Yay! I am SO glad that you guys were so satisfied with the last chapter. Sorry, though, this story won't be one that will be going along as quickly as some of you may want it. But I still have TONS of other stories that I have to finish, and some that I haven't even posted yet that I've begun! So I'm sorry for that, but I guess I'll try to go as fast as possible and get updates for this chapter posted soon.

"Listen, Bella. We do not have time for this! Mr. Sanders is in the conference room at this very moment, and you're off daydreaming? Come on. Fix your hair and straighten your dress, and walk in as quietly and gracefully as you can. And don't forget to smile a lot. This is a big job for both you and me, so don't blow it."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, sure Frank. Whatever you say."

Benny sighed heavily and handed me my script, the one that I was supposed to read to Director Sanders after he had a look at my resume (Although, why he would even need to look at it with all this hype is beyond me. I mean, why wouldn't he cast me, the "hottest thing out there", for the lead role? It was what the public wanted). "I'm being serious, Bella. Midsummer Night's Dream with land you at the highest of the high, the best of the best! Don't you want your star in the cement? Don't you want your name to be next to Charlie Chaplin and Nicole Kidman? Don't you want that, Bella?"

"No."

"You are a piece of work."

"Thank you."

He groaned. "One day, I'm going to leave you for some other important eighteen-year-old actress, one that will actually listen to me and take my advice. And then you're going to be left in the dust, and everyone will forget about Bella Swan, the young actress that, once, made amazing movies, but now is just a has-been."

"I can't be a has-been at eighteen years old, Frank."

"You know what? I give up. Just go in there and do your best, okay?" He sighed again, this time pushing me closer to the door.

I looked ahead of me, up at the shiny metallic sign above the wooden office door, which happened to be reading "Conference Room 913". I half-smiled-though it was more a smile at the irony than out of pure happiness. 9/13: my birthday. It was almost funny, seeing as the date was March 16. It was exactly six months, two days, and thirteen hours since my life changed.

But then again, who was counting?

I looked behind me, trying to find the agent that I snapped at on a daily basis. I'm not sure why I did. Maybe it was for moral support, or to apologize for my constant sarcastic remarks...I don't know. But when I turned my head, Frank wasn't there anymore, instead having gone off to get some coffee and email the agency. I sighed-I would be facing this alone.

Squaring my shoulders, I gave a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

The raspy voice granted me access, and I slowly turned the silvery knob. As I was given a better view of the sixty-four year-old famous director, I noticed that his face was blank, like a new white canvas. He wore a ratted old beret, with wisps of fine silver hair sticking out from the sides and pink lips in a thin, flat line. His eyes were cold and piercing blue, and seemed to be scrutinizing every detail of the opening door. When he saw me, though, and recognized my face as Bella Swan, his eyes lit up. "Ah!" He rejoiced. "Isabella M. Swan! I have been looking forward to meeting you so much!"

I forced a smile, slightly tilting my head to the side. "Thank you, Director Sanders. I, too, have really been excited to come here. Now, if you want to see my portfolio, I have it right-"

He interrupted me with a grin, "Oh I will, I will! Sit down first, please. Make yourself comfortable." He motioned with one hand to the chair across from him, of new red leather.

Once I had sat, he continued. "Now, I just want to make sure you understand this role, Bella. Helena is a gorgeous woman, of course, but extremely self-concious. Because the man that she is in love with loves another, she thinks it's because she's not beautiful. She doesn't understand why her friend, Hermia, is wooing the men-so to speak-so efficiently. And when the love potion is sprayed in the eyes of both Demetrius, her love that doesn't pay attention, and Lycander, Hermia's lover, both awaken to see her and pursue her, she believes they are making fun of her, teasing her. So that helps nothing to build her self-esteem, you see.

"Bella, you must capture her longing and love for this man, this man that seems to pay no attention to her. But that, exactly, is what it is! He only believes he loves Hermia, because of what he has thought in his mind. He has built an idea that Hermia is so beautiful, that he does not recognize Helena's own beauty and strength. Helena exclaims, 'Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind'. Do you understand this, Bella?"

I nodded absently, trying with all my might not to think of the relation to my life.

"Good, good. I knew you would be able to do this. Now, I'd just like you to read these lines, from Act I, Scene I, 227-235." He watched me closely as I flipped open to the page, searching for the lines of my soon-to-be character.

And, sure enough, there they were, reading HELENA. It was a short block of words, only about nine lines long, written by Shakespeare in a poetic form. But, as I quickly scanned the words, their meanings were what caused a spasm of fear throughout my body. As I stared in shock at the words, I could hear Director Sanders clearing his throat. I sighed, and started to read.

"Through Athens I am thought as fair as she.
But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so.
He will not know what all but he do know.
And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity.
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."

I swallowed, my eyes stinging with the salty liquid. And yet, with these tears I stilled defied the fact that I was thinking, yet again, of him, although I told myself-promised myself-that I never would. It would only hurt me, to think of him. It would only kill me to think back on what could have been, or what I was too stupid to realize-that it was all just a dream, a perverted joke.

Poor Helena. I laughed sourly in my head, scowling at the fictional fool. I mean, what was she to think that love could be forced? That somehow, she could convince her lover to return her feelings against his will? Without that magic, that potion, she would have never ended up with Demetrius; never would have lived a perfect happily ever after.

And, in reality, I had no fairy to save me.

I was brought back out of my thoughts when I noticed Director Sanders clapping, his face strangely glistening. "Bravo! Bravo! You are perfect, I knew it!" I realized that the shine on his cheeks were tears, streaming down from his wet eyes. "I knew you were absolutely perfect, right from the start! You will play Helena, and I'll be damned if you don't! Now, I want you to pack up your portfolio-I need not see more-and go back to your manager...Frank, was it?"

I nodded, still numb.

"Right. Well, go back to Frank and tell him I want you here, ready to go, on Monday morning, a five days from now. I want you to come with a nice attitude, ready to get to work. Of course, I do not doubt your willpower for this project, Bella, and I know you will be eager to please. Thank you so much, for coming, and I will see you then. Goodbye." He started to turn away from me, swiveling his chair to the other side of his desk.

Quickly, I remembered to ask something that I had been curious about. "Oh! And, Director Sanders?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Who, if I may ask, will be playing the other lead roles?"

He smiled, then, reaching for a tissue from the paisly-colored box that sat to the right of his laptop. As he dabbed his soaked face with it, he replied, "Oh, we do have a lovely cast. You remember Collin Mathews, don't you? He worked with you in The Days of the Year. He's playing Lycander, along with Lauren Mallory as Hermia. She's new to Hollywood, but I figured I'd give her a try. And then there's Dave Connors, as the trouble-making fairy Puck. There are many more, my dear, who you will be meeting shortly, I promise you."

A name in there struck me as familiar, but I ignored it. I tried, often, to forget anything that reminded me of my past. But one role I did not hear him say. "And, Director Sanders, who will be playing the part of my supposed lover, Demetrius? Surely another star such as me...maybe Bobby Spitzer? Or is it Greg Blonselle-I heard he was hot nowadays." It had to be one of those-one of those perfect, hunky blonde stars with absolutely no personality.

But then he surprised me with his answer:

"Oh no! We don't even know yet! I had this grand idea to let others audition for the part."

There you go-the second chapter!! Thanks again to theenvylover, for this amazing storyline! Of course, A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of my favorite works by Shakespeare, (well, one of my favorite of his comedies) and I thought that Romeo and Juliet would have been too cliche. Anyways, thanks so much, and PLEASE review-all of them truly make my day!

P.S.

God, if I get one more review on another story that says "When are you going to update By Moonlight?" I think I'm going to shoot someone. Please, people! I am GETTING TO IT. I, in fact, am in that very process at this moment, trying my hardest to write it. But it has to be perfect, see? And besides, I'm already up to 3,000 words in that one chapter, and I'm not even half-way done with it.