Page 64 of First Impressions of You

My sister is visibly annoyed by the question. If it’s because of the sudden change in topic or because it’s Winter who’s asking, I’m not sure.

“Screenwriting,” she says. I knew it. Of course I did. We had a whole fight because of it. Still, as soon as I hear the answer I react as if I’ve just learned that. “Don’t,” Olivia says when she sees the look in my face.

Winter watches the interaction, curiosity tugging his brows close together.

“I didn’t know that. I write too,” he offers, and now I turn to him. That’s news. He never said he went back to writing after what happened with Graham. “Well, I haven’t in a while, but lately I’ve been feeling inspired to get back to it.” He looks at me when he says the last part, and my heart trips under the full force of his gaze.

My throat works with a swallow, and I have to turn away in order to regather my senses.

When I find Olivia on my other side, I can practically feel the tug-of-war happening inside her head. She doesn’t want to give him the time of day, but at the same time she’s dying to talk to him about writing. I wonder if she has anyone to talk with about this. A little piece of my heart breaks at the thought of her not having anyone to share her dreams with.

Guilt chips away at me, and I make a mental note to pay more attention to her.

“Yeah, I…” She hesitates, but ultimately, the urge to talk about something she loves wins. “I actually submitted a script to the Golden Quill,” she confesses in a low voice.

The green envelope. I’d asked her about it, but we never got to the part she told me about the envelope because I started fighting with her before she could.

“Olivia,” I speak her name in a soft whisper tinged with admiration.

“I’ve been shortlisted for a nomination.” She sounds so proud of herself. So happy for her accomplishment. Across from me, Julia shares a smile with her, and again I find myself asking why I’m the only one who didn’t know about it. But I know the answer without having to ask that question.

“That’s amazing,” Winter says sincerely.

“Congratulations,” I say at the same time. “Oh my God, Olivia, this is awesome. I’m so proud of you.” I hug her tightly, but I think I catch a watery gleam in her eyes at my words.

Later that night, when we’re back home, ready to go to bed, I turn to her and hug her once more.

“I really am proud of you. You know that, right?”

“Thank you, Luli.” She hugs me back, and her next words sound muffled because she has her face on my shoulder. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

I sigh, feeling like the worst sister in the word. Holding her arm, I push her away just enough to look into her eyes.

“I wish you didn’t feel like you need to hide things from me. I wish you’d told me about your major.”

“I knew you wouldn’t like it. I… I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“I’m not—” I have to swallow the sudden swell of emotion that’s lodged in my throat. “You can never disappoint me. We just… we have different approaches, that’s all. I won’t always understand your choices, but that doesn’t mean I’m disappointed in you. I think…” I take a deep breath. “I think sometimes I kinda wish I had the guts you do to do things the ‘Olivia way’.”

“Messy and unpredictable?”

“Creative and effective,” I affirm, and the smile she gives me in return repairs one of the little fractions in my heart. “So, since when did you want to write?”

“Uhm, since we used to come up with stories to perform for our parents,” she answers as if it’s obvious.

Julia joins us not long after we make ourselves comfortable on the couch, taking a trip down memory lane. For the first time in years, my sisters and I stay awake talking and gossiping until the sun rising on the horizon tells us we’re way past our bedtime.

Chapter 19

“This calls for a celebration,” Cam calls after the cheering applause dies down. We’ve just completed the last full rehearsal before we start the boring tech rehearsals next week.

It’s the last time to have fun for a long time. We all know that the next couple of weeks will be tedious. The tech process is so tiresome, I have yet to meet an actor who doesn’t dread this step of the production. Lots of standing still and doing nothing wait for us.

So it’s no surprise when everyone takes up the invitation, and soon we’re all back in our favorite bar on Film Strip.

I’ve been to The Reel Pub so many times in the last months, I’m starting to think the waiters can already recognize me, but I’ll only be worried when they start asking if I want my usual. Since that doesn’t happen, I’m good.

“Did you invite Julia?” I ask Cam after he brings a pint and three glasses to our table.

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