebrows. "I know how to play strip poker."
Drew scowled at him. "You're such a pig. I don't see why she puts up with you."
He plastered on a charming smile as he opened the door for her. "She's not exactly innocent, either."
The pair walked in and took their places back at the table. She realized that she was feeling better about her place there. She knew now that she was going to be just fine here in Ireland with this rag-tag melting pot
of actors and artists. She smiled as Gerard began to start the session back up again.
_______________________________________________________
MEL
The next couple of weeks for Mel were interesting. She didn't think she would ever get used to the idea that someone may be lurking in a bush or behind a wall waiting to snap her picture. Taylor hadn't said a word
to her about it and she figured that either meant that he hadn't seen the pictures or he was choosing not to say anything to her. She didn't know how to fathom the new Tay she was witnessing. It was weird. She
appreciated him attempting to keep things platonic with her--it really did help her stress level. But she wasn't sure that was what she wanted. She didn't know how to act with Tay when they weren't constantly arguing about their feelings or passionately defending each other over random things. She didn't know how not to be attached at the hip to him. It was strange.
Taylor really did pick a bad time to decide not to profess his love for her with grand gestures as seemed to be his norm. If anything, it at least kept her busy and on her toes. But now with Drew and Jason in Ireland, and
Tay acting like he had just met her, she was beginning to feel lonely. Sure, she had Ike and Zac to lean on, but who was she kidding? They had their own families and their own lives to lead. She didn't want to intrude. Sure, money bought you large houses and trips to Cabo, but it sure didn't cure loneliness.
So imagine Mel's surprise when she received a phone call around two in the morning that woke her from a dead sleep.
"Mel, hey, meet me at the studio," Taylor said with a rushed tone.
Mel wasn't even awake. "What?" she murmured. "No, I wasn't sleeping or anything."
"I know, I'm sorry. Just meet me there."
"Do you know what time it is?"
"I know and I know this is crazy--"
"Did someone break in?"
"Did someone--no, nothing like that. I just really need you to meet me there. Please."
"Fine," she murmured loudly into her pillow. "Give me, like, I don't know how long, whenever I get there..."
"Don't go back to sleep!"
"OKAY," she said. "I'll be there in a few."
Taylor abruptly terminated the call.
Mel was so aggravated she began murmuring a series of death wishes and four-letter words. She stumbled into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. She had been sleeping so well. She made a mental note to murder Tay and hide the body when she got to 3CG.
At that point, she didn't give a shit how she looked. It was two in the morning. Tay had seen her at her worst. Held her hair while she threw up. Cleaned up tissues she'd blown her nose with. It wouldn't bother him if she wore no eyeliner or concealer. She splashed water on her face and tied her hair carelessly on top of her head. At the moment she only wore a t-shirt and panties, so she chose to throw on a pair of pajama
pants. She didn't care. If he was going to wake her up in the middle of the night with some crazy shit about going to the studio, she was going to be comfortable.
Completing her tacky ensemble with a pair of flip flops and a hoodie, she grabbed a blanket and a pillow and headed out the door. She knew what he wanted. He had done this on several occasions when they were teenagers when he would call her in the middle of the night and asked her--or told her, really--to meet him in his garage. She knew she would be in that studio with him for the rest of the night.
He had a song idea.
_____________________________________________
When she trudged into the back of 3CG and into the studio, Taylor was at the coffee pot. "Goddammit," she murmured.
He took one look at her and laughed. "What the hell is all this about?" He spied her blanket and pillow and the ensemble she sported.
"I know what this is about," she answered, groggily. "I know how this works. I came prepared."
He smiled, genuinely glad she was there. "Coffee?" he offered.
Mel scrunched her nose up at him. "No, I do not want any COFFEE. I'm supposed to be ASLEEP."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Look, I am so glad you came, I just--"
"How long have you been here?" Mel asked, setting her stuff down on the loveseat.
"Um...few hours?"
"Is it that good?"
He nodded excitedly. "I really think it might be."
She loved these moments where they could speak in cryptic sentences to one another and automatically know what the other one was talking about. She plopped herself down on the loveseat and crossed her legs Indian-style. "So why not just call Ike or Zac?"
He looked at her as if she had two heads. "Well, because--uh--because I need you."
Mel returned a look at him, hers was skeptical. "Because they can't write a song..."
"No...because you're my muse."
It was the corniest thing she had ever heard, even aside from the fact that she remembered Isaac telling her the exact same thing in New York. It hadn't sounded so corny then. But something about it coming from Tay...Mel couldn't contain her amusement. "There you go with your flowery vocabulary again."
Tay's expression remained serious. "It may be flowery but it's the truth. I write my best stuff when you're around, you know that."
Mel immediately shut her mouth. She felt ashamed for mocking him. "Okay, then," she said finally. "Lay it on me."
For the next several hours the pair worked on Tay's song. He wasn't kidding, it really was brilliant. At one point she actually did give in and have a cup of coffee, but by then it was too late. She had no idea when she fell asleep. Tay's playing on the piano had become like a lullaby...
_______________________________________________________
ISAAC
Isaac was early to the studio the next morning. He had something he wanted to check up on in the business office before the day had gotten underway. However, he was detoured when he spied Taylor's and Mel's cars
parked out back and curiosity had gotten the best of him. What were THEY doing there that early?
A knot formed in his stomach and he knew this was it. This would be the day--he just never thought he'd actually walk in on them. He never thought ANYONE would, for that matter. They were nothing like Zac and
Drew, who seemingly liked to flaunt their sexual tension whenever the opportunity arose. Tay and Mel were an extremely private pair--they always had been. So why this? Why be so careless?
Slowly and fearfully, Ike opened the door to the studio. A mix of relief and confusion took over him and he could only shake his head and smile at the sight. On the loveseat was Mel, curled up and sleeping soundly.
Across from the loveseat, at the keyboard, sat Tay, feverishly writing on a sheet of paper and plunking out notes.
It was only when Ike cleared his throat that Tay noticed him there. His younger brother looked up at him, eyes bloodshot, hair in a disheveled mess--he looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Tay--what is going on here? Are you okay?"
Tay flashed a boyish grin up at him, despite his currently harried features. "I think I just finished the first song for the new album."
"It's daylight outside. Go home," was Ike's only response.
______________________________________________
Well if you're Ever Lonely you can call on me
And I'll be here for you, all you've got to do is call
Said I'm always waiting here for you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
For so many years I have been your friend
We've been though everything time and time again
But I want you to know that I still believe in you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
You've gotta keep trying even though the road get hard
You've gotta keep going on even thought he broke your heart
And if you ever need a friend I will be here for you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
If you're Ever Lonely you can call on me
And I'll be here for you, all you've got to do is call
Said I'm always waiting here for you
All you've got to do is keep on trying till your call gets through
DREW
Drew had just finished getting ready and was inspecting herself in the mirror. She let her blonde hair fall loose down her back. She figured she might as well enjoy it while it lasted. She dressed in a pair of skinny jeans, suede ankle boots, a long white t-shirt, a blazer, and a scarf carelessly draped around her neck.
Today was the first official table read.
She was grateful that she got a day to rest after landing before she had to meet everyone for the first time. She was still extremely exhausted from jet lag but it was slowly getting better. It didn't help that she wasn't a
morning person on top of it all. The table read was to be held in a conference room of the hotel she was staying in. They would all be staying there until the trailers were ready and all the needed equipment made it
onset. She stopped at the hotel restaurant to grab a coffee to go and, with coffee and script in hand, she headed down the hallway to the conference room.
Her heart raced.
Approaching the conference room, she spied Jason and another man standing outside the door. She could have spotted Jason a mile away. He wore his usual uniform of jeans and a t-shirt, his hair pulled back, and a pair of glasses on his face. He smiled when he saw her. "Drew!"
She hugged him hello. "Hey! How are you?"
"Good," he said, smiling like a kid in a candy store. "You ready to do this?"
She found her nerves causing her to blush. "I don't know if ready is the word I'd use..."
"Oh!" Jason said suddenly. "Drew, this is Gerard Cline, our director. Gerard, this is Andrew Brooks. Our Magdara."
The man--the director--standing beside Jason was handsome. He appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties, at least six feet tall, with short dark hair and blue eyes. He was dressed comfortably in jeans and a black button-down shirt. Gerard shook Drew's hand. "Pleasure to meet you," he said. "I shall enjoy working with you."
Drew swooned at his British accent. She was a sucker for accents. "Uh, call me Drew," she said.
This interaction took place before Drew dropped her script, spilled her coffee on it, and then smashed her head against Gerard's as he tried to help. Jason was next to them, losing his mind. Drew glared at him as
she felt the blood rise in her cheeks. She was completely mortified. This was NOT the first impression she had intended to make.
"I am so sorry!" she said. "I guess now is a bad time to tell you I'm a total klutz."
Gerard was chuckling as he held her script up with two fingers. Drew was relieved that he was at least laughing. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off her boss on the first day. "Well, miraculously, the coffee is still in your hand and none of it landed on either of us. However your script is now in an unfortunate state. It's about time to start anyway. We'll provide you with a fresh one."
Drew followed Gerard in the room with Jason behind her. She heard Jason whisper in her ear, "Well that was real smooth."
She turned around and glared at him once more. "Oh just shut up."
He continued smiling as they sat next to each other at the conference table, Jason to her right and Gerard at the other end at the head of the table. Drew's heart was sinking fast at that loss of her script. She had had that script for months now. Sure it looked tattered but it had basically been her lifeline for this movie. All her pages were marked, sections highlighted, notes scribbled all over. Now here she sat with a fresh script with none of her familiar helpful hints. This day was not starting well. She sipped her now half a cup of coffee, struggling with her internal pouting.
Drew finally looked around the table and it was large and completely full. She knew they were meeting with the director and other key crew members along with the main actors of the movie. She wanted to let it all
sink in but she was so nervous the only thing on her mind was her script. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was her nerves. Maybe she dug in her purse for a highlighter and pen and furiously began re-marking her pages out of sudden shyness and nerves. She had hoped that she would be more comfortable with Jason there since she knew him but it was really no help. As it turned out he already knew Gerard from doing stunts on other films with him, so she felt completely alone. Like the new kid. She hadn't expected to feel this way. This was definitely not her first table read. She had done them for her guest stints on a few television shows. This was, however, her first big movie table read. She guessed it wouldn't be much different but it still didn't help her current neurotic state.
Someone was talking. She should have been listening. Instead, she felt like running out the door and hopping a plane back to Tulsa. Had she bitten off more than she could chew?
"...I generally like to just jump right in," Gerard was saying when she finally turned her attention to what was going on around her. "Some directors like to start with key parts and jump around to get a feel of how
everyone interacts. I prefer to do a dry read of the entire script before we start analyzing. If everyone will turn to the first page in their scripts, we'll begin."
Drew's palms were sweaty again. Magdara started the script! She had to read first? She could barely turn the pages.
The shaking of her hand must have been noticeable, because suddenly Jason lightly took ahold of her wrist and she stopped. "Chill out," he said quietly. "We've done this already. It's no different here than what
we went over in Tulsa. You got this."
She smiled at him, gratefully, and took a deep breath. He was right. She had this. She wouldn't have gotten this role if she didn't.
Drew began to read her lines. The first lines of the script were a spell that Magdara is working on before she is rudely interrupted by one of her minions. She began speaking with the accent she had been working on for a
couple of months, and that Jason had helped her perfect back in Tulsa. Her confidence grew as she read and she was so proud of herself.
Then Gerard suddenly cut her off mid-sentence. "Drew, Drew. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Uh, what is it that you're doing there?"
"Um..." Drew wasn't sure how to answer.
Gerard looked at a couple of the crew members at the table then back at her. "Uh, I don't think we've discussed that quite yet..."
"Um, I'm sorry, I just--I didn't think my normal voice would do the trick so I started messing around and...this is what came out," Drew responded.
"Uh-huh," Gerard said, studying her and nodding. "I don't hate it...go ahead and do this read through that way and I'll decide what I think of it once we've finished."
The relief Drew felt when she heard that was almost debilitating.
The rest of the read went smoothly. It seemed to run for HOURS and this was only the first run-through. Jason was a clown, but also a complete professional. She admired him and his confidence. Gerard wasn't so bad. She could definitely feel the intimidating vibes off of him but he had shown that he wasn't a complete hard-ass so she hoped that working with him wouldn't be too horrible. And she absolutely adored the actors
that were in the scenes with her. They were fun. She had a feeling that this would be a fun experience for her. Or so she hoped.
Several hours--several long hours--later, they broke for lunch. Gerard needed to step outside for a smoke break and he asked Drew and Jason to join him. The three of them stepped outside the door into the foggy,
overcast day. "Welcome to Ireland," Gerard joked as he lit his cigarette. "So, I haven't gotten to see much out of the two of you outside the one reading we just did. But I think this is going to go really well with the two of you in this movie together. Granted you really only have, what, two scenes together? But they're the pinnacles of the movie and they really need to WORK. It looks promising."
Drew was silent and Jason smiled, graciously. "Well thank you," he said.
"So, uh, you two know each other, I presume?" Gerard asked, motioned to them with his cigarette.
Drew smiled deviously. "Jason, here, casually dates my best friend."
For the first time since she's known him, she saw Jason blush. Slicking back his already pulled back hair, he smiled nervously. "Well I don't know if I'd consider it casually dating. I mean, we're close friends..."
Gerard smiled knowingly. "Uh-huh," he said. Then he turned to Drew. "What about you? Who are you casually dating?"
She looked at Jason and smiled. "Yeah, I'm not totally casually dating anyone, per se...I mean, I'm definitely not in a committed relationship or anything. It's complicated."
"Ah," Gerard said, taking a drag. "The obligatory 'it's complicated.' But honestly, is it ever REALLY complicated?"
Drew and Jason glanced at each other and it was clear that that statement had set them both back for a second. Thankfully the moment passed quickly when Drew said, "Well what about you? How long have you been married?"
Gerard laughed as he put out his cigarette. "You assume I'm married. I have never been married, I will never BE married."
This made Drew laugh. She supposed that she was stuck on the stereotype that once you reach a certain age that you were just automatically married. "So what do you have against marriage?"
"I can't say I have anything AGAINST it. It's just not my cup of tea. A relationship shouldn't be defined by a large ceremony and a slip of paper. I don't find it necessary. If you're happy with a person, you're happy with them. Why further complicate things?"
"Well, maybe people just WANT to be married," she suggested.
"Then they may marry each other."
Drew was left without a comeback for that one. To each their own, she guessed.
"At any rate," Gerard continued. "I like where you're going with Magdara. We hadn't really discussed an accent or anything but you've given us something to work with. I'm going to put you with a vocal coach to get
it all worked out. You, too, Jason. I know you're still training and I hate to throw all this extra on you, but you need a vocal coach too. We have a month. It's crunch time."
As Gerard headed back in the building, Jason caught Drew before she went in. "Hey, uh," he said shyly. "Do you--do you think I should have pursued Mel a little more?"
Drew was surprised. This was a side to Jason she had never seen. Where was his usual confidence and zen? Was he actually...human? The thought amused her.
"Were you not already doing that?" Drew asked.
"Um...well, she's got all that going on with Taylor and--I didn't expect us to hit it off like we did, honestly. I mean, forgive me for being harsh but when I saw her I thought she was gonna be a good lay and that was gonna be it. But then--I don't know."
"Jason, what happened in Cabo? I mean, seriously."
"I let her go."
Drew raised her eyebrows at him. "You LET her go?"
"Well, I mean, not necessarily like that. We weren't actually committed or anything. I wasn't begging at her feet or anything like certain other men are. I just--I started to feel things I wasn't ready to feel--and I squashed it before anything else came of it. I told her if I couldn't have all of her I couldn't have her at all."
"You've been discussing a relationship?"
"No...I just kinda out and said it."
Drew sighed, speechless. "Uh, wow," she said. "I had no idea about any of this. Um..."
"She says I changed her life."
"That's the truth," she said.
"And I told her I wasn't in a position to make a commitment to her."
"Aren't you?"
"I didn't lie."
"So...all this happened in Cabo?"
"Fuck no, the non commitment thing happened the first night. But I should have--I should have taken her right there. If I had known I would feel things now and that things would have progressed like they did--"
"Jason," Drew said. "Are--are you--?"
"No!" He said quickly. "No. I guess I just kinda wished I had the opportunity, you know?"
"You did..."
Jason laughed and shook his head. "I never had a chance. Not with Taylor involved. What is it? What is it about him? Why--why is it him? I mean he's married for fuck's sake."
"You said yourself you couldn't have all of her."
"I know. I told her I accepted it, no problem."
"Do you?"
"Again, I don't lie."
"So what's the problem?"
"I--I don't know..."
"You miss her?"
"Yeah, I miss her."
"Look, Tay and Mel are...I mean you and Mel have an amazing connection, don't get me wrong. Eerie, actually, it scares the absolute shit out of Tay. But Tay and Mel are different. They have an extensive
history--"
"Yeah, yeah, teenagers, I know."
"Diapers," Drew corrected.
"Diapers," he repeated.
"They've known each other since they were babies. For literally twenty out of the thirty years of their lives it's been just the two of them. In one context or another."
Jason shoved his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky. "Shit. Maybe I totally blew it. I mean, what do I do now? End our friendship or what?"
"Are you fucking crazy? She needs you. It may be completely platonic but she needs you. She got a fucking tattoo for you. And a tattoo is definitely not a Mel character trait, trust me. But you need to determine what
kind of relationship you want to have with her. And if you can truly accept the fact that her heart is where it is then you just need to leave it alone."
"Cabo was awesome," Jason said.
Drew smiled. "Oh, I know. I saw."
He laughed sheepishly. "I don't mean THAT."
"I know," she said. "Look, I know what you're feeling right now. I think right now you're just caught up in the moment. You're overseas, alone, we just had a conversation about relationships and shit. It's going to be a lonely four months. I truly believe that even if Mel didn't exist you'd be lonely anyway. And look at this damn weather," she said, looking around. "If this doesn't spell out gloom and doom, I don't what does."
Jason laughed. "You're right. You're absolutely right. I do care about her though and I really can't be in a relationship. It sucks to know that she may be the one who got away but everything happens for a reason, right?"
Drew laughed with him. "Don't you worry. You may not be getting Mel exactly as you might want her, but you're not going anywhere either. She's made it very clear across the board that either her friendship with you is accepted or the disgruntled parties can hit the road. I know for a fact she's said this to Tay on several occasions."
He smiled in response.
"Hey, I'm on the same lonely four-month journey as you are. We can keep each other company. I'm a pretty good listener. And we have an entire country to explore--if we ever have the time, that is. We'll find plenty of things to keep us busy and we won't even have to think about anybody back home."
"Until they call."
"I'm not really liking this depressing side of you."
"I'm only human."
"Well stop it. Hey, I brought cards. Do you know how to play poker?" she asked as she headed for the door to the hotel.
He raised his eyebrows. "I know how to play strip poker."
Drew scowled at him. "You're such a pig. I don't see why she puts up with you."
He plastered on a charming smile as he opened the door for her. "She's not exactly innocent, either."
The pair walked in and took their places back at the table. She realized that she was feeling better about her place there. She knew now that she was going to be just fine here in Ireland with this rag-tag melting pot
of actors and artists. She smiled as Gerard began to start the session back up again.
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MEL
The next couple of weeks for Mel were interesting. She didn't think she would ever get used to the idea that someone may be lurking in a bush or behind a wall waiting to snap her picture. Taylor hadn't said a word
to her about it and she figured that either meant that he hadn't seen the pictures or he was choosing not to say anything to her. She didn't know how to fathom the new Tay she was witnessing. It was weird. She
appreciated him attempting to keep things platonic with her--it really did help her stress level. But she wasn't sure that was what she wanted. She didn't know how to act with Tay when they weren't constantly arguing about their feelings or passionately defending each other over random things. She didn't know how not to be attached at the hip to him. It was strange.
Taylor really did pick a bad time to decide not to profess his love for her with grand gestures as seemed to be his norm. If anything, it at least kept her busy and on her toes. But now with Drew and Jason in Ireland, and
Tay acting like he had just met her, she was beginning to feel lonely. Sure, she had Ike and Zac to lean on, but who was she kidding? They had their own families and their own lives to lead. She didn't want to intrude. Sure, money bought you large houses and trips to Cabo, but it sure didn't cure loneliness.
So imagine Mel's surprise when she received a phone call around two in the morning that woke her from a dead sleep.
"Mel, hey, meet me at the studio," Taylor said with a rushed tone.
Mel wasn't even awake. "What?" she murmured. "No, I wasn't sleeping or anything."
"I know, I'm sorry. Just meet me there."
"Do you know what time it is?"
"I know and I know this is crazy--"
"Did someone break in?"
"Did someone--no, nothing like that. I just really need you to meet me there. Please."
"Fine," she murmured loudly into her pillow. "Give me, like, I don't know how long, whenever I get there..."
"Don't go back to sleep!"
"OKAY," she said. "I'll be there in a few."
Taylor abruptly terminated the call.
Mel was so aggravated she began murmuring a series of death wishes and four-letter words. She stumbled into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She was a mess. She had been sleeping so well. She made a mental note to murder Tay and hide the body when she got to 3CG.
At that point, she didn't give a shit how she looked. It was two in the morning. Tay had seen her at her worst. Held her hair while she threw up. Cleaned up tissues she'd blown her nose with. It wouldn't bother him if she wore no eyeliner or concealer. She splashed water on her face and tied her hair carelessly on top of her head. At the moment she only wore a t-shirt and panties, so she chose to throw on a pair of pajama
pants. She didn't care. If he was going to wake her up in the middle of the night with some crazy shit about going to the studio, she was going to be comfortable.
Completing her tacky ensemble with a pair of flip flops and a hoodie, she grabbed a blanket and a pillow and headed out the door. She knew what he wanted. He had done this on several occasions when they were teenagers when he would call her in the middle of the night and asked her--or told her, really--to meet him in his garage. She knew she would be in that studio with him for the rest of the night.
He had a song idea.
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When she trudged into the back of 3CG and into the studio, Taylor was at the coffee pot. "Goddammit," she murmured.
He took one look at her and laughed. "What the hell is all this about?" He spied her blanket and pillow and the ensemble she sported.
"I know what this is about," she answered, groggily. "I know how this works. I came prepared."
He smiled, genuinely glad she was there. "Coffee?" he offered.
Mel scrunched her nose up at him. "No, I do not want any COFFEE. I'm supposed to be ASLEEP."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Look, I am so glad you came, I just--"
"How long have you been here?" Mel asked, setting her stuff down on the loveseat.
"Um...few hours?"
"Is it that good?"
He nodded excitedly. "I really think it might be."
She loved these moments where they could speak in cryptic sentences to one another and automatically know what the other one was talking about. She plopped herself down on the loveseat and crossed her legs Indian-style. "So why not just call Ike or Zac?"
He looked at her as if she had two heads. "Well, because--uh--because I need you."
Mel returned a look at him, hers was skeptical. "Because they can't write a song..."
"No...because you're my muse."
It was the corniest thing she had ever heard, even aside from the fact that she remembered Isaac telling her the exact same thing in New York. It hadn't sounded so corny then. But something about it coming from Tay...Mel couldn't contain her amusement. "There you go with your flowery vocabulary again."
Tay's expression remained serious. "It may be flowery but it's the truth. I write my best stuff when you're around, you know that."
Mel immediately shut her mouth. She felt ashamed for mocking him. "Okay, then," she said finally. "Lay it on me."
For the next several hours the pair worked on Tay's song. He wasn't kidding, it really was brilliant. At one point she actually did give in and have a cup of coffee, but by then it was too late. She had no idea when she fell asleep. Tay's playing on the piano had become like a lullaby...
_______________________________________________________
ISAAC
Isaac was early to the studio the next morning. He had something he wanted to check up on in the business office before the day had gotten underway. However, he was detoured when he spied Taylor's and Mel's cars
parked out back and curiosity had gotten the best of him. What were THEY doing there that early?
A knot formed in his stomach and he knew this was it. This would be the day--he just never thought he'd actually walk in on them. He never thought ANYONE would, for that matter. They were nothing like Zac and
Drew, who seemingly liked to flaunt their sexual tension whenever the opportunity arose. Tay and Mel were an extremely private pair--they always had been. So why this? Why be so careless?
Slowly and fearfully, Ike opened the door to the studio. A mix of relief and confusion took over him and he could only shake his head and smile at the sight. On the loveseat was Mel, curled up and sleeping soundly.
Across from the loveseat, at the keyboard, sat Tay, feverishly writing on a sheet of paper and plunking out notes.
It was only when Ike cleared his throat that Tay noticed him there. His younger brother looked up at him, eyes bloodshot, hair in a disheveled mess--he looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Tay--what is going on here? Are you okay?"
Tay flashed a boyish grin up at him, despite his currently harried features. "I think I just finished the first song for the new album."
"It's daylight outside. Go home," was Ike's only response.
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