PERMANENT - Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 13 - Reunions

Saturday 11.15am (6 days later)

The next Saturday marked our first proper break from filming, and we only had the Saturday off after an exhausting week of night filming in cold water. Me and Leo had been planning a drive away from set to explore the area while we could before I met Jake later.

I made the short walk to Leo's hotel room and knocked sharply on the door, making sure he heard me. There was a likely possibility that he was still sleeping – our shoot last night finished at 2am, but this was one of our only days off and I wasn't about to waste it.

After about 15 seconds, Leo answered the door, and my prediction had been correct – he had been sleeping. I knew this from the way his hair was slightly messy and sticking up in places. And the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Hello sleepyhead." I teased. "Mmmm why so early?" he groaned, running a hand down his face and rubbing his eyes. "What do you mean 'early'? Leo it's 11. Go get ready," I motioned my head against the bathroom "And put some clothes on." I threw a shirt at him that I saw lying on the arm of the couch. He snickered and went into the bathroom, not closing the door.

"You know it's scary how comfortable you are with people, you know, like leaving the door open while you take a piss." I shouted the last part to make my point. I sighed at the mess that was his room, and moved some of his clothes and clutter that was strewn over his couch, and sat down, waiting for him to come back out.

After we left his room, we knocked around the others' rooms asking if they wanted to join us, but only Jason (who plays Tommy) and Danny (Fabrizio) were up for it – the others wanted to make up for their lost sleep.

//

Me and the boys were all scattered around the Wa-Kuatay museum, a little drive from the set. It was very small and local, and they relied on donations, but it was very charming. I was currently studying a large mammoth tusk that had been found and excavated near Ensenada. It was laid out on a blue cloth and encased by glass, and it was surreal to think that it had been part of a real animal in a time so long ago, so different.

"Amazing isn't it?" I heard a voice say next to me. I turned to see Jason standing beside me, gazing at the artefact. Me and Jase hadn't shared many conversations together, not nearly as many as him and Leo, because we didn't have many scenes together, and the scenes that we did have, we hadn't filmed yet.

"Weird to think these things existed before us. We think we help animals today but these species lived fine without us." I replied, still lost in thought. "Yeah but, they are extinct. Maybe they needed us more than you think," he countered, smug look on his face.

"My brother used to be obsessed with mammoths and dinosaurs when he was younger. Of course I was young too then but....still makes me smile." I said, reminiscing.

"Oh, yeah? Where's your brother now?" he asked. "Oh he's still in England, training to be a lawyer." I replied, suddenly realising just how much I missed him, and how little we had talked recently. I made a mental note to call him when I had the chance.

"A lawyer? Wow. One hell of a pair of kids your parent have. One's a lawyer and the other a mega movie star!" he laughed, in a way that you could that he was Irish just from hearing him laugh. It was nice – familiar, and comforting.

"No no no I'm no movie star, not yet." I replied, chuckling, but shaking my head adamantly. Jason retorted back in the same jokey manner, "Yeah well your $2,000,000 paycheck tells me otherwise."

"Sometimes it feels like it was purely luck that I got this job," I glanced at Leo, who was standing on the other side of the museum with Danny, laughing at something wholeheartedly. "To be able to do a film with not only one of the best young actors of the generation, but someone who's become my best friend," Jase smiled at this "is just the best thing in the world. Who wouldn't want that? There's so many aspiring actors and actresses out there, so why me?"

Jason deliberated this, but then spoke up "You can't doubt yourself. Especially in a job like this. That's what gets you down. That's what makes you fail. The fact that there are that many actors and actresses out there trying and not succeeding says something about you. Because here you are, doing a multi-million dollar film with one of the best, talented, in-demand actors out there. Out of all of those people, it's you. Now if anything, that proves your talent."

I was slightly speechless. He had made me consider everything in a completely new light, and I was grateful. I gave him a sincere hug which he returned. I was gonna need to have many more chats with this guy.

"Whoa what did we miss?" I heard Leo say behind me in his usual witty way. I let go of Jase and responded "Nothing much. You two ready to go?"

"Mhm." With that, we each tipped the museum in their little donation box that sat by the door and headed back out to the car.

//

By 4pm, we had visited more Rosarito sights and bought about 20lbs of fruit from a cute little market, where they put chilli powder on fruit for you to try. Me and Danny loved it, but Leo and Jase weren't fans. Nonetheless, we bought a little pack of chilli powder to take back for the others to try back at the hotel.

At present, I was sitting in the arrivals part of the airport sipping coffee and people watching. To my right, a family was having a reunion, the two children of around 5/7 years hugging to what seemed like their father, faces full of pure joy, while their mother stood and watched the scene, hands clasped together against her face, eyes brimming with tears. Behind them........was Jake.

I jumped from my seat, slamming my now empty cup of coffee down on the table. His eyes found me and lit up. Running up on him, I jumped up, hugging him and burying my head into his shoulder. "Hi baby," he whispered. "I missed you so much Jake. Let me look at you," I leaned back out of the embrace and held his face in my hands. He hadn't changed, not that he would've in the time that I was away, but it was still reassuring.

"Let's go, yeah?" he said, grabbing my hand, and we walked out of the building.

Once we were in the taxi, Jake wasted no time filling me in on anything I had missed, his hand not leaving my thigh the whole journey.

"...so anyway, then he said I could get a raise if I do this one job for him for a week. Well, less than a week, but I thought, 'hey, it's Tijuana, it's beautiful right?' So that's that and OH I forgot to tell you. Remember Angela? Angela and Ben that we had dinner with back in Santa Monica?" I recalled the dinner in my head. They were a young couple, maybe the age of 25? Both attractive, pleasant people. Ben worked with Jake, at least I think so – the night was a bit hazy in my mind.

"Oh yeah, I remember them. Fun night." I replied. He waited a second, smug look on his face "She's pregnant."

"Oh my god no way?! Wow.....that's great news. Tell them I said congratulations." My face held shock, not because it was them, but because they were only a couple of years older than me, and the same age as Jake, and the fact that they were expecting a baby was scary to me. I couldn't imagine starting a family now, especially with the career I have. I have to sacrifice a lot of things, and I was young. I hoped Angela and Ben wouldn't put pressure on our relationship, as I know some people would. Plus, I didn't know if Jake was even the right one. It was still new, and I we were still getting to know each other every day.

I looked Jake in the eyes, smiling, and his eyes dropped down to my lips, and he leaned in to kiss me. What I had noticed is that ever since we got together, he seemed different – kinder, more sweet. The cocky guy I met at The Viper Room seemed so far away. I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing, but I didn't have much time to think, as we pulled up to his hotel.