Broken Lines

Part 2 : Rehearsal day

Day One of rehearsal  casting we were all there: me and my mom of course, who is legally obliged to come with me and whichi is also my former manager. 

The thing I (we) didn't know about the entire plot of the movie was some "particular" scene I had to shoot with the Teacher; of course he was one important role for my charachter but  I think the Director nicely neglected the existence of two kissing scenes , one quite normal and the other one a little more passionate between me and the teacher. .

Of course the teacher had to be older than me, like in his 30s. The guy caster for role was 24, his name is Alex and for the role the director asked him to grow his beard, so he could easily look much older. 

When Director was just informing me about it, the guy who would play the teacher just came in. 

At the time I didn't took too much attention, I just remember that I noticed he was pretty tall and he was kinda nervous, but not so nervous as me that I've never kissed an older man before, with beard too! Actually, I have never had a boyfriend yet, I mean, I dated but..nothing that lasted enough or that you can call relationship..and now I had to kiss and make out with this guy! I felt so lame..

I looked my mother and I saw she was kinda getting furious but without making it notice. 

"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Alex"  he shaked my hand. He had cute british accent. 

" Hi, I'm Sophie" smiling back at him, nervously. 

"So guys, now I want you to read some lines, let's see how this goes okay? " the director said and for almost an hour and half we read lines and listened to director ideas or intentions for the role. 

Everything was going ok until... " okay what if we try the kiss scene?" the director said it like it was such a normal thing. I saw my mother tingling on the seat , while  me and Alex were kinda freezed ,both thankfully. "So May you please tell me about this, I mean, why did you omit to send us the entire copy of the story, what is this all about these kissing scenes? Are they so important?" my mother waited enough for staying quiet. 

" You know, Mrs. Nelisse, with all the respect, I omitted it because I knew if you read it in the first place you wouldn't accept the script, when I think this role could be a change in Sophie's career and I know she can do it because she has talent, and so I didn't want you to deny this just because you want to protect her. This is nothing bad, I mean it's just a story, and the love between her and the teacher is just part of the path and the life she's living. It's not sex, it's not rude, it's just part of the whole crazy world the charachter is living. If I would want that, I would have put some sex scenes with nude, drugs, alcohols and ruining the entire plot just for show around another kid doing that stuff and going crazy. So yes , I omitted it in the first place but I don't regret it. " 

My mother after that didn't really know what to say anymore, but she saw his point and at the end she understood his intentions where okay, so she approved for the movie to be made. "Okay then, but I will be on set judging if things are going right or wrong" 

" sure Ma'am! So guys ready? can we go on? " 

And after all that time apart from reading the lines, Alex spoke: " Uhm, Jeremy listen..I think it's been a lot for today and I think that we just all me and we need to take time for doing things you know, so uhm..what do you think if we could continue tomorrow? " he talked like he was sure of what he said but afraid at the same time of director's Reaction. 

"oh, okay I get it..you want to be the gentleman after all of this..but you know you guys can't escape from this. I spent 2 years writing this story , I imagined you as my cast and it would really be a pity firing one of you two you know.." 

"Tomorrow would be great" I said like, I was more tired than nervous, which was the complete opposite. 

"All right, get away guys, get some rest from the trip, I'll see you tomorrow, kiss scene 1. Bye bye"

Jeremy (the director) went away from the door without even waiting for us to greeting him  back My mom and me were leaving the table when Alex stopped us " Hey, sorry to bother you Sophie, but  I just wanted to ask you, I know this could sound weird, if you would like to spend the night around with me, to know each other better, I live in Venice so I know the city, we could go to the Peer, going to Luna Park and stuff like that, nothing fancy, and of course your mom can come with you.." While he was saying this, my mother was right there waiting for him to make a false step. But he didn't. 

" that would be cool, I have never been here at Luna Park's ..Mom? " 

" Yeah I think we can go to Luna Park tonight" 

While Alex face was unexpressive about my mom coming too I was getting red; because when I can I would like to enjoy my teenage years and have some fun , not because I wanted to go out with Alex, not at first maybe.. "Oh, Come on! Mom please! Can't I just go alone? I mean, I am 16, we go at Luna Park , can I stay with people of my own age alone? " 

" hey you! since when you use that tone with me? "  

" I'm not using any tone mom, I mean, you know that I study and work very hard, I just want to go out and have fun...please??" 

" Look you can come and carry you there if you know where it is..so we can stay less time alone together.." Alex found his ways to let her understand that he was doing it just for the movie, not because he had any interest in her daughter. Apparently for my mom , he was more convincing than me. 

"okay , all right, we'll meet at peer at 8 and I' ll come back at 10 ok? " 

" 11 !!" I insisted 

"oh...you so want to make me die soon little girl...alright 11 !" 

" Thank you mom!!" 

" Thanks Mrs Nelisse" Alex kindly said to her