<🎧 Song Recommendation: BROWN SKIN GIRL by Blue Ivy, SAINt JHN, Beyoncé, Wizkid>

...

Von was lying comfortably on his bed when his phone buzzed. Just like Sammy, he had also gotten news from Marcus, but unlike the A-list actor, his message was positive.

After reading the short email that got sent to him, a wild smile quickly took over his face.

He locked his phone screen and let out a long breath, knowing that he had completed the first step successfully.

He was officially going to play in a movie!

Von’s first thought was to inform everyone about the good news. He thought hard about who to call first before deciding to dial Emily.

His manager hadn’t believed he would actually get the role over the A-list actor, so Von really wanted to get her genuine reaction right now.

He tapped her contact and switched to a video call.

"Heyy... Did you hear the news?" Von asked with a confident smirk immediately the FaceTime call connected.

On the screen, Emily’s eyes went completely wide. Her hand flew straight to her mouth as she gasped. "Yes, you got the role! I can’t believe it, seriously!" she said with real surprise and uncontainable excitement.

"You should trust me more, eh?" Von chuckled. "I’ve been putting in a lot of work to get this role, so I’ll just say it’s my effort being rewarded."

Emily laughed a bit, her initial shock wearing off into pure pride for her artist.

"Yes, yes, I won’t doubt you anymore. You proved me wrong. Congrats on the role, I’m so proud of you. But... I guess that means you really won’t be back for another three months."

Her voice dropped a little at the end. That also made Von realize the reality of the filming schedule.

"It’s unfortunate really," Von teased lightly. "But are you missing me already?"

"Maybe yes," Emily said quickly with a wry smile. "But it’s not what you think! Max has been a nuisance lately, and you’re the only one who can keep him in check. Naomi is the only one keeping me sane these days."

Von smiled softly. He could easily picture the chaos back at the house without him there to mediate. He comforted her gently.

"You’ll be fine, Em. I’ll warn Max to be careful unless he wants to start paying rent and bills."

"Hehe," Emily laughed at the old joke. But then, her expression grew a bit more serious as her instincts kicked in.

"By the way, that Sammy guy... he might be a good guy to the public, but he isn’t behind closed doors. It must have taken a lot of courage for Leviathan and Marcus to reject him because things might not be easier for them now. Sammy holds grudges."

Von thought about her words for some time. He didn’t know anything about Sammy, and he couldn’t really help it. He won the role fairly.

They resumed their conversation, brushing off the Sammy topic and making jokes about other stuff around the house before Von eventually decided to hang up to call the others and share the news.

***

The production for Perfect Ruins was behind schedule already, hence the table read was meant to take place the very next day.

In the film industry, a table read was the first time the entire cast would sit down in one room and read the script aloud from beginning to end.

It allowed the director to hear the pacing of the dialogues and helped the actors build their initial chemistry before they even stepped in front of a camera.

As early as 9:00 AM, they were all gathered around a massive rectangular table set up in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom.

A light breakfast buffet had been arranged in the corner. The cast mingled quietly, holding paper cups of coffee, buttered bagels, and small fruit plates.

Von had arrived dressed casually in a simple black hoodie. He grabbed a cup of water and slotted himself into an available seat near the middle of the long table.

As he got comfortable, he found interest in the guy sitting by his left side. The man was young, athletic-looking, and had a very outgoing aura.

"Hey man," the guy said, offering a friendly handshake. "I’m Kerry Neville. I’ll be playing Xander in the movie."

Von accepted the handshake. "Nice to meet you. I’m Von Varley. I’ll be playing Aiden."

Kerry’s mouth fell open slightly as he stared at Von’s face closer. "I knew you looked familiar! You’re Von? Like... the musician?"

"Yeah, I guess," Von chuckled at the sudden recognition.

"Man, that’s wild," Kerry said, leaning back in his chair in disbelief. "I have your song on my workout playlist. I had absolutely no idea you were into acting too. This is your first movie?"

"Yeah, it is," Von nodded, and they continued talking cheerfully for a while.

After conversation filled the room for a few more minutes, Marcus and his core staff arrived. They were made up of his assistant, the lead cinematographer, the sound mixer, the set designer, and the script supervisor.

They took their designated seats at the head of the long table. The room immediately grew quiet as the director’s presence commanded attention.

"Good morning, everyone," Marcus greeted them. "As most of you know, we are a bit behind schedule so we’ll start shooting from tomorrow. But for today, it will just be the script reading."

Everyone already had their printed scripts placed before them on the table, alongside highlighters and pens.

Marcus took a moment to explain some stuff to them, detailing exactly what he wanted.

"During this read, I want you to project your voices. You must use the script in front of you... So don’t touch your phones, and do not rely on your memory even if you think you know the lines. Read the words on the page. I want to hear the rhythm."

Once everything was in check and the actors had opened their binders, he signaled to his assistant sitting to his right, and she began the script reading.

"Perfect Ruins. Screenplay by Marcus Burglewater. Based on Book 1 of the Perfect Trilogy by Griffin Jacobs. Directed by Marcus Burglewater."

She listed the remaining credits briefly before setting the tone for the very first scene of the movie.

"Act One. Scene One. Interior. Xander’s Bedroom. Morning."

The room went silent as everyone tuned in.

"Camila and her boyfriend, Xander, are tangled in the sheets of a bed. The morning sun bleeds through the blinds. They have just finished making love. Camila sits up, pulling the sheet over her chest."

Across the table, Chloe looked down at her binder and entered character.

"I can’t stay. I have to leave for college soon..." she spoke with a hesitant voice.

Next to Von, Kerry immediately picked up his cue, speaking with a possessive edge.

"Do you really have to go?... I’m going to miss you, Camila."

"I’ll miss you, too."

"But hey. Don’t do anything funny when you get to that campus. Don’t go wayward on me. You know how I get."

"...I’m yours. Don’t you trust me?"

The assistant continued the narration flawlessly.

"Xander stares without answering the question. Camila breaks the eye contact with a sigh and slides out of the bed."

Chloe read her final line for the scene. "I’m going to take a bath and prepare."

"Scene Two... Interior. Xander’s Car..."

***

It took a full four hours for them to be done with reading the script from the first page to the last.

They had a few short rest periods in between to use the restroom and stretch their legs, but it was still a somewhat exhausting process.

Reading with intense emotion while sitting perfectly still drained the actors mentally.

"So... That’s a wrap," Marcus said with a satisfied smile after closing his own script.

He looked around the table, making eye contact with his tired cast. He decided to give them some final advice.

"You all did excellently. Now that you have the rhythm, we will begin shooting tomorrow. Your call sheets will be placed under your room doors this evening to inform you of exactly when you’ll be filming. Pay attention to it. Some of you might be up as early as 4:00 AM for makeup."

He packed up his notes and stood up. "Take this afternoon to get to know each other if you want, or just choose to retire to your rooms. Get some rest."

After Marcus and his core crew left the ballroom, the atmosphere finally relaxed.

Von had already clasped Kerry’s hands, saying a quick goodbye, and was already getting up from his chair when he saw Harry and Sofie walking over to him.

"Von!" Sofie hugged him slightly with a bright, energetic smile. "You got the role, congrats!!"

"Thanks," Von smiled back warmly.

Harry offered him a firm handshake and turned to look at Sofie proudly. "You see, I told you... I was never in doubt."

Sofie pushed him away playfully and huffed, turning to face Von herself. "So how are you feeling ahead of your first act? I mean, it’s your first movie and all. I was a bit nervous in my time."

"Hmm, I don’t think nervous is the word," Von replied honestly, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets. "I’m more excited than anything... I’m excited to do something great. What about you? Any struggles?"

"Me? No," Sofie denied immediately with a wave of her hand. "At first, I thought I wouldn’t master my script on time, but courtesy of the quarantine extension, I’ve crammed everything now. I’m totally ready."

Harry soon joined in the conversation, and they chatted for some time, sharing lighthearted jokes about the long reading session.

A few minutes later, Chloe appeared, walking gracefully toward their little group.

"Miss Chloe, what a pleasure it is to see you," Harry greeted with his respectable aura.

"Chloe! How’re you doing?" Sofie asked.

Chloe greeted both of them with a wide, polite smile on her face. "

I’m doing really fine. Nice to meet you too... But can I please borrow Mr Ja— him for a time. "I could wait until you guys are done."

Sofie and Harry looked at each other with a knowing smile.

"Nah, we’ve talked enough already," Sofie said with a cheerful smile. "I even wanted to go around to greet the others anyway. You guys should have fun."