Yelling Through

Oliver's Point of View

I'd never been a morning person, not even before the band. School started way too early and breakfast should've been served at one in the afternoon.

Nothing had changed since then. I still hated mornings, but at least now it was acceptable to sleep in until midday, save for this very day. A video shoot. Joy.

The sun had yet to rise, so everything was a pale blue. I clutched my coffee tight in my hand, taking sips of the warm beverage, watching the chaos around me.

At least I wasn't supposed to do anything. Right now, they were working with the author. I didn't know much about her. I knew she was an author, and had specifically requested our music in the film's soundtrack. If I told you I'd read the book, I be lying. I knew that it was some type of love story and that mermaids were involved.

I found it hard to give a shit, and was only really doing this because the record company was making us. I had initially refused. "Don't Go" was too close, to personal, too painful for me to be willing to put it in a fulm.

I also knew that the girl was a mute, and judging by the look she'd given the director, could kill with her eyes.

It seemed that the director had once again upset her, seeing as she was scribbling angrily on her dry erase board. She raised it, but the director really wasn't paying attention. She looked as if she wanted to scream.

Despite my grogginess, and general apathy, I headed towards the two.

"Oi! What seems the, be the problem?"

She sighed, before erasing her board and writing again.

"All we want is one little scene, where she mouths some words," the director said.

She glared up at him, before returning to her writing.

She lifted the board towards me. "Not that simple. He wants to add in a voice actress later. We discussed this yesterday. No."

"Mate, don't you think that's a pretty shit thing to do?"

I felt bad for the girl. It wasn't that she didn't speak that I found upsetting. It was that no one listened.

"The audience won't know how to react t-"

She rolled her grey eyes.

"Leave out the quote," she wrote.

"When people see this they're going to want to connect with you, and how do you suppose they do this?"

"There are ways to connect with people other than speaking. It's her choice. It's her book, her movie, and partially her music video. She doesn't speak, but that's no reason you don't have to listen."

He looked defeated. "We'll leave it out," he resigned, stalking off.

"Go to wardrobe," he said to her.

She turned to me and smiled gratefully, before writing on her board. "Thank you. You've pretty much summed up what I've never been able explain to people."

"It's no problem. I'm Oli," I introduced myself.

She started writing again. "I know who you are. I'm Jaxx."

"Jaxx?" I asked.

"Last name. I prefer it though."

I nodded, before taking another sip of my coffee. "Better go, before they start searching. See you. Oh and thanks again," she wrote.

"It's no problem, love. People should hear what you have to say... Err... Write." I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

Glad someone thinks so.

With that, she walked away.