A Thousand Beautiful Things
Disclaimer: Still don't own anyone…dammit. Except Cassandra.
Author's Notes: By the way… I'm really sorry this isn't a Harry Potter story, but I still hope you like it. Reviews are much appreciated.
Chapter Two:
It was especially difficult to wake up the next morning, and Daniel walked into the makeup room yawning widely, not even bothering to hide it. One of the makeup artists Sheryl, a middle aged woman that reminded Daniel a lot of one of his particularly crazy aunts, smiled at him.
"Daniel! And how was your summer, dear? You've grown about three inches since I saw you last? Now how is that possible?" Sheryl pulled a chair out for him and began fussing over his hair that had grown out past his ears.
"I don't-" Daniel began, only to be interrupted by Sheryl, who was clearly much more of a morning person than he was.
"-Cassandra darling, can you hand me my trimming scissors? I can tell that this hair is going to be the first thing we need to get in shape before filming…" She continued chattering away as a girl who had been sitting atop the counter reading, sprung up and grabbed the scissors for Sheryl.
"Here you go." This girl, apparently called Cassandra, sauntered over and gave Daniel a brief glance before handing the scissors over. She looked to be about his own age, all inky hair and dark eyes and lashes. She was wearing a denim skirt with heels and Dan rather liked the combination.
"Oh, Daniel I'm sorry, this is Cassandra. She's from America! She's interning here with me and the costume department, making money and living on her own. How lovely is that? She's just your age, aren't you dear?" Sheryl was saying excitedly.
"Hi," said Cassandra, looking embarrassed at Sheryl's introduction and Daniel's scrutiny.
"Oh, I- hello there." Daniel slightly stumbled over his words, mentally scolding himself. He looked down furiously at his trainers and when he looked up, prepared to be smoother, Cassandra had sat herself back on the counter and was boredly flipping through a magazine with her iPod blasting in her triple-pierced ears.
Daniel realized with a start that Sheryl had begun to trim his hair. He subsided into silence, before Sheryl began talking again.
"Poor thing, so far from home and not knowing anyone. But she's a great help to us all the same. Now let's see how this mop of yours looks after…"
They had been rehearsing for three hours straight, before David sent them off for a lunch break. Rupert headed straight for the buffet table while Emma disappeared off into her dressing room to gab on her mobile, so Daniel fished in his pockets for his mobile to call his mother, when he realized he must have left it in the makeup room. When he reached the door, he heard music playing from inside the room which was strange; Sheryl preferred the room to be quiet (ironically, since she herself was not quiet in the least bit), so he curiously pushed the door open.
The American girl was tidying up the counters and occasionally dancing a little to the music. Daniel felt the corners of his mouth quirk up in a smile, as she twirled around a little overzealously and slipped slightly on a makeup sponge.
"Shit! Mother fuckin' piece of shit sponge!" she swore with flourish, catching her balance on the back of a chair and picking the sponge up off the floor. Turning around, she noticed Daniel standing there and grinned.
"Hey there, what's up?" Cassandra asked, bending over sideways to fix her shoe.
"I-uh, nothing…looking for my mobile."
"Oh, right. I found it this morning after you left. I was gonna try and give it to you, but of course old Sheryl just talked my ear off and I couldn't get away," she rolled her eyes, but in a friendly way, and reached over and grabbed his brand new blackberry that he received on his birthday.
"Thanks. So, what are you doing here all the way from America?" Daniel asked, slipping the phone into his pocket.
"That, is a long story. But, I can give you the spark-notes," said Cassandra.
"Spark notes?"
"The short version. My dad knows Yates from school, and I've needed money for some time now, so, I'm interning here. I'm not too bad at design, and I guess I've just been helping since you lost some of your design crew from last year," she shrugged modestly.
"That- that's great…" Daniel replied.
"Yeah," she nodded, reclining back on her arms. "Sucks being so far from home and not knowing anyone though."
Just as Daniel was about to reply, Cassandra's mobile rang and she smiled apologetically and walked out of the room flipping the little phone open. Daniel grabbed his mobile and walked out too, but not before glimpsing Cassandra leaning against the wall talking and laughing into her mobile animatedly, her cheeks flushed. He didn't think she saw him as he walked past her, but as he was passing she put two fingers on his sleeve and then gave a small wave. It wasn't much, yet that was all it took.
Sorry about the shortness of the chapter. More to come! R/R.