Chapter 6: New Life
"Why didn't you tell me who you were?" Joan asked as she looked at Mr. Clark as the wind blew by.
"Because, I wanted to see if you had what it takes to be a great actress." Clark answered as he smiled at Joan.
So for the past few weeks he had been watching Joan to see if she was a great actress? How could this be? She hadn't done anything like that in quite a while. In fact it had been four years ago since she had done any acting.
"But, Mr. Clark I haven't acted in age,." Joan said as she began rubbing her red wrist. The pain was beginning to get worse as it shot threw her wrists and up her arms like knives.
"I'm sure you will do just fine. Are your wrists hurting my dear?" He asked as they made their way to Hollywood Boulevard.
"A little, I think that my wrist might be broken." Joan said as she tried to hide the pain that shown in her eyes. The pain wasn't just from her wrist, but from all the pain and sorrow she had gone through since she first started working at the diner.
"We will get it looked at when we get to MGM." Mr. Clark said as they continued their walk. They walked for a little while longer as Joan began thinking about what was happening to her. She could be a big time star. After a five minute walk they stopped in front of a black iron gate.
As the gate opened Joan stood there speechless. This was really happening after dreaming so long this was really happening.
"Shall we?" Mr. Clark asked as he waved his hand toward the big and busy lot. Joan nodded her head yes as she looked on in amazement. This was MGM, one of the biggest studios in Hollywood.
They walked through the gates and past many stars. All the while they were walking through the lot Joan spotted Clark Gable.
"You're Clark Gable." Joan said as she came to a dead stop. This couldn't be happening could it?
"Clark this is Joan Heart, are new starlet." Mr. Clark said with a smile.
"It's nice to meet you Ms. Heart." Clark said with a smile upon his handsome face.
"It's nice to make your acquaintance Mr. Gable" Joan said with happiness. She couldn't believe this was happening. It was all as if it was a dream. A dream she had dreamt so many times.
"If you will, please excuse me." Clark Gable said as he began walking away.
"Certainly." Joan said as she watched him walk away.
"If you will follow me I will take you to get your wrist looked at then I will get you a screen test." Mr. Clark said as he began walking once again.
Joan followed as she looked in amazement around the lot. There were so many stars. It was like she had died and gone to heaven. They arrived at a small building just to the left of a big lot.
"How can I help you sir?" a voice came as they walked into the room, a lady with a white outfit sat at a desk filling out papers.
"Yes this young woman needs to get her wrist checked out." Mr. Clark answered the middle aged woman.
"Before I or the doctor can do anything I need the lady to fill out some papers." The nurse said as she handed Joan some paper work.
Joan sat down with the papers in her left hand and a pen in the other. She looked over the many questions that were asked about. How could she answer some of these questions? Some of them had to do with her family.
While she looked over the questions Joan began to think and wonder about her parents. What were they like? Did they live a happy life? Would they've been a close and good family if her parents hadn't died? These and many more questions filled her mind as the pen began to glide the top of the white crisp paper.
"Mr. Clark what do I do about my parents? All I know is the year and the date I was born." Joan asked as she looked at Victor who was sitting patiently in the chair next to hers.
He sat there for a little while thinking about this question. How could he answer this question? After what seemed forever he answered her.
"Just leave it blank things like this happen often with stars."
Joan did just that and went onto the next question. After fifteen minutes of filling out paper after paper Joan was ready to see the doctor.
"If you would please follow me." The lady asked as she opened a door leading back to a few small rooms.
Joan followed the woman back into the little hall. The walls of this small hall were butter milk white, with a few pictures on the walls. Joan waited for a little while until the door opened. There stood a doctor about mid 40's.
"You must be Joan Heart the new Starlet Mr. Clark was telling me about." The doctor said with a smile. "I'm Dr. Andrew Jones. The man said as he looked at the paper.
Joan nodded her head yes. The doctor flipped through the pages and began.
"What seems to be the matter Ms. Heart?" Dr. Jones asked looking at her.
"My wrist I think my boss might have broke them." Joan answered as she began to get very scared. While she told the doctor she began rubbing her wrist just as she did when she entered the MGM lot.
"Let's see shall we." Dr. Jones said as he began looking over and having her move her wrist. "Can you move your wrist for me?"
Joan began moving her wrist. As she did this for the doctor pain began to shoot through them like a thousand knives. All the while pain was showing on her face and in her lovely eyes.
"Can you tell me from a scale one being the least and ten being the worst how bad does it hurt?" Jones asked as he looked Joan in the eyes.
"Um…a seven." Joan said looking at the doctor with sadness.
"Alright my dear, if you could wrap your wrist for a week and keep ice on them. This should help the pain and swelling go down." Jones said. He wrote one final thing down. "If that doesn't help I want you to come back within a week."
"Thank you." Joan said as she left the room. Now that her wrist was looked at, now all she had to do was that screen test. SCREEN TEST! Joan froze in her spot. She had never done such a thing before. The only thing she had done in front of an "audience" was at the orphanage.
Joan came back out into the waiting room. "All better?" Mr. Clark asked standing up.
Joan nodded her head yes. "He told me to wrap them for a week and keep ice on them."
"We will tell the people you will be staying with that." Mr. Clark said as he opened the door leading out to the lot.
Joan looked at him with wide eyes and fear. What was he talking about the people she would be staying with?
"I will explain when the screen test is over." Mr. Clark said as they walked past movie lots. "After all we don't need to worry about two things, right."
"Right." Joan said with a small laugh as she calmed back down. They came to lot that read set 18.
"Max this is Joan Heart are new starlet." Mr. Clark said to a rather large man who stood next to a very large camera.
"It's nice to meet you Max." Joan said with a smile. How many people was she going to meet in one day?
"I need you to get Joan a screen test. I think I might have found are new starlet we've been talking about." Mr. Clark said while Joan's eyes began to wonder.
She wasn't paying attention to anything Mr. Clark was saying. She was taking all of this in. She had never been in such a place.
"Right a way sir." Max said as he went over and talked to someone, all this work for a screen test? Hollywood was a very busy place.
Max came back over a few minutes later. "Please follow me." There were lights, cameras, stars all waiting for their scenes.
In the corner of the lot sat a small chair with a camera in front of it. "Please sit here Ms. Heart." Max said as he sat behind the camera while Mr. Clark asked Joan some questions.
"Just act like you would normally act." Max said as the light came on.
Joan took a deep breath and looked at the camera. "Joan what got you interested in becoming an actress?" Mr. Clark asked.
"I would do little plays and dances at the orphanage I was at as a little girl." Joan said looking at the camera as she began to relax as the questions came.
More questions came and went. Before long the test was over with. When the camera went off Joan relax all the way and knew that it was going to be a new beginning.
"You did a very nice job dear." Mr. Clark said with a smile as he made his way over to Joan.
"That's good to hear. I don't think I did so great. I was nerves the entire way through." Joan said.
"Every star is like that when they have their first screen test." Mr. Clark said with a laugh. "Now shall I tell you about the couple you will be staying with?"
"Who is this girl that's staying with us?" William asked as he put a cigar in his mouth.
"Her name is Joan Heart. Mr. Clark says she's the new starlet." Greta answered her husband as they sat at the breakfast bar.
"Did Mr. Clark tell you anything about her?" William asked as he pored himself a cup of coffee.
"Not much only that she's lived here her whole life and worked at a dinner." Greta said looking at her husband.
"Let me know when she gets here." William said as he got up from the bar.
"Where are you going?" Greta asked as she followed her husband.
"I'm playing golf today with the director of Lady's Man." William answered his wife as he got his coat on.
"Oh no you're not. You are going to stay here and meet are house guest." Greta said stepping in front of her husband.
"It's supposed to be a deal I've been needing." William said looking down at his wife.
"More offers will come. You need to stay here and meet are guest." Greta said in a stern voice. It was as if she was getting onto a small child.
"Alright darling I will phone George and tell him that another time is best." William said taking his jacket off.
"That's my Will." Greta said with happiness and gave her husband a small kiss. "If you will please excuse me there are a few more things to be done in the guest bedroom."
Their gust would be there soon and a secret would be reviled that no one ever saw coming.
A/N:Sorry it has taken me a while to update. I've been very busy with college and stuff. What do you think?