🇬🇧 Once Upon a Time #Herophine 🇬🇧 (English version)

Chapter 1 - The start -

Josephine
I should give these stories a title, right?
So, let's see...

On the journey to happiness.

Yes, it seems accurate to me.
Too pretentious?
Maybe.
But it was the journey where I was unaware of its existence.
From then on, everything would be different.
In all senses.

July 2018

I think I've been reading and rereading the same sentence for two hours.
This script is very well written, but there are some parts that seem confusing. It's not clear what my character thinks and I want to analyze everything in detail before immersing myself in acting.

“Miss, would you like some water?” The stewardess wakes me up from my thoughts and I quickly blink to reconnect with the world.
"Yes, thank you..." I smile at her and wait for her to hand me the plastic cup.
I drink quickly and return to immerse myself in reading the script they sent me yesterday.
Yesterday. Do we realize?!?
It was all so fast, so sudden.
I don't know if I was right to accept but it seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity and I couldn't refuse.
I'm ready to face this adventure!
Terrified yes, but at the same time I feel ready.
I love acting even if I'm very clear that I don't want to become a super mega movie star, so to speak.
I don't particularly like being the center of attention unless it's acting. I just want to do what I like best: impersonate the life of some fictional character.
As in this case: Tessa.
For the next two months I will call myself that, I will breathe and live the same air as her, as if this girl really existed.
It's my way of bringing characters to life even though up until now I've always had secondary roles. Not that I'm complaining about that, just that having my own space in a film... Well, it's definitely something else.
By the way, I had never heard of this book series, but they say it's very famous on Wattpad! Maybe I was living under a rock for knowing absolutely none of this!
The story is familiar to me, I think I read a few chapters years ago on that platform but I probably moved on without continuing reading.
I'm not a fan of books in general, I like a good movie much more! Sofa, blanket, film on TV: my ideal evening!
In the delirium of auditions that I have done one after another in the last few months, there was also the audition for the part of Molly, a badass and slightly arrogant girl. Not that I had much choice, since the auditions for the other characters had already closed shortly before.
I still liked the idea of impersonating someone so far away from me! I think you learn new things about yourself by playing personalities that have nothing to do with you.
Instead, by some strange twist of fate, when they saw the video of my audition, they chose to call me to play the protagonist: Theresa Link Young, or Tessa to her friends.
Kind of like me calling myself Jo instead of Josephine.
Tessa is definitely very close to me in character, although not entirely obviously.
She's very naive, it's true, but we're both brainy, me definitely more than her.
In any case, better go back and read the script!
The book is next to me and I try to follow the events simultaneously with the screenplay, but the latter seems very different to what Anna Todd, the author, wrote.
Hardin's character fascinates me.
It's the classic beautiful and damned, but it's so much tormented that I wonder what happened to it in the past.
I keep wondering who the actor will play his part.
They only told me that he is a model and that he already arrived in Atlanta a few days ago, directly from London.
Nice information, right?
Pfff... he's probably a snooty snob who only thinks about fashionable clothes.
God, please don't let it be like this!
It would be two months of hell.
If I could, I would live in a tracksuit: comfort first and foremost!
Plus, let's not overlook the fact that I'll have to kiss him too!
I have no problem fake kissing someone, it's already happened to me in the past, and I don't pretend it's cute or anything, but at least friendly yes!
I sigh again and close my eyes.
There's no point worrying about it now, right?
Filming will start in about a week and I'm only at the beginning of the first part of the script!!!
I open the red folder that I bought just for such eventualities.
It's better to always be organized!
Pen in hand and off I went, writing notes on how I imagine the scenes would be shot and the moods Tessa feels in that moment.
I nibble on the pen in my hand for the umpteenth time and write what comes into my head, before I explode from too many thoughts.
It generally works.
Hardin should be tall, dark-haired, with a lot of tattoos and even piercings.
I can't fully imagine it but soon my curiosity will be satisfied I would say.

I look at the time on the screen in front of me.
This journey seems endless and maybe it really is!!!
From Perth to Los Angeles with two thousand stops in between, it's the apotheosis of stress!
Enough, better take a break!
I put everything away in the backpack I brought with me and close my eyes.
I'll sleep for an hour, just enough time to calm my thoughts. It can only do me good.
__________________________

"Miss, fasten your seatbelts, we are about to begin the landing phase!" A voice calls me softly.
I quickly open my eyes and look around in disorientation.
Fuck! How long did I sleep?!?
I read the time on the screen in front of me: 5.45pm.
3 hours?!? I slept 3 hours?!?
Oh god I should have finished reading the script!!!
And the book!!!
Take notes!!!

Breathe. Hey, breathe!!!

I nod and do as the stewardess asks before she thinks I'm crazy.
What can go wrong?
I still have a week to learn the lines, I'll make it work.
Calm down and have a cool head Jo, you can do it!!!
The plane begins to descend slowly and the change in pressure is barely felt.

I close my eyes trying to visualize Tessa. The fragile and tender little girl who finds herself falling in love with the bad boy of the situation, like in the best romantic films.
It's a textbook story:
She loves him, he is a difficult boy but he loves her too and they begin an endless back and forth.
I didn't know the story specifically but holy Google gave me a nice summary I must admit.
I feel a great responsibility towards Tessa. Yes, I know she doesn't exist but for many girls she is a role model and I don't want her to be portrayed as the naive little girl who falls in love and is treated like crap.
I'll bring Tessa to life, the girl with little experience in love life but who has guts to spare and who will stand up for herself with that hothead Hardin.
On the one hand, if the actor playing him was an asshole, it would be easier for me to act!
I smile at the stupid thought that just came to mind.
My acting certainly won't depend on it!

Luckily the landing goes smoothly and in a short time I manage to take my bags and leave the Terminal.
A car should be waiting outside for me to go to the hotel but I don't see anyone.
I look at my phone several times, waiting on the platform but nothing: no call or message from production.
Ok, I'll take a taxi. Luckily I have the hotel address!
Don't let it be said that I can't solve problems!
I quickly hail a taxi and in a moment we are already on the street.

Atlanta is hot, almost suffocating and the humidity is really annoying.
I'm used to the heat in Perth, but it's scorching, whereas here it's really hard to breathe, even though it's almost evening.
The sun is still high in the sky and it will take hours before it disappears over the horizon.
Of course, they chose a beautiful time of year to shoot the film! The hottest summer in history!

“Here we are, Hotel Majestic!” The taxi driver turns towards me smiling.
I smile back, pay and go out to get my bags.
It feels like I've moved from how many things I brought, but I'll be away from home for at least two months and I don't even know what I'll do when I finish filming.
I've been dreaming of moving to Los Angeles for some time now, there would definitely be more opportunities for me.
I adjust my sunglasses and hat on my head.
It's time to get in on the act!

The sliding doors of the hotel open majestically as soon as they perceive my presence and I find myself in a very sophisticated hall, in shades of white and beige with chandeliers that glisten down from the very high ceiling.

Wow. Now that's impressive!

I look around in ecstasy.
There are many people coming and going from the reception desk and on the sofas which seem to be really soft.
This place is amazing!
I have no idea who will be there to welcome me. They told me just to show up in the lobby and then I'll meet all the staff for dinner tonight.

The rest of the cast will arrive in about a week, for now it should just be me and...

“And you must be Josephine!”
A warm, reassuring and deep voice distracts me for a moment.

I immediately turn around and...
Oh shit, how tall is he?!?