The Director's Cut by Js Taylor (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📕

Wow. That’s unbelievable.

Kristy has transformed my face from human to mannequin.

I blink at the effect. The foundation is so perfect, I hardly look real.

I’m not sure I like it at all.

“Your skin was quick to do,” Kristy is saying. “I get actresses with so many spots, they’re in make-up for hours.” She seems pleased.

“Callum, when I’ve finished with Issy, I’ll have some time to touch you up,” she announces. Callum, who’s leaning close to the mirror, dabbing a brush under his eyes, nods in agreement.

Finished? Surely she can’t mean to add any more make-up?

“The last movie I was on,” explains Kristy, “the actress had such bad acne, we couldn’t conceal the bumps in make-up. The director had to CGI every close-up of her face after filming. It cost thousands.”

I smile in response. Scarlett is still tugging my hair this way and that, and it’s hard to make conversation.

It turns out that Kristy wasn’t even halfway done. After making my skin look airbrushed, she turns her attention to sculpting my nose and cheeks with blush and bronzer, and finally shaping my eyes.

She decides against false eyelashes, and makes several re-applications of eye-shadow.

“Such unusual eyes,” she murmurs, working with her brush. “They look like a really soft blue, but they’re actually a kind of grey, aren’t they?”

“I guess so,” I reply, not sure whether an answer is needed. There’s a long silence as she studies her eye colours, and finally decides on a blend.

“Well,” Kristy announces as she finishes my eyes and begins outlining my lips in a soft pink. “You certainly have a face for screen, Isabella. My biggest problem has been keeping you natural. Don’t worry though,” she adds, “I’ve mastered it now. We’ll be faster tomorrow.”

I blink at my reflection. Whoa! That is a lot of make-up.

“You’re sure it looks…natural?” I manage, staring at the mirror. I don’t usually wear much make-up, and it feels as though it’s been laid on with a trowel.

Kristy nods.

“When the lights get on you, they show up every little imperfection,” she says. “This will blend right in, I promise. You’ll look exceptionally beautiful,” she murmurs, making a final pleased assessment of my face. “I’ve never met anyone with grey eyes and black hair before. It’s a really stunning combination.”

For a brief moment, I’m pleased how the layers of make-up hide my blush.

“Thanks,” I say, not really knowing what to say.

Certainly my face in the mirror does look beautiful. But to me, it’s in a slightly eerie way. Surely people shouldn’t look this perfect?

“It will look totally natural on camera,” reassures Kristy, sensing my uncertainty.

I turn my head, hoping she’s right. Certainly, I can’t go out in public with this much make-up on.

“You really do look beautiful,” says Callum from his seat next to me. “You’ll have to get used to it.”

I roll my eyes at him. But I don’t mind the compliment so much, coming from Callum.

Scarlett is giving my hair a final blast of hairspray. From what I can see, my long dark curling hair doesn’t look a great deal different in shape. But it now has a high shine, and each curl is more defined.

I move a tentative hand to my hair and find it’s set in place, like a helmet.

“Don’t touch it,” snaps Scarlett.

“It looks lovely,” I smile, aiming to appease her. She gives a half grunt of acknowledgment.

“Just be careful around open flames,” she says, “those products can react.”

I give Callum and alarmed glance, but he shakes his head reassuringly.

“She’s just teasing,” he says.

I glance up at Scarlett’s face, but she’s giving nothing away. I make a mental note to get a smile out of her by the end of the film. She sure doesn’t seem like she enjoys her work.

Chapter 17

As I emerge fully made-up into the early morning sun, it feels as though an age has passed.

Hair and make-up is tiring. It’s not even 9am, but it feels as though it should be much later.

Callum is now having his hair mauled about by Scarlett, so I’ve got a few minutes to myself. I take a breath, trying to dispel any thoughts of tiredness.

Instead, I let my eyes sweep around the location scene.

The milling people have a greater urgency about them now. And I see that several large cameras have now been wheeled into place.

So that’s where I’ll be acting.

My gaze has settled on a part of the square which has been constructed especially for this movie. The crew have built a fake café front, complete with glass windows and outdoor seating.

What an amazing transformation.

The set is ringed by cameras and sound equipment, and looks impressively real from where I am.

Then, in the middle distance, I see a tiny figure.

Natalie.

My heart sinks. If she’s only arriving now, surely this will hold things up? It took a whole hour to get my hair and make-up fixed. I’m imagining, with Natalie’s diva expectations, it could be longer for her.

She sees me and waves, adjusting her direction to track towards me.

I wave back.

“Hey,” she calls as she nears me across the square. She narrows her eyes at me as she approaches. “Who did your make-up?”

Her voice sounds casual, but I can tell she’s not pleased.

Here we go. Back to bitchy Natalie again. I knew yesterday couldn’t last.

“Um, Kristy.”

“Uh huh.” Natalie nods slowly, as though assessing. “Well, you’ve certainly got the screen look,” she says finally.

Now she’s close to me, I feel myself enveloped in a waft of her strong perfume. To my surprise, I notice her hair and make-up are flawless.

“You went to hair and make-up already?” I ask.

“Oh, yeah.” Natalie pinches a strand of her copper coloured hair distractedly. She lowers her voice. “Got my own staff, you know. And I hate being made up in those hotboxes.” She gestures towards the trailers. “I just melt.”

“It looks great,” I smile, aiming to bring her back into a congenial mood. I mean it too. She’s really pretty as a