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Scheduled for Friday
by Anton M.
69: Like Old Times
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Saturday, April 22
"MMC News, Bahati. It's a pleasure. Who are you wearing today?"
Emmett and Travis observed the screaming crowd behind the fence on either side of the red carpet with daunting intensity. The fanbase who'd shown up to see us at the Underground Memories first episode premiere at the Regal Atlantic Station clogged up the surrounding streets. Police controlled the crowd. It was rare to hold a premiere for a TV show, much less in Atlanta, but the locals were so in awe of the phenomenon of our generation being filmed in Georgia that the cinema and NorthDust Studios decided to host an event.
The rush for tickets crashed the cinema's website. Within a few days, an agreement was made for cinemas all over the US to simultaneously premiere the first episode prior to the show's release for streaming.
Edward held my hand in a death-grip, looking wildly intimidating in ripped jeans, Garrett's leather jacket and sunglasses. He'd gained his weight back. NorthDust Studios, Tanya and LaTonya had all pushed for Edward to soften his look or at least grow out his buzz cut but I put an end to that talk before it reached him. Internet corners' aversion to Edward's hair only made him more adamant to keep his buzz cut, and I stood by my promise not to interfere with how Edward carried himself.
It was a miracle he'd agreed to show up at all. He absolutely didn't have to. I told him as much during one of our many discussions around the event, but reverse psychology was one hell of a drug, and he wanted to be there for my first premiere even if he had to chew through a packet of gum before the event to do so.
Unbeknownst to anyone else, it would be the first and last red carpet he'd attend for the next half a decade and maybe forever. He wanted to focus on his studies and keep a lower profile during university, and I couldn't fault him for that.
"Halston," I replied, running my hand over my teal evening gown before holding the locket everyone kept asking about. "Isn't it incredible? It belonged to my boyfriend's gran-gran—I mean, grandmother."
I could feel Edward's warm gaze even through his sunglasses.
"Excuse me?"
I grinned. The journalist would've stopped breathing if he knew how many contemporary designer dresses I'd rejected to wear Esme's vintage clothes. "We had to tailor it, of course. If my mom's correct it's from 1972."
His answer got lost in the screaming of the fans when Mike emerged from his car, and the cameras blinded us all with incessant photographs as he greeted us. Tanya, Rose and the rest of the crew arrived. Edward kissed my temple before he stepped to the side with my parents, giving the fans and the cameramen an opportunity to photograph me with Mike. Mike covered my shoulder with his arm, I put mine around his waist, and we listened to the click-click-click of the cameras as the smiles slowly froze on our faces.
Turning, Mike glanced at Edward. "Every time your boyfriend shows up I get the feeling he's about to murder me."
I laughed and blew Edward an air kiss when he glanced over. His face softened, probably only enough for me to detect the change.
"Seriously. Does he ever smile?" Mike paused. "Is he plotting my murder?"
"Either that or he's holding in diarrhea. He ate a packet of gum before this event."
The clicking of cameras ramped up when Mike doubled over in laughter.
"Crowds exhaust him," I said, stifling my smile as Mike recovered.
"Can't blame him there." We turned to face the throng on the other side, trying to look happy and natural. He leaned ever-so-slightly closer to me. "Do you think he'd mind spending some time with my brother tomorrow?"
Mike's fifteen-year-old brother Caleb fanboyed over Edward's first place in the Georgia State Chess Championships so hard that Edward was stuck in a perpetual torrent of 'thank yous' before he asked if the boy wanted to play chess with him. They set up a game on Edward's hoodie on the floor on the side of the set. Caleb lost game after game but soaked in all of Edward's teachings, and Mike and I caught ourselves looking at them from across the set during a break. (The rules around who could be on set had loosened since the release of the first season.)
I loved what a trip it must've been for Edward to have a fan who didn't care about my existence.
"I heard your boyfriend corrected some calculations for the stunts when the consultant was unavailable," Mike said. "Is it true he's headed for MIT?"
"A full ride."
He nodded in approval but stifled his smile. "And he's dating you?"
I pushed him into the soft green wall behind him, but he recovered quickly. Grinning, he nudged me. "Seriously, though. Long distance is brutal but if you play your cards right you're better off with someone who has their own thing going on. Makes a huge difference."
Relieved that we'd become friends, I assessed his wavy, medieval warrior hairdo and the serious look he sometimes got on his face.
Lowering my voice as I glanced around us, I asked, "Did anyone ever push you to date certain people, or… have opinions about your girlfriends?"
Mike slapped his face as he laughed. The leather sheath of his dagger fell from his waist. More grateful than ever that my blushing wasn't too visible, I picked it up and pretended not to be embarrassed by my question.
Mike accepted it. " Yes. So many. Some of it can be justified, mind you—you date a Phineas Priest, you'd better expect to be called out on it—but most of it… most of it is utter garbage, especially if your partner is not in the business. Are people pressuring you to break up with him or what?"
"Not pressuring as such but… there's lots of loud opinions about his hair and piercings."
"And what's yours?"
"I just want him to be comfortable however he wants to be."
Mike scoffed. "You are way more mature than I was at your age. I broke up with my first girlfriend because she cut off her hair and I told her I didn't find that attractive."
I gaped. "Are you serious?"
"Unfortunately." His grin faded. "Just ignore the opinions. He's a good guy. They'll get used to it."
Edward didn't join me on set often.
With high school beginning to slow down for seniors, I informed our line producer that my boyfriend had an NDA before agreeing to dates when Edward was allowed to join me on set. It was hard to tell who felt more daunted—everyone involved in Underground Memories when they met the intimidating, smart man I was dating, or Edward, who hid his nerves behind gum and looking even more calm and confident than usual.
But I wanted him to get to know this side of my life, even a little, so that if he ever needed anything, he was familiar with the location of the set and the people I worked with.
Mike and I laughed when Caleb, having lost, took hold of the edge of Edward's hoodie and poured the chess pieces on the floor, but it was clearly done in good humor because both grinned.
"I can't believe how patient he is with Caleb. Thank him for me."
I was about to tell him to do it himself when I realized that there was another way for Mike to show his appreciation. Now that life was settling down for Edward, he'd off-handedly expressed interest in reviving the Dungeons and Dragons they'd semi-regularly played up until this year. Hoping to surprise him, I'd been watching (way too many) D&D games and instructions for Dungeon Masters for the past month.
I suppressed the urge to cover Mike with people-please-y apologies and decided that I was the fucking Nala. His agreement would result in a great story for interviews and press junkets.
"A few years ago when you were doing press for Beecher's Bible, you mentioned that you used to play D&D. Is that true?"
…
Friday, April 28
Our basement was perfect for an evening of D&D.
Alice (a beginner sorcerer) was painting a vertical line from Edward's (a ranger) forehead over his eye to his jaw, Jasper (a cleric) was complaining about wanting his own face-paint, and Eric (a druid) was speaking to Angela (a barbarian) in low tones when I climbed downstairs with a box of gear from our costume designer Seth.
"Whoa." Alice's blackened paintbrush froze in the air.
Edward's eyes blazed.
It felt performative, wearing Nala's costume to D&D, but Mike had agreed to join us in his warrior costume, and I wanted to give Edward a D&D night to remember.
"Holy shit." Jasper jumped up, grabbing Alice's hand as they rushed to me, staring at my black scleral contacts.
"Do they hurt?" Angela whispered.
"Not at all," I replied, setting down my box and pointing at it. "Use anything in this box for tonight's game."
Nobody paid attention to my words.
They circled me, touching the brown leather of my corset, the worn-out, torn linen of my short skirt (made of a longer skirt), the sheathed scalpel tied to my inner thigh, the worn gold buttons, the secret pockets, the pendant around my neck and the bow on my back. My hair was braided around my head. The curly end that fell on my shoulder was tied with a damaged jute rope.
Alice traced her fingers over the green muslin rag covering the black lines on my upper left arm, showing Nala's healer pife origins. In the books, the middle line got warm and lit up when Nala was near thoughts of killing—convenient when someone concealed their intentions but deadly in the dark when it made her the obvious target to any attack.
"Does this black material light up?" Alice asked.
"No, they add that with CGI."
Angela slid her fingers along the bow string, her question almost fearful. "Do you know how to use the bow?"
"Yes. I had fantastic mentors."
I answered an onslaught of questions, how much martial arts training I'd been through (quite a bit but I had much more ahead of me), if I'd had a say in anything about my costume (yes, adding pockets), if the other two costumes I wore really fit into Nala's backpack (yes), and if we'd already started filming the second season (yes but we'd have a hiatus in the summer for a press tour).
"What was Masen's reaction when he first saw your costume?"
Edward and I locked eyes but immediately looked away, and Jasper's low burst of laughter made me smile.
"Never mind!" he shouted. "Never mind. Don't know why I asked. Our game is not equipped for that rating."
Had Tyler or Lauren or anyone with a streak for bold comments joined our game, we'd have been up for a mountain of teasing, but Angela wasn't the type to do that and Eric didn't know me well enough not to be scared of offending me.
That was the problem—my family, colleagues and friends, most of them hadn't changed the way they behaved around me, but acquaintances were tough. When I invited Eric and Angela (Tyler was focused on SATs and I had no interest in inviting Lauren), they both gushed in their own way and expressed fear of (suddenly) not being good enough to join my game (to which I revealed that I'd only actually been the dungeon master once before). They accepted the invitation almost in awe. Upon arrival, they apologized profusely for what had previously been perfectly acceptable costumes. Feeling bad, I assured them that I didn't need fancy world-class things; I adored their home-made costumes, but the dynamic between us had changed. I could feel it.
The reason I still felt relatively ordinary was my family and Edward—the tight-knit group surrounding me. Other than being home schooled (now by an actual retired high school teacher) and having to schedule social media posts for paparazzi to take it easier, I didn't feel too different. But going out of our home, meeting schoolmates or old neighbors, I lived in another dimension. The way everyone suddenly feared my opinion of them, the way conversations focused on my acting or fame, the way some acquaintances distanced themselves while others tried to get closer with false flatteries—No wonder Mike had trust issues. I could wish to remain normal as much as I wanted, but, at the end of the day, people treated me differently.
…
Edward had just chosen himself a wicked cool cloak for his ranger costume when mom appeared downstairs with a pile of snacks. My friends whooped and thanked her while mom pointed at Jasper's bag by the wall.
"You get two options. Either I confiscate the alcohol and you keep your phones or I confiscate your phones and none of you go home tonight unless it's me or Charlie taking you."
"We didn't bring any alcohol, ma'am."
Mom stifled her smile, taking the smallest step toward Jasper's bag when Jasper almost tripped over himself to get in front of it.
"But I thought you were cool!"
Mom laughed.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but those are the only options. I have water, juice, tea—I can get some soda if you want."
Jasper agreed to give up his beer after a bit of grumbling and discussion, but only because he wanted to take photos of the historic D&D evening with Nala in attendance.
It was the right choice. Mom might've fooled my friends with her "options" but the PR drama that would've followed (if photos of Mike Newton drinking with Bahati and her underage friends came out) wouldn't have been worth even considering the other choice.
Everyone took new gear from Seth's magic box—tiaras and crowns and staffs worthy of admiration—before we formed a circle in the center of the empty but carpeted basement. Snacks were opened, (non-alcoholic) drinks were poured, and I texted Mike when everyone was ready for our game.
"Before we start, I have a special treat for you tonight," I announced, grinning my face off and hoping Alice wouldn't hate me forever for not warning her. Turning my face toward the door, I raised my voice. "You can come out of hiding!"
A shuffle was followed by footsteps as Mike (playing as a fighter) walked downstairs in full Mathys gear: a white wide-sleeved shirt under a green, embroidered vest, black pants, a dagger in a sheath on his waist and a bow on his back. A scar marred his neck, a black emblem was painted on his palm, and a two-finger ring was fitted in his smallest fingers.
He pocketed his phone, gave us a shit-eating grin, and sat down when Edward scooted closer to me. The two gave each other a nod while our friends gaped, frozen, wearing the most hilarious open-mouthed expressions on their faces. I snapped photos of them.
"Hi, Bella. Edward. Thanks for inviting me."
"You are so welcome," I replied, putting my phone away. "I always knew your dream Friday would be spent in the basement playing D&D with a bunch of high schoolers."
Mike leaned closer to Edward, lowering his voice, turning up his charm like the actor he was. "Don't tell anyone."
"OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod," Alice whispered, breathing like she'd ran a marathon, gripping Jasper's wrist and staring at Mike like she'd seen a ghost. "OhmyGod, ohmyGod, ohmyGod."
Angela looked like she might faint, Eric managed a human-like greeting, and Jasper gave Mike a wicked grin full of hoping to squeeze secrets out of the man.
After a round of introductions during which Alice had been rendered deaf and mute and possibly incapable of moving her muscles, I adjusted the materials in a half-circle in front of me and picked up my notebook.
"A tribe of goblins has collapsed the mine you're spending the night in and a miner calls for your aid. What do you do?"
Mike's presence created a strange dynamic. Most of the players were scared to say the wrong things and make the wrong decisions in front of him, but Mike, recognizing it, made the stupidest, funniest choices to break the ice. He also complimented the players on their ideas and character levels, downplaying his own, and I admired his skill in interacting with fans. Encouraging but not condescending, interested but not overwhelming, he had a way of being "on" without being fake. He was self-aware enough not to whine around them, and I enjoyed seeing this side of him. Mike was good with fans.
It took a few hours for the group to get over Mike's presence—even Alice began to form words instead of mouthing them—but the game surpassed even my wildest expectations when our friends got used to him. The basement filled with jokes and laughter and tense quests with hilarious false starts, and I'd seen enough videos of dungeon masters to be able to improvise a few small side-quests. It was a wonder to witness the group become alive, and I took as many photos as I remembered to take.
When we took breaks—because D&D was new and fun but the intensity could be exhausting—and everyone dispersed to our bathrooms, Mike had barely disappeared out of sight when Alice turned around and whispered,
"Oh my God he pees!"
After which Mike, not yet being out of hearing range, stepped back downstairs and gasped. "He does? I was not informed about this."
Jasper laughed so hard he lost his breath. Alice turned beetroot red.
"Your opinion of me can only go downhill from here if you're surprised I'm not a robot, Alice," Mike said, grinning before he turned to go upstairs.
"Mike Newton knows my name," Alice whispered in wonder.
"He knows your last name, too," Mike whisper-shouted from behind the corner before he left.
A red-faced (but pleased) Alice and a laughing Jasper went to find another bathroom.
Edward, looking every bit the dashing ranger with his new cloak and black line through his eye, turned to face me. His eyes twinkled with affection as he pressed a kiss against my shoulder and squeezed my thigh.
"Thank you for doing this. You're amazing."
Bursting with love, I kissed him, getting lost in his scent and warmth until footsteps returned downstairs and I pulled away.
"The famous Mr. Bahati," Mike said, walking downstairs with Jake, Eric and Angela. Jake walked right out of Mike's caress, ignoring him, ran up to Edward and jumped in his lap before stretching his upper paws against his shoulder. Edward laughed as Jake began to lick his neck.
I stifled my smile. "Edward and Jake have a… special relationship."
"He licks me and I tolerate it," Edward explained, crinkling his face. His eyes sparkled with humor. "It's very special."
Sitting down, Mike winked at me. "He might need to clean up your face, too."
I checked Edward's cheek, and, sure enough, I'd smudged his black line, and I'd barely began to fix it with my thumb when Alice and Jasper joined us.
"Don't you two get enough of each other while we're not here?" Jasper groaned, throwing a bag of gummy bears at Edward. "You live together."
"You're just jealous," Edward replied, smiling, protecting Jake from getting hit by the sweets as he caught the bag.
"I absolutely, positively, 100% am," Jasper replied, locking eyes with Alice and bumping shoulders with her. "Our parents don't even know we're dating."
Not having an answer to their dilemma, we refilled our bowls with snacks and returned to D&D. I adored watching Mike and Edward begin a friendship over their characters and love of geeky things, and we got so immersed in our game that we only realized the time after they defeated the boss in an epic battle just before two AM.
But, instead of the night ending, Mike and I answered a rain of questions about Underground Memories (or what we were allowed to say about it, anyway) until four AM.
Mike posted a selfie with us before I found make-do mattresses for Alice, Jasper, Eric and Angela to sleep on, and the four covered my co-star in praises when he said goodbye.
The hallways were dark and quiet as Edward and I walked to the front door to send Mike off. Exhausted and exhilarated, I was running on the high of a successful game.
"Thanks for inviting me," Mike repeated, looking up from his phone. "Seriously. I had a blast. I expect an invitation to your next game."
I smiled, hugging him. "You got it."
The two men assessed each other, standing in their fantasy outfits in the dim entrance of our home.
"To be continued?"
Mike held out his hand, clearly referring to their enthusiastic discussion around their D&D characters but also to a budding friendship.
Edward gave Mike a single nod.
"To be continued," he replied softly.
My heart was in danger of bursting even if I had to bite back my smile when Mike stretched and massaged his hand after getting it back.
He whipped out his phone again, turning to leave, putting his hand on the doorknob before he paused, glancing up. His smile disappeared.
"What?"
He turned his phone around.
'Garrett Kamwanga enmeshed in a statutory rape scandal when it's revealed that Bahati's mother was 15 when she was conceived'
"Aw, fuck."
…