A few weeks later, and it is officially my first day as an actress on Stranger Things. It feels surreal to be getting up and going to work, knowing that instead of my ideas being on screen, it will be my face.
I walk into the building, and almost immediately everyone starts coming over to see me. The kids are all fighting over who gets to hug me first, and the older actors are all laughing at the bickering.
"It's going to be weird having another Charlee around. We might have to call you C1 and C2," Natalia jokes.
"Well who would I be? One or two?" Charlie asks.
"You'll always be my number one," Natalia says to Charlie sweetly.
"Suck up," Charlie chuckles, kissing Natalia on the forehead.
Once the kids have all had their turns hugging me, Joe grabs me and lifts me up in a big hug before anyone else can get to me.
"Happy first day!" Joe shouts far too loudly before putting me down.
"Settle down, you're embarrassing me," I say, only half being serious.
"Sorry, I've just been looking forward to this," Joe pouts.
"He's not kidding, he's been pretty annoying about it actually," Maya says, rolling her eyes and laughing.
I give Maya a squeeze hello.
"So, ah. Is she here?" I ask Joe nervously.
"Is who here?" Natalia asks, raising her eyebrows.
"Winona. Charlee is a bit of a fan girl about her apparently," Joe answers with a chuckle.
"Shut up. She is completely iconic. I'm sure you were the same when you first met her," I gush.
"Yeah okay, maybe a little. No, she's not filming today. But you'll get to see her soon, I promise," Joe says to me.
I feel a bit disappointed, but I'm excited to know that I will get to not only meet, but work with the Winona Ryder soon. How is this my life?
"Ready for our scene today?" Maya asks.
"I think I've got the lines down. I'm just nervous I'm going to mess up," I answer her.
"You'll be fine! And it's okay to make mistakes, we all do it all the time. It just makes for a good gag reel," Maya says with a reassuring smile.
"Thank you," I say to her.
"Come on, let me show you around!" Maya squeals, grabbing my arm and pulling me away.
I turn around to wave everybody goodbye, and go to wherever Maya is taking me.
Maya pulls me around the studios, showing me different sets. Some I've been to before and some I hadn't seen yet. She even shows me the room where they keep stuff for special effects.
Finally she shows me to the break area. It has a few arcade machines that I think were taken from the arcade set, a pool table, a long table with provisions for coffee and tea, as well as a few snacks on it, and a small table and chairs.
It also has two large, brown suede couches and one smaller one, with a coffee table with what appears to be a game of Dungeons and Dragons on it. Joe is sitting on one of the larger couches, yelling into his phone.
"Okay, okay! I get it! Fine. I'll talk to you later," Joe finishes the conversation with a huff.
He turns his phone off, putting it down next to him. He throws his head back on the couch and lets out a heavy sigh.
"Yikes," Maya whispers to me.
"I better go make sure he's okay," I say.
She claps me on the back.
"Well don't take too long cheering him up, we're all due on set soon. I'll see you later," Maya says before walking off in the direction of the trailers. She clearly doesn't want to get involved.
I'm hoping Joe will show me where to go from here afterwards, because I'm not sure I'll remember my way.
I walk over to the couch that Joe is sitting on and plop down next to him, throwing my head back on the couch like he did and turn to face him. He turns his head to face me too.
"You okay?" I ask.
Joe says nothing, but shakes his head dolefully.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask him.
Joe runs his hand through his hair that had fallen on his face, drops his hand down onto his lap, and thinks for a moment.
"Better not," He answers finally, turning his head back to me.
"What can I do?" I ask, starting to worry.
"Do you ever wish life had more simple solutions?" Joe blurts out, ignoring my question.
"What?" I ask.
"It just seems like life always ends up being more complicated than it needs to be," He says, sighing.
"Well... I think a lot of the time, the solutions are more simple than we realise. It's the potential consequences that we tend to overthink," I say to him.
Joe thinks about this.
"It's important to be aware of how you can affect the outcome of things though isn't it?" He asks me.
"Of course. Be aware of risks and dangers, as well as rewards. But, we tend to think so much about everything that could happen, that we don't try anything and get stuck where we are, not taking any of the solutions," I say to him.
He looks at me for a minute, and I laugh.
"Don't mind me though, I don't even know what we're talking about," I chuckle.
"No, I think it's good advice. I just don't know if I'm ready to act on it yet," Joe says.
"You guys!"
I sit up, turn my head and see Robert.
"You better get to hair and makeup, and then costumes! You're due on set soon!" Robert pants, as if he'd run all the way here to tell me.
"I don't want you to be late on your first day" Robert smiles at me when he notices the look on my face.
"Come on, I'll show you where to go," Joe says, getting off of the couch, and then pulling me up.
I smile at Robert, thanking him, and then follow Joe.
* * * *
I am dressed in my full 80's clothes, hair and makeup, standing by my mark. I'm nervously chewing on my gum they gave me, but more excited than anything.
Shawn is talking me through what is going to happen, then leaves and walks over to his directors chair.
"Action!" He yells.
I walk through the door to the video store, and scan my eyes across the room. When I see Robin, my eyes grow wide.
Steve looks at me, mouth open.
"Keep your tongue in your mouth Harrington," Robin says to him.
Steve closes his mouth and makes a face at her.
I walk over to the register.
"Robin! Hi! I - uh. I didn't know you were working here," I say to her.
"Yeah well, we kinda needed new jobs after the mall went-," Robin turns her thumb upside down and crashes it down to the table making a whistling sound and then an explosion.
I nod, understanding the reference, and then glance at Steve.
"We?" I ask.
"Yeah, Steve here worked at Scoops Ahoy with me and then we both got jobs here! Lucky me," Robin laughs as she gives Steve a playful nudge.
I give a slow unsure nod.
"Um, I was wondering if you had-,"
"The Breakfast Club?" Robin finishes for me.
"You remembered," I say softly, looking into her eyes.
"Of course I did," Robin says, just as softly.
"I think it's in aisle eight," Steve says, oblivious to the moment happening before him.
"I'll get it, I noticed it when I was putting it away the other day," Robin volunteers, disappearing into the video aisles.
"I'm Steve Harrington," Steve introduces himself to me with a smile.
"Kaya Murphy" I respond, returning his smile.
There's something about him I can't put my finger on.
"You know Robin?" Steve asks me.
I look over at him and notice his smile and his hair.
"Yeah. Uh, we used to be... really close," I say carefully. I'm not sure how much he knows about Robin.
"You drifted apart?" Steve asks, oblivious. Maybe he doesn't know her that well.
"Something like that," I say sadly.
"Here it is!" Robin shouts, rushing over with the video.
She jumps behind the counter and starts ringing it up.
"I'll throw in some Junior Mints for you too. Did you need anything else?" Robin ask me, remembering my favourite snack.
I shake my head and pay the total. I walk towards the exit, before turning around. I lick my lips nervously.
"See you around Robin... And you Steve," I smile at them both and leave the store.
"Cut!" Shawn shouts.
People around the set start moving around. Maya and Joe walk over to me.
"You did really well Charlee," Maya says to me sincerely.
"That was so great!" Joe says, clasping his hand on my shoulder.
"Charlee!" Shawn yells out as he comes over.
"Charlee, I am so proud of you. You did great! And wow, you and Joe really have chemistry! I'm glad your characters are going to have you two working closely together," Shawn gushes.
"Thank you Shawn, that's so nice! You really think I did okay?" I ask.
"Fantastic job, good work," He says to me excited, and moves on to talk to someone else.
"Told you you're good," Joe says with a smirk.
I laugh at him.
"He said we have good chemistry. That's good right?" I ask.
"Yeah, means we work well together. We look natural on screen when we interact. A lot of people have been saying it actually. Since the audition," Joe answers.
I look at him.
"I thought we worked pretty good together too," Maya pipes up.
"Me too, you made me feel so comfortable. Thank you," I tell her.
"Lunch?" Joe asks.
Maya and I both enthusiastically agree, and we all walk off to get food.