Herophine A tale of two

Chapter 1

Jo's POV

'Have you got everything you need?' Katherine yells upstairs.

'Yes, I have checked and rechecked 3 times now, stop making me nervous'. I shout back slightly irratated.

'I just want to help, I know this is a big deal. You're first lead role. I am super excited for you! My little sister, star of the movie'. Katherine squeals.

'I'm not a star yet, thank you but I am already freaking out here so maybe just hide your enthusiasm and keep me calm until the airport, please?'.

'Sure thing, right go say bye to Mum and Dad and we can get going'.

Right on cue my Mum amd Dad enter the room and hug me so tight I think I may have a few cracked ribs.

'Baby we are so proud of you. Be safe and knock them dead.' My dad says, looking at me with adoring eyes.

'I will Dad, I will call once I arrive and check in' I reply.

'Jojo, you have nothing to worry about. This role was made for you and you will have so much fun. Enjoy it sweetheart.'

'Thanks Mum, I will speak to you later. I love you both' I shout as I'm heading through the door with my carry on bag thrown over my shoulder.

Today is the day. Today I fly to Atlanta to prep for filming which starts in a week and my god I am feeling nauseous. It may be a week until we start shooting but it will be anything but quiet, I have meetings with my new costars, the crew and then rehearsals on top of that. My sister is driving me to the airport which I'm sure was planned as an opportunity to give me one last pep talk about how amazing I am going to be blah blah blah. I love her support but I feel more nervous as the drive goes on, I wish we could talk about anything other than my new role just to make me feel a little normal. I already know I will overthink everything during my long flight so I need a distraction. After a few miles of Katherine rambling on, none of which I really heard I see the airport signs, relief floods me. Finally, I can check in and find a quiet spot somewhere to fill my ears with music, no thinking, just people watching with an iced coffee. Perfect!

Before I know it the plane is boarding. I find my seat, buckle up and get comfortable for the flight ahead. The seats are comfortable, plenty of space which makes the trip so much more enjoyable. I browse the on flight magazine, laughing at the overpriced items and cheesy adverts. Before I know it I am engrossed in the movie they are playing, Twilight. I've seen it before but anyone would think differently if they saw my face whilst I'm consumed by the story unravelling before me. I'm a sucker for a romance. That is why 'After' appealed to me, although I was auditioning for a smaller role, when my agent called asking me to meet up to discuss playing the lead of Tessa I nearly dropped on the spot. I couldn't believe they wanted me to try for the lead role but I was absolutely ecstatic and couldn't wait to re audition. The day I got the call confirming I got the part I was down at the beach with my friends, enjoying a bbq watching the sunset as we often did. I couldn't believe the news, I screamed down the line and run into the sea whilst dancing around like a lunatic, they wanted me to play Tessa. A character I fell in love with when reading the Anna Todd series on Wattpad. I was instructed not to disclose my role until Anna confirmed it on social media to the Afternators. I had landed my first lead and I wanted to have it written in the sky for everyone to see but I did as asked and remained quiet until it was announced. My phone had not stopped, it was overwhelming, I knew that After had a massive fan base and I wanted the fans to like me, hopefully I could bring Tessa to life and they would all approve but the attention I was receiving already made this all the more nerve racking. I saw the announcements of the cast, one by one I studied them. I'd never met any of them previously and was extremely nervous to be meeting everyone. I'm not a shy girl but I can be quite reserved which sometimes makes meeting new people difficult. I have my friends who I have known for years, my safe place was with them and I kept a low profile in order to remain as grounded as possible.