We're absolutely and utterly fucked. No, there isn't any other way around it. My eyes scan the area. The police are everywhere: in front of us, above us… You'd think someone this skilled would know it's not smart to back themselves into a corner. How else was I supposed to do this though? There isn't exactly a handbook on being a superhero. It's not like I'm Ironman or something.
"What are we going to do now?" I look over my shoulder at the small girl behind me. Her hand is latched onto my hip, and I can feel her nails digging through my suit. The truth is? I have no idea how the hell we're about to get out of this mess. We're shit out of luck kid. Of course, you can't exactly tell a little girl that.
"Quit running Jessica, you're all out of options." I glance up to see an officer walking through the wall of shields. His steps hit the ground firmly with a sense of authority and purpose. Unfortunately his purpose is to this girl off to a lab to be tested and god knows what else.
"Except one…" I mumble and remove her hand gently from my hip.
"Excuse me?!" The officer doesn't stop his pace as he draws his weapon. My attention turns to the girl behind me. I wipe a tear from her cheek and give her a smile.
"I made you a promise. I intend to keep this one." I turn and take a step forward, facing the approaching officer. This is my last chance to actually do something with my life. I can't fail her, I won't fail her. Keeping my eyes locked on them I swallow the lump in my throat. "If you want to get to her...you'll have to g-"
"That's enough." A voice suddenly rings through, disconnecting me from the scene I've created. All there is now is the open space around me, and two men sitting at a table. One looking through a stack of papers, and the other on his phone. The man looking through the stack looks up at me. "We'll be in touch Miss…."
"Ramona. Ramona Chance." I say firmly. It was at this moment I knew there'd be no chance of even a callback. However, I can't let that show. The last thing you'd ever want to do is to let a casting director see you upset. In their opinion, nothing is more pathetic.
"Right. Of course Miss…" his voice trails. It's taking all of my energy not to laugh, I hadn't even said my name 5 seconds prior. How could I be that forgettable?
"Thank you for coming by, have a great day." The man with his phone finally looks up. He scans my body with a tight smile.
"Thank you for the opportunity." I put on my best smile and do a small nod. To avoid anymore awkward silences I slip out of the door as fast as I can. As soon as it shuts behind me I let out a breath. Even though it's a hallway crowded with at least a dozen other women it's a million times less stressful than what was on the other side of that door.
"Shit…" the sudden realization hits that my purse and coat are still laying on the chair by the door. I turn on my heel and gently open the door, trying not to intrude on any conversation.
"How on earth did she even get to the audition?!" The voice echoes into the hall. I pause and look up only to notice it's the man whom was on his phone earlier. "We need a superhero. Not a Fatdonald's super-sized meal." He turns and throws my portfolio. The plastic cover reflecting on the sun that has seeped between the blinds. My eyes follow it all the way into the trash can beside my coat. As it lands I watch in horror as it gets covered in mustard from one of these bastards lunch.
"What was her name ev….oh." his voice stops as we lock eyes. There's not even a shred of embarrassment or regret on his face. Just another forced smile. I take a step into the room, and the door falls shut behind me. Both of the men look at each other and then back at me as I walk into the trash can. With two fingers I pick up my portfolio and wrinkle my nose.
"Miss Renee. We didn't mean to offend you." The other man begins to apologize as I turn around. Unlike the other man, his face is full of regret. His blue eyes stare me down intensely as I begin to walk to the table. "How about we give you the opportunity to be an extra?" There's a small quiver to his voice, almost that of fear.
"These can get expensive you know?" I take the napkin from the table and wipe the mustard from the plastic covering. "Yeah..you two won't be needing these." I grab the rest of the napkins and place the already dirty ones on the table. Neither one of them seem to know what to do at this point. A chuckle escapes my mouth as I go back to the chair and grab my belongings. "What a joke." I mutter, not even try to spare the feelings of these assholes.
I grab the door handle and swing it open. "By the way, it's not Renee or Fatdonalds. It's Ramona Chance." I glance over my shoulder and keep my eyes on them as the door falls shut behind me. I knew it was a stretch for me to audition for an action movie. After receiving an audition location after emailing my portfolio I had been stupid enough to get my hopes up. Who was I kidding? I mean, who would ever take someone like me seriously.
As I begin to make my way down the hallway I keep my eyes forward, I can feel all of their eyes on me. Not that I blame them, I'd probably be sitting there with popcorn falling out of my mouth. Click … I look down just in time to watch my purse fall. The contents of it spilling onto the floor. "Shit, shit…" I drop to the floor and quickly begin picking everything up.
How embarassing?
Can you believe they were talking like that?
Poor girl.
I mean, I wasn't going to say anything but…
I stop myself from listening and keep throwing things into my purse. At this point I'd honestly just like to leave this building with some kind of dignity. Tears begin to fill my eyes as I stand up, keeping my eyes on the ground.
A hand comes into view with a tube of lipstick, and I look up. "Keep your head up girl." A woman places the lipstick into my purse without a second thought. "They're gonna regret that one day." The woman smiles and I can't help but to feel my heart sink. This is the woman they want in this role. A tall, blonde bombshell with a smile that makes anyone feel like they're worth something.
"Thank you." I speak out but my voice goes barely above a whisper. I try to smile but I can feel the tears threatening to run down my face. There's no way in hell I'm going to cry; at least not not here. My chest lets out a small cough and I stand up straight. The blonde bombshell offers her hand and I take it, standing up. We share a nod before I begin walking on.
"You're gonna be someone one day Ramona Chance! I'm never wrong about these things!" She calls after me. I can't even bring myself to look back at her. If only she was right.
"Oh honey, I can't believe they would say such a thing!" The sound of my mother's voice fills my studio apartment. With each word I can feel my phone's speaker vibrating against my chest. Even though I don't say it aloud, I wish she was here.
"What were their names?! I swear I'll be on the next plane to New York City!" My father's voice cuts her off.
"Don't worry about it Dad!" I rush in with the most cheerful voice I can muster up. If I showed any signs of disappointment or sadness he might actually be on the next plane out here. "I have another audition scheduled tomorrow!" (I didn't.)
"I don't see why she just doesn't come home." my brother Tommy says quietly in the background. I could close my eyes I can see his expression perfectly. Let me tell you, it could rival the cell phone cast director's face.
"Don't say that! She's going to be famous one day and then you'll be sleeping on her couch instead of ours." Then begins the argument. After three years of living in New York I haven't landed anything other than an extra for "Alien wars: The final battle". In the final cut you can only see a glimpse of my face in the crowd of running people. Nonetheless, my father still claims it's his favorite movie of all time.
I sit up, letting my phone fall onto my bed. The argument going from a loud roar to a muffled sound as my phone sinks into my comforter. Maybe Tommy is right. Home will always be there for me. I could always go back to my old job. Hell, maybe even take a few college courses. Going home doesn't make me a total failure. It's been long enough to say I tried my best.
But…was it really my best if I go home now?
"Mona? Sweetie are you still there?" I hear my mother through the comforter and pick up my phone. As soon as it's in hand I hear a knock on my door.
"Yeah, I'm still here. Listen Ma, i've got someone at my door. I'll have to talk to you later." The knocking begins getting louder and more rapid. I stand up and begin to make my way over. "I'm coming!"
"Okay sweetie, be safe, We love you no matter what!" her voice sings through the air and I can't help but to smile.
"Remember the baseball bat I gave you! Always use it when answering the door. Let those New Yorkers know you're not someone to pushed around!" my father speaks up again.
"It's really not all that bad." I chuckle and take my phone off of speaker, pressing it against my ear. "I love you all as well. Talk to you soon." I shake my head and hang up the phone. Before I can even reach for the handle my door opens.
"Happy Birthday Moners!" A bright yellow box is shoved towards my face. "I know you're not a big fan of your birthday and all but…..my love overrides that decision."
"I appreciate it Caroline." As I take the box in my hands she comes into view. Caroline Rose was not just my neighbor, but also my best friend. Her always color shifting blue-grey eyes were shining back at me with excitement. Once she got a good look at me though, her smile faded. I guess my eyes must still be swollen from earlier.
"Mister and Mrs. Zappato were upset you didn't stop by the bakery today. Then your mother texted me about your audition." Damn, that woman was fast. "I told them and they let me off early. Well, if an only if I came here. Which...obviously." She gestures to me and I sigh. Now I may have to find a new bakery to go to. I step aside to let Caroline into my apartment.
"It's-" I start but she's quick to cut me off.
"It's not fine! Those men were complete assholes. You know, the only thing I wish was that people would stop objectifying people based on their weight. Nowadays it doesn't matter if you're skinny or chunky. Everything is so judge-y." She throws her hands in the air and looks back at me.
"This is exactly why you're too pure for this world." I flip open the box and i'm greeted with an abundance of my favorite sweets from Zapato's. In the center there's a strawberry frosted lemon cupcake that reads: Happy Birthday Bellissima Ramona! Nothing would of been able to stop the smile grow on my face from ear to ear.
I have been going to Zapato's everyday since my arrival in Brooklyn. It's a quaint little bakery just a few blocks up. When Caroline moved in next door and told me she was an aspiring baker, immediately led her to them. The Zapato's had become like family over the years. I knew in my heart, there was no way around not telling the truth about my audition anyways. At least it was Caroline this time breaking the ice.
"Not a chance, Chance." The box gets ripped from my hands as she does a little dance to set it on the coffee table. "Knowing you, you probably haven't ate a thing. Let's go grab a pizza and some wine. We can then sit on the fire escape and talk shit about life." Caroline turns and continues to dance out the door. "Including those cast directors names." Even though I had a good 5 inches of height on her, she was no one to mess with.
Quickly, she pokes her head back into the door frame. "Don't forget to grab a jacket! It's raining a little!" Then without another word she's gone.
"Ramona! My caramel princess!" Theo shout's from his cart as soon as Caroline and I come into view.
"When are you going to give this man the time of day?" Caroline laughs and gives me a small nudge.
"When he doesn't call every girl with tan skin, brown eyes, and brown hair that." I roll my eyes. It's not that Theo wasn't handsome. It was that he flirted with anything that walked. The last time the three of us went out drinking he got wasted and was hitting on a literal trash can. "Besides, it's not like he's seriously into me. I think he's into you."
Caroline's face flushes pink, bringing out the red in her reddish brown hair. "Don't even joke like that!" I can't help but to hold my stomach as I laugh at her express. She was so easily flustered when it came to romance.
As we arrived to the cart Theo holds out two giant slices of pizza. Cheese for Caroline and a classic pepperoni for me. We both eagerly take our slices and say "Thanks Theooooo" at the time, in the same. Theo waves his hand pretending to be bashful.
"Don't thank me yet." He bends down and holds up two white boxes. "I would never forget my one of my ladies birthday." In response we both jump with joy. Our mouths full of pizza already and overjoyed at the thought of us each getting a whole pie.
"Chewing is highly recommended though!" Theo wags his finger in our faces. "I don't need you two choking. Who would I save? You can't put me in a position like that!"
"And people say you're conceited" Caroline jokes and goes around the cart to pinch in. He laughs and I watch. Filled with happiness to have such wonderful friend even on crummy days like these. Wait a minute...
"What's wrong Mona?" Theo looks up at me, as does Caroline.
"You know, at this point I think you both are giving me food because I can't tell you to return that." I squint my eyes and look suspiciously back and forth between them.
"She's catching onto us! Quick, Theo- The men in black memory eraser thing!" Caroline slides down her sunglasses from the top of her head and covers her eyes. She then takes the pizza boxes from him and stands up straight.
Theo quickly picks up his pen and pretends to put on sunglasses. "It's for the greater good Ramona." I can't help but to laugh. These two together were quite the act. I notice Theo's smile fades as he looks past me. "What the…" A loud clap rips through the sky and I turn over my shoulder to get a better perspective.
All I see is a flash of light before I fall to the ground. When I open my eyes again, all I can see is smoke and ash settling onto the ground. There's not a sound around me besides the rining in my ears. What the hell is going on? I turn over my shoulder to see Theo shielding Caroline. The cart laid between us. My eyes scan the area, trying to see a sign as to where that came from.
Suddenly a cry breaks through the ringing of my ears. I notice a woman carrying a baby, rushing past us. She locks eyes with me and yells at us on the ground. "Don't just sit there, run you dumbasses!" I turn forward and notice dozens of people are rushing past us, crying out in fear and confusion.
Out of the corner of my eye something catches my attention. My head turns, allow my eyes to follow. A few feet in front of me I notice something reflecting the sun through the smoke. "What the.." My feet find their way beneath me and I stand to get a better field. I'm completely silent as I realize what it was.
There on a ground was a shield in front of me, lying face down. Not just any old shield though, it was Captain America's shield. I look further ahead and see a body laying on the ground. There's a lump in my throat I push down for the second time today. As I get a better look I notice it's Captain America's body with no sign of movement. The crowd had thinned out around him, and I notice no one is stopping. No one is even looking twice at him on the ground.
My foot takes a step forward, looking further. There is a sudden break in the wall of smoke beyond us. A large, inhuman figure begins making its way down the road. The figure is covered in scales and looks like something straight out of "Alien Wars". It's head turns from side to side, scanning the now desolate road. It notices Captain's body on the ground and lets out a loud screech. The sound echoes through the buildings breaking windows around us.
I duck down and cover my head. Shards of glass fall like rain from above us. I tilt my head upward in hopes that would of awoken Captain America. However, his body is still laying there, seemingly lifeless. Beneath my feet, the ground starts to shake. The creature was rushing towards us all now. My eyes glance down at the shield laying just a few feet out of my reach.
Someone has to do something.
"Ramona!" I hear a mixture of Theo and Caroline's voices screaming from behind me. Before Theo can grab me, i'm running. With the little momentum i've gained, I bend down and pick up the shield by it's two straps. The black eyes of the creature look up from his body and at me.
Someone has to do something.
My shoulder slips into the curve of the shield as I slide my forearm through the straps. My right hand latches onto the buckle closest to my wrist for extra support. I run out past Captain America's body and charge towards the creature. My eyes stay locked onto the creature's up until the very last moment.
As we clash I duck my head beneath the shield. I feel my knuckles in my right hand crush against the shield on impact. The creature releases a loud noise, sending vibrations through the shield. I keep my stance low and strong. However, it isn't enough. My feet slide backwards on the pavement as I begin to lose against the creature.
Suddenly I feel something an arm around my waist and I'm pulled away from the shield. I look up to see Captain America staring down the creature on the other side of his shield. In one quick movement he had replaced my body with his own.
"I'll take this from here." He turns his head and i'm met with bright blue eyes looking back into mine. His grip on my waist tightens, keeping us steady against the shield. I blink, bringing myself back into reality.
"Right." As soon as the word escapes my lips, the pressure on my waist decreases. I step out from his arm that's holding me. "Be safe." We keep eye contact as I take a few steps backward.
"Ramona!" I hear a scream from behind me. Before spinning around I give Captain America one final nod. My heel pivots me around and I take off running. Caroline and Theo are waving their arms, coaching me to move faster. My whole upper half feels numb. However, my legs keep pushing me forward. As soon as I'm close Caroline pulls me into her side and I drape my shoulder around her. Theo quickly latches onto my other side. As I'm being rush around the corner I look back down the street. Nothing was there but crumpled buildings and smoke.
Just as quickly as it had happened, the moment was gone.
~~ Hello Everyone, author Holland here! Thank you so much for reading. I'm sorry if there were any grammar errors. Sadly, I've been known to overlook them in the past. I plan to update every Thursday! Please let me know what you think. What was your favorite moment? Would you like the next chapter to be any shorter or longer? Let me know! Thanks again :)
UPDATE: I realized in the migration my scene splits vanished. However they are now re-added. Sorry for the inconvenience!