Chapter 6: Take Five
582 Words
The studio felt different this time.
Not like a visit.
Like work.
Real work.
Skye stepped onto the set, her outfit styled to match the scene—sleek, bold, cinematic. Crew members moved quickly around her, adjusting lights, checking cameras, calling cues. The air buzzed with focus.
This wasn’t her stage.
This was something else entirely.
“Yo, Skye!”
She turned—and her eyes widened slightly.
Standing across from her, full of energy and unmistakable presence, was Cardi B.
“Cardi?” Skye laughed, walking over. “You’re in this too?”
“Girl, yes!” Cardi grinned. “You think I’d miss a musical movie? Please.”
Nearby, other familiar faces filled the space—actors and performers blending music and film effortlessly. Zendaya stood talking with a director’s assistant, calm and composed, while The Weeknd leaned casually against a set piece, going over his lines.
Skye took it all in.
Big names.
Big pressure.
“First day?” a voice asked gently.
She turned to see Zendaya offering a small, knowing smile.
“Is it that obvious?” Skye replied.
“A little,” Zendaya said, amused. “You’ll be fine.”
Skye nodded… hoping she was right.
—
“Alright, everyone—positions!”
The director’s voice echoed.
Cameras rolled into place. Lights dimmed slightly.
Skye stepped onto her mark.
Her heart started to pound.
“Action!”
The music cue hit.
She moved—confident at first, stepping into the rhythm, delivering her lines…
Then—
“Cut.”
Skye blinked.
“Let’s reset,” the director said calmly.
She exhaled. Okay. First take. No big deal.
Again.
“Action!”
She tried to sink into it. Feel it. Own it like she did on stage.
But something felt… off.
“Cut.”
A pause.
“Let’s go again.”
—
By the third take, her confidence started slipping.
By the fourth, frustration crept in.
She could feel eyes on her.
Not fans this time.
Professionals.
Watching.
Judging.
“Cut.”
A longer silence.
Skye clenched her jaw slightly, stepping back.
“Hey,” Preston’s voice came quietly from the side.
She hadn’t even noticed he’d arrived.
“You’re overthinking it,” he said gently.
“I don’t do this,” she muttered. “This isn’t my thing.”
“It can be,” he replied. “You already know how to perform. This is just… smaller. More controlled.”
She looked at him.
Uncertain.
“You’ve got this, Skye,” he said. “Just feel it. Don’t force it.”
—
“Ready?” the director called.
She stepped back into position.
Took a breath.
Let everything else fall away.
The pressure.
The people.
The noise.
“Action!”
This time—
She didn’t try to be perfect.
She just… was.
The emotion landed. The movement flowed. The moment felt real.
“Cut.”
A beat.
Then—
“That’s it.”
Skye blinked.
“Perfect. Moving on.”
Relief hit her all at once.
She let out a small laugh, shaking her head.
“Finally,” Cardi called out from the side. “Took you long enough!”
Skye laughed. “I hate you.”
“No you don’t!”
—
But as the set moved on, as the lights shifted and voices filled the room again…
Skye couldn’t shake the feeling.
Like she was being watched.
Not by the cameras.
Not by the crew.
Something else.
Something quieter.
Somewhere just out of sight.
- Writer
