PoV: JAKE

Once the weekend finishes up and all our extras are back on set, I find myself looking around more earnestly for Injury Girl. From my trailer I have a clear view of the entrance of the school, and during my off-time in the morning I watch for her through the window, if only to see what new way she's managed to maim herself this time.

The bell for first period rings right on time, but I still haven't seen her come through the gate. I frown, and am about to leave my spot at the window when I spot her, running up the sidewalk frantically, hair blowing behind her and half-zipped backpack bouncing every which way as she goes. Whatever tension I was holding is released. She's late, so that must be why she's in such a hurry.

I have a goal today: I'm going to formally introduce myself to Injury Girl. She's about the only person in this town I'm sure I can trust, even though she's done very little to actually prove that. My judgements about people are usually made for me, though, so I feel good about this one. I've had time to refine my speculations.

We shoot scenes and record lines apart from the extras while they're in class, but time feels like it's moving extra slow today. When the last bell finally rings and the extras steadily make their way over to the "front" of the school (which is actually a set of double-doors leading to the biggest custodial closet I've ever seen designed to look like the front of the school), I inadvertently keep one eye out for my person of interest. She trickles in as one of the last to arrive, chatting animatedly with her friends.

Something about her is different. It may be because as far as I can tell, she's not sustained any new injuries since last I saw her. No...it's the way she's holding herself. Taller than before, more confident. When her gaze lands on something, it really lands, like there's something to deduce in every inch of her surroundings. Like she can see through the world. It's mesmerizing.

"Jake, quit staring. It's creepy." Madison's chide comes from behind me. I can see her picking at her nails despite being told countless times not to, probably waiting for the director to finish blocking the scene like I am. "You haven't talked to her yet?"

"Not yet. I'm hoping the opportunity will kind of present itself; like, the director will put her next to me in the scene."

Madison just laughs joylessly. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're hyper-obsessed with this girl and you need to relax. If anything, she should be the one trying to win you over."

I raise an eyebrow, but don't reply. Madison's never gone out of her way to help me, not even when we were fake-dating. But now it's almost like she…cares. In her own frigid and distant way. I'm impressed.

We perform the scene perfectly around an hour later, and it only takes us about twelve takes. The extras are getting better at not losing their casually indifferent characters the more takes we do. Injury Girl seems especially spry today. I guess being rid of every ailment now, there really is more to her. She's caught my eye twice, and offered polite smiles, but she doesn't seem to want to come near me. I guess it wouldn't be her first inclination, given how the director gave all the extras explicit instructions not to approach us unless specific permission is given. I hate feeling like an artifact, or a commodity, or however I'm seen to the general public, when really I'm just like all of them. Something they'll never know, because they already have this preconceived notion of who I am.

But the way Injury Girl looks at me…she might be the only person who doesn't. When she looks at me, it doesn't feel like she's seeing a projected image of who I am, but me—the real me. She sees me the way other people don't, or can't. And I like that about her. It's rare.

When shooting finally wraps up for the day and the extras start pouring off set, I tell myself it's now or never. People like Injury Girl don't pass through my life all that often, and I'd be pretty stupid to let a genuine person like her slip away.

She's talking amongst her friends again, and I feel kind of silly when I call out "Hey!" in their direction. All of them turn at once, meeting my eyes, but I'm only looking at her. "Um…" I start, feeling heat creep up into my cheeks. "Can you hang back a sec?" I lock my eyes onto hers, which are wide and a little stunned. Her friends part like water around a stone, whispering "we'll-wait-for-yous" and throwing grins back towards me before heading off in the opposite direction. Injury Girl steps towards me cautiously.

"Is—is something wrong? Do I have a weird tan line from the eye patch? Ugh, I should have just gotten it taped shut—"

"No, there's no problem. I was just hoping we could talk a little while we have the chance."

Her expression falls skeptical. "About…"

My carefully rehearsed grin falters a little. What am I going to say? I scuff the ground with my shoe, looking everywhere but at the girl in front of me. "Well…the movie wraps up in less than two weeks, and I don't even know your name." The words tumble out of my mouth before I have the chance to pick through them. Hopefully that was the right thing to say.

I draw my gaze back up to her eyes again, which are somehow even bigger than before. They take up nearly all the lens space in her glasses. For a painfully uncomfortable few seconds, neither of us speaks.

Then, finally, she stutters, "You want to know my name?" Like it's the most unbelievable thing anyone has ever said to her. My stomach twists. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she is just like everyone else and I was an idiot to think—"Rory."

I'm so caught off guard that I ask her to repeat herself. "My name," she clarifies. "It's Rory."

And the look in her eyes softens, like someone coming out of a dream. In fact, her entire posture shifts, from rigid to amicable. I hope she can tell how hard I'm trying right now.

"Rory. I like that name. It sounds strong." She giggles a little, traces of bewilderment still speckled in her eyes.

"Thanks. Most people just think it sounds like a boy name," she says, tucking her hair behind her ear. A blush splotches across her cheeks, and I wish I knew what to do to make her feel more at ease.

"They don't know what they're talking about. It's the perfect name for you. I mean, you've got to be strong to tough it through everything that's happened to you, right?" I don't know if that was the right thing to say, but it doesn't matter, because I've said it already.

Rory just smiles. "No argument there." We share a timid laugh. When she meets my eyes again, she doesn't look as starstruck. Her smile turns down a little.

"Sorry, but my friends are waiting for me, I've got to—"

At the same time I say, "So I'll see you around?" And we laugh some more.

"Uh, yeah, right. See you around."

"Oh and by the way, my name's Jake."

This time, when she laughs, she holds nothing back.


A/N: I had to double, then triple check that there wasn't a part in Finally where Jake actually learned Rory's name. But I was still shocked when there wasn't! They're both so adorably awkward :P