One of the Cast

“Amanda, you need to leave now if you’re going to be there on time!” I yelled to my cousin, who was currently taking her time getting ready after her shower and about to be late for filming. “They’re going to mess you up anyway!”

“Okay, okay, I’m coming!” She emerged from the shower with her hair half dry and stuffing her feet into her new boots.

“Oh, and can I borrow those combat boots you got a month or so ago? I thought I’d go out shopping later,” I let myself fall back on her bed, knowing that of course she’d let me wear them, but I figured I wouldn’t wear out my welcome and not ask anyway.

“Yeah, sure, and while you’re out shopping, find something to wear tonight, we’re going out with the crew and I know for a fact you don’t have anything you’d want to wear. A few people mentioned having a bonfire and hanging out at Eddie’s, so find something warm,” she managed to finally be totally ready and grabbed her purse and sunglasses. “Be back and ready by six!”

“Okay, okay, I will! Now go, before you’re late!” I practically shoved her out the door and went into the small kitchen and fixed a bowl of cereal before getting ready for the day myself.

Five hours later I had returned from my shopping venture downtown with my hands full of shopping bags from small locally owned stores and thrift shops, which are the clothing stores I much prefer to buy from. These clothes just seem to have so much more personality than those in huge, well known stores. I took a long shower and painted my nails a gorgeous dark plum before changing into a pair of off white jeans, a wine red shirt with gold studs on the shoulders, black lace up wedges, and placing the gold ring my father gave me for my eighteenth birthday on my finger. I let my hair fall down my back in loose waves and applied a dark lipstick and thin line of eyeliner before deciding I was ready and heading back into the small living room and watching tv and otherwise entertaining myself until Amanda’s return.

She finally walked in the door around six, dropped her things and headed to the shower to get ready as quickly as possible. Personally I had no idea why she needed to shower, she looked no different, really, than when she left this morning. I guess her hair was a little funky, but no biggie.

After another agonizing forty five minutes of waiting for Amanda, we were heading out the door and getting in the car Amanda received during her stay in England while the movie was shot. During the twenty minute drive Amanda asked me how my day went and told me about what went on during filming, which I primarily would’ve thought would be fun all the time, but apparently they have to shoot the same scene over and over to make sure it’s right, and makeup and costumes take forever, so it’s an extremely long process.

By the time she finished explaining all this to me, we pulled in front of an adorable small house, which Amanda told me was shared by both Eddie and Aaron Tveit, who was another of the rebels with Eddie. I rarely get nervous, but I was suddenly very nervous to meet some of the biggest names in the movie industry, knowing Helena Bonham Carter, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway would be but a few of the guests tonight. I felt extremely out of place for sure.

“Come on, you’ll be fine, promise! You’ll absolutely love Eddie and Aaron, and Samantha is great too!” Amanda got out of the car and I followed, stuffing my phone into my pocket. She knocked lightly on the door before opening it. “Knock knock!”

Soon after she does this, a gorgeous, freckled man with light brown hair steps around the corner, already smiling but smiled even wider when he saw Amanda. “Amanda, you made it!”

She laughed. “Well of course, I’d never miss it! Eddie, this is my cousin Roman, Roman, this is Eddie!”

I was really expecting him to merely shake my hand and say hi, but instead he surprised me by giving me a hug. “I’m so glad to meet you, Amanda talks about you all the time!”

I smiled as well, his good humor was contagious. “Oh she does, does she? I am her favorite cousin, after all.”

He laughed as well and we followed him through the house and to the backyard, where there was a small patio and a fire had already been started. There were already a lot of the cast there, and was amazed to recognize Anne talking to Hugh right away. Amanda was immediately swept up by some other guy who wanted to talk to her, leaving me to awkwardly stand next to her silently. After a few minutes I’d had my fill of awkwardness for a while and decided to go and try to find something to drink. I had just found a basin filled with ice and various drinks, thankfully including water bottles, when a voice said behind me, “Looks like you could use a little company.”