Class Novel: Chapter 10 by Jenny Melnick

    Author’s note: I don’t know a whole lot about filming, so I made a few guesses about what would actually be going on there. I moved us ahead into filming because I felt like we could easily become stuck. Nat should be 2-3 months pregnant here, I guess, so the next few writers can decide how to handle that. I tried to tie back in some conflict within the community with the local paper, and create set up how Nat and Cody could begin to have a romantic relationship, if we choose to go that way. Sorry it's a little late!

Chapter 10

            “Okay, Cody, let’s try it again,” Nat said. The crew began to reset the scene, the one makeup artist hustling up to him to touch up his face and eyebrows. They were filming outside today, close to the trail they had followed up the side of the volcano the previous month. The permit for filming had come surprisingly fast. Nat assumed Alaska was just a little more on top of things than California had been. Or, more realistically, that it was just not featured in films as often. 

            “Quiet on the set,” Susan yelled, and an immediate hush fell over the area.

            “Action,” yelled Nat, swallowing an anti-nausea pill and sitting up straighter in her director’s chair, a sad little white folding chair covered in black scuff marks that Eugene had been kind enough to let her borrow.

            “Dan, let’s stop. My shoes are killing me,” said the woman playing Haley, twisting her leg to look at the blister on the back of her heel.

            The actor playing Dan rolled his eyes. A gust of wind, provided by the large fan brought with him, made him shiver. Perfect.

            “If tomorrow isn’t better, I think we should go back. Call it a hike,” said Cody.

            “Cut,” Nat yelled, sighing. “Let’s take five.” Cody couldn’t seem to get down that one line. He shuffled over to a beach chair on the opposite side of the set and sat down. Nat wasn’t sure why anyone would have things like beach chairs up in Alaska. She heard it got hot in the summer, but since it was then it was almost April and they were still experiencing snow showers, she was skeptical.

            “Cody,” she said, walking over to him.

            “I know, I know.” He put his hand to his face. “Don’t be so casual.” That had been Cody’s number one problem. He always said this line too relaxed, as if they were in a park, not in the wilderness. He didn’t seem to understand how pivotal this line was for the film. This was where Nat’s brother began trying to save his friends, or so she thought. She wanted Cody to put more emphasis, more weight on the words. They were going to foreshadow not only the rest of the tragic events that followed their decision to stay, but of the betrayal and conflict that was to come between the three friends. Nat had repeated this line to him hundreds of times, making him repeat it after her until he got it right, yet every time they went on camera he always reverted back to a jovial tone.

            “I just feel like it’s too early for that theme. If I say it how you want me to, it would give too much away.”

            “It didn’t happen like that,” Nat said. “The previews are going to reveal the plot line anyway. Just do the line like you’re supposed to.” She turned and walked back to her chair. “Okay people, let’s try this one more time.”

            Nat was glad Susan wasn’t here. She had stayed behind to do some paperwork and talk to some of their contacts back in LA. She tend to think Nat was too controlling of this movie, too close to it to allow for any artistic expression, she liked to say. Though Nat thought in Cody’s case, it was less a problem of artistic expression as it was inexperience.

            She had secretly been hoping that Susan’s absence would help Cody. The two of them had been practically dating, always eating meals and spending what little free time they did have together, until last week, when they suddenly stopped. It had become awkward when the two of them were forced to interact, as if each overthought each small syllable they uttered to each other. It was impossible to tell was what the cause. If they had had a fight or broken up completely, Susan hadn’t told Nat, and she hadn’t asked. Having her watch Cody act wasn’t going to help, she was sure.

            She called time and they set up the set again. Cody took a deep breath and she gave him a thumbs up. “Action!”

           

            Nat stood outside her door fishing around for her room key in her purse. She had a lot of miscellaneous items floating in there, water bottles, granola bars, chapstick, sunscreen, ear warmers, and pepper spray, in case a bear came by the set. Finally finding the key, she slid it into the card reader and waited for the light to turn green. It didn’t. She tried it a few more times, with no luck. Groaning, she turned and headed back towards the lobby. This had happened a few times while staying at the Grand Aleutian Hotel. Sometimes she held her key too close to her cell phone, or she had used it for so long that it had to be reset. It was typically the latter.

            Eugene looked up from his desk as she entered the room. She gave him a knowing look as she held out her key.

            “Stopped working for you again, has it?” he laughed. Nat nodded. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, even with Eugene. She was dirty, the exposed parts of her body were raw with the cold, and the rest of her was sweating under the many layers she was wearing.

            “Excuse me, are you Natalie MacMurray?” asked a squeaky voice behind her.

            “Yes,” she said cautiously, turning around.

            “Hi, my name is Lauren Hancock, I work for the Dutch Harbor Fisherman,” she said, holding out a hand. She was a small girl, didn’t look older than seventeen, with blonde hair, and was holding a spiral notebook and a pen. Nat took it, unsure of what that meant.

            “We’re the local paper,” she said, pointing a thumb behind her to the small newsstand near the door.

            “How can I help you?” Nat said. She looked back at Eugene, hoping her card was ready and so she could make a quick escape. It wasn’t.

            “Do you mind if I ask you some questions about the new movie you’re making?”

            “Sure.” Nat knew they needed the locals’ support to continue successfully filming in their small town, but this was the last thing she had wanted to do when she came home. The rest of the crew even went out for drinks at the only bar in town, but she chose a shower instead. She couldn’t drink with the medications she was taking anyway. They went and sat down on one of the cushy couches in the lobby area. 

            “First, how did you choose Unalaska as the setting for your movie?” Lauren asked. She had pulled out her iPhone to use as a recorder.

            “Well, there are a variety of reasons we chose Unalaska. Practically speaking, we looked for small towns that would allow us to do our work without too many distractions, and were aware of the successful Discovery Channel show that bases itself out of here, ‘Deadliest Catch’, and knew they would be a good resource to reach out to if we needed them.” Lauren nodded her head, taking notes. “And,” Nat felt the need to add, “of course, it is so beautiful, we just couldn’t pass it up.” What she didn’t tell her was that Alaska won for one overwhelming reason: it was cheap.

            “You’ve cast local Cody Jackson as your starring role. Have you visited the local community theatre to scope out any other local talent?”

            “No, I’m afraid we already had the rest of our cast.” Lauren pursed her lips and looked down at her list of questions. “I’m sorry,” Nat said, “I don’t have a lot of time left. We were filming all day.”

            “Sure, sure,” said Lauren. “One last question then. When you chose Unalaska for your setting, were you aware of the increasing unrest the community feels towards the show, ‘Deadliest Catch’? How do you plan to address this in the coming weeks?” Nat suddenly didn’t like Lauren very much.

            “I can assure you that we are not here to make trouble. We only want to feature your beautiful country in our film and create as little disruption as possible.”

Lauren nodded. “Thanks for your time.” They shook hands and Nat retrieved her key, finally able to go home.

She started a hot shower and, letting the water heat up, walked over to the window to shut the curtains. It was almost 10:00, and the sun was just beginning to go down.