Chapter 4 - busted

Allie returned to set Friday afternoon feeling full and content, as she always did when coming back from lunch with Tiffany. The meals were splendid and the company was even more so. Tiffany seemed to love playing host, always making sure Allie was well fed including a delicious dessert, even when Tiffany herself stuck to salads.

Allie leaned against the stage wall, wishing she could take a nap after the large meal she just had. She was feeling sluggish and relaxed; a nap would surely perk her up. But she knew they had a good four to six more hours until the weekend would start.

"I think we're done with these," Cathy was rummaging through the cart, looking through what they had left for the day. She held a purse and some shopping bags that had been used by Kendra's best friend in the last scene shot before lunch. "I'm going to run them back to the truck."

"Want me to? Incase James or someone needs something?" Allie offered.

"Naw, I wanted to go see if we had any extra fake food anyway. I think we'll be fine, but might as well check."

Cathy took off with the bags and Allie went back to watching the bustle of life in set.

She watched Tiffany as Kendra take a call on her cell and fold into her bed as Mr. Big informed her he had her best friend tied up in one of his warehouses. It was a dramatic scene, one where it became clear that Mr. Big was the show's main villain.

Allie always found phone scenes entertaining; Tiffany was meant to be reacting to what was being said on the line, but the reality was James had his second AD reading Mr. Big's lines from the script in a monotone voice. Allie watched with a smirk as Tiffany's face floated through emotions - confusion, fear, anger - all while the second AD droned flatly about how "if-you-want-to-see-her-again-you-must-do-as- I-say."

Next week, the actor playing Mr. Big would get to grin evilly and exert power over the bland AD giving Kendra's lines.

As she watched Tiffany on the phone, her mind wondered to their time together. Getting to know Tiffany was so fun, even though her insides did little twists at times. The actress told engaging stories of growing up on set but she also always listened to Allie's tales which sounded lame in comparison. When Allie wore her favorite bar's shirt, Tiffany eagerly listen to the story of how Allie's team won trivia night by one question. Coming after the story of how Joss Whedon taught a young Tiffany to whistle through a blade of grass, the story sounded endlessly uncool. But Tiffany seemed fascinated to hear how the bar was in an uproar over if Lincoln died on the 14th or 15th of April.

"Props!" Allie snapped out of her reminiscing to find James attempting to find her through the glare of lights on set.

"Coming!" She hustled past other crew members to meet him. She noted pitying looks on some of their faces.

"Finally. Your phone broke." James gave her a dirty look, holding the mock android with a shattered screen.

"Oh, let me grab a back up," Allie walked as fast as she could. Heavy footsteps behind her informed her James was following.

She got to the cart and dropped to a squat to reach where she knew the back-up phones waited.

She felt herself blanch.

They weren't there.

After a moment's hesitation, she started searching around the cart; lifting boxes, rummaging in bags, her hands practically tossing the props anywhere to see what was beneath them. Fake food tumbled about, laptops clattered around, and lipstick rolled around.

"Well?" James said impatiently.

"I'm so so sorry. I don't know what happened but it's not where I expected but-"

"Do you realize you are what's holding up the entire crew right now?" James hissed. "Do you realize a three-hundred-million-dollar film can't move forward because of you?"

"Sir, I'm so sorry. I'm sure-"

"I don't need sorry, I need a cell phone" James' voice began to rise and Allie felt her face changing from pale white to deep red.

"If you just give me-"

"Look, we pay you to be ready. How could you not have a back-up cell phone?"

"I swear we did, I just can't-" Allie's voice was getting caught in her throat. She still hadn't given up looking and, as her eyes darted around the cart, she became aware of other crew members watching around her.

"You just can't what? Be prepared for the day? Know what your jobs is?"

"Excuse me, what are you looking for?" Allie spun around in hope. There, Cathy stood, her face calm but her eyes blazing.

James held up the busted phone.

Cathy reached into her pocket and pulled a phone. "I had put the extra in my pocket so I could have it on hand. I am very sorry I stepped away at the wrong moment, but I really don't appreciate you yelling at�my assistant."

"I wasn't yelling, I was-" James began.

A door opened next to them and the Tiffany entourage entered.

"Thanks for letting me step away James, I needed to..." Tiffany looked around, picking up on the tension. Allie saw her take in James standing over the props cart, Cathy holding back anger, and the crew doing a terrible job of pretending not to be paying attention to the interaction. "... freshen up. Is something the matter?"

"I was just getting the back-up phone," James held up the new phone and tossed the old one at Cathy who caught it with an annoyed huff.

"Sorry I broke it." Tiffany smiled apologetically at Cathy. "I was a bit of a butterfingers just then."

"It's fine, that's why we have back-ups. No harm done." Cathy nodded curtly and offered a small smile, which was about as friendly as she ever got.

"Good," Tiffany looked around again.

Her eyes settled on Allie.

Allie felt herself go red again and she turned away, fearing that she saw some pity in Tiffany's gaze.

"Well, let's get back to it, then." James seemed back to his normal friendly-when-someone-important-is-there self. He smiled at Tiffany and lead her back to the set.

"You ok?" Cathy asked quietly as Allie got up off the floor.

"I'm fine." Allie turned away to start re-organizing the cart, trying to hide her face lest it give away her weakness.

"I'm really sorry about that. It was completely my fault. I know better than to walk away with props."

"It's fine, really. It happens."

"Next time, radio me and I'll be right there. James can't be treating people like that. It's gonna make this shoot long and tiring for everyone."

The rest of the day went by slowly. Allie had never felt so ready for a weekend. She kept checking the time, willing it to move forward, but the minutes didn't seem to feel the same urgency.

When she left stage for the day, she shot a text to Dylan; 'Wanna get the 64 out? I need to whip your ass at Super Smash a few times tonight'

She walked quickly through the cool, Los Angeles night to crew parking. Ready to be home.

'Uh oh, something happened at work,' came Dylan's reply.

'What, I can't want to beat you silly at our old favorite childhood game without something happening at work?'

'Morris'

&apos ;I'll tell you about it when I get home'

Allie slipped into her old, blue Toyota Camry that had been her parents. It always felt like a comfort to be back in this old car on days like this. It felt like home, it felt like riding to soccer practice with her dad singing to Bruce Springsteen. It felt like her mom tutting at NPR stories as they went to school. It felt like her older sister blasting the latest Now CD on trips to the movie theater. But tonight it felt empty and lonely without the family in the car.

Allie sighed, taking a deep breath before inserting her key. She was suddenly tired; Maybe she just wanted to go to bed.

As her lights came on, she noticed there was something sitting on the front of her car. Confused, she got out to find a paper bag resting on her hood next to the window. She grabbed it and brought it in the car, turning on the overhead light to see better. She recognized the Sprinkles logo immediately, a fantastic cupcake chain that made some of the best desserts in town.

An envelope was attached to the bag with her name on it. She ripped it open and read the letter inside.


'Allie,

I heard what happened before I came in today. I hope these make you feel better.

Have a good weekend!

~Tiff'


Allie smiled, utterly shocked that Tiffany would think to do this. Reaching in the back, she took out a box that held a dozen incredible looking cupcakes. The smell filled her car, Allie closed her eyes to enjoy the chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, and more flavors drifting around her nose.

Allie closed the box, figuring that she and Dylan could enjoy them when she got home.

But.... she had had a really shitty afternoon... Why not one for the road?

She dug out a red velvet cupcake and sunk her teeth into it. Flavor burst into her mouth, the frosting soft and thick while the cake was moist and perfect. She reveled in the way it filled her mouth and seemed to up her mood significantly. Each bite took more and more of her stress, dragging them down to her stomach and away from her mind.

Soon the cupcake was gone and she grabbed another, eager for more relief. It wasn't just the cupcakes, it was the fact that Tiffany had thought to get them for her. That the actress went out of her way to make sure Allie got a mood boost. It was so kind, not something you saw every day in career-focus, self-minded Los Angelinos.

Soon, Allie looked into the box and noticed that she had downed four of the cupcakes. Crumbs littered her chest and thighs where she sat. She brought down the mirror and noticed that she had frosting smeared across her face. Embarrassed even though she was alone, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and licked away the extra sugar. She opened the car door and brushed as much of the crumbs as she could outside.

When she was done, she started the car again and began the drive home, thinking about how good the cupcakes w