Falling For The Co-Star

Toughen Up Girlie

I'm awakened by the pounding on my front door and yelling coming from the other side of it. My eyes open and I squint as my head hurts. I yell out "I'm coming!" As I try to rush to the front door. The door bursts open pretty fast after I unlock it and I'm greeted by a breathless Dawn who gives me the biggest hug I've ever received... well since my parents died.

The door closes and she drags me to the couch before she inspects me from head to toe. "What has been going on? Been trying to get a hold of you all weekend and I was really worried when I heard you'd phoned in taking time off." She blurts out without stopping for a moment to breathe. "I just didn't want to be around pricks. So, I called in to rake personal time off work. It was also the anniversary of my parents death." I look down, picking at my pyjamas. "Who's being a prick?" Fidgeting with my fingers, trying to give myself something to focus on. "Just certain individuals." She stands up. "Right I'm going to brew up some strong coffee and prep some food for you as you look like you need feeding. Go get ready and be quick." I hear her insist for me to do. I sigh. "I don't know if I want to leave here." Dawn comes back to me and pulls me up by my hands. "Go, get ready. Then once you're ready, you're gonna tell me everything that you're not already telling me." I slowly walk to my bedroom and get ready.
I'm wandering back into the living room and Dawn takes one look at me, beckons me over to the couch. I end up telling her everything that has happened. "What the heck is wrong with them both?! Right, listen to me girly. You're gonna come to work with me and I won't take no for an answer. You're gonna put Donnie straight for once. You didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault that he keeps assuming things and had no right in saying what he said to you. Then we'll sort out Carl." I drink my coffee and eat my toast.
After being dragged to work by Dawn, I'm sitting in my dressing room getting my makeup done by the makeup artist. Dawn comes to check on me. "Ahh stunning my friend. You okay?" I nod with a tight smile. Thankfully I haven't seen Donnie yet. I know that I have a scene on my own so I don't have to see him right now. "I look more alive than I have done all weekend." I joke. The makeup artist has worked wonders on me and I thank her wholeheartedly.

Dawn walks with me to the set as it's all studio based filming today. She stays nearby as she knows I'm a little worse for wear. The next few hours are spent me filming and having to re-film certain scenes due to my terrible acting. I'm feeling quite worn out by the end of the morning.
Dawn takes me to grab some dinner at a local cafe place and there we just recharge our batteries. She reminds me that the scenes that I have this afternoon are with Donnie and my heart sinks. I really don't know what to expect. I just need to focus on the job and not think about anything else including the hurtful things he said to me, and about my parents.
"Hey Dawn. Gabrielle. How are you doing?" He asks but his focus is on Dawn so I just glance around, waiting for the crew to tell me what is next.

One of them beckons me to go over to them so I walk away from Dawn and Donnie to speak to the crew member. The stylist checks my hair as I'm waiting for the filming to begin. Finally it starts and just as I thought it was going better, I find myself thrown off with a certain scene. I hear Donnie snickering to himself and I glare at him. I stutter some more with my lines. Donnie curses just loud enough for me to hear and I fight with myself to not cry. The crew must notice my demeanour change from positive to criticising myself as they call for a break in the filming for a brief period. I make a hasty visit to my dressing room for a moment on my own.
Before I even realise what I'm doing, Carl's voice is coming through on my phone. He tells me how worried he's been about me and that he is sorry about treating me like a child. "I love you too..." I hear someone behind me clearing their throat, startling me and I tell Carl that I'll see him soon.

"What the hell is going on, Gabrielle? You're messing up your lines and such, yet here you are busy telling lover boy that you love him when you should be out there working. You ought to get your priorities straight." He says. I'm taken aback. "That's what you think? You don't know a dime about it, Donald. So it's okay for you to hurl insults and say hurtful things to me, snicker and curse at me and expect me to be okay with that but I mess up a few times with my lines and so I'm in the wrong? Shows what you know." I'm seething now. "I only speak the truth. Maybe you need to toughen up girlie..." quicker than I can click my fingers, I slap him across the face. He goes to put his arm on me and I knee him in the balls then as he's kneeled over slightly, I shove him backwards causing him to fall into the wall behind him. "Get. Your. Facts. Straight. Donnie! Tell them I'm getting out of here, I've had enough of it all, tell them I'm sorry." I grab my stuff and run out of the studio. I keep on running til I break down on the floor.

Once I've stopped crying, I look around and realise that I don't know where I am. I go on google maps to find my location. Then I'm able to call for a taxi to come and take my home. At home, I head straight to the shower.
As soon as I've finished in the shower, there's a loud knock at my front door.

Reluctantly, I run to answer the door and it's Donnie. I sigh when I look at him. "Can I come in?" - "why, so you can hurl more insults at me? No, you should go." Just as I try to close the door, he wedges his foot in the gap. "Please, Gabby? I'm begging you to hear me out. I'm sorry." I scrunch my eyes close for a second and take a deep breath. I pull the door further open to allow him to enter my apartment. I direct him to my living room and I stand there looking elsewhere; not really wanting to make eye contact with him.