Summary: Finn Hudson moved to LA five years ago hoping to make it big in Hollywood. He finally gets his first starring role where he meets a young PA named Rachel. As they become friends on the set, Finn starts to realize that things are not always what they seem and maybe Rachel is in more trouble then she lets on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, that belongs to the wonderful Ryan Murphy.
Sliding Down A Rainbow
Chapter 1
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Finn pulled his car in the parking lot of the expanse studio lot. Today was his first day working on the movie set.
He had moved out to LA after leaving high school with dreams of making it big. Just like everyone else, he thought. He didn't realize how hard it was going to be. He had lived here for almost 5 years now and he just got his first starring role. He would play the male lead, a jock among of band of thrill-seeking teenagers who run into a serial killer. It wasn't his dream job, but it was a gig and he was the lead, so he couldn't complain much. The role of the jock wouldn't be too much of a stretch seeing as how he was the quarterback of his high school football team back home.
He grew up in the small town of Lima, Ohio. He knew little of city life, having grown up in a suburbs. He didn't realize how little he really knew about living in a major city until he got here.
He had packed his car up with whatever would fit, gave his mom a kiss, and drove out here the day after graduation. He had little money, but his mom gave him a nice graduation present that would help him get his start.
He found a roommate online, moved into a small two bedroom apartment on the outskirts of LA, and began his dream of stardom.
He had several mundane jobs like waiting tables, washing cars, cleaning floors, etc. Every once and awhile he got lucky and would score a small role on a tv show or an extra on a movie. Nothing more than a few lines, but it was something to add to the resume.
He was doing a small production of Sweeney Todd at a theater, playing the part of Anthony, when an older woman, who had come to see the play because her grandaughter had helped build the sets, approached him. Her name was Maggie Worley and she was a casting director. She told him about the horror film and how she thought he would be perfect for the role of "Scott", and that led him here, today, to this very parking lot.
He got out of his car, and stood, admiring the enormity of the location. He walked up to the front of the building, which was blocked by a huge metal gate. He walked over to the security guard in the front and asked where he was supposed to go. The guard pointed him in the direction of a small trailer off to the left and he walked over to it.
He was about to knock on the door when it swung open and out walked Maggie. "Well, Finn, nice to see you this morning. How are you?" Maggie said.
"I'm good, just ready to get started."
"Ok, I like that. First things first, you need to head over to make up and they will get you ready for the scene," Maggie replied, gesturing for Finn to follow her. She held a clipboard close to her side, checking it and her watch every few seconds.
"What scene are we filming today?" Finn asked. He had the entire script memorized, so he wasn't too worried about what parts he would need to see, just what type of mood the character was in. His role was a rather odd one, he was one of the leads, but his character goes through a change during the movie and is bad at the end, and the heroine eventually kills him by decapitation. When he read that part he was completely stoked. He had always wanted to be decapitated, well not in real life, but bring on the fake blood and guts anytime!
"Oh, well today we will be filming your death scene," Maggie told him, keeping about a foot distance in front of him, walking at a very steady pace.
"My death? Already?" Finn said as he and Maggie neared another trailer.
Maggie grabbed the handle of the trailer and pulled it open. She turned to look at Finn. "First thing you need to learn about acting: the movie is never filmed in order. It always depends on what location is available, what actors are available, stuff like that."
Finn nodded his head before walking in. He turned back to say goodbye to Maggie, but she was already a few yards ahead. "Thanks Maggie," he called and Maggie held up her hand. "Knock em' dead, sweetie," she yelled, never missing a beat.
"Take a seat over here, please," a voice said behind him, and he turned to see an older man, maybe in his late fifties with white hair and black rimmed glasses. The trailer was small. A few chairs, like the ones a barber shops, were lined in the middle of the floor. Across from them were several mirrors and tables filled with all sorts of paints, gels, acrylics, gauze, sponges, brushes, and much more. Along the back wall were several cabinets labeled with words like Hair Pieces, Masks, and even Body Parts.
"Hi, I'm Finn," Finn said.
"Hi Finn, I'm Andy, just have a seat over here and we will get started," Andy said, gesturing to a chair. He was being polite, but Finn could sense the annoyance in his voice. Just because the movie has to stay on time, doesn't mean you should completely forget about being polite to people, Finn thought, as he walked over and sat down.
Without hesitation, Andy began to work. He applied layer after layer of different makeups. He used liquid latex to create a nasty looking wound over Finn's neck, and when Finn looked in the mirror he thought it looked so real.
Andy was about to finish up applying the blood when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Andy shouted, not looking up as he used the brush to carefully apply the blood spatter.
The door opened and Finn couldn't turn his head to see who it was because if he did, he was sure Andy would yell at him.
"Andy, Jill told me to come over and get the makeup receipts from you," a soft voice sad. Finn still couldn't see who it was, but he could tell from the voice that it was a younger woman, probably around his age.
"Oh, I completely forgot. I left them inside the work room. Give me a minute and I will go grab them for you," Andy said, putting down the brush. He turned to Finn and gave him a stern look. "And you, don't touch anything!" He turned and rushed out of the trailer.
Finn took the opportunity to turn and look at who was in the trailer. It was a young woman, around his age, like he thought. She had brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. She wore a black shirt with a yellow vest on top and a plaid, knit skirt. She was very plain, which was quite unusual in LA. She was sitting on the couch, avoiding his eye contact.
"I'm Finn," he said, holding out his hand. The girl turned and looked at him and he immediately saw the surprise in her eyes.
"I'm Rachel. And I probably shouldn't shake your hand, I don't want to mess up your makeup," Rachel said, before looking the other way.
Finn thought it was weird because he didn't have makeup on his arms, but he didn't question her.
"So, what do you do here?" Finn asked, trying to fill the awkward silence.
"I work as a PA," she answered him, still trying to avoid eye contact.
"Cool," Finn said. "I'm playing the role of Scott. I get my head decapitated today." Finn laughed a bit, but Rachel just smiled and nodded her head.
He was about to say something else, when the door opened and Andy walked back in, completely out of breath. "Not that I've worked up a sweat, here you go. Next time tell Jill, she's buying the supplies," Andy said, before giving her the papers and walking back over to Finn.
"Thank you," Rachel said politely. "Nice meeting you, Finn."
"You too," Finn answered and Rachel turned and left the trailer.
"Alright, turn back this way and let's finish you up. I saw Maggie grabbing her bullhorn, so that can only mean one thing," Andy said before grabbing his brush and finishing what he started.
Finn didn't really say anything, he just starred ahead and listened as Andy told him the dos and don'ts for how to handle the makeup. He kept thinking back to Rachel and how weird she had been with him. But, he couldn't think much of it because Maggie and Andy both had their quirks. Maybe everyone who works on a movie set is like this, Finn thought.
He was brought out of his thoughts when Andy ushered him up. "Alright, that about does it. Time for you to hurry on to the wardrobe to get ready for the scene," Andy told him.
"Thanks, nice meeting you," Finn said, walking toward the door.
"My pleasure, we'll be seeing alot of each other these next few weeks. It is a horror movie after all and you'll need lots of makeup to hide that face of yours," Andy said and Finn turned back to him.
"Hey!" he said, slightly offended.
Andy shook his head. "I don't mean it that way, I meant it's too perfect for a horror movie. You need to be in a movie like Twilight," Andy told him as he cleaned up all his makeup.
"No thanks, I'll stick with the blood and gore before I act like one of those pretty boys," Finn told him.
"That's what they all say," Andy replied. "Get going before Maggie has my head and yours."
Finn was exiting the trailer when Maggie shouted on the bullhorn. "Finn Hudson, get over here now!"
He turned and saw her standing outside of the set, bullhorn in one hand, and a fake head in the other. When he looked closer, he could tell it was supposed to be his decapitated head. "Well, Andy, looks like she already does," he said more to himself before running over to Maggie ready to begin his first (or last, however you want to look at it) scene.
