Chapter Text
Tessa Virtue was awestruck. There was no other word to describe the grandeur of the set being built before her, and the hustle and bustle of what seems like a hundred people getting ready for the first day of filming on a movie set. She shuffles closer to her mother’s side, to avoid the group of burly men passing by, carrying plywood and bits and bobs of what appears to be more parts of the movie set. There’s a hum in the air that seems just in tune with the excitement running through her body.
She can’t believe it was only four months ago when she was a normal ten year old girl walking through the streets of London after ballet practice. She was happily chatting with her mother Kate and enjoying her post-practice ice cream treat, when a long line of girls (and their mothers) had caught their attention. As they drew closer to the crowd, they’d seen the sign everyone was queuing for: Open Auditions for Into the Mystic.
Into the Mystic! It was Tessa’s favourite book series at the moment and she couldn’t believe they were adapting it into a movie!
Like many bookworms before her, Tessa devoured all types of books she could get her hands on. She read mystery novels, romances (which might have been way too mature for her), historical biographies.... and of course, fantasy. Fantasy wasn’t her favourite genre by any means, but she liked her Tolkien, Harry Potter (Hermione Granger was an inspiration!), and she was fond of the Narnia and Tortall universes.
Into the Mystic though was her current favourite young adult (YA) bestseller series.
The author Marie-France Dubreuil, was still midway through the books, but the main character Shaeya was such a wonderful character! Smart, strong, and independent, Shaeya was someone Tessa (and a million other girls) connected with and aspired to be like. Furthermore at her tender age, Tessa was glad that even after three books, there wasn't even a hint of a romantic interest for Shaeya. Shaeya had better things to do, for instance saving the world with the adults around her. She isn’t wasting her time mooning over some boy, like most of the other YA books out there.
So she had begged her mother to let her audition for the part of Shaeya. Her parents had been reluctant at first, reminding her that her passion was dance and that her life would completely change if she also decided to pursue acting.
But when she put her mind to it, Tessa could beg really, really well.
They had relented in the end, probably thinking it would just be a good experience for her to try out and do something new. So the next day, she and Kate had joined that queue. And they had been called back for more interviews and screen tests… until finally she’s standing in front of award-winning director Joe Moir. Crying in excitement after he tells her she’s won the part.
And so, here she was. The unknown lead of an eagerly anticipated major Hollywood blockbuster franchise.
She should be feeling thrilled to start this new adventure. However now suddenly, there are only nerves and nausea.
Joannie, the friendly blonde production assistant who received them when they first arrived on set this morning, is trying to explain what the crew around them is doing as she leads them past trailers, random backdrops, an enormous green screen... But Tessa is completely distracted by the exciting chaos surrounding them and the effort of trying to control her tumultuous stomach. She grips her mother’s hand even tighter as she looks around, and doesn’t notice the presence of Joe, Alma and Scott Moir until they greet her and Kate.
Tessa really likes the Moirs. Joe was friendly, and had been very kind and understanding every time they’d interacted during the terrifying casting process. She knew he was a big-time Hollywood director whose name and reputation was supposedly the main reason why the studio green-lighted the film with a fairly substantial budget.
Another reason had been his smart and warm-hearted wife Alma. She was an actress (a well-regarded character actress with a best supporting Oscar), who had started dabbling into script writing about a decade ago. Her scripts had done well, and her adaptation of a Jane Austen novel had won a number of awards, indicating to the rest of Hollywood and the publishing world that she had a knack for literary adaptations.
While doing research for her audition (Tessa always liked to be prepared), she had learned that it was Alma who first read Into the Mystic and loved it. She introduced it to her husband, and together they’d decided to approach Marie-France to buy the rights and develop it under their production company. Apparently they weren’t the first producers to come knocking, but it was the package deal of the Moirs that convinced Marie-France that they were the right team to bring her beloved books to the screen.
It was also the niceness of the Moirs that eventually convinced the Virtues that it was ok for Tessa to leave school and sign away potentially the next decade of her life to this movie franchise. Currently, they were only filming one movie based on the first book. But everyone knew that if it was a success, the big studio would want more movies made on the remaining books.
And there was supposed to be six books in this series.
After Tessa had won the part, the Moirs had invited her and her parents to their home in nearby Ilderton for dinner. They had been candid and upfront about the demands that would be placed on a child actor, especially one who was playing the lead role in a movie. They also tried to explain the potential pitfalls that might affect Tessa, and how the Moirs would do their best to help the Virtues mitigate or avoid them.
Alma for instance, was open about her own experiences as a child actor with her twin sister. Her sister eventually left acting to pursue other interests, but they’d both credited their parents for keeping them grounded while growing up in the crazy world that is showbusiness. Also in terms of schooling, Tessa would have to be tutored on set, and the Moirs assured them that their own son Scott would be studying alongside her throughout filming. So thankfully, she wouldn't be the only kid on set for the duration of the entire film shoot.
That dinner conversation ended up dragging on late into the night, and Tessa and Scott were eventually excused. And allowed to escape into his room while the parents continued with more grown-up discussions...
Scott Moir may have been two years older than her, but he was just as friendly as his father, and immediately put her at ease. Even though he was clearly more extroverted than her, he didn’t seem to mind her quiet replies or the fact that she was a girl. Lots of boys in her class were stupid that way, and she was glad she wasn't going to be stuck with someone like them for the entirety of this movie.
So the Moirs were nice, and Tessa was glad to see them… But she’s now more preoccupied with how rude it’ll be to excuse herself from the room so that she could run to the bathroom (and throw up).
“How are you feeling Tessa?” Alma gives her an affectionate smile. “Are you excited about your first day on set?”
“Yes of course!” Tessa tries to grin, but she’s worried her nerves are clear for everyone to see. “I’m a bit nervous,” she rushes to add. “But I’ll be fine once we start.”
“That’s good to hear.” Joe says with a hearty laugh. “Now, I have a whole bunch of additional paperwork that I need your mother to sign. Like insurance and the paperwork for your schooling. So Scott, why don’t you bring Tessa around the set, the soundstage, the trailers, and all those fun nooks and crannies that I’m certain you’ve already scoped out. Please take care of her. Introduce her to whomever you meet, and just make sure she gets to the makeup trailer by 11 ok?”
“Sure Dad!” Scott gives her a wink and beckons for her to follow him out the room. He immediately starts chatting as they make their way down the corridor, but within five minutes Tessa has to grab him by his sleeve to stop his guided tour.
“Sorry! I just need to use the bathroom real quick!”
Tessa then rushes into the nearby ladies room, and empties her breakfast into the nearest toilet bowl. She leans against the cool porcelain, trying to catch her breath.
“Hey Tessa, are you ok?”
Like a sinking rock has just plunged into her still rolling stomach, Tessa turns to see a concerned-looking Scott peering through the open cubicle door.
She opens her mouth to chase him away, but then another wave hits and she heaves into the toilet bowl again.
This time though, she can feel Scott rushing to kneel on the floor beside her as he rubs her back and helps her pull her hair back. After her stomach finally settles, and she’s finished rinsing her mouth and splashing her face in the sink, she apprehensively turns to peek at Scott who’s been hovering by her for the last couple of minutes. He’s leaning against the next sink, and oh gosh... she’s just so embarrassed to face the older boy!
She has no idea what to say and how to proceed from this humiliating situation.
But Scott opens a tin of sweets, pops a peppermint into his mouth and then offers a couple more for her to chew on. “Are you sure, you’re alright T?” he repeats again, as she gratefully accepts the mints. “We have a medical bay and I can get you there in like ten minutes.”
“Yes, I’m fine...” For a split second, Tessa contemplates lying about eating something wrong for breakfast that morning. But the honest worry in Scott’s hazel eyes makes her hesitate and she blurts out the truth instead. “It’s nerves. I’ve been so excited about this role… but when I arrived on set this morning, I think it really hit me that I know nothing! I’ve never acted before! But everyone involved in this movie is probably counting on me to be good at this…”
She sniffs and a small tear rolls down one cheek.
“I just don’t want to let anyone down,” she says in a small voice.
Scott stares at that tear in alarm. His eyes widening even further and tracking the progress of that tear down the slope of her face.
But to her surprise, Tessa’s woebegone appearance doesn’t scare him off. Instead he gathers her small frame into his arms and gives her a big hug.
“Don’t worry T! My mum and dad are really good at their jobs and they wouldn’t have picked the wrong girl. And I heard Marie-France also sat in the auditions and thought you were perfect for Shaeya. She is the author of the book and she created the character so she must know best!”
Tessa sniffles again and more tears fall, but the hug and comforting words was helping to make her feel better.
“Thanks Scott,” she mumbles into his shirt before reluctantly pulling herself away from him. “And sorry for the breakdown.”
He gives her a hesitant smile in reply, and reaches into his pocket to take out a grubby handkerchief. But after a second look at her wet cheeks, he changes his mind and hurries towards the tissue dispensers near the door instead. Pulling out a wad of tissues, he presents them to her almost like a peace offering, and watches her carefully as she dabs her eyes dry.
“Well, what are friends for? And you need to stick around kiddo... Here in Hollywood, that’s nowhere close to being a breakdown!” Chuckling suddenly, he grasps her hand tight and pulls her out of the ladies. “A breakdown is when an actress like Tonya Harding has a tantrum in the middle of filming, grabs a prop baseball bat, and starts smashing everything around her!”
He starts gesticulating wildly as he recounts the rest of the story, and Tessa can’t help but giggle at his animated storytelling.
She’s touched by his effort, but the main thing Tessa notices is that he hasn't let go of her hand. It makes her a little shy since she’s never really had friends who were boys before, and definitely none who’s hugged her or held her hand.
But it makes her feel happy to realise she’s got a friend on this set. Her mother would be here of course. However a proper friend around her age would be awesome.
“Scott?” she whispers later as they pass by craft services and he points out the best snacks for her to replace her lost breakfast. “You won’t tell anyone about what happened earlier right?”
“Of course not!!” He protests as if she’s just impugned his honour. “I promise!”
And Tessa beams at her new friend.
=====
“T! Wait up!” Scott calls out as he rushes to collect his books. “What’s the hurry? Usually I’m the one who can’t wait for class to end…”
Tessa doesn’t break a stride, though she slows down her pace for him to catch up with her.
“Marie has come down to visit the set again, and she said she’ll meet me at my trailer.”
“Oh cool! Can I join?”
“Yes, of course!” She grabs his hand so that she can tug and hurry him along.
Marie-France hasn’t visited the set for a few months as she’s been traveling the world promoting the launch of the fourth book in her series. Dark Eyes had topped the bestseller lists again and it’s success was creating even more buzz and anticipation for the release of the Into the Mystic movie.
Tessa didn’t really care about that though (alright, her stomach still twisted whenever she stopped to think about the pressures from the studio for the film to be a hit). In reality, she’s been dying to know what happens after Dark Eyes in books five and six. And she’s really hoping she can convince Marie to let her know more in the name of research. After all, everyone involved in the production knows that Marie has already spoiled certain things to specific people.
Alma probably knows the most spoilers because she adapted the first book and is already working on the script for the second movie. As such, she has always been in consultation with Marie about the scripts and was apparently informed of various innocuous references or plot points that would eventually become important to the series later.
Joe and the casting director David Wilson, were supposedly told other specific tidbits of information so that they could make more educated casting decisions.
And Patrice, the cinematographer, probably knows lots of things as well because he’s quietly dating Marie.
So surely there must be something Marie can reveal that would be useful for Tessa to play Shaeya?
Tessa thinks back to how she and Scott first learned about Marie and Patch, how that incident actually helped blossom their friendship with the older pair… and why it makes Tessa believe she can at least try and blatantly pester Marie for some hints.
Within the first week of filming, Tessa had realised that while there were production assistants, etc. on set, Scott was the unofficial gofer for the entire movie shoot. His outgoing personality means he actually likes interacting with different groups of people (she envies how he’s friends with everyone), and his natural charm means that the various departments similarly enjoy his company and are happy to accept his help with the varying types of extra work that will pop up during the movie.
The makeup and hair ladies for example, scold him if he doesn’t drop by their trailer to say hello at least once a day. And because Scott’s known many of the stunt guys for years, they’ve taught him all kinds of “skills” that only make Tessa shudder at his recklessness. Nevertheless, his parents were more than happy to direct Scott’s boundless energy into the production (he also sometimes earns extra pocket money from Alma at the end of each week to replenish his supply of sweets which he always shares with her).
Hence Tessa was used to stumbling across Scott doing all kinds of random tasks each day.
For example, there was the time he helped the costume department sort out a gazillion little beads they needed to create a new set of outfits. In addition, he’s always utilised when they need a stand-in or help blocking scenes. And since he’s frequently found behind the camera reading lines so as to give actors someone to play off with, Tessa has joked she’s probably acted more with him than some of the other actual main actors cast in the movie!
So she doesn’t think much when during a break in filming she learns that Joe has sent Scott off to find Patch. And she doesn’t think twice about accompanying her best friend as they scramble around trying to find out where the cinematographer has disappeared to.
However she was definitely surprised when the two of them accidentally stumbled across Patch and Marie kissing passionately behind some trailers. She doesn’t know who gets more flushed, but she suspects the adults might have been more embarrassed than the two kids.
She doesn’t know why, but she hadn’t realised that Marie and Patch were still pretty young. She guessed she had lumped them together with all the other adults… But to discover Marie was only in her late twenties? And was sneaking around the set like a teenager with Patch? It really was kinda hilarious. Once they could all look each other in the eye again, it did help Tessa to think of Marie as a normal person. And not just as this brilliant author who she wanted to refer to in reverential tones.
Since then, Tessa believes they’ve somehow become friends, and that Marie might even view her a little like a younger sister…
So there might be some hope right?
She has no such luck.
“You don’t really need to know anything Tessa,” Marie reiterates to the pouting girl. “Shaeya wouldn’t know either, since the events of the last two books clearly hasn’t happened to her yet…”
Tessa throws a pleading look to Marie, and then to Scott to back her up. But he steps back and shrugs his shoulders, raising his hands in the universal language of “I’m staying out of this”. Tessa narrows her eyes at him, and jerks her head forcefully towards Marie.
Scott sighs. “It doesn’t really have to be anything specific? Please Marie? You could take pity on me? She’s already been driving me crazy with all her speculation in the last month!”
Tessa’s green eyes widen, and her glare turns even more dangerous. But before she can protest how much he’s exaggerating, Scott rushes to continue. “Maybe we could just ask you questions and you can decide whatever you want to answer?”
He adds his pleading look to Tessa’s, and their combined powers must have persuaded Marie, because her lips quirk in amusement and she capitulates.
Tessa and Scott start their earnest bombardment of questions. And Marie answers all of them… without really answering anything.
“Marie!” Tessa finally exclaims. “You’re not really telling us anything about the next two books!”
“That’s because my storylines are always in a flux and so I cannot confirm that everyone is going to live happily ever after! I’ve already changed so many of my plot points as I wrote the last four books!” Marie reaches out to gently squeeze the younger girl’s shoulder. “So I really couldn’t answer those questions properly.”
“Well, what about the scene I shot?” Scott asks, his forehead furrowed thoughtfully. “And the boy I supposedly played on screen but we never get to see his features… He must be important if a whole scene was included right at the end of the movie? The camera tracks his movements from behind and it was shot deliberately to highlight how he just misses meeting Shaeya?”
Tessa lights up at Scott’s analysis.
Scott has apparently appeared in all of his parents’ film projects, usually as a readily available child extra in one of the background scenes. But for Into the Mystic, he was asked to film a very specific scene and given very detailed directions to follow. And from the dailies, Tessa knows the camera only captured the back of his head, his thick brown hair, the sharp curve of his jaw but not his exact features. Which means David Wilson could probably easily cast a new actor when Scott’s character finally appears in whichever subsequent movie he’s supposed to!
“Is the boy Tristan?” Tessa asks Marie excitedly, her heart somehow beating faster at the thought. The handsome enigmatic teenage boy Tristan had just been introduced in Dark Eyes, and she cannot help but think he’s going to be very important to Shaeya’s character for the rest of the series. There are already hints in the book that he might be Shaeya’s soulmate! And though Tessa usually doesn’t care about such romantic storylines, there’s something about the interactions between the two characters that make her heart flutter. Just a little bit.
Marie laughs heartily at the wide-eyed curiosity from the two children seated before her. “If I say yes, can we finally move on to another topic?”
“Wait, so I played Tristan and he was supposed to meet Shaeya earlier until fate intervened?” Scott clarifies.
At Marie’s nod, he smirks and turns to Tessa. “Hey T, I think I just played your boyfriend!” He drags out the word “boyfriend” as long as he can, before dissolving into peals of laughter. “Can you just imagine it?!”
Tessa joins in, unable to repress her own set of loud giggles.
Scott as her boyfriend?
That really was funny!
*****