The gap year

“Yeah, I killed him and I don't regret s**t you know why? He deserved it bloody bastard deserve every stab he got.... should have given him a few more if you ask me-” “Okay cut.” The voice cut through the tense air as I straightened my back turning to face towards the table in the front. “Yeah, uh.....Auburn.” The man in the middle stood to his 5’3 height skinny arms and hands gripped the clipboard as he looked in confusion. “It’s.. uh, actually Aurora like the prin-” “Yeah I thought I told you to prepare to read for the role of Rachela, not...Abigail” he looked up at me through his black square glasses. “Well, I thought I would give Abigail a try I honestly feel like I could bring something new to her character. I feel like if we harness in on her feelings of re-” “Yeah I think I understand the characters I spent half of my life curating.” He nodded a tense smile showing. “And I completely understand that I was just sug-” “Can you just read for Rachela it’s been a long day and it doesn't need to be made longer.” He nods sitting back done in the straight line of chairs, producers, writers, everyone you need to push a movie through, and all milk-white. Clearing my throat my body shifts as I look slightly over their heads not wanting eye contact as I say what they want to hear dark skin women say. “Giiirrrll I can't believe you do that s**t? That's just so crazy I ain't never had the guts to stab someone you see dirty mack is a little off but i ain't finna take my babies, daddy, from them ya know.” The lines grit out as I popped imaginary gum as instructed by the script. “Okay great we will get back to miss auburn.” The man in the middle doesn't even look up as I gather my backpack and head out the door. “It’s Aurora asshole,” I respond once safely in the hallway.  “Mom I’m positive I nailed it. The role is practically mine,” I respond confidently, balancing the pizza box and beer in one hand while manually locking the car door. “Yep uh huh tell grandma her investments are finally paying off she’ll have a movie star granddaughter in no time..” Once up the steel staircase and many probing questions answered later “RIDICULOUS JUST RIDICULOUS YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO I AM I AM A STAR.” A smirk floated over my lips at hearing the heavily accented voice boom through the hallway. "It looks like I need to go mom talk later yep love you." once up the final set of stairs to the voice broke out into a slew of Korean curse words. “Mrs.Yang.. you causing trouble again?” I question once again the small woman turns to face me, a smile crawling onto her face's soft features.“Ah Aurora finally someone with some taste, some class! Unlike these hooligans.” She motioned towards the Oscar family, both tall, both blonde, blue eyes. With a baby ready to pop out of the mother's belly at any moment. They looked confused and slightly afraid as they stared at Mrs.Yang in her pastel pink Kimono smiling at them with a wink. ”I got from here Mr. and Mrs. Oscar best get inside going to get cold soon don't want to get sick this close to the big day.” One glance down at the misses' stomach had them nodding viciously before departing into their apartment.  Turning my attention fully to the small women in the middle of the hallway. “Now let's get you into your apartment and you can tell me all about what they did to disrespect the queen of the marble apartments.” Offering my elbow she nodded with a smile taking hold of it as we walked back into her apartment.  Mrs.Yang's apartment was a vintage hipster's wettest dream. All antique handcrafted pieces from Korea and polaroids of her family through the years. Her old movie posters filled free spaces on the walls I smile at my favorite one, she stands in front of a platoon of men all dressed in military get-ups while she stood hair down to her shoulders as she points off the paper with confidence, her shirt unbuttoned at the top, her pants fitting perfectly. “I swear Mrs.Yang you were hot.” “Still am girly and can drink you under the table.” We plopped onto her dark green couch, her arm reaching for the six-packs of beer chuckling at her response she winked. Breaking the beer open on the coffee table before gulping down almost half she scrunched her nose towards the pizza box, “The usual?” “You know it.” I responded by cracking my own beer, “Pepperoni and pineapple.” We both stated before opening the box a squeaking sound then gushing water broke me from biting my slice. “Mrs.Yang is someone here?” She grunted in response, swallowing her bite of pizza. “My grandson moved in, he’s staying with me for a while just until his place is ready.” “Oh, is he the accountant you talk about?” She laughed taking a swig of her beer, for a 60-year-old woman she still had such a young spirit. When she smiled and laughed you could really see it see her. “This is another one who took over my late husband's business... Equally as proud of him though.” She responds. “ah... The engaged one” “Formally engaged.” The voice that spoke was too deep to be Mrs.Yang she scoffed in response to the new voice looking towards the direction of the spare bedroom. And there he stands, close to 6 feet his black hair stuck to his face wet from the shower, a small sliver of his foreach showed which made the sight of his angled face, even more, to take in. His heart shaped lips found as his dark eyes took in the sight before him. “I thought we were going out to eat tonight?” “We were until the Oscars annoyed me by saying some mess about sunset boulevard being an overrated movie and wondering how I watched it without subtitles.” She spits out their names in disgust then proceeds to release a string of curse words in her native tongue, her grandson laughed at her anger. “Tasteless vanilla swine.” She finishes her rant stuffing the rest of her pizza slice into her mouth. “You must be the Aurora she speaks so highly of?” My attention went back to the shirtless wet man in front of me. His eyes took in my skinny jeans, tucked in a graphic t-shirt, darker brown complexion and natural short 4c hair cut maybe I shouldn't have taken my wig off so quickly in the car. He seemed to smile at my body shift of his blatant checking me out. “That I am.....nice to meet you…” I trail off suddenly forgetting his name. I know Mrs. Yang has told me before .“Chen” he finishes with a smile staring. My heart picks up with every second of the prolonged contact. “Honey please go put some clothes on before the pizza gets cold and Aurora has to leave.” Mrs.Yang interrupted, he nods before turning, his back muscles flexing as he walked. “He’s a looker ain't he?” Mrs.Yang wiggles her eyebrows at me once the door to the guest room closes. Laughing as I took a swig of my beer looker was an understatement. “So my grandma tells me you are an actress” Chen comments now back with sweatpants and a loose shirt on. Sitting across us munching on a slice of pizza. “Well, aspiring is still in that sentence, unfortunately,” I respond, taking another bite. “It's ridiculous look at her, gorgeous and she can act the people are blind here and stupid I tell you,” Mrs.yang responds raising her hands as punctuation. “I’m okay but thank you for that Mrs.Yang.” “No, she's right about at least about of those statements from what I can see.” My attention fell back to Chen; he leaned forward in his chair, his beer in one hand, as his eyes stared at me. Now that he's closer I can see the brown flecks in them and the way his eyes slope down to his soft cheeks similar to Mrs.Yang. He was gorgeous but still excluded nothing but manly energy without doing or saying anything. “Thank you..” I respond breathlessly, he smirks his dimples showing goodness this man wants to kill me before I can even get my big break. looking back down at the pizza to finally break eye contact. “So how did the audition go today?” Mrs.Yang questioned. "I went in with confidence and tried to read for the lead as we discussed.....” I started. “Then they cut me off before I could get all the way through it. Politely asked me to read for the pregnant black best friend with what I assume is a drug dealer baby daddy.” I say with sarcasm dripping from the words as I finish taking a gulp of my beer. Mrs.Yang frowned. “Idiots all of them.” “Yeah well, those idiots are the ones that sign the checks right? “Unfortunately.” She responds glancing at my phone at 12;30 blinkings back at me.  “I better get going I have work in the morning.” Standing while adjusting my clothes grabbing my backpack. “I’ll walk you over.” Chen’s voice floats softly to me. “Thank you,” I answer before hugging Mrs.Yang. "Until Tuesday queen.” She smiled squeezing my forearm. “Keep fighting princesses you are on the verge of a breakthrough, I can feel it.” She smiled letting go as she fell back onto the couch fishing her beer. “You really didn't have to walk me. I'm literally across the hallway.” I smile pointing to their cracked door only a few steps from mine.  “well, a lot could happen in a few steps.” he shrugs his shoulders. “True.” Unlocking my door tuning back to his figure that towered over me slightly. “So you grandmother mentioned you are engaged?” I question not smoothly at all but it had been bugging me since he made an appearance at the impromptu pizza night. “Was engaged.” “That sounds like there's a story there.” “There is” He places his hands into his sweatpants looking down in thought. “Maybe you can tell me some time...since you know..you'll be around for a while.” “Maybe” He responds looking back up at me with a soft smile but his eyes are still sad as he turns and walks back to the apartment.