Note: So hey, it's me again with another full chapter on this fine Friday morning.
Chanelle (@famouxaf on Twitter) told me it was her FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY TODAY, so I just had to give her something more than Cartney and Emeray being all dramatic for today's update. How about a little bit of Chapter, hmm? It's been a while.
PREVIOUSLY ON THE CLASSIX: So Cartney and Emeray have actually started trying to make people hate them. Why? So DEFED's threats don't mean anything to them anymore. Kinda like Alexander Hamilton writing the Reynolds Pamphlet if we really want to stretch it. But I guess this reference would fit more if Emeray was admitting to the world that she's dating Chapter like Hamilton admitted he had an affair with Maria Reynolds. THE CHAPTER PAMPHLET????
emeray
If my time with Cartney these past weeks was isolating, my time on the Onward Train set thus far is suffocating. The moment Chapter, our members, and I set foot on location, we were hounded by the movie crew. Over this first day of filming, I seem to have developed an entourage of makeup and stunt people who won't leave me alone for even a second, not even in my trailer.
As three people take turns pulling at my hair with combs and curlers, I listen to Lex as she goes off to the whole room about how thrilled she is to be here. Though I'd much rather prefer to be left alone for a few minutes, her excitement is endearing enough that I don't mind as much as I could.
"I just can't believe we're on a actual set!" she squeals, grabbing Gerald's arm. "I've only seen trailers like this in pictures!"
"Ah, yes," he says. "Such a thrill."
"C'mon, Gerald! Be a little more excited!"
From the mirror of my vanity I catch Gerald's face contort into an uncomfortable expression as one of the crew members approaches him with a tray of refreshments. Shaking his head strenuously, he glances off at Angad standing in the corner of the room with a hint of envy. The last time we were on a movie set, he had been the one who was able to blend into the background, which I'm starting to gather he really prefers.
I can't say I don't understand his overwhelmentââit's hard to adjust to people suddenly being willing to bend over backward to make sure you're satisfied. I make a note in my head to ask him whether or not his "choice" to become a member of Fanatix was actually a choice at all. It definitely doesn't seem like the kind of lifestyle he'd pick for himself, especially after all those months of being an eyewitness as my bodyguard.
"Did they write in a part for you, Lex?" I ask.
"They had an extra walk-on role they needed an actress for." She squeals again. "I get two scenes with you guys!"
"That's great! And what you you, Gerald?"
He snorts. "I'm actually replacing Chapter's part."
"You're gonna have to figure out your choice occupation sometime soon," Lex tells him. "Remember what Carstan said?"
"What did he say?" I ask.
"That we need to make ourselves useful, basically," says Gerald.
"No!" Lex hits his arm. "He said we need to start building our schedules. He wants us all to have something going on to promote when our issue of The X is comes out. Most everyone has already thought of what they want to do, except Gerald."
"Hey, I'm getting there." He rolls his eyes. "That magazine isn't coming out next week or anything."
"It'll come out soon, though."
As they discuss Gerald's career options, a crew of costume designers take me into the back room of the trailer to fit me into a backless evening gown with an ivory tint. The pearls they pair with it for jewelry matches the color almost exactly.
Since we arrived to the location later in the day, we're only filming one scene. My character is all dressed up and on her way to an event when she runs into Chapter's character while waiting for the train to come. It's supposed to happens somewhere in the middle of the movieââright when they falling in love. They'll proceed to hide that love from everyone they know until a shocking reveal at the end. That being said, it doesn't help while we're filming scenes like this that this movie is so loosely autobiographical.
Pulling out all the stops with authenticity, the crew has created our set today to be a complete replica of the old train stations that Colburn used to have before renovations, with elaborate tiled walls and large clocks hanging from the ceiling. The platform we'll be standing on is raised up a few feet, and the actual train tracks are spread across the room at ground level. They cut off abruptly when no longer in the camera's lens, and it's boggling to look at. In one glance it's almost like we're transported to the past, and in the next we're actually just in a big warehouse, filming a movie.
Chapter is already on set when Lex, Gerald, and I emerge from my trailer. Clad in a black suit, he stands up on the platform, with his hands in his pockets. His back is to us, and despite the reactions from the crew when we come in, he doesn't seem to notice us enter. I watch as he examines one of the prop-clocks carefully, as if it the hands were actually moving and telling him the time.
While my members situate themselves with Elle at the director's chairs, I pick up the train of my dress, climbing the stairs to the platform. Trying hard to keep my high heels from clacking, I approach Chapter as quietly as I can.
I come up close to his ear. "Hey."
He jolts, whipping his head in my direction with alarm. When he sees it's me, he softens, reaching out to touch my face. The skin on my cheek practically melts off.
"Sticks," he says. "It feels like I haven't seen you in weeks."
We're both far away and raised up from everyone else in the warehouse, but one can never be too careful. I keep my voice low so no one can eavesdrop. "It's a big house. Hard to find anyone."
"You're never in it, love."
"I know," I say. "Cartney and I have been busy ruining our lives."
His brow raises. "Is that so?"
The lamps on the platform blink to life, casting gold shades on the entire set. Chapter's eyes pick up the light like glass, and I realize just how long it's been since I've gotten time to be this close to him.
"It gets really exhausting after a whileââhaving to be so lovey in front of everyone all the time," I tell him. "It's like being on a set all day long, really."
"And why are you two doing this?"
"We want people to start hating us."
It's barely an explanation, but he accepts it all the same, nodding softly. "That sounds new and different."
"We might even be able to break up early."
"That's never a negative." He shifts his weight from one leg to the next, lips parting into a smile. "But I'm sure you know what you could do if you really want to speed up the ruining process."
"And what's that?"
But he doesn't have the chance to answer. The cameras turn toward us, their red lights poised to flick on the moment our director Shailey gives her call.
"Okay, everyone ready to go?" she asks. "Emeray, Chapter, show your newbies a scene worth every award this damn world has. Now, action!"
The scene only calls for dialogue, but Chapter draws me in and kisses me before we can get through all our lines. This surprises not only me, but everyone on set. The Fanatix members gasp loud enough that Shailey has to yell, "Cut!" just incase they're audible in the background.
Pulling away at Shailey's call, Chapter's smile returns, easing the edges of my startled expression almost immediately.
"What was that for?" I whisper, heart beating listlessly.
"If the reaction we just got is any indication, that might be a sure-fire way to ruin your relationship with Cartney."
I squint past the platform, but the spotlights on us are so bright that I can't make out the other members. No doubt they're watching us like hawks this very second. Turning back to Chapter, I put a hand on his shoulder. It looks friendly enough.
"But that's the thing," I tell him. "I don't want to ruin your life too."
"You ruin my life everyday already, Sticks."
"You know what I mean."
Apparently, Chapter's sudden improvisation really spoke to Shailey. After reviewing the tape with some of the cameramen, she decides she likes the kiss so much that it becomes an actual part of the scene.
"A sudden kiss really adds an extra dimension of desperation here," she commends. "It'll be perfect for the tension later on. ChapterââI asked you to give me an award-worthy scene, and you delivered." Shailey turns to the Fanatix members, putting her hands together like a prayer. "If any of you are going to act, take notes from this one here. He knows what a scene needs more than the writers do."
"You hear that?" Chapter murmurs. "You should probably listen to my ideas more often."
We continue filming, experimenting with different ways the dialogue should be spoken after the kiss. As a result, we end up having to do a lot more takes of the scene until it's, as Shailey puts it, damn near perfect, which either Chapter nor I really protest to. We finally finish somewhere around an hour later.
While the Fanatix members are lead to a kitchen area for a meal, Chapter and I go back to our trailers to get out of our evening-wear. My three guards opt to wait outside the door, granting me fleeting time to be actually, totally alone. I relish in it, taking longer than necessary to change into casual clothes
There's a sizable stack of magazines on my bedside table, which I can't help myself from picking up before I leave for dinner. They'll likely have to serve as an Analytix for me while we're filming.
I sit down on my mattress, thumbing through the front covers carefully. Cartney and I show up somewhere of every one of them, whether it be the full front page or a blurb on the side. A tabloid dated for today features a picture of the Hideaway, its driveway completely empty. Beneath is a bolded caption: After fifteen consecutive days of showing up with a new bouquet, Cartney Kirk is no where to be seen this morning. Trouble in paradise?
I roll my eyes, setting the paper down. Any longer on this set, and the public's going to split us up themselves.
Stepping out of my trailer a few minutes later, I find none of my guards waiting for me. Instead, Chapter stands close by, his hands clasped together in front of him. When he sees me, he smiles.
"The bodyguards needed to go on their break," he explains. "So I told them I'd be willing to take a shift."
"How kind of you," I say.
"Just doing my civic duty, really." He holds out his hand for me to take. "Now, shall we?"
Lacing my fingers in his, Chapter directs us through the warehouse. Without all the bustle and the lights from earlier today, the set looks eerie. Up on the platform, the massive clocks loom down on us like eyes, their spokes frozen in time, never blinking. I get the feeling that an alarm should go off shrilly any minute.
Glancing down at the floor as we go, I move towards Chapter. He reciprocates, leaning closer to me. Every so often he squeezes my hand in a mindless pattern, perhaps to remind me
"So," he starts. "There were a couple magazines in my trailer."
"There were some in mine too."
"Standard tabloids. Empty rumors. It seems like everybody's got something to say about you and Cartney these days."
"They really do," I say.
"Is this Norax's idea?"
I shake my head. "DEFED has been threatening Cartney. That was the thing he was so scared about back at Ansel's show. It's like what they were doing to all of us with the Volx, except they don't want him to be popular."
"They want everyone to hate him?"
"And me too."
Chapter considers this. He looks at me with finality. "You can just add my name to the list there, too."
"Absolutely not."
"C'mon, the world can never have too many people to hate."
I frown. "Chapter, I can handle people hating Cartney and I. It's fake. But looking at the way people have responded to Kaytee and Raceââit's affected them. Don't you notice how little they want to go places together or be seen near each other, even though everyone knows they're dating?"
"Well, unlike them, we'd purposely mean to reveal our secret relationship," he reminds me, "therefore we'd definitely be flaunting it much more."
"But they're even starting to ignore each other at the house."
"Like you said, it's a big house."
"Chapter."
We stop walking before we get to the kitchen doors, turning to one another. A smug look spreads across his face. "Yes?"
"I don't want people to know about us just yet," I say. "Months ago, when I told you how I thought I wanted to be a musician and play the piano, you told me that I should keep some of the things I really love private instead of letting the world judge it and tarnish it. You're one of those things, all right?"
He pauses for a second, looking at me like he's searching for something. Finally, he leans forward, touching his lips against mine for all of a second.
"All right, love," he tells me. "That's fair enough."
A new voice intervenes before I can even breathe.
"What?"
My whole body goes cold in a moment. I whip my head toward the voice, going even colder still.
She stands at the kitchen entrance, jaw dropped to the floor.
Lex.
I'm about to jump away, to scream, to rattle every excuse off the top of my head but before I can get any of them out, Chapter acts first.
Squeezing my hand for quick reassurance, he shrugs, his voice and disposition as nonchalant as ever.
"Lex, don't make us get out of character like this," he says. "We were really onto something there."
"Whââwhat?"
"Method acting."
"Method acting?"
I glance at Chapter, trying to hide my confusion. He looks completely serious, collectedââcome to think of it, just like his character in Onward Train. Lex seems to take notice just as I do.
"Consider this, Lex," he proposes. "How are you supposed to make people believe you're in love on screen if you become strangers again off camera?"
"Iââumââ" I notice the way Lex fidgets as he furrows his brow at her. Suddenly, she no longer looks shocked, but embarrassed to have ever questioned it. I watch in awe as she backtracks. "I'm so new to all this behind-the-scenes stuff. I had no idea."
"It's all right, dear. You're learning."
She blushes immediately at dear. It's as if everything is forgotten. "So, is that why you win so many awards?"
Chapter grins. "Yeah, exactly."
xxx
I hope you're doing wonderful on this lovely Friday. Tell me your thoughts on today's chapters. And today's Chapter.
Would you like more double updates? I'm thinking about making them a regular thing. Maybe even triple updates if I'm feeling adventurous.
Also, I hope you're buckled up and ready for the plot twists coming your way in this book. I just spent the whole week re-planning some good stuff for Classix and its brothers, books 1 & 3. Our strapping young men.
Can you tell I really want to watch Les Mis again? I'm really reaching for these GIFs today.
Okay, love you. Stay cool. And remember:
Sticks and Stones may break your bones, but haters make you famoux. Stay classy, stay classix.