Starlight Chronicles: Rise to Hollywood

"What is that sound?" Ethan groaned as he scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

He raised his back off the bed as he glanced at his buzzing phone. Without much thought he grabbed his phone, seeing it was Riley calling.

"Hey man–"

"Ethan! Man! You have to be on set today! Are you there?!"

Ethan rubbed his face, still groggy, squinting at the phone screen like it was some foreign object. "What time is it?" His voice was thick with sleep.

"Bro, it's already 10 AM!" Riley nearly shouted on the other end. "They're expecting you. Get your ass in gear!"

Ethan cursed under his breath, scrambling to sit up. "Shit, I overslept. I—" He glanced at the mess around him. His room was a disaster, a few dirty clothes scattered across the floor.

"Forget the mess, dude. Just get here! They're already setting up the first scene without you." Riley's voice was frantic, making Ethan feel the pressure.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Chill!" He quickly hung up, tossing his phone on the bed and running a hand through his hair.

A flash of panic hit him, and he shoved his feet into his sneakers, barely thinking as he rushed out the door. As soon as his foot hit the pavement, he started running—his mind already half on the role he had to play, the lines he had to nail.

Riley was right. There was no time to waste. The clock was ticking.

Ethan pushed through the door of his building, eyes still blurry, heart racing. His phone buzzed again—Riley, no doubt. He didn't answer. He had no time for that.

He ran down the street, dodging people like he was in a race, his thoughts scattered. He'd barely gotten any sleep the night before, trying to memorize his lines, but all of it felt like a blur now. This was it—his shot at something bigger than just the waiter job. Something bigger than all the rejection.

The bus he needed to catch zoomed past him, and Ethan cursed again. "Damn it," he muttered, pushing harder. He wasn't waiting for another one. He turned the corner and sprinted, breath getting shorter, lungs burning. Every step was his head finishing at how badly he wanted this.

When he finally reached the set, the buzz of the crew prepping and setting up the lights hit him like a wall. He slowed to a stop, panting, and took a moment to catch his breath.

A PA saw him and waved. "You made it. You're late, but we're just about to start."

Ethan barely nodded, still winded, and followed her toward the set, his head already spinning. He had no idea if he was ready for this. His heart was still pounding from the run, but this was his shot—he couldn't screw it up now.

Ethan stepped onto the set, the bright lights and organized chaos swallowing him whole. Cameras were being adjusted, crew members darted around, and actors already in costume stood chatting by the craft table. Everything felt too big, too overwhelming.

"Ethan!" Riley called out, jogging over, his clipboard tucked under one arm. "Thank God. They're about to rehearse the big scene. Did you even look at the script last night?"

"I did," Ethan lied, his voice hoarse from the run.

Riley gave him a look that screamed I don't believe you, but there was no time to argue. He shoved a crumpled piece of paper into Ethan's hand. "Scene eight. You're supposed to be in the background, and at the ending shot of the scene."

Ethan sighed and opened the paper, Riley was right, he indeed had to be at the ending shot of scene eight, this must have been a last minute change because this wasn't in the scene he was shooting.

Ethan groaned and glanced at the director Michael who was having a conversation with an actress he recognizes at the get to go. Sarah Blankett, the 31 year old actress with striking green eyes and beautiful features.

Ethan couldn't help but be surprised that Sarah Blankett was in this movie. She had been extremely popular child actress in the early 2000s for her role in MoonLight Studio, the most popular and dominating "children" oriented Studios to ever exist, but after her drug scandal, along with her connections to the most scandalous man in Hollywood known to the public– Hugo, she fell of the map for a good bit.

To think that she was in this movie had Ethan a little anxious because of her scandals and a little excited because he had been a fan of hers during her MoonLight era.

As he was lost in thought he heard a voice, "Evan, come come," Michael called out.

Ethan jolted out of his thoughts and came towards the director with Sarah Blankett standing in front of him.

"It's, uhm, it's actually Ethan," Ethan muttered.

"Eren, meet Sara," Michael said while scratching his beard.

Sarah gave an uncomfortable smile at Ethan, "It's Sarah, Michael," she told him. "He has a bad memory," she told Ethan, not bothering to look at him.

It was very clear, Sarah did not want his presence here.

"Ivan, we're gonna be shooting your scene today, I know we said you only have one important scene but the scriptwriters made a few adjustments, you have a few other scenes that'll help drive the plot, we need to have more presence before the big scene," Michael explained.

Sarah gave him a once over, "He's playing Eliot?" She spoke. "I was told the character is supposed to be attractive."

"Well get over it," Michael gruffed, obviously having very little fucks to give. "Now, Eva, your scene today has no dialogues, you're face we'll be well shown at the end of the scene and since your expression is closing the scene we need a damn good depressed look from you, you need to be sadder than my wife when I get back from work, can you do?"

Ethan opened his mouth to speak but Michael cut him off, "Of course you can," Michael scratched his beard. "Jennifer, get my lucky bagel on standby. I have a feeling about my luck today! It's gonna be no cuts today!"