Daniel was more motivated than ever. He woke up that Monday with all the spirits to go and face the movie that he hated making so much.
He took a shower, changed his clothes, and chose some old clothes that he no longer wore and doubted they still fit. He wanted it to be a different day. As he looked in the mirror to groom himself and comb his hair, he recalled with satisfaction his visit to Munich to meet with the director of Schule. He was selected for the cast ... he would have a role in the movie! But they still had to tell him for which character. Would he have a leading role? He was beating like yes. Marco Petry had received him very well.
In the background, Ever Fallen in Love by The Buzzcocks was playing on his player. His singing with Amanda all those weird songs had inspired him. And to counter Andy Gregson's actions, Daniel did borrow her punk CD's. It was all he needed for now.
He stared at himself in the mirror lowering his gaze from her and raised an eyebrow, put the comb to one side of her and took the fixer from her.
-------------------------------------------------
Miriam had just come back from running and she was on her way to take a shower when she bumped into Daniel in the living room. Her brother was on his way out, had hearing aids on, clothes that she had been donating to charity, and her hair stood up like a scarecrow (a lovely scarecrow, eh).
- Daniel ... what happened to you ...
Daniel turned to see her and replied with a smile:
- I'm Fred Davies.
Miriam satisfactorily shook her head and, before he left her, she said:
- I thought you weren't excited about that movie.
- I decided to give it a try.
- Good, then that you go very well.
Then Daniel came out happy, ready to show off his flamboyant presence.
As he walked, catching the attention of the people who passed him, he remembered that Ricardo had called him on the phone the day before to probe him, or perhaps to let him know, that Andy Gregson believed that he was no longer a mouse, but yes a nasty rat.
So it was, apparently Gregson was more than convinced that Daniel had devised a vile plan to snatch one of the most precious beings from him ... Amanda. According to him, Daniel had planned everything from the moment he faked his faint, to then play poor and difficult with the intention of having Amanda follow him everywhere, then refraining from paying his entire debt with the intention of continuing to watch. to Amanda, and of course make the excuse of the train ticket to make Amanda travel with him to Cottbus so that he can have the opportunity to be interesting to get her attention. Quite an elaborate plan to take the girl from him. That's right, Andy Gregson still assumed Amanda was his girlfriend.
Daniel turned a deaf ear to Andy's arguments that Ricardo had communicated to him, the latter had also told him at the end of his call that when he went to the filming set, he should look for him first, because Ricardo knew Andy very well and knew what days he was bad and what days was very bad, and apparently Ricardo feared that Andy was so angry with Daniel that he might react in a not very civilized way when he saw him.
Daniel also ignored Ricardo's last recommendation and kept walking until he reached the film set. As he entered, he could see that everything seemed to be calm and he continued walking calmly until, on the steps of the main building, he saw Andy Gregson sitting in an impatient but haughty position. Behind Andy was Ricardo next to another man that Daniel did not know, both were with an expression of calm expectation. When Ricardo spotted Daniel, he widened his eyes while still watching him approach.
Daniel arrived in front of Andy Gregson's group, stopped almost a meter from him and when he saw them he found the situation somewhat graceful. He smiled and, gesturing with his left hand asked:
- Now, what happens.
Andy slowly raised his gaze to Daniel and fixed his eyes on him. Daniel felt a chill when he saw a repressed fury in Andy Gregson's blue eyes, then he frowned at him and heard Ricardo, almost in a whisper, say to him:
- Danny, run.
- What? - Daniel questioned incredulously.
Then Andy Gregson stood up resolutely without stopping to stare and furiously at Daniel, he descended the last step, his fists were so tightly clenched that his veins stood out ...
- Run, Danny. You run! - Ricardo shouted alarmed to Daniel.
Daniel froze, he didn't know what to do, but when he saw Gregson approach him fiery flames everywhere, he knew that if he wanted to be presentable for the Schule filming, he had to get out ...
- Run, Danny, run ...!
Daniel ran quickly and turned his head to see that Andrew was also running furiously after him, so Daniel accelerated his escape more, he could only think that he should not let Andrew hit him because with bruises and injuries he could not film his next movie and then his life would be ruined.
Daniel ran and ran without knowing where to go, he went around in circles, he was in a panic, and Andrew seemed to get closer and closer as he yelled at him:
- Come here, you filthy rat! You will pay, you will pay! Did you hear, you piece of shit ?!
- Are you crazy, asshole ?! Leave me alone, you fucking sick!
Daniel turned a corner and went to the other side behind the main building, kept running and felt that his backpack was bothering him, he took it off without stopping running and immediately turned to throw it at Andrew; however, the latter turned out to have as good reflexes as Amanda and he gripped the bag firmly with both hands. Daniel, seeing this, was more horrified, then with more panic he started to run faster.
- Help! Help! He is crazy! Help!
On the other side of the complex, people had already begun to mobilize looking for both of them, everyone was alarmed and fearing the worst.
From his side, Andrew, in all rage, threw the backpack towards Daniel, impacting heavily on his back. Daniel almost lost his balance when he felt the painful impact and, of course, his fear increased even more.
- Help me! He wants to kill me!
Daniel reached the rear planters of the complex and suddenly felt that no one was following him. He looked behind him and saw no one, slowed down but didn't stop running. Until suddenly, Andrew Gregson lunged at him around a corner, lunged at him furiously, pushing him with such force that he knocked Daniel to the ground.
Daniel was in shock and tried to get up from the ground by rolling over on all fours, but Andrew caught him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him towards him, making him stop forcibly.
- You think you're very smart, right? Stupid little filthy rat ...
- Let go of me, asshole! Help! Help!
Daniel was screaming with all his might and trying to get away from Gregson, and yet no one showed up to stop the lunatic.
Andrew pushed Daniel and he almost fell again but he kept his balance and decided to defend himself to run away from Gregson and prevent him from hurting him more. Daniel then quickly turned around and aimed a blow at Andrew, but did not foresee that the latter would dodge the blow with a boxer's skill. That's right, Andy Gregson had trained martial arts for several years, nothing a good actor with high aspirations wouldn't have to know.
Instead of receiving a blow, Andrew hit Daniel very hard in his abdomen, immediately leaving him gasping for air and in pain from beyond the grave. Daniel was blocked for a couple of seconds from the blow and Andrew took advantage of it to grab him and push him hard towards the garden. Daniel fell flat on the grass, he was still having trouble breathing and his abdomen hurt worse than a terrible myalgia , obviously the first thing Daniel thought was that he surely had an internal hemorrhage and of course he would die, so he panicked. Daniel made an effort and crawled to try to get up, but immediately Andrew stopped him by grabbing his hair. Daniel screamed with the last of his strength, this situation was already going beyond the limits.
- What the hell is wrong with you! Leave me now! I didn't do anything to you! Let go!
Daniel jumped on the batteries and struggled to get out of Gregson's grasp, pulled himself free and, propping himself up on one leg, turned and, without thinking twice, pushed Andrew with all his might. Unfortunately, Daniel's effort was not enough. Andrew only lost his balance briefly but recovered quickly and pounced on Daniel. In the blink of an eye, Andrew Gregson was face to face over Daniel holding him firmly to the ground with his hands on either side of Daniel's forearms.
Daniel was annoyed, he was looking at Andrew's angry and evil face, he felt the painful pressure on the muscles of his forearms, and although he tried to move he was blocked from all sides. He finally he could only scream angrily.
Andrew, indolent, put more pressure on Daniel's forearms causing him to put a pained expression on his face. Then Andrew said:
- You disgusting rat ... So you want to take Amanda from me. Do you think that with that you can reach me? You are nothing. I am thousands of light years from what you can even get.
- What are you talking about. Are you crazy? I don't want anything from you. I just want you to leave me alone!
- I do not believe you. I know your ilk. With that idiotic face and attitude you think you can fool everyone ... But not me ...
- Are you crazy! Help! Help!
- I'll finish you off. And you won't take Amanda from me. She and I will be together.
- Yes, yes, yes ... I don't care about that. I don't care about her! I don't care about you! Do you understand, you fucking sick? I want you to leave me alone, I want to make my life ... I want you to die !!
Daniel screamed in Andrew's face, and Andrew put more pressure on Daniel.
- Yes that's how it is. You hate me right, Brühl? You can't stand me because you know I'm a thousand times better than you. I have everything you will ever have ... do you know why? You know why, you piece of shit ?!
- Fuck you!
- Because you are a useless little actor like so many others around here. You have no future, you are incapable, without any relevant talent, without grace or essence ...
- Fuck off.
- ... Your face is disgusting. When you repeat your lines over and over again before acting, you look so ... pathetic ... And when you go on stage you come in with the same face and the same old expression ... That's why you have the role you have ... that of the simpleton younger brother, the clumsy little boy ... the one who makes his face like that ... like that of a disgusting scared rat ...
Daniel screamed again angrily. He glared at Gregson ... Every word he said hurt him ...
- ... I was there when they defined the role for you, we all laughed at you. But do you know what made me laugh the most? Knowing that at the beginning you wanted my share ...- Andrew laughed maliciously- What-idiot-you are ... You ... You know, you're even here just because your father is a respected director on television, if it weren't for that. You would never have had a small role even in any of those series and novels. Do you know how you will end up? ... Will you stay here, like so many other little German actors, receiving crumbs of salary, investing in a ... small bar? A cheap hotel? Working on any radio? TV presenter? ... Trashy journalist? - Andrew laughed again - Actor you? You are bland ...
- Let go!!
Daniel looked at him in disbelief and rage. He was already exhausted.
- ... An incompetent! A fake! A disgusting rat! A loser!...
- Your mother is a loser !!
- ...
- Go fuck your mother, Andrew Gregson !!
Andrew looked at him puzzled. An uncontrollable rage invaded him, Daniel had touched the wrong thing. Without further thought, and without giving time for reactions, Andrew began to slap Daniel's face from side to side.
- You'll see ...- a slap - not to get in ... - another slap - with my mother ... - and another slap - not with my girlfriend ... - and another slap - not with me ...
Andrew was mercilessly punishing Daniel, and he could barely react to such aggression, with his free hand he did his best to stop Gregson's slapping. In the end he could only scream in rage and pain, yet he did not stop fighting. Gregson, seeing that Daniel was defending himself more and more, stopped slapping him and put his hand on Daniel's face pressing him with his fingers while with his other hand he held him by the neck with repressed intentions of choking him.
- Die, Brühl, die ...
Daniel screamed desperately and struggled with all his might to push Gregson's hands away. He felt that his face was a mass of terrible burning and pain and that his breathing could stop at any moment ... he was fighting for his life.
Then a good part of the production team arrived and a couple of security guards who immediately, albeit with great effort, took Andy Gregson away from Daniel and helped him up.
Daniel was completely in pain, he felt that he would die. He could barely stand he ingloriously wiped the blood that was weakly gushing from his nose. His cheeks burned to death and were red.
They tried to hold Andrew, but he drew strength from his uncontrollable rage and pushed everyone away. Daniel, who was already being removed from the scene by a production assistant, turned quickly when he realized that Gregson was behind him. The assistant steeled himself and tried to stop Gregson by saying:
- Please stop, let's stop with this, no one ...
- Step aside.
And then, unceremoniously, Andrew pushed the assistant aside. Daniel turned quickly and, seeing that no one seemed to be able to stop Gregson, he started to run again. Immediately, Andrew grabbed him again by the collar of his jacket, but this time Daniel was not willing to submit. Unbeknownst to Andrew, Daniel turned and landed a quick, hard blow to his left cheekbone. Andrew released him automatically and lost his balance. Daniel, in other circumstances, would have thrown himself on him to hold on to the end; But, this time, he couldn't risk getting more severe marks on his face from him, and he definitely wasn't going to let Andrew Gregson put his life on the line. So Daniel ran up the steps to the back building. As he ran, he thought that he was not sure where he was going, so he thought of some possible way out. The building had a double entrance, so there would be sure to be a rear bleacher around the corner. Daniel did not give up. As he rounded the second-floor hallway, he ran into a safety tape, stopped, and saw buckets of paint and some construction materials on the other side. He turned his head and heard Gregson's thumping footsteps up the stairs. Daniel went under the safety tape and grabbed a small bucket of paint, turned back and headed for the stands and he threw the bucket of paint and everything at Gregson, he almost went back. Daniel ran off, and Gregson, smeared with paint, followed him angrier. Daniel had to decide whether to go up the stairs or go down the hall in maintenance, he lacked the courage to climb the stairs and trusted that on the other side of the hall in maintenance were the emergency stairs. Dodging the buckets and objects, Daniel crossed the corridor, behind him was Andrew who could barely see, Daniel had a lot of advantage over him but still did not give up.
Out of breath, Daniel reached the corner of the hall and stopped short as he turned. A cross security tape marked the absence of a railing. Andy Gregson, almost on the brink of despair, ran toward Daniel, tripping over objects on the floor. Daniel spun around in shock when Andy Gregson was about to pounce on him, and then he was able to dodge him. Andrew took a misstep and slipped, inevitably falling on the security tape, breaking it, and immediately into the void.
A dull scream was heard, it was Andrew falling from the second floor, on his back and full of paint.
The staff arrived at the scene, Daniel was paralyzed watching the lunatic who had slapped him a few minutes ago fall, he saw how he ended up falling on a pair of mats.
So it was, Andrew Gregson saved his existence thanks to some stacked mats that were just in that place. It happens that that day they had to film Alec Davies' first suicide attempt. (The first of many, hypothetically :v)
- Daniel, what did you do?
Daniel was stunned. How had they gotten to this extreme situation? At what point did this happen ...
They all leaned in to see that Andrew was okay. Some were already downstairs approaching him to help him get up and take him to a health center.
And obviously everyone believed that Daniel had pushed Andrew, intentionally or by accident, from the second floor.
- You...
A raised hand and an index finger pointing at Daniel. And a voice from beyond the grave ...
- You...
They were already helping Andrew up slowly, and Andrew kept pointing at Daniel. They all looked at the stunned, and now terrified, Daniel. He saw that terrible figure, Andrew, full of paint, who glared at him as he limped until he was lost around the back of the building.
- Come Daniel - they told him, and they took him to answer for what happened.
--------------------------------------------------
At the end of the day, the confusion over what had happened grew bigger; even so, in order not to lengthen or complicate the situation, an agreement and an end point had been reached.
Daniel was devastated and furious. This was too much for him. He had never in his life detested someone as much as he now he detested Andrew Gregson.
At night, after all the trouble, he still lacked one last business. A tiny, electrifying bolt tore through his abdomen as he, almost eagerly, ran to meet Amanda.
Amanda was doing the dishes when she heard her cell phone (yes, now she finally had one) ring. Daniel was calling her to talk about her current debt situation.
Amanda arranged to meet him in a park near his house. So she hurried to finish washing the dishes and quickly went to her room to get ready. She was shaking, again, and she didn't understand why. She put on her ankle boots, adjusted her baggy pants, covered herself with her cozy jacket, tied up her hair and finally covered her head with her hat from her jacket. Then she went out, as always her sister was not there, and she had to measure her steps very well.
Amanda found a listless Daniel sitting on a bench in the agreed park. This one wore a face of disgust and concern. Seeing her arrive, curiously, she felt a slight relief.
When she Amanda was in front of him she told him:
- I don't have to ask, you're not okay.
- Nothing is right - Daniel replied immediately - I lost my job, you know why, you know right?
Amanda remembered immediately. And she responded with resignation:
- Yes, I know. I went to see Andy in the afternoon ...
- ... Sit down
Daniel kindly pointed to a space on the bench next to her, and Amanda sat down automatically, then she continued:
- ... Ricardo called me, told me what happened. I felt a lot of anger...
Daniel looked at her intrigued, "anger" to him or to ...
-... then I went to the hospital where he was, Ricardo told me, I went and well ... the truth is, I am relieved to know that he is well, that he did not suffer any serious damage ...
- Why was he still in the hospital at that time?
- Didn't they tell you?
Daniel made a face of absurd denial.
- Thats weird. Well, it happens that when they were doing the tests they discovered that he was in a serious condition of malnutrition.
- What??
-Yes, and I already knew that he was only eating melon and fish, and I told him at the time ... I told him not to do that, that he had to take care of his health first and foremost. Later, when we finished, I no longer got into his business. I figured ... well, the thing is, he was in the hospital getting treatment.
Daniel was thoughtful. He had indeed seen Andy Gregson look too skinny the last few weeks. At first he thought that his thinness was natural, and that if he was losing more weight it was because he was crazy, and that this problem definitely did not concern him. Such had been Gregson's commitment to his role that in fact he stopped eating normally to eat a rigorous diet based only on melon and fish. Thus, every day he became more like Alec Davies, a young punk drug addict, devastated, and on the threshold of madness.
- Still, in that situation, I told him his truths in a stealthy but stern way.
- Did you scold him?
- Hardly. His attitude was reprehensible and stupid. He has disappointed me too ...
Amanda was staring at the horizon. Daniel watched her carefully, and said:
-He will now be more pissed off with me.
-I think you will never see him again.
- It's true. That's why they fired me. It was established that we could not be next to each other, and the last scenes I had to shoot were with him. So they had to choose whether to fire me or him ... and obviously I was the loser. My role was almost tertiary, and I don't think it was even important; instead, he has the main role and is the most valued actor on the set.- Daniel sighed- Anyway, I didn't want to be in that movie anymore.
Amanda turned to see him, she felt compassion for him for the first time, even she absurdly believed that she could touch his shoulder to ...
- It would have been even worse. They thought I had pushed that jerk. No one was there when he fell to see that he had slipped by accident, I swear I did not touch him a hair, I stepped aside because he came on me. He slipped, lost his balance, and went into free fall. Everything happened too fast. Damn didn't accuse me, did he? Because only that would be missing.
"No. But he did say that you offended his mother." He repeated that to me over and over again.
- What an exaggerated bastard.
-He adores his mother, no one can say anything about her, he gets upset immediately.
Daniel remembered what he had said, "Your mother is a loser, fuck her", that had bothered Gregson so much ...
-He also says that you are false, that you are double-sided, and etc. He also told me to stay away from you.
Daniel looked at her and said seriously:
- He is sick. You have to accept him, and he is dangerous. His attitude says it all.
Amanda only shook her head affirmatively.
-He believes that you are still his property, and that I want to rob you. It's stupid. I dont want anything with you! Nothing! You do not interest me...
Daniel said the last words with a certain tone of contempt, while he frowned in an annoying way.
Amanda listened to those words without taking her eyes off the front with indifference. She heard those words and felt uncomfortable, maybe even disgusted. She knew Daniel had no special interest in her but she didn't have to let him know in such a crude way. Daniel continued:
- Anyway, the point is that, and I'm going to be direct, the lunatic has harmed me, I don't have a job and with these marks that he left on my face, I'm afraid they won't let me film the other movie that I told you about, so the debt that I have with you you will have to ask him, since that damn idiot caused all this and he is the only one responsible.
Amanda analyzed what Daniel had just told her, the soft side of her looking at Daniel with compassion, but the cold side of her turned out to be stronger.
- Do you remember the contract we signed?
Daniel stared at her incredulously. Amanda fixed her gaze on him and added:
- The contract does not include a situation like this ...
Daniel, excited, interrupted her to demand:
- Are you going to charge me ?!
Amanda didn't answer right away, she stared into his eyes, silently. Daniel, who was frowning, seeing Amanda's large, bright dark eyes, began to soften the harshness of her expression and felt a knot in his stomach. Amanda looked deep into those intense brown eyes, she knew that Daniel had something ...
- I should.
She said, then sighed and looked straight ahead again. Daniel had slightly parted his lips and he couldn't stop looking at Amanda, he felt strangely numb, and he wanted to hear her say something else, he wanted to know something else ...
Amanda resigned herself, Andy had ended up bringing complications for her too, he would have to make a couple of sacrifices, he would have to do something ...
- But I understand, and I will not charge you the money I would have made with this movie. They will surely give you a settlement, keep it, you too were harmed.
A new silence. Daniel suddenly felt better about Amanda. A moment ago he wanted to lash out at her, for no good reason, just out of the need to get even with someone. He used to do that when he felt bad, and even he could be very cruel.
Finally, Daniel grabbed her backpack, opened it and slid her hand inside it to remove Amanda's CDs, and said:
- I have your CDs, take them, I will no longer need it.
Amanda took the CDs from her and held them in her hands.
"I see," she said, "Now you will listen to modern music, because you will go back to school."
Daniel, without taking his eyes off her, couldn't contain a smile.
- That if they let me act in the movie. Hey, do I look really bad? Does it show me a lot? My cheeks are still red ...
Amanda, she turned to look at him with interest.
- Let's see. Look at me ...
Daniel showed her both cheeks putting a victimized expression on her sweet face.
- Can't see well ... it's just that it's dark. Let's see...
- Do not touch me.
Amanda had tried to move Daniel's head by touching him gently and he, all tense, immediately turned his face away from her.
Then Amanda looked at him with a strange face, Daniel felt ashamed and, if before he had red cheeks, now he had them even more. Amanda took out her cell phone and the light from it lit up Daniel's face.
- Neh, it's not that bad. When will you go to Munich?
- Wednesday first thing.
Amanda stopped shining on it and laughed briefly,
- Then it will be fine ...
- Do not laugh at me.
- Have you noticed that you are very exaggerated?
Daniel was frowning sweetly with the expression of a scolded child. He felt very ashamed, he did not like that a girl like Amanda saw him so "crybaby" about everything, he definitely thought that she could never look at someone like him, and that he surely liked crazy, arrogant, presumptuous guys, entrant and damn attractive like Andy Gregson was.
- Did you get ice or something cold after the beating?
- A bag of ice, yes. Then when I got home ...
Daniel gave a short laugh and wondered if he should tell Amanda what his sister had done when she saw him.
- What, when he got home what happened ... come on, tell me... - Amanda insisted.
- Miriam brought a steak from the refrigerator and placed it on my cheek.
- And you didn't scream?
- I had to close my eyes.
- You'll be fine, you'll see.
- I hope so.
- The one who is bad is Andy. When I saw him, his cheekbone was swollen and purple ...
When Daniel heard that, he laughed without being able to help it.
"Sorry" he said, "is that ..." and he laughed again.
- You hit it hard, huh. You had a good left ...
- Yes, it is that ... - Daniel breathed and said more calmly - ... it is that I had to defend myself, he was very aggressive with me. At a certain point I think he really wanted to kill me, and I assure you I'm not exaggerating, he told me to "die" while he was hanging me.
Amanda was silent looking at him.
- You have to be careful with him. He can look really cool, and have a lot of talent and whatnot; But, his actions tell you everything. Hmm? You look at it, analyze it, and draw your own conclusions.
Amanda shook her head sympathetically. Daniel found her funny with that fluffy hat from her jacket covering her head, revealing only her face with those strands of hair on her forehead, then. Daniel put on a too sweet expression and said:
- The part of the money that I would have earned with this film must be given to you by Gregson because it is fair, but the rest I will give it to you. I will go to Munich and shoot that movie, I will do it, I will get the money, and as soon as I have it, I will send it to my sister to give it to you. I promise you Amanda.
- Okay, I'll be waiting for you.
-Go and harass Gregson how you did with me, it won't take you long, he's crazy about you, I think he would even give you a kidney.
-I would like to know what you told him about his mother so that he would go crazy like that ...
- ... I already told you that he is crazy.
-... but for him to go mad more.
- I did not say anything! I don't even remember it.
Amanda settled into her place and said:
-Andy does not come from a wealthy family, his mother worked in a laundry when he was younger, his father was an alcoholic and abandoned them when he was very young. When Andy was 16 he dropped out of school to work, and wanted to be an actor after going to the theater for the first time. He tried to enter the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London but was rejected, eventually accepted into the American College Dublin.
-Why are you telling me about his life? Do you think he interests me?
-The point is that it was very difficult for him to have a career as an actor, and her mother, as she could, always supported him, that is why he values her a lot, he loves her more than anyone in the world. Whenever any of her works is premiered, he has the habit of inviting her and to they closest friends. Her mother sits in the front row to watch him perform and she is the first to get up to clap when he finishes. Then he takes everyone out to dinner or lunch to celebrate.
"Wow, how touching," said Daniel sarcastically. "Still, it doesn't justify the size of his aggressiveness. And if you like him so much, why don't you keep him?"
- I'm not justifying him!
- And then what are you doing. Stop the dramas and stay with him! - Daniel abruptly got up from the bench ready to leave.
Amanda was surprised and maybe even offended by Daniel's attitude, "he seems like a puberty with hormonal problems, what the hell is wrong with him" she said to herself.
-Hey, what's wrong with you, calm down.
- What.
Amanda got up from the bench and stared at Daniel.
- You have something else wants to tell me?
Daniel frowned in surprise at her and said:
- No, I'm going home now. I am sleepy, and very hungry. Do you have something to tell me?
Amanda held out her hand.
- Our affairs have been settled, have a good night.
Daniel looked down from her to see the hand Amanda held out to him. Then he looked at her again, and very slowly took her hand. She closed her grip tightly and he immediately twitched, her hand was cold, taking her was like taking the hand of a dead person; instead, Amanda felt an immediate softness and warmth as Daniel took hold of her outstretched hand.
They both kept hold of her while Daniel said, as if it were a secret, to her:
"You know that if Andrew Gregson saw us now, he wouldn't hesitate for a second to kill me? He would think that I finally stole you from him"
"So that's what you had to tell me."
Daniel frowned even more at him and said:
- I really don't understand anything you mean.
- I don't really want to tell you anything.
- AHA.
She stopped holding him and Daniel withdrew his hand from her, he straightened up and took a breath. Amanda told him:
- Well, hmm, bye.
- Chau.
Daniel lifted his hand and turned quickly to start walking away from the park. Amanda, seeing him, frowned at her and thought: "why is he walking so funny, it seems he wants to imitate Chaplin", she giggled inside and then turned to go home.
-------------------------------------------------
The next day, Daniel had downloaded Jessie's Girl from the Napster page.
(Rick Springfield ~ Jessie's Girl)
As he listened to the hit song by Rick Springfield, he thought about what had happened to him:
"Andrew thinks I want to take his girlfriend away from him, the funny thing is that she isn't even his girlfriend anymore, and that I really have no intention of staying with her. And the most absurd thing is that he thinks I made a whole plan to take her away and make him look like the crazy guy with serious attitude problems; but, the truth is that I don't need any stupid plan to stay with someone's girl, much less one to make him look ridiculous because he does that job for him. Although if I think about it ... it would be interesting to take the girl from someone ... maybe I'll try in the future, I'll take a beating for sure, but it will be fun "
A few hours later, Daniel headed for the last time to the Stucks in Blue recording set, to collect his settlement.
He was calm, and suddenly again ...
He ran into Ricardo, he greeted him cheerfully, and then he saw Andrew a few meters away, he was sitting talking with ... Amanda?
"That girl likes danger ... well I told her to stay with him" he thought.
Andrew had decided to have a civil conversation with Amanda. He finally had a decent meal for breakfast and felt more focused on his emotions. He had understood and above all accepted that her path with Amanda had come to an end, he loved her very much but it was time to let her go, because that was what she wanted. He agreed to give him the money Daniel would have earned if he finished filming Stucks in Blue without any qualms. He would be guaranteed her friendship forever, and he would be there for her if he ever needed him. At the end of the pleasant talk, both gave each other a friendly and satisfying hug ... until when he raised his eyes, Andrew saw Daniel. He remained calm, and decided that it was also time to clear things up with him. He told Amanda:
- Excuse me for a moment, I'll be back.
Then he got up and walked steadily in the direction of Daniel.
- Ricardo, he's getting closer. Look at his face, he is for good or bad ... do I have to run?
Ricardo looked at Andrew's face and tried to figure it out ... he couldn't do it, his expressions were confused.
-I'm not sure, he is different ... it seems that he is coming in peace, but at the same time he has an aura of ...
- Should I stay or should I go! He is already close!
- Damn, Danny, I don't know, I don't know ...
- I have a movie to shoot tomorrow, I better not risk it ... Bye Ricardo, it was a pleasure meeting you.
And immediately afterwards, Daniel began to run with all the strength of him without looking back.
Andrew, seeing him run, yelled at Ricardo:
- Stop him!
Amanda, hearing that exclamation, turned and went to Andrew.
- Why didn't you stop him?! - Andrew demanded of Ricardo as soon as he got to him.
- Andy, he is also my friend, you put me in a difficult situation ...
- Jesus Christ will spit on the lukewarm of heart! It is written in the Bible!
Andrew followed, and with a macabre smile on his face, he ran after Daniel.
- Don't use the Lord's name in vain! - Ricardo scolded him, but Andrew was already far away.
Amanda arrived and said:
- What happened.
- Andy saw Danny and went after him.
- It is not possible ... we are going after them, we must stop this situation.
Andrew chased Daniel as stealthily as possible, he was very smart and knew how to measure Daniel's steps, finally catching him near the truck parking lot.
- I got you, stop.
Andrew cornered Daniel against a wall holding him firmly. Daniel was full of rage and helplessness, why did these kinds of situations happen to him?
- Let me go ...
- Shh.
- Can you let me go ?!
- Hush, Brühl.
- You already have me fed up!
- You shut up. Listen well, I'll tell you this only once.
Daniel glared at him and was silent because he had no choice. Then Andy Gregson said to him:
- I want to apologize for my attitude towards you.
Daniel cocked his head and looked at him incredulous and even worried. "God, save me, this man is really crazy", Daniel thought.
- Ayrton Senna says that life is too short to have enemies. I have no intention of dragging this disagreement with you ...
Daniel interrupted him and said clearly so that he would realize the situation:
- ... Hey, you wanted to kill me.
- And I almost died because of you, Brühl.
- You started it, Gregson. Since we are with quotes from pilots, Niki Lauda says that you are the reason for almost everything that happens to you. I am assuming the consequences of my decisions, and I still have a long way to go. You, have you accepted your mistakes?
- I think we both hurt each other yesterday, and that looking for the most guilty will get us nowhere, we don't have much time left either.
Daniel did not entirely agree with what Andrew was saying, he felt that he was still not aware of the seriousness of his actions. Andrew finally told him:
- The point is that we are both in this career. At some point in the future, far or near, we will probably meet again, then it would be foolish for us to continue with this absurd misunderstanding.
- Oh, at least you accept that it's absurd, ok, it's a breakthrough.
- I received a treatment yesterday in the hospital, I feel much better now ...
- ... yes, I knew about your severe malnutrition.
Andrew looked at Daniel with some interest in his blue eyes, and questioned:
- Amanda told you? Ricardo maybe ... no, it was Amanda, right?
Daniel was silent.
- I assumed they would meet at the end of the day. Your thing is inevitable. I already accepted that she is free to decide who she wants. I esteem her very much, and that's why I decided to respect her decisions, and I already apologized to her. It took me a while to accept it, but I was finally able to do it. She still doesn't know what it's like to fall in love, and I don't think I do either. Do you know, Brühl?
- Not.
- Time will tell.
- I suppose. Now can I go?
- Will you accept my apologies?
- Are you going to force me?
- Could do it?
Daniel smiled and blew air through his nose as he watched him maliciously, then said:
- You know, I'll end this absurd situation. Okay, I accept your apologies, I am going to alter the conception that I have about your actions and I will say that you acted that way because you were so hungry that your empty stomach thought before your brain, and not that you have a psychological disorder with a worrying aggressive character.
Andrew just smirked, showed him his gleaming teeth in an exaggerated way, and Daniel felt uncomfortable.
Amanda and Ricardo, came to see them and ran towards them. Amanda caught Andrew's attention:
- Andrew Gregson! Get away from him!
Andrew, without looking at her, let go of Daniel and without taking his eyes off him, he moved away from him. Daniel was finally able to breathe easy.
When Amanda and Ricardo came up to them, she said to Andrew:
- What are you doing.
Andrew responded to Amanda quite naturally:
- Nothing, we just had a diplomatic conversation.
Daniel drew a fake smile on his face.
- Well, come on, let's go.
Amanda and Ricardo grabbed Andrew by the shoulders and walked away from Daniel.
Daniel stood watching as they were moving away. For some reason, he waited for Amanda to turn her head to see him one last time ... but she didn't.
The trio disappeared from sight, and Daniel turned to continue on his way.
That was the last time Daniel saw Ricardo; He saw Andrew again many years from now and when he did he barely exchanged a couple of measured words with him because they were in the middle of the BAFTA crush, and he obviously heard from him everywhere, Andy Gregson finally managed to get it all the possible recognition, countless awards, two from the Academy, and an otherwise respectable career, unfortunately in personal relationships it did not go so well, since he broke up with Amanda every two years exactly he faced a divorce or a separation until he gave up after the fourth break to dedicate himself to healthy singleness; and Amanda ... he saw her forever.
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Next chapter, very soon, thanks for reading! 🤧😀