Unscripted. (H.S.)

06

Penelope Atwoods

"Harry and Timmy in the same day?!" Sarah exclaimed, "you know how many girls would die to be you right now?"

"Harry forced me," I laughed, shaking my head as we walked to the studio together. "So that doesn't really count."

"Okay, well, look at this." Sarah opened her bag, she kept walking but pulled out a newspaper and flicked through a couple pages before passing it over to me.

The title read 'Filming Goes Underway' and there was a whole paragraph about the cast and what the film is rumoured to be about. They said it's the most anticipated film of the year, and then came a paragraph I didn't expect to read. They said I was expected to be the new Hollywood it girl, and apparently have the Hollywood three wrapped around my finger.

That couldn't be further from the truth, Harry practically hates me, I've never said a word to Bindy, and I'm not sure how to feel about Timmy. He's too forward and Harry thinks he's using me, not that I trust Harry, but I'd die of humiliation.

They wrote about my previous work as an actress and how I won an Emmy, for the Glass Jar film I was last in. Harry probably doesn't even know that, I'd don't suppose he's even given my name a second thought besides that I'm not shit over here and that his friend was trying to get in my pants.

Handing Sarah back her article, I shook my head and told her it was ridiculous. There's no way in hell I could ever become the new it girl, not when I'm working in a film with both Bondy and Harry. They overrule everyone, and it's supposed to be me who is the lead.

Unfortunately that happens to women all the time, there's no such thing as a leading female when there's a man in a role opposite her, even if he's not the person the film is centred around. Betty is the main character, George is her love interest yet because Harry is playing George, people will just assume he's the lead and that the film is centred around him.

It's a weird industry to work in, a very rewarding one, yet one that needs too much change. The way men are valued more to the industry than anybody else is just something people have been accepting for too long and it needs to change. Especially when half of the famous male actors aren't even that great at their job, they just have pretty faces and a whole lot of attitude.

Not that I'm talking about any group in particular.

I went straight to my dressing room when we arrived at the studio and changed into today's costume. The hair and make-up ladies got me ready really quickly and I had a good fifteen minutes before I was actually needed on set therefore decided to wander out the back for a cigarette before today's filming goes underway.

The fire exit door didn't slam shut behind me like usual though, it took an extra couple of seconds before causing the usual bang to echo between buildings, but I failed to even bat an eyelid until I went to place my cigarette between my lips and it was snatched right from my hands.

"You read that newspaper?" Harry asked, his hair slicked back and his very own costume of a navy pair of high waisted trousers and a white polo shirt which was very well fitted. "Okay, not talking to me sunshine? What about our truce?"

"I read the paper." I bluntly replied, stealing my own cigarette back to take a drag from, and hopefully prevent him from taking it back again.

"Knew I'd make you famous." He smiled to himself, reaching for my cigarette, however I pulled it back and took a few steps away when the words that left his mouth finally processed in my mind.

Of course, my success is discredited because I'm playing a role opposite Harry Styles, and he doesn't fail to discredit it himself. He believes he is the sole reason my name is in that newspaper, rather than the fact the producers genuinely made it public that I was a decent enough actress to be granted the lead role. God forbid a woman builds her own empire though right?