Burning Bridges, Building Love

“Hi.” Rayne waved nervously at the group sitting at the table before her. They waved back just as nervously seeing the group of men standing behind her. They’d been expecting Bigfoot but the other four, three of which were heavily tattooed, well built men they weren’t. “This is Bigfoot, Potato Head, Big Cat, Tommy, Slinky.” She pointed at all five men who waved at their respective names.

“Hey.” They all stated dully at the group across from them.

“Hello. I’m Eli.”

“Hey Hawaii.” Rayne stated despite the fact he had changed into a better outfit. Eli flushed at his newest nickname. “What am I doing?” She asked eyeing the others at the table. They all had their noses stuck up at her in their stuffy suits. “Who are the suits?” She asked clicking her tongue at them lightly.

“These are the others helping with the film. The producer Mr. Farns, the co-producer Mrs. Louw, my co-director Aaron White, and our head casting director Leroy Hape.” Eli stated pointing to each one of them. Humming Rayne nodded. “Jake was supposed to be here…” Eli trailed off lightly. “But…”

Jake pushed his back against his jostling door. His eyes the size of dinner plates. How long could they keep this up? Were they going to break in his door? They’d never been this aggressive before.

“Holy….mother of pearl…” He gasped. One day at the beach and they go nuts because he helps a drunken girl get home.

“He ate some bad food.” Eli finished lamely. Rayne nodded sitting on the stool in the middle of the room, adjusting the height.

“That blows.” She grumbled playing with the spinning stool. “Dope!” She gasped looking at her friends. “It spins.” With that she pushed herself in a circle. “You know what we could do with this?” She asked, stopping to face her friends.

“No, but please enlighten us.” Potato Head laughed at her.

“Strap like… a rocket, right here.” She grabbed one side of it. “Light it, and then with its momentum it’d totally spin us twelve ways from Sundays!” The five men stopped staring at the seat.

“Rayne.” Spinning to face the group before her she looked like a deer in headlights. “You’re here to read remember?”

“Girls got a memory like an elephant.” Tommy laughed as he messed with a pack of cigarettes.

“And a ass like one too.” Potato Head snorted. Slinky smacked him up side the head with a comment about that being his sister.

Rayne sighed heavily at the comment and spun slowly to stare at the group.

“Oh shit run!” With that all four of them were gone leaving only Bigfoot standing in the door frame. Humming in delight Rayne turned back to the table staring with wide eyes.

“Okay…” Eli laughed handing her the piece of the script she was to read. “Read the hi-lited parts.” Rayne looked down at the paper.

“What’s it about?” Rayne asked confused by the lines on the script. It didn’t make much sense to her. Eli smiled.

“It’s about a group of scientist going to an island because a new string of species are found after a plane crash, one of the scientists, being Jake’s characters, happened to have helped rescued the survivors and noticed the species.” Rayne nodded slowly, not sure where this is going. “Which is only going to be ten of the actual film, but as their there on the side where the plane crashed and moved in ward on this very large island they stumble across natives no one knew where there. You’re character shows Jake’s character the species they want.”

“Like a reverse Tarzan?” She questioned confused having seen the movie as a child. Eli pointed.

“Almost.” He smiled. “Ad a little Pocahontas.” Rayne had to rack her brain for that one.

“Oh!” She gasped as Bigfoot slapped her upside the head and everything clicked. “and ow” She giggled at him. Rubbing the back of her head she pouted at him.

“I remember watching that with you as a kid. Had to knock some sense into you.” Bigfoot groaned as he sat down in one of the chairs along the wall. Shrugging Rayne looked back at the group.

“What scene is this?” Rayne asked eyeing the single page. There were so many hi-lighted parts on the single piece of paper.

“When your character meets Jake’s.”

“Ah damn, he’s not here to push over.” She stated eyeing the spot where she was supposed to ‘knock him roughly to the ground and point a spear in his face’. “Oh well” she chirped standing up and adjusting her pants.

“When you’re ready.” Eli breathed nervously. This would either go really well or horribly wrong. “Do you need some to act with?” Eli asked watching her read over the script.

“I’ll beat up Bigfoot.” She stated simply pointing at his looming form behind her.

“What? I didn’t sign up for this. I’m getting Big Cat. Kick the shit out of him.” Bigfoot stood with a grunt.

“But he just got better from being shit whipped.” Rayne stated confused and concerned for the guy.

“Exactly.” Bigfoot pointed leaving the room.

“I’m sorry.” Rayne stated as Big Cat licked her lips, clearly unhappy. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.” She gave a sharp nod at him.

“Fine. Besides everyone else ran like hell.” Big Cat stated. “Let’s expand your resume. And if you make it,” He pointed sternly. “and you end up makin’ bank,” Rayne nodded slowly as he paused. “You’re paying my bills for the shit whip because that was your fault.”

“You did it!” Rayne gasped.

“You’re idea.” Big cat argued.

Groaning Rayne bounced on the spot debating her options.

“Fine, only because I know this won’t work so I’m in the clear.” The two shook on it. “Alright.” She passed his the script and watched as he frowned while reading it.

“Dude.” Big Cat groaned. “I should’ve just kept my neck brace. Save myself a hundred bucks.” He grumbled. “Did you already read it or can I keep it?” He sighed heavily.

“I read it.” Rayne stated jumping back and bouncing.

“Dude,” Big Cat pointed warningly. “You’re not actually going to kick me in the chest are you?” Rayne stopped sighing as the five at the table watched the banter, taking in every detail.

“No! I’m going to fake kick you and you pretend to take it.”

“Oh like you do with Eric?”

“Yah.” Rolling her eyes Rayne shook her head at him. Big Cat nodded. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” He nodded.

Rayne shocked her limbs out and dancing around before they started acting. Big Cat actually acted with her a little bit and didn’t just fall on the ground and mumble all Jake’s lines, he mumbled half of them but that was it.

The two sat outside the room with the others playing fingers in the circle as Eli and his board discussed the prospect of Rayne’s acting part.

“You’re totally going to get it.” Big Cat nodded. Rayne snorted. “You will. If you can fool the cops like you do with how well you act,” Shrugging he glanced at her. “Ha! Bitch! You’re out!” He laughed as he knocked Potato Head out.

“I’ve never seen someone stick a sweater in her shirt so fast and fake birth like you have and have the cop give us a ride home because you were having a, and I quote: ‘Home birth’.” Potato Head stated simply

“That’s the only way to drive home drunk.” Bigfoot laughed. Slinky stared at his sister baffled.

“That’s what that was about? The one night a cop just rolls up flashing his lights and you idiots stumble in. Michael nearly had a heart attack!” Slinky laughed at the memory of their oldest sibling. “He stayed up all night waiting for you because dad slipped your police record.”

“Ah damn it.” Rayne fell over sideways. “I feel like Dad’s my oldest brother and Michael’s my dad now a days.”

“The man’s in the army and dad’s…well dad’s a hippy like you.”

“Hi-Five hippies!” Rayne declared hand up. Everyone but Tommy and Slinky gave her a hi-five. “It’s cause we’re cool and you’re not.”