#he's so great in this scene. leans against a wall. drinks his coffee. laughs skeptically.

[emmaswanned]

[ontherockswithsalt]

A Made Man

/1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ /5/ /6/ /7/ /8/ /9/ /10/ /11/ /12/ /13/ /14/ /15/ /16/ /17/ /18/ /19/ /20/ /21/ /22/ /23/ /24/ /25/

A/N: When we last left Jamie, he was all set to tell a certain Reagan about the latest developments in his life. Let’s see how that goes...

Chapter 26.

“I'm just happy you didn't lean over and make a scene honking the horn.” Nicky leads me into her apartment after our Saturday morning drive, loosening her scarf as we approach the kitchen.

“I heard that!” Erin chimes in. From her perch on a stool at the island countertop, she lifts her gaze from her laptop.

“Mom, it's so embarrassing,” Nicky insists and I chuckle to myself, slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans. “It's like you have no chill. The light turns green and you're jumping down everyone's throat.”

Erin takes a moment to blink hard and look over at me. “It's like I have no chill, Jamie,” she muses, considering the phrase.

I smirk. “Well we all know that.”

“And you think your uncle does, huh?”

She laughs. “Compared to you, mom? Uh yeah.”

“Yeah well, being chill won't make you a competent, alert driver,” Erin reasons. “And that's my priority for you right now.”

“She did great.” I decide to diffuse this back-and-forth. “She just needs to get more comfortable committing to a left turn. But that takes practice.”

Erin manages a satisfied nod. “Alright, good.”

“So can I meet Olivia at Cafe Lalo?” Nicky turns and charms her mom with a wide grin.

“Do you have money?”

“Yes.”

“If I give you a little extra, will you bring me back a macaron?” My sister wonders as she slides off her stool makes her way to her kitchen table.

Nicky laughs. “Of course.”

“I mean, gosh, it's so chill of me to let you go,” she teases before she pulls a bill from her wallet and meets Nicky with it.

My niece merely manages to return the amused look, playing it smart to refrain from commenting on that if she wants to have her way. “Pistachio?”

“Please.”

“What about you, Uncle Jamie? Anything?”

“No thanks. I'm good.”

“You got your phone?” Erin asks.

“Yes.”

“Your metro card?”

“I'm walking,” Nicky answers. “But yes.”

“Be careful. The Christmas shoppers are out in full force and it makes everyone crazy.”

She hadn't bothered to take her coat off, so she simply fishes her fuzzy earmuffs out of her bag. “I got it. If we go anywhere else, I'll text you.”

“Have fun,” Erin murmurs.

After a squeeze on my arm, Nicky calls out, “Thanks again, Jamie” and heads for the door.

My sister and I are left there in the kitchen and she regards me as if to question my jacket if I'm going to stay.

“Thanks for spending your morning with her,” she offers.

“Of course.”

“Want to stay for some coffee? Or have you got things to do?”

“Uh. Yeah. I'll take some coffee.”

She looks at me again. “Everything alright with you?”

“Mm-hm.” I press my lips together.

Giving me a slow, skeptical nod, she busies herself at the coffee pot against the wall. “Well you look better than you did last weekend. Guess you got some sleep.”

“Thanks,” I laugh softly.

“Is the pacing necessary?” she glances back at me while she scoops the grounds into the filter. “Maybe you don't need coffee.”

I look down at my boots. I didn't even realize I couldn't keep still.

“Pull up a chair.”

With an exhale, I manage a half smile and move to take off my leather jacket, leaving it on the back of a chair at her kitchen table. Tugging the sleeves of my blue sweater up my forearms, I pull out a stool for myself at her counter.

After clearing my throat, I drum my fingers there on the granite. “So how are you?” I attempt, but she's not having my casual inquiry.

“Working on a Saturday,” she nods over to her computer. “That's how I am. How's work going with you?”

Tilting my head, I answer with a shrug. “Alright.”

“And your non-work life?”

Propping my elbows on the countertop, I run my hand across my mouth and rest it there while I blink my gaze someplace far away for a minute. I don't say anything. The sinking feeling in my gut reminds me that this is it. I acknowledge this to my sister out loud and it's more than real.

She patiently accepts the quiet longer than I expect her to. Then she rounds the island and reclaims her seat on the stool beside me. “Is there something on your mind?”

I drop one hand to turn and look at her and pressing my lips together, I just nod.

Her eyes search my face a moment, as if trying to discern what the big fucking drama is about. “Can… you talk about it?” She asks, slowly.

“I want to,” I finally decide.

“So talk.”

With a deep inhale, I ease back. “Last weekend when you and Danny were giving me a hard time about dating someone, you weren't wrong.”

Erin simply lets a smirk curve on her face and one intrigued eyebrow jumps. As she turns to close the lid of her laptop, she pulls off her glasses. “Oh?”

“I've been seeing someone… for a few months now.”

“Well that's great.”

I just manage another vague nod. In my head, this was a lot easier. I had run through this conversation with my sister for days and I know I just need to fucking say it. The more I drag it out, the more I heighten the shock value and that's not what I want at all.

Smiling, she reaches out and jabs my arm. “Why are you being evasive? What's the big deal?”

“His name’s Nick.” The confession leaves me in an exhale but then my breath stills. It takes a moment before I can find it again when I look at her.

Erin’s lips part, but instead of saying anything, she presses them back together and her eyes widen in some sort of pleased surprise.

“Don't--”

“Jamie!”

“Don't look at me like that.” I mutter, glancing away to fight the flicker of amusement I can't help but feel.

She pushes a reassuring palm against the side of my leg. “Tell me about him!”

I finally work up a deep breath. This is the difficult part. Do I tell her all about him, about Noble, and some enamored description of him? Charm her with him and then drop the next bomb? Or do I put it all out there at once and get it over with?

“There's a lot to tell,” I offer.

She nods faintly, her otherwise dark gaze lit up with her a hopeful smile. I can tell she’s treading with caution, not wanting to grill me too hard in case I shut down. “Okay. Well--” She moves to get off her stool and heads to the coffee pot as it finishes brewing. “I'm here. That's what coffee and sisters are for.” Then she flashes a perfect, baiting grin over her shoulder before she reaches for a set of mugs.

I feel one cheek pull up when I can't fight the start of a smile and I lean in to rest my arms on the counter.

“Your face!” She announces after sneaking another glance at me. “I can't take it. Please tell me everything.”

“Oh god,” I groan.

“Where is Nick from? What does Nick do? Is he funny? Is he tall?”

“Alright--”

“You said a few months,” she wonders. “That's kind of a lot.”

“Yeah the whole thing’s a lot,” I say. “I haven't even told you the shocking part.”

With an intrigued eyebrow, Erin turns around, setting my prepared mug in front of me. “Okay. Shock me, then.”

I kill time with a sip of the hot coffee and figure at this point, I might as well tell her everything. I clear my throat. “I met him last year as a UC. He uh… testified for federal prosecution after I worked with OCCB--”

“He was a witness in a racketeering trial?”

I let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah. And now he's in WitSec in Miami with his sister.”

Erin's mouth opens as she closes her eyes to process this information. After a moment, she looks at me, a critical line drawn between her brows. “Sanfino.”

Nodding over the rim of my mug, I go for another sip. “Yep.”

“I remember that. His uncle. Or his father…” She narrows her gaze, attempting to recall the facts. “Weren't there murder charges?”

“Yeah.”

She straightens up and holds out one hand as if to wonder where the fuck to even start. “Wait--” Then she just stammers the beginnings of multiple questions. “He's… How did--”

“I feel like I should draft an e-mail,” I muse. “And let you sit with that and if you have any questions, you can contact me.”

“You think this is funny, Jamie?”

“No, I don't think this is funny.” My brow furrows. “This is the hardest thing I've ever told anybody. Because the potential for fallout is huge. Don't you think I know that?” Glancing down, I absently turn the coffee mug on the countertop and stare into it for a moment. “You know, I thought I had my life pretty mapped out. More or less. A lot has happened to affect it at certain points, y'know? But nothing like this. I never expected to meet someone who'd change everything.”

My sister just looks at me, crossing over to return to her seat with her own drink.

Thoughtfully, my mouth quirks and I pause a minute to consider my own words. “That's the thing, though, I haven't changed,” I go on to explain. “I'm still me. I'm still the same person--”

“I know you are,” she offers softly.

“But… he… this relationship has altered whatever that course was. I think that's fair to say.” My breath stops short and I clench my back teeth until I feel the almost satisfying flex of my jaw in response and I breathe again. “And I'm okay with that. And I want you to be okay with that.”

“Jamie--” She starts, and the way she says my name sinks through my heart for a moment. “I love you. And I want you to be happy.”

Anticipating a but-- I swallow some more coffee and wait for it.

“You have to know, though, that there will be questions.”

“I know--”

“And doubt. And apprehension.”

A slight, absent nod bobs my chin.

“And possibly… altogether refusal.”

Sitting with that, I don’t say anything. I know. I’ve run through every possible scenario between my dad, my grandpa, my brother, and me, fully understanding that one or all of them could decide for me the direction of this relationship. With a one-sentence order. 

So when my sister acknowledges that there are people out there who would refuse to accept this relationship, it’s a truth I’ve known, but one that sounds more real when it comes from her.

“Have you told anyone else?” She wonders.

“Vinny.”

She smiles. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I laugh. “And Nick's sister.” I tell myself to get used to that as his name around other people. I sort of am by now, but it still feels weird. Ultimately, if we were going to have any kind of real life together, here or there or wherever, that's who he'd have to be. To me, he'd always be Noble though.

“I'm not discrediting your concerns,” I assure her. “Trust me I'm aware… of how screwed up this all sounds.”

“Not screwed up,” she says. “But dangerous.”

“Potentially.”

She considers it for a moment over a sip of coffee. Pressing her lips together, she looks at me, a little twitch at her cheek. “Well what does he look like?”

A soft laugh blows out of me. It feels good for her to at least humor me with a normal question even though I know she has a hundred more serious ones. “You wanna see a picture?”

With a grin she leans closer to me. “Yes.”

I regard her with an amused smirk as I shift and pull my phone from my pocket. I unlock the screen and flick through to find a picture I took of him on the balcony of the penthouse. He's angled, forearms against the railing over the neighborhood below but I happened to catch his genuine smile as he turned to look at me.

I offer the phone screen and she moves in to peer down at it.

Drawing in a quick breath, her eyes light up as she studies the picture. “Ooh…”

“Alright.” I quickly cut her off, leaning away as I darken the screen.

She laughs. “He's cute!”

“I know,” I remark with an easy shrug and slip my phone onto the counter.

Feeling the heat in my cheeks, I glance away when I see her cut her amused eyes to me over another sip of coffee.

She sets down her mug and leans into the counter on her elbow, resting her head in her hand. “So you gonna walk me through your timeline? Because I'm definitely curious how you managed to reunite with this this guy you were never supposed to see again.”

[yederowriting]

Heroic Party

            CW: Alcohol

The apartment was quite small, there was barely enough space to walk around the torn-up couch and battered coffee table in the main room. A milk crate sat in the corner bowing under the weight of an old Cathode ray TV sitting on top of it. The kitchen connected to the living room with a serving window and maybe had space for two people if they were intimate enough. Despite this appearance though there were colorful banners hung up sporadically and the walls rung with the sound of laughter from the four young adults occupying the building.

A tall lanky boy with sleek brown hair cheered again from where he sat on the couch, feet propped up on the table. “We did it guys! We made it!”

Across the couch from him was a girl with dark brown hair leaning against the armrest with her right arm dangling down. She roared out another laugh. “You all did great; I’m so glad I can call you guys my team.”

The third member was leaning against the opposite wall, as there wasn’t enough space on the couch to fit him. He was tall and had broad shoulders that his red hair was draped across. “We all did well. You saved my ass though Sara,” He gestured at the girl on the couch “I’d probably have been knocked out if you didn’t swoop in at the last second there.” He chortles out a deep laugh.

Sara chuckled. “Thanks Max, but you should thank Tyler too.” She nodded her head at the blonde boy. “He alerted me to the henchman sneaking up on you.”

“Ah fair,” Max entered an exaggerated bow. “Thank you M’lord. Whatever could I do without you.” He chortled again as the TV remote smacked against his head.

The sound of clinking could be heard in the kitchen followed by a singsong voice. “Sorry guys, it looks like I’ve only got the cheap stuff but hey, alcohol is alcohol, right?” A smaller figure stepped around the corner cradling four bottles of beer in their arms. They had blonde hair that hung down to their waist and bright blue eyes.

Tyler waved a dismissive hand. “Ah don’t worry about it Izzy, celebrating requires alcohol no matter the quality.” He snickered into his hand at the disapproving look from Sara.

“Uh-huh, right.” Sara panned her head back to look at Izzy with a smile. “We appreciate it regardless dear, thanks for hosting our little party at your place.”

“Oh of course! I’m so excited we chose my apartment for this; I love having you guys over.” Izzy grinned and bounced over to Sara, leaning over. “Take your pick!”

The bottles were clinking around in their arms, and Sara’s arm shot up to grab one right as it was about to fall. “I guess this one chose me.” She laughed as she popped the cap off the bottle with a thumb and took a swig, followed by a poorly covered grimace. “Oh, it isn’t that bad for cheap stuff.”

Izzy looked backwards as they turned to offer a drink to Max. “Oh no need to sugar coat it, I know the only redemption here is the alcohol content.” They giggled and lifted their arms so Max could grab a drink.

He picked one from their arms and placed a hand on the cap before pausing. “Uh, actually do you have a bottle opener I can use?” He gestured to himself. “Don’t wanna break the bottle, still getting used to my strength.”

Izzy jerked their head at the kitchen. “Yeah, got one hanging on the wall in there.” They walked over to Tyler with a drink in both hands but paused in front of him with a skeptical look on their face. “Hmmm, do you really deserve one of these though?”

He scowled at Izzy and lunged to grab one of the last two bottles, but they jumped back faster. “Oh come on, you can’t just give them to everyone else. What happened to best friends?”

Izzy giggled again as they dodged another lunge from Tyler. “I mean yeah best friends and all, but” They jumped over the coffee table to stand where Tyler had been sitting on the couch, “Teasing you is so much more fun, y’know?”

Sara burst into laughter watching the scene in front of her. “Yeah, they have a point, frustrating you is so much more fun.”

He stuck his tongue out at her before leaping over the table and tackling Izzy. They yelped as he landed, arms flailing on the way down. The two of them wrestled on the couch, one of the bottles falling and rolling under the table. Sara pulled her legs away, watching in amusement as the two struggled. She looked over to see Max watching nonchalantly from the kitchen as he drank from his beer.

“You gonna break ‘em up?” She asked with a bemused look and a twinkle in her eyes.

Max shook his head with a smirk. “Nah, I’m curious who wins this. Plus, free entertainment.” He chuckled as Tyler managed to pin down Izzy long enough to snatch the other bottle from her hand.

“Ha! I got it anyways.” Tyler stuck his tongue out at Izzy before plopping down in the middle of the couch with a smug look on his face. “Hey Max, mind passing me that bottle opener you used?”

Max turned and reached around the wall. “Sure thing bud, nice pin by the way.” He tossed the bottle opener to Tyler as he turned to face the room.

“Than-“ Tyler got cut off as Izzy shot out an arm and snatched the bottle opener right before he could catch it. “Hey!”

Izzy giggled and shoved the opener behind them, leaning back to cover it. “Can’t have this until you prove you deserve it, cheater.”

“I didn’t cheat! I pinned you down fair and square, now gimmie.” Tyler dropped the bottle on the couch beside himself as he lunged over to Izzy again, trying to get a hand behind them to grab the bottle opener. Izzy giggled as they twisted and turned, blocking his hand with their body.

Sara let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh my god, will you two PLEASE get a room?” She rolled her eyes, trying her best to keep a straight face.

Tyler bolted up from his struggle to glare at Sara. “I- what? I’m just trying to get the beer I rightfully deserve.”

Izzy sat up at the same time, their words overlapping with Tyler’s. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I like to tease everyone.” Their cheeks looked like they had a slight red coloring to them.

“Mhmmmm.” Sara shared a skeptical look with Max. “If you say so, I guess I have no choice but to believe you.”

Before Izzy could react, Tyler snatched the bottle opener from them. He opened the bottle quickly and drank from it. While he wasn’t looking Sara winked at Izzy, and the red on Izzy’s cheeks deepened even more.

Tyler settled back on the couch, hanging his left arm over the back of it. “So, what are you all feeling? I say we pull out a board game, Monopoly anyone?”

Max raised an eyebrow as he took a sip from his beer. “Ah yes, let's play the game that gets everyone heated, sounds great.” His words were layered with a lot of sarcasm.

“I felt it would be a nice change from the teamwork we’ve been putting in the last few days is all.” Tyler sat back, propping both feet up on the table. “What do you think big guy?”

Sara raised her drink and twisted it back and forth. “Oh oh, I have an idea!”

Tyler shrugged. “Go for it.”

“Ok so, what about watching a movie?” She made eye contact with everyone. “I feel like we can find one we all agree on.”

Max nodded and made a thoughtful expression. “Yeah, I like the sound of that.”

Tyler nodded in agreement and looked over at Izzy. “What do you think nerd? Movie sound good?”

Izzy looked up with a confused expression, like they were just in deep thought. “What? Oh, uhm movie? Yeah, I think that sounds good, sure.”

Sara gave Izzy a knowing smirk. “Well it seems like we all agree then, shall we discuss the options?”

Izzy reached out a hand towards the bottle under the table and it jumped into their hand. “Yeah sure, what about a comedy?”

The four of them debated what to watch for a few minutes before agreeing and settling down to watch a movie as they passed around more drinks and ordered pizza. They watched late into the night before most of them fell asleep on the couch, with Izzy leaning against Tyler’s shoulder.

[spideycents]

B-Roll // Shawn Mendes - 3: camera ready

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS

---

Michael and Julie-Anne both get booked as extras, so at least I won't have to start off on my own. We're shooting scenes with extras first before moving into the detention scenes. Hopefully I'll get to have at least a week with them both around. More would be heaven, but it's highly unlikely. If I make friends with the right people, I'm definitely going to try to get them booked for more days though. They can do crosses as fuzzy dots in the windows. I need them with me. I can't do this alone. I hate working on sets without them. They make any set instantly a million times better just by existing.

   Michael shows up at my house the night before so we can carpool to set together. Just like always. Or at least like the times when we're filming closer to my house than to his or we're both booked together for multiple days.

   "How much earlier does crew have to be there?" he asks me. He's laying on the couch in the living room and I'm sitting on the floor, leaning against the cushions. He's trying to peer over my shoulder as I thumb through the rundown email with what I need to bring with me, what's expected of me, my general responsibilities, the address for parking, and finally my call time.

   6:30am.

   "Later, actually," I shrug and show him. "But I'll still go 30 minutes early with you." We always get there early. Michael and I hate traffic and the anxiety of cutting it close and we like to get our favorite seats in holding: two tables from the door, at the very end of the table, hopefully as close as we can get to either check-in, makeup and hair, costumes, or all three. It has been all three before and we got through those lines so fast and were ready in record time and we got placed in the best spots on camera. Those were good days.

   "30 minutes at least," Michael adds for emphasis. He's right. We will most likely get there even earlier. Which means I will, at most, be getting about three hours of sleep tonight.

   Yay.

   "Ooo!"

I raise an eyebrow at him. His lips are pinched and his eyes are mischievous. "What?"

He smirks. "You get to do our makeup."

"I'm gonna make you look like a raccoon," I sneer at him.

"You better." His stupid smirk grows bigger and I reach up and push him away. He flops dramatically to the other side of the couch and his attention returns to his phone.

I close out of my email and open Instagram. I keep finding myself checking Shawn's page and the pages of everyone else in the cast. One minute, I'm scrolling through Zendaya's page, then the next my left shoulder is being shaken.

"Lyla!"

I feel like I'm falling and my eyes fly open as I flail my arms and legs out and grab the coffee table next to me.

"What?" I ask grumpily.

"Go to bed," Michael laughs lightly, but speaks softly.

"I'm take nap right here," I groan and close my eyes again.

"Nooooo," Michael grabs my hands and yanks me to my feet. "You take a nap in there." He nudges me toward my bedroom and I stumble forward.

"Fine." I loll my head back, my eyes only open slightly so they're basically slits, and stick my tongue out at him. "Goodnight."

   "Goodnight," he whispers back in a sing-songy tone. He flips the lights off before my door is even closed and I hear him climb onto the couch on the other side of my wall.

   I pull on my pjs and flop into bed, completely forgetting to turn my own lights off or set any alarms to wake me up in a few hours.

Unfortunately, what feels like seconds after my head hits my pillow, Michael's knocking at my door and day one of detention with The Breakfast Club officially begins.

   I pull on my favorite jeans, a cute blouse, and black combat boots that are a little dirty and scuffed up at the toes from too many long days wearing them in the mountains. Michael's in his usual shorts, t-shirt, and hoodie. I've got my makeup bag with everything I need and my backpack with a fluffy jacket stuffed in it along with some essentials if I get bored: a hardback copy of The Knife of Never Letting Go (which I desperately need to reread), my sketchbook, and an array of pens and pencils. Michael's got his backpack with his small collection of portable chargers, his clothes for costumes, and his favorite book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (he never goes anywhere without it).

   We both fill up our water bottles, then head out to his car.

True to form, we pull into a parking spot in the crew and extras lot at 4:53am.

"We're the first people here." I hold up my right hand and Michael high fives me, then we both climb out the car.

We get our stuff out the trunk, then he slams it shut and walks away. Before I follow after him, I reach for a magnet on the back of his car, flip it upside down, and run after him.

Michael's stopped and he's glaring at me.

"You're the worst," he says flatly.

"I think you mean the best." I smile.

"Nope," he shakes his head. "You're garbage. Get in the trash can."

I flip him off and we walk to the front of the parking lot where the shuttles will pick us up to take us to set. There's a security guard standing by the entrance to the gravel lot. He's talking to a couple of guys who I'm assuming must be PAs since they're always the first ones in and the last out.

Michael groans dramatically as he drops his stuff on the ground by a tree. He leans against it and pulls out his phone.

One of the guys with the security guard walks away and heads for a silver car, gets in, and drives away.

I drop my stuff next Michael's, then lower myself to the ground and lean back against the tree. I keep my focus on the guy still with the security guard. He looks vaguely familiar, but between his backward baseball cap and baggy sweatpants and hoodie, I can't really make out his form. There's not much light on him either since the street lamps are really dim and my eye sight's still fuzzy cause I'm not fully awake yet. There's just something about the way he's standing, I guess.

A yawn creeps up my throat and catches me by surprise when my mouth opens so wide, my jaw hurts. The yawn lasts for a good long minute and my vocal chords squawk when air is forced through them unexpectedly.

"What the fuck kind of noise was that?!" Michael's eyes are wide and he's looking at me like the mother panda in that viral video looked at her sneezing cub. "Did something just possess you?" The crazed look on his face intensifies when he laughs and I pout.

"Don't judge me," I whine and stick my tongue out at him.

"I always do," he grins.

I roll my eyes and start playing Disney Sporcle quizzes on my phone. I'm so lost in them that I don't notice Michael leaving, or someone else taking his place.

"Do you happen to know any of the lyrics to Be Our Guest?" I ask and when Michael doesn't immediately respond, I continue. "Because I have two minutes left and I'm still missing a good third of the song."

Still no answer so I look up at him.

Oh.

My.

God.

"I'm more of a Lion King fan," says Shawn Mendes, who's sitting on the ground a mere three feet from me. "If you need any help with Hakuna Matata, I got you."

He winks at me.

Oh god.

What the fuck is happening?!

I look like an actual goblin right now. This is his first impression of me.

I'm a fucking bridge troll with like four chins right now because of the way I'm looking at my phone.

"Cool," I say, but at the same time as I hiccup, so I clear my throat. "Cool. Um...if I uh...get that one, I'll let you know."

I hiccup again.

Great.

I hiccup again, harder.

Fuck me.

"Are you good?" Shawn smiles slightly.

I nod and hiccup again.

Twice.

Shawn raises his eyebrows slightly. "Do you want some water?" He reaches into the side pocket of his backpack, grabs a water bottle, and holds it out for me.

I shake my head fervently and reach for my own water bottle in my bag, but it's not there.

I look around a little more frantically than I probably should and find it a few feet from me, on the rocks. It must have rolled away when I sat down.

"Oh," Shawn notices it too."Let me get that for you."

"No-" Hiccup. "It's okay. I got it." I quickly dive for my water bottle and scramble back to my spot by the tree while I pop the cap and start chugging.

And choking.

The coughs are harsh and loud and the wheezing hurts like hell and I need it to stop right now because Shawn looks like he's three seconds away from calling 911 and having me carried away on a stretcher.

I drink more water, then cough more.

Water. Cough. Water. Cough.

Until it fades to light wheezing and the occasional throat clearing.

"I'm good." My throat feels like sand paper, but the words manage to force their way through.

"You sure?" Shawn looks skeptical. I don't blame him. I'm an awful liar.

I nod again. Quickly and repeatedly.

"Yep," I croak. "I'm cool."

A mini coughing fit hits me and Shawn laughs lightly.

"Yeah, you're definitely good," he says.

I take a few sips of water and sigh when the coughing and pain in my throat are finally gone.

"Do you still need help with Be Our Guest?" he asks.

I glance at my phone, but I knew the timer ran out a few minutes ago. It was blinking at me before I even started choking.

"Nope," I shake my head. "But now I know that I missed most of Mrs. Potts' solo, and literally every dish that's mentioned aside from the grey stuff."

"It's delicious," Shawn grins. "Really."

"You've had it?" I haven't. My family brought snacks with us last time we went. The only thing I ate in the park was a waffle.

"Uh huh," he nods.

"Like the real, official thing? At Disney?"

He nods again. "It tasted like Oreos."

"Oh nice," I laugh. "Michael'd love that."

Shawn's eyebrows knit together. "Who's Michael?"

"Oh uh, he's my friend. We drove here together, he's..." I look around, "...somewhere. Probably went back to his car for the heat."

"Man, I shoulda done that," Shawn clicks his tongue. "My friend took my car to set already."

Now it's my turn to be confused. "Why didn't you go with him?"

Shawn shrugs. "Is it stupid that I kinda like riding in the vans?"

I smile. "Compared to...what do you drive?"

"Oh it's not my car," he says quickly. "It's my friends."

"Which would be?..."

"Oh. An Audi," he adds.

"Then yes, it is stupid," I say simply.

"Thank you for your honesty," he chuckles.

"Oh anytime," I smirk. "It's what I'm here for."

"Alright everybody. Leggo!" the PA monitoring the parking lot yells. A black people-mover's pulled up to the curb and the PA's sliding the door open.

I grab my bag and Shawn and I get to our feet. He offers his hand, but I'm up before I even realize it.

"Oh sorry," I say quickly. "I didn't notice-"

"It's okay," he smiles shyly.

I shoot a text to Michael in all caps: VAN

Shawn offers to let me climb in the van first, but the PA holds out his arm and stops me.

"Just him for now," the guy says.

"It's okay, man. She can ride with me," Shawn says.

The PA shakes his head. "I can't let background ride with cast."

"I'm not background," I pipe up. "I'm crew. I'm a makeup assistant."

The PA tilts his head. "Really?"

I don't even blink when I snap back at him. "Do I need to show you my emails or call Angela? I'm sure she'd be happy to clarify that I'm allowed to ride in a van with one other person."

I can't tell if this guy looks impressed or pissed. Maybe both?

He nods at the van. "Get in."

"Thank you," I smile smugly and climb in. I move all the way to the back, even though it's literally just Shawn and I. The PA closes the door after Shawn gets in and follows me to the back.

I scoot all the way over, giving him plenty of room in the four-person seat.

"Oh shit!" I jump up and Shawn freezes.

"What?"

"I forgot Michael," I cringe.

We both laugh lightly and Shawn backs up into the second row of seats so I can scoot past.

"I'm so sorry," I tell the driver as I pull open the door. The PA turns around and I grimace. "Sorry. I forgot, there is actually...one more person."

Speak of the devil.

Michael jogs up to the van and the PA rolls his eyes, but let's him get in.

I go back to my seat in the back and Shawn sits down beside me while Michael stays two rows ahead of us.

"Of course you're back there," he shakes his head and I know he's about to make fun of me more until he suddenly realizes who I'm sitting with. "Uhhhh," he stammers, his mouth agape. "Hi." The idiot waves awkwardly. "I'm Michael." I can't blame him being dumbstruck. We were fawning over pictures of Shawn and screaming about how he could murder us and we would thank him not even 30 minutes ago.

Shawn laughs lightly and waves back. "Shawn. Nice to meet you."

"You too," Michael nods slightly, his eyes as wide as the sun and it takes everything in me to not lose my shit and laugh my ass off.

This is gonna be an interesting day.

---

OVERSHARE TIME! So I started writing this in late June for Camp NaNo and I have a ton of chapters written, but I decided to embrace it's fanfictionness only a week ago so updates are going to be slow-ish while I make edits. Sorry. Hope you all like it though!