Film School: Part Five

“Hi.” Vivian was standing at his door.
“Hi.”
“Are you going to let me in?” She asked, looking past Mike, into his room.
“Why don’t we talk in the hall?” Vivian was more than slightly terrifying, and Mike had no idea of the kind of shenanigans that she would get into if allowed to enter.
He closed the door behind them. The hallway was darker than the room, if that was possible. “So what did you want to talk about?” that seemed like a nicer thing to say than ‘What are you doing here?” which is what he really meant.
“Mike, I know that we’re not best friends or anything,” She looked down and tucked her hair behind her ear, while Mike was struck by how small she was. She was loud and always seemed in control, and it made her seem bigger, somehow. “But I think the movie project that you’re planning has a lot of promise, and I want to help you. I want to create something great, something that we can all be proud of.”
The appeal to emotions was not going to be effective. “What do you have to offer?”
“You’ve seen my work. You know it’s good. Good sense of plot, characters, aesthetics. You know how some movies are just so beautiful that your heart starts beating a little faster? I can make things that feel like that, that give you the same emotional impression.”
He tried not to look impressed. “I see.”
“So, can I?”
“Are you just doing this to get closer to Grant?”
“No.” She seemed just a little defiant, a spirit that didn’t usually show.
“Really? You seem awfully friendly towards him?”
“That’s because we’re friends.”
“Uh huh. I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.” She nodded and walked away.
All she wanted was to be a part of something, for once. Something good, something recognized, something with other people. Was that too much to ask for? Wasn’t she allowed to have something good? Everyone was given things by the universe, inexplicably, without asking. When was her thing going to come? Why couldn’t it be this? She was reaching out for it, she was creating an opportunity for herself, why wasn’t it working?
Because sometimes, nothing works.
Grant was almost asleep when Mike barged into his room.
“Dude, what are you doing here?”
“Remember that movie I wanted to make?”
“That was such a dumb idea, but you were super excited about it.”
“Will you help me make it?”
Grant sat up in bed, alarmed. “You’re actually making it?”
“Yeah.” He paused, in what he hoped was a solemn and dignified way. “I’m making it. Do you want in?”
Grant waited before responding, not deciding on what he would say but on how he would say it. “Yeah. I want to make it.”
“This is fantastic.”
“You’re a nutcase.”