It's Magic --- PART II - Chapter 18

The shooting. The closure. The jealousy.

Chapter 18

 

        The sixteenth day of shooting is such a big break to all of us, as we don’t shoot any scenes at all, but we will do pictorials the whole day to be used as promotional posters and trailer slides. Yeah, of course, movies have trailers for a good start and boost of popularity, and to gather viewers’ attention as well.

        As the major characters, Hannah, I, Travis and Lawrence have more shoots and pictures than the minor characters.

        We do the pictorials in which almost all of my takes are the usual contravida looks - the deep, dark eyes, the lips of despair, and the scenic angles of an antagonist.

        Well, let me describe some of the shoots that really got my eyes.

        The first and foremost, the movie’s cover, in which Hannah and Travis greatly occupies the central part, their position indicates dancing �" face-to-face, Hannah, in a white dress on the right side and Travis, in a white clothing on the left side. Travis holds one of Hannah’s hand with his, as her other one is on Travis’ shoulder, and in these conjoined hands is a stem of a fresh white rose that seems to grow which their eyes pin themselves on with faces that speaks of smiles.

        Seeing this cover reminds me of Kevin and me �" the way we are �" so I smile as I look.

        But then the interference of Lawrence and my character adds to the beauty and meaning of the cover. Behind Travis, (as they are in a side-view) to the left, is me, back  against him, holding another stem of fresh white rose that merely falls but in a contravida state, frowning, face still, looking down, and dark eyes. And Lawrence is behind Hannah, back against her as well, brightly smiling in contrast to my face gesture and he also holds another stem of fresh white rose but in a playful way that he holds it on his chest.

        The background is only simple, but very powerful. It features the contrast of red to pink upwards, the hue beautifully influencing our skin tones, and a very big stem of red rose to the right, in line with our chests, as the cover features only halves of our bodies. The stem begins from me, and the blooming flower is at the extension of the end to the right, which slightly tilts upward. And the background also features falling white petals scattered around the spaces, which hues contemplates with the color contrast.

        One phrase to fully describe the cover: Beautiful and Powerful. And if well analyzed, this cover brings up the principle of negativity and positivity.

        There’s also this one picture which features Hannah and Travis’ characters on a lawn of colorful roses �" red, white and pink. Hannah, in a white formal dress lays sideways, one arm bends ‘v’ as her hand supports her head that tilts to the side �" behind her, and her other arm bents graciously, the hand holding a stem of fresh white rose and the flower touches her lips.

        Travis, then, is behind her, an arm unseen, but presumably supporting his upper body as his upper torso and his head are elevated higher than Hannah. He’s in a white polo and white pants, too, and they will really kiss lips-to-lips, as both their eyes are closed, if it isn’t because of the rose between their lips.

        The background is very simple, as there are no effects used in taking the picture.

        If this is shot in video, this scene may seem sensual /slash/ sexual if their position is considered, but this is a picture, a portrait, so malice couldn’t lead to an issue.

        There is also one picture featuring me, in a dark purple dress and Lawrence, in a light brown. We are on the same lawn of roses, but we are both standing and in a dancing position, like Hannah and Travis’ take from the cover, although in an inverse manner. Lawrence is in the right and I’m on the left. But the fresh white flower is not from our linked hands, rather from my mouth as I gently bite the stem with my lips. Well, Kevin helped me with that, as he already laid-out the scene by drawing before. The picture’s taken from an upper angle anyway.

        There is also a picture that features me and Hannah as rivals. Well, the scenery is well-prepared �" a lawn of grouped roses. To my side is a bundle of blooming dark roses �" dark blue, purple, dark red, orange, and even black. To Hannah’s side is a bundle of blooming light roses �" bright red, pink, light blue, yellow, and white.

        Our position is: our knees bend in a fashionable manner, we lean our backs against each other side-by-side �" me, on my roses; Hannah, on her roses. And our facial gestures contrast each other. If I have that contravida looks, she has her innocent looks and good features.

        Oh well, I guess I have relayed too much detail that I am much of a spoiler already!

 

        The day ends with us exhausted! Of course, each shoot have many takes �" different angles, different approaches �" until we get the perfect shot. And there are not just five pictures to shoot, as I’ve discussed only a few with you, if you think those were all.

        It’s now evening, and we are all still in the same hotel we slept on last night �" as we will still spend the night here, again.

        I lean on the sliding panel beside me, facing the darkness ahead, as I have nothing to do but just be alone.

        “Are you alone?” He speaks in a formal manner.

        I turn to look at the boy behind me, and it’s not Kevin.

        “Oh, Lawrence…” I gasp.

        “Isn’t Kevin with you?” He asks bluntly.

        And hearing that question seems to give me puzzles in my head that I’m quite irritated.

        “Do you mean something?”

        “Of course not.” He says. “Well you know, I’m just used to seeing you always together.”

        “Oh?” I say as my face brightens and then he smiles.

        I turn back to face the darkness ahead again, and silence follows.

        “Kevin is so special to you, isn’t he?” he asks which really catches my attention.

        And I can’t hesitate. Because I know that Lawrence knows. “How did you know?”

        “I just know.” He says then smirks. “Well, if anybody would just take some time and look at both of you, I’m sure they would know.”

        “Oh…” I gasp, and I think I blush.

        “And Mylene must had took so much time that I’m sure she also knows that.” He says. And it reminds me of Mylene. Well, nothing much happens between the both of us since the seventh day of shooting except that we both express our anger when we’re shooting some violent scenes together to cover-up. Aside from that, nothing else happened and we don’t even talk off-screen. But her vicious looks whenever I’m around seems to be the natural thing that she wears, commonly. Back to the conversation, please…

        “What? You know that?” I exclaim. And he silently answers with a nod.

        “I know that Kevin is the root of your feud, Kate �" because you’re rivals to him.”

        And I am shocked that I am rendered speechless. Lawrence is very smart �" no, intelligent, indeed.

        “Did you also know that through analyzing, Lawrence?” I ask, to change the topic.

        “Nope.” He says. “Then how?” I ask again.

        “We’ve been talking about that recently.” Lawrence and Mylene are good friends after all.

        “And she always states how much she loves Kevin, how much she wants to be with Kevin and just make him love her, how much hurt she takes whenever she sees both of you together.” And when my mouth drops open to speak, he interferes by continuing… “But don’t worry, I’m trying my best to comfort her, to make her realize that there’s more to the world, not just Kevin.” Well, what are friends for? A streak of silence follows then.

        And I break it by saying, “You know, Lawrence… I’m sure I know how Mylene feels.”

        “How?” he asks with raised eyebrows.

        “Because I’ve been through that before…” I say, and my thoughts about Ron recede. “I know the feeling of wanting to be with the one you love yet you can’t do anything because you don’t have anything to start with but just a material to serve as connection.”

        “Do… you mean something, Kate?”

        “Yes. I mean my first love.” I say. “I know that we are friends for already long but there’s something that I haven’t told you about my past yet.”

        “Well, I’d like to hear about that.” He says.

        “Come with me…” Then I walk towards the tree that I lied with Kevin last night. And he readily follows.

        We both take our positions, facing each other crouched on the ground. I then draw out my pendant to start explaining.

        “Here’s the pendant he gave me many years ago, to begin with…” and I told him everything from the start. I told him about Ron, his promise and our remembrances. I told him about that day at school which I tried to find some of his resemblances with Ron.

        All the while he is just quiet and maybe analyzing. But he listens to me well. And I know that he understands it little by little. Of course, he would.

        “Well, that crazy dream ended one day when someone of Ron’s great resemblance came into my life, who made me slowly realize that there is more to the world than Ron �" that there is Kevin who exists which is real and not a living dream.” I say, merely ending my story, and silence takes over.

        After a while, he begins again. “So… now, what is your plan?”

        I don’t get his point at the first place so I ask, “huh?”

        “I mean, what if Ron comes back?” he asks, and I am silenced. Even I don’t know how to answer that question.

        “Well, I don’t know. If he comes back, then he’s just back.” I say. “I will… �" be his friend once again, since we were never lovers from the start, right?”

        “Oh…” Lawrence gasps.

        “And if he comes back right now… we’ll see what will happen then…” I say again. “But I know that he’s not coming back anymore, so why still think of that now?”

        “You have a point, Kate.” He says. “But you should really think about that, because we never know the twists and turns of fate.”

        And I look down with that as I gasp, “Yeah…” because I understand.

        Well, I quickly counter with, “Well, hello? It’s been almost eight years and he must have forgotten me by now. We were still children back then anyway and I may have been the only one who brought our promises to term.”

        “Well, it’s up to you.” He says.

        “Yeah…” I gasp, and quickly come up with another topic. “Well, oh, about Mylene. I just notice that she had not been antagonizing me lately…”

        “Oh, that’s good to know.” He says plainly, and something lingers inside my thoughts.

        And I let my mouth speak what I have in my mind for quite a while. “Are you involved with this, anyway? You know, I think you spoke to her for the sake of the production �"”

        “Oh, yeah. I did. But not just because of the production.” He says. “It’s also because you’re both my friends and the three of us �" no, four �" bring Kevin with us �" are used to be very close friends with no broken connections back then, even just for a little time”

        And I am silenced. So Lawrence has been doing us a favor passively.

        “I’m just trying to patch up things and bring back the old us.” He says. “Especially when I see you once after she changed, before we went to shoot… do you remember when you looked desperate trying to get in touch with her when she seems to care less nor mind you at all?”

        And I remember that. So I nod.

        “Seeing you desperate makes me feel bad. I don’t want any of my friends to… you know… look so stupid yet still get ignored. But through that you showed me your motivation, perseverance and strong will that I was inspired.”

        “Inspired?” I ask with a playfully raised one eyebrow.

        “Yeah, and that motivated me to help you. Well, I know that you really want us four to be the same as we are before, am I right?”

        “Yeah…” I say, and a quick silence follows yet still not destroying our eye-to-eye contact.

        “Well, I also miss those times when the four of us are really close.” He says again. “Now we can’t do that, because Mylene doesn’t want you around �" and I know that you feel uneasy whenever she’s around, too. And if I go with either you and Kevin or her and Kevin, I will be the one left out.”

        “Left out? Why?” I ask because I don’t seem to get his point.

        “Yeah, because to both of you, girls, Kevin is someone special. Very special” He says with a serious tone which seems to touch me. Maybe he’s sulking? “And what about me? I’m just a mere friend, and as a person I do have pride, so I hate being ignored, too �" honestly speaking.”

        It makes me smile. At least Lawrence and I are getting closer this time. Well, see that? He’s not just sharing right now, he is opening up! And that’s better.

        Silence takes over us, he just looks down, and I just keep on staring at him, preparing a smile. But then, silence must be taking too long that I voiced out, “Lawrence, are you sulking?”

        He immediately raises his head, maybe to deny, but before he could, I seal his lips with my finger, pull him against me and hug him really tight.

        I know that I already have someone special, but I should not really forget the people around me who can be more than friends, like Lawrence.

        When I move to let go, his grip tightens and pulls me closer which states that he wants more, so I hug him back once again, until I finally feel that he lets go.

        “Well, I guess I’ve said too much this day, Kate. I think I have to go upstairs. I’m sleepy.” He says as he yawns, and I laugh a little as I state. “Do you count the words you say each day?”

        He just smiles, stands up and whispers, “Good night, sweet dreams…” before finally going back �" running, to be exact inside and upstairs to his room. Well, I think I should also head back to my room. But before that, I whisper a silent “thank you…” for being such a good friend.

        Before I go inside, I feel like someone’s stalking me, and when I go through the panel in a rushing manner, to catch that stalker, I see Kevin beside, on the shadowy part of the panel.