Page 36 of Campus Daddies

Suddenly, the director is heading our way. Dickie Hernandez has a confident stride. He’s tall with a dark complexion, but he’s also a goofy kind of handsome. Especially when he smiles and slaps Knight’s hand before pulling him into a hug.

“Glad your group made it.” His smile grows when he looks past Knight to me, where he pauses before looking over everyone else. “Welcome to my set. I like to help students learn, but remember to stay out of the way and to stay quiet. There will be time later for questions, so write them down and wait until you’re told you can talk. I know it sounds tyrannical, but it’s an important lesson that you need to learn early if you want a career in the biz.”

He gives Knight another clap on the shoulder, shaking him jovially, and goes on about his business.

I lift a brow at Knight.What the fuck?But I only get a cocky grin in return.

Yeah, the friend he knows is the director! I’m not sure what to do with the flutter that accompanies that thought. Because he could have told me, and I would have been duly impressed. And he didn’t.

How come?

Luckily, I’m torn from that train of thought by Lucy calling, “Final touches.”

Someone else responds, “Finals are done.”

Lucy nods. “Camera ready?”

“Ready.”

“Quiet on set.”

We plunge into silence. It’s almost unnerving, but it accentuates the surreal nature of being on set for my first time. I practically hold my breath.

“Roll sound.”

“Sound is speeding.”

“Five bravo, take one. Mark.” The clapperboard snaps shut to mark the scene.

“Set.”

A short pause follows with, “Action!”

And the actors move, and I’m in awe at how efficient the process is. Nothing like the filming of our club film last year,When Pigs Fly. Although we had a ton of fun. This feels more serious, but no less fun in the creative sense.

Everyone is brilliant. And the scene is done in four takes before they make small changes for a new scene in the same space. Lucy calls, “Lunch.”

We’re ushered to craft services where we each grab a plate and hover by the wall, out of the way, to eat. Leann, now free to talk, is loud and obnoxious, asking the actors what else they’ve been in like they want to explain themselves to her.

Lucy hushes her before I have to step in to do it. Thank God. I would bite that bullet for Knight. He already has enough problems with navigating her behavior.

Of course, Leann’s response is not a positive one, nor is it a passive one, which anyone here would have taken without issue, but what does she do? She rolls her eyes and goes to pout next toone of her friends, complaining about all the money she spent to be here and how boring it is. No one seems to care.

I suck in a slow breath and turn to Lucy, mouthing anI’m sorryto her, which she takes with a sharp nod.

It’s only the precursor, though, because between takes, she’s playing videos on her phone and whispering to her friends. In a normal setting, it wouldn’t be so disruptive, but we’ve been told multiple times to keep quiet.

Leann just doesn’t seem capable.

Trepidation shoves my stomach into my lungs as I watch the director talk quietly with his assistant. Lucy straightens and marches over to our group, speaking softly with Knight on the other end of our group—nearly as far from Leann as he can manage.

His sigh is big enough that I can see it from here. And he’s rubbing his chin and jaw as he talks with her.

When Lucy breaks off, Knight walks to me, and I know exactly what’s going down when Leann’s grating giggle pierces the quiet space.

“They’re kicking her off set,” Knight says softly the moment he’s close enough.

Of course they are. I would have a long time ago.

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