Page 44 of Christmas at the Movies

Present Day

Holly was brushing her teeth when someone pounded on the bathroom door. ‘I’ll be out in a minute,’ she garbled through a mouthful of toothpaste.

Ignoring her, Nick burst into the bathroom in his school uniform. ‘I need to talk to you.’

Holly glared at her brother. It was impossible to get any privacy in this house.

‘It’s important,’ said Nick. ‘It’s about Mum.’

Holly was not in the mood for her brother’s drama. He was bound to be making a big deal out of nothing. She spat out her toothpaste. ‘I can’t deal with this right now, Nick. This is a big day for me.’

Today was her first day on a movie set. She was just an extra, but lots of famous stars had got their starts working as background artists – Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kristen Stewart, Renée Zellweger.

Who knew what it might lead to. Best of all, Aaron would be there, too.

Ever since the Encanto disaster, they’d been chatting at work and messaging outside of it.

Holly liked him even more now that she was actually getting to know him instead of just stalking his socials.

But they were just friends – Aaron hadn’t asked her out or even tried to kiss her.

‘But, Holly, she might be sick—’

‘Nick!’ bellowed Mum from downstairs. ‘You’re going to miss the bus if you don’t leave now.’

‘She sounds fine to me,’ said Holly.

Sighing in defeat, Nick left the bathroom. A moment later, Holly heard the front door slam.

‘Morning!’ said Mum when Holly went downstairs. She pressed two tablets out of a foil packet and swallowed them down with a gulp of her coffee.

Holly suddenly felt a wrench of concern. Was Nick right – was there something wrong with Mum? ‘Are you sick?’

‘What?’ Mum looked down at the pill packet in her hand. ‘Oh, this? It’s HRT. It helps with my menopause symptoms – mood swings, hot flashes, night sweats—’

‘Eww,’ said Holly, holding up her hand. ‘Too. Much. Information.’

‘It’s important to talk about this stuff,’ said Mum. ‘You’ll go through it one day too.’

‘Great,’ said Holly sarcastically. ‘I can hardly wait.’

When the toast popped up, Mum spread peanut butter on both pieces and handed one to her.

Holly shook her head. ‘I’m too nervous to eat.’

‘Just a few bites,’ urged Mum. ‘It’s going to be a long day.’

Jonesy rubbed his sleek ginger body against her legs, purring, as Holly nibbled her toast.

‘Hey, Fluffyface.’ Holly scooped the cat up and gave him one of her crusts.

‘Don’t feed the cat,’ grumped Dad, coming into the kitchen. ‘He’s already had his breakfast.’

He got a mug down from the shelf, banging it noisily on the counter as he made himself a cup of tea. His hair was a mess, as if he’d been tossing and turning all night.

‘Did you do the work school set for you?’ he asked her.

‘I’m going to do it over the weekend.’ Holly licked peanut butter off her finger. She was going to have to brush her teeth again, she didn’t want Aaron to think she had peanut-butter breath.

‘Well, make sure you do,’ said Dad. ‘That was what we agreed. Not that agreements seem to count for anything around here …’

Taking his mug of tea, he stomped up the stairs.

Holly and her mum exchanged looks.

‘Someone’s in a bad mood,’ said Mum.

‘Maybe he’s going through menopause too,’ joked Holly.

They both laughed. She and Mum had been getting along better since her birthday.

‘And get a move on,’ Dad shouted down the stairs. ‘We need to leave early. Traffic’s been a complete nightmare.’

When they arrived at the cinema, Holly’s heart raced with excitement as she saw crew wheeling equipment around and speaking into walkie-talkies.

Everyone looked like they were doing something important.

This is really happening, she thought, her heart thudding with excitement. I’m actually in a movie.

‘Look at that.’ Dad tutted, pointing to the cables snaking across the lobby floor. ‘We’ve got a Golden Oldies screening today. Our elderly customers are going to trip over those. I asked the crew to move them after the Baby and Me screening, but they’ve ignored me.’

‘I’ll mention it to Noa,’ said Mum.

Roger was behind the ticket counter. He’d agreed to come out of retirement to help Dad run the cinema while Mum and Aaron were working on the movie.

Dad went to join him while Holly and Mum went out into the car park.

Extras were standing around sipping hot drinks and squeezing instant hand warmers to ward off the winter chill.

Holly looked around for Aaron, but couldn’t see him anywhere.

Following the smell of sizzling bacon, Holly and Mum went over to craft services. The trestle tables heaved with a tempting array of food, from fruit and nuts to cookies and crisps. You could even get a hot breakfast!

Holly recognised several of the other extras from around the village – Hermione de la Mere from the candle shop and her parents’ friend Ian Griffiths were sipping cups of coffee.

Mum went over to them. ‘I didn’t know you had the acting bug too, Hermione.’

‘I’ve never done anything like this before,’ admitted Hermione. ‘Ian talked me into it.’

‘We’re a couple,’ said Ian, taking a big bite of a blueberry muffin.

‘Congratulations,’ said Mum. ‘I’m so happy for you.’

‘No, in the movie,’ clarified Ian. ‘We’re playing a couple having breakfast at the B&B.’

Hermione giggled. ‘Well, we’d better practise so we’re convincing.’ She brushed muffin crumbs off his chest. ‘There, that’s better, dear.’

Holly exchanged knowing glances with her mother.

Hermione and Ian would actually make a pretty cute couple in real life.

Ian was a nice guy and Hermione was properly hot for someone old like Mum.

To be fair, her mum was quite nice-looking.

For once, she’d actually made a bit of an effort with her appearance today and was wearing a skirt, although in Holly’s opinion it could do with being several inches shorter.

She remembered the picture she’d seen at Pari’s – Mum’s fashion sense hadn’t always been so tragic.

‘Wardrobe?’ said Mum.

For a second, Holly thought Mum had read her mind and knew she’d been silently criticising her outfit. Then she pointed to a tent that someone had just wheeled a rail of clothes inside.

They went inside the wardrobe tent together. A woman with a pincushion around her wrist checked a list when Holly gave her name, then headed over to a clothes rail and returned with an apron.

‘I think there’s been a misunderstanding,’ said Holly. ’I’m not on the catering crew, I’m an extra.’

‘That’s your costume,’ replied the wardrobe lady. ‘You’re playing a waitress. The girl who was supposed to do it slipped on some ice and broke her leg yesterday.’

‘I guess you could say this is my lucky break then,’ joked Holly. The wardrobe lady didn’t laugh.

Holly put the apron on over the black skirt and white shirt she’d been told to wear. It was embroidered with a Christmas tree and the words Pine Tree Inn.

‘That’s the name of the inn in the movie,’ explained Mum.

Costume sorted, Holly was dispatched to the hair and make-up team.

A young woman with a shaved head beckoned her over. She wore all black and had a belt around her waist, containing brushes and styling tools, like a make-up ninja. She reminded Holly of one of her brother’s manga characters.

‘Hey, I’m Zoe,’ she said as Holly sat down in the chair in front of her. She tied a cape around Holly to protect her costume. Using a tiny spatula, Zoe expertly blended a few different shades of foundation on a mixing palette and began painting them on Holly’s face. ‘You’ve got lovely skin.’

‘Thanks. I bet Mia Winslow does too,’ said Holly. The up-and-coming film star had just been named the face of a big cosmetics brand.

Zoe brushed setting powder over the foundation. ‘I wouldn’t know. The stars get their hair and make-up done in their trailers. They don’t mix with nobodies like us.’

‘Oh.’ Holly sighed, disappointed that she wouldn’t be meeting the stars.

‘Anyway, I’m glad I don’t have to do Mia’s make-up,’ whispered Zoe as she applied Holly’s mascara. ‘It’s been a complete nightmare on this shoot – she keeps crying and having to have her make-up redone.’

Holly had practised crying on cue in case she ever needed to do any sad scenes.

Her drama teacher had told her to think about something really sad, so Holly thought about losing her grandpa.

She’d only been little when he died, but she could still remember him.

He used to sing her lullabies and take her to feed the ducks.

She still had a little wooden duck he’d carved for her.

Zoe put Holly’s hair up in a bun, leaving some tendrils softly framing her face.

‘All background artists are needed at Location 1 now,’ said a production assistant, speaking through a megaphone.

‘You’d better go,’ said Zoe, taking off Holly’s make-up cape.

Coaches were lined up at the kerb outside the cinema, waiting to take crew and background artists to the location. Holly’s heart leapt as she boarded the bus – there was Aaron, with a cardboard tray of hot drinks balancing on his lap. Best of all, there was a free seat next to him.

‘Is it OK if I sit here?’ she asked him.

‘Course,’ said Aaron.

Mum went to the back to sit with Ian and Hermione.

Holly slid in next to Aaron. She was conscious that their thighs were practically touching.

‘I almost didn’t recognise you,’ he said. ‘Your hair, um, looks nice up like that.’

‘Thanks.’ Holly touched her bun self-consciously.

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, as the coach set off.

‘So, what does a runner do, exactly?’ Holly asked. Aaron had been working on the film for a few days already.

‘Well, stuff like this.’ Aaron gestured to the hot drinks. ‘Fetching things for the crew. I’ve mostly been helping out Kirsty, the second assistant director.’

‘Second assistant director? How many assistant directors are there?’