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MidReal Story
Starstruck Love: Hollywood's Blockbuster Romance
Anonymous
May 17
Scenario:Ryan Gosling and Abi Banda fall in love on a movie set
Create my version of this story
Abi Banda
rising starlet, dating Ryan Gosling, petite with expressive eyes, ambitious and witty.
Ryan Gosling
Hollywood actor, in a relationship with Abi Banda, tall with rugged features, charismatic and professional.
Mark Jensen
film director, works closely with Ryan and Abi, middleaged with a commanding presence, creative and demanding.
I first met Abi Banda at the auditions for a movie that would go on to become the biggest blockbuster of the year.
She was the last actress to audition that day, and I was already exhausted from sitting through hours of auditions.
But the moment she walked in, I sat up straighter in my chair, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
She was petite with big, expressive eyes and a smile that could light up a room.
And when she started reading her lines, I was blown away by her talent.
I knew right then and there that she was the one.
I just had to convince the director of that fact.
After she left the room, I turned to Mark Jensen, the director of the movie, and said, “That’s her.She’s perfect for the role.”
He raised an eyebrow at me and said, “Are you sure about this?
We’ve already seen over a hundred actresses today, and none of them were right for the part.”
“I’m sure,” I said confidently.
And I was right.
She was the one.
I wasn’t quite sure how I’d ended up in this room, surrounded by a sea of aspiring actresses all vying for the chance to play opposite me in what was sure to be a massive blockbuster.
It certainly wasn’t something I’d planned for, but then again, my life had never really gone as planned.
I settled back in my chair, trying to get comfortable, and did my best to pay attention to the audition taking place in front of me.
But it was hard.
After hours of watching one lackluster performance after another, my interest was waning, and I could feel the exhaustion creeping in.
I forced myself to focus, determined not to let my boredom show on my face or in my body language.
The girl on the stage was giving it her all, and she deserved my full attention.
I gave her a nod of encouragement and willed myself to stay awake.
Just as I was about to give up on being fully conscious, the door at the back of the room opened, and another girl walked in.
She was tall, with long, flowing hair that cascaded down her back, and she had a smile that could light up the darkest room.
But it wasn’t just her beauty that set her apart from the other girls.
There was something different about her, something special, and even though I’d only just laid eyes on her, I knew she had talent.
I could feel it in my bones, and I couldn’t wait for her to open her mouth so I could confirm it for myself.
She made her way to the front of the room and introduced herself to the casting directors before taking a seat on the stool in front of them.
I watched as she flipped through the pages of the script she’d been given and did a quick read-through of her lines.
I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms across my chest, trying to appear casual and nonchalant, but on the inside, I was anything but.
My heart was racing a mile a minute as I waited for her to start reading, and when she finally did, I felt like I was going to explode with excitement.
There was something about this girl that was just so captivating, so mesmerizing, and I found myself hanging on to every word, every gesture that came out of her mouth.
It almost felt as if we were the only two people in the room, and I knew then and there that we’d found our leading lady.
This was it.
This was what we’d been searching for all along.
I turned to Mark and gave him a knowing look before turning back to the stage.
It was as if no one else existed in the world except for her, and the two of us were in our own little bubble, completely lost in the moment.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.
My throat was suddenly dry, my tongue thick, and it was as if I couldn’t breathe, as if the air had been sucked out of my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath.
I shook my head, trying to clear it, and willed myself to focus on the audition happening in front of me, but it was hard.
The girl on the stage was so good, so talented, and there was something about her that just drew me in, something that made it impossible for me to look away.
I watched as she delivered her lines with precision and intensity, each word punctuated by a small movement or gesture, each expression carefully thought out and executed.
As she got more into the scene, her performance grew in intensity, building on itself until she was practically shouting at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face, her body shuddering with emotion.
It was raw, it was real, and it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.
I leaned forward in my chair, completely captivated by the woman on the stage.
She was so good, so talented, and I found myself completely lost in the world she’d created, the world she’d pulled me into.
It was as if we were already acting opposite each other, our characters already coming to life and interacting on screen.
And as I watched her perform, I knew that she was going to make me better, that she was going to push me in ways I hadn’t even realized I needed to be pushed.
I could already feel the chemistry between us, the energy that crackled in the air every time our eyes met, and I couldn’t wait to see what we could create together.
I knew then and there that she was the one.
She was perfect for the role, and there was no one else who could even come close to what she had just shown us.
The tension in the room was palpable as the girl on the stage neared the end of her audition.
The casting directors and producers were leaning forward in their seats, completely engrossed in what was happening in front of them.
They knew it too.
They knew that we’d found our leading lady.
But I knew before anyone else did.
I don’t know how I knew.
Maybe it was the way she walked into the room with her head held high and her shoulders back.
Maybe it was the way she introduced herself to everyone without a hint of shyness or hesitation.
Or maybe it was the way she started reading her lines without even looking at the script once.
But however I knew, I knew.
And I was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure she was cast in this film.
Even if that meant going against the director’s wishes.
Because he didn’t know what he was talking about.
He didn’t have the eye for talent that I did.
Sure, he was a great director—creative, demanding, with a strong vision—but when it came to casting, that was my area of expertise.
I had an eye for talent that was second to none, and on the rare occasions when I was wrong, I was happy to admit it.
But this time, this time I wasn’t wrong.
This time we’d found a star in the making.
First day on set, Abi and Ryan properly meet each other
I didn’t realize I’d been clutching the arms of my chair until after she finished her audition and the tension drained from my body all at once.
My knuckles were white from where my fingers were digging into the soft fabric of the chair’s arms, and as I unclenched my fists and forced myself to relax my fingers, I realized how long it had been since I’d taken a breath.
The room erupted into applause as the casting directors and producers all stood up from their seats and went to congratulate the girl who had just auditioned before us.
After hours of watching one lackluster performance after another—after hours of feeling bored and exhausted—I knew that we’d finally found our leading lady.
She was beautiful and talented and perfect for the role in ways that no one else even came close to—and somehow we were lucky enough that she was willing to audition for us.
I turned to look at Mark, fully expecting to see him grinning from ear to ear, but his face was carefully blank and composed.
At first I thought he was joking, that he was just trying to keep me on edge and wondering if I was going to get my way, but as a moment dragged on and he still didn’t say anything, I realized that he was completely serious.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to cast this girl—and I had no idea why.
How could anyone watch her performance and not see what was right in front of them?
How could anyone watch her and not realize that she was going to be a star?
As the other actresses walked out of the room and it became clear that Abi and a few other girls who were auditioning after her were going to be staying, I felt a spark of hope ignite inside me.
Maybe Mark wasn’t sure about her now, but after he saw her audition, he was going to change his mind.
He was going to know that she was the only choice for this role.
But as Mark sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together on top of his desk, I knew that I was wrong.
He might not be completely sure he wanted to cast her yet—but he wasn’t completely sure he didn’t want to cast her yet.
And knowing him, that meant he was probably leaning toward passing.
I could see it in the way he wasn’t looking at me, the way he wasn’t meeting my eyes—or anyone else’s—because he was still deep in thought, still considering all of his options.
Of course, he wouldn’t make any decisions until he’d seen all of the auditions—he wouldn’t make any decisions until tomorrow when all of the girls auditioned for us for a second time—but I could already feel a sense of dread creeping up my spine.
I knew that I had to do something—and fast—or Mark was going to let this opportunity slip through our fingers.
He might not be sure about casting her yet, but I knew that if he let her walk out of here without giving her another chance, then we’d never even have the option of casting her at all.
