Ambivalence • Mason Thames

xiv.

«Friendships are wonderful and life affirming. If we're lucky, each one provides us with new wisdom so they get better and better»

Irene S. Levine

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Today is a very exciting day; we're filming Gwen's dream. I know Brady is very excited to do his stunt. We got an extra named Braxton for the scene and he has been prepared for weeks.

The main cast had discussed whether he should be added to the group chat or not, and it was a unanimous vote.

I was stood in the aisle by the pinball machine getting my hair touched up. Mason wasn't too far from me by the counter. Madeleine was outside by the police car, waiting for her queue to walk up and Brady was stood getting his makeup touched up as he talked to Scott.

I was a bit nervous for this scene since I had my own stunt. It wasn't one that needed practicing since all I did was get pushed over by an extra, which made me scared that I was going to mess up.

I know you're probably thinking 'how do you mess up a fall?' but what if I fall the wrong way, or knock over something, or hit someone. There's so many things that could go wrong.

"Okay, everyone! Get into your places! We're about to start!" Scott shouted from the door.

Everyone adjusted their positions and the hair crew left me. Brady was set up, about to start playing pinball when Scott shouted 'Action!'

Brady started intensely playing the game in front of him, his eyes not lifting up from the glass. The extra who was playing Vance's friend walked up and the camera slowly moved around to show Brady's focused face.

I, even though not on screen, had to, obviously, be doing something, so I looked at the candy bars in front of me, picking up two and looking as if I was having an indecisive moment. Braxton and the other extra were already in their places after walking inside and were doing their thing.

Vance's friend said, "Vance, you're gonna beat your high score," in an excited and shocked tone, and Brady snarkily replied. That's when Braxton and his friend started to fool around, nearly bumping into me. My heart began to race as the anticipation for my stunt arose.

Braxton knocked the other boy into the pinball machine, messing up the game, and pissing Brady off. Brady lifted the boy, throwing him into a shelf of comic books. Braxton tried to intervene, pulling a switchblade on Brady, only to be beat by Brady and thrown to the ground.

He tried to grab onto me as support, knocking me backwards onto the ground. I hit my head, grunted and crawled back and out of the way. I lifted myself to my feet and watched the fight with a horrified look on my face.

The scene continued and Brady picked up the switchblade and carved a number into Braxton's arm. Not literally, for obvious reasons, but he traced it. The blade wasn't a real one, and instead a decoy.

'Cut!' Scott yelled. "Great job! That was perfect! Now let's get the cops in here." Two older men in police uniforms walked in and gently grabbed Brady's arms. Mason was stood by the door, waiting to open it. The camera was outside, set to catch the whole scene.

Scott yelled action and everyone began doing as they were supposed to. Mason opened the door and the cops carried Brady to their car. I exited the store to watch everything, still kind of shaken up. I placed my hand on the back of my head, as if it were still in pain from before.