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Let the record show, Jessica was not late to the set on her first day of filming. She arrived well in advance of the time she'd been given to show up for wardrobe and makeup. She'd waited with the rest of the 'toon girls in the hallway that served as Maroon's waiting room for no-name actors, nervously going over her own part just like everyone else.
The problem was, Jessica literally was not like the other girls. They were all children of screen magic, brought to life by a wizard's pencil. Not really, she knew, but close enough. Frantic artists on teams of creators worked day and night drawing thin, lifeless sketches, until the real 'toons burst into the world one by one, brought forth by that extra touch of magic. Jessica came alive five months ago, already twenty-two years old at her birth, brought into this world under the scrape of a pencil whose guiding hand needed a cold shower. It was a miracle and a mercy she'd come to life in the studio rather than one of his sketches at home and wearing significantly less.
Jessica wasn't like the other girls. She'd never had that chance. She'd known it all her life, and she saw it in the glances she got from the other aspiring actresses around her, and worse, from the actors who waited with them.
"Excuse me, you dropped this."
She kept her head down, rehearsing to herself. Should she emphasize the first phrase, or the second, or leave her exclamation for the end?
"Excuse me, you dropped this." It was her only line in this picture, but she was determined to be a professional. This could be her big break.
"Bet she didn't have to audition," she heard behind her.
"Bet she did a silent audition," said someone else, and two 'toons tittered to each other.
"Excuse me, you dropped this."
Another 'toon, a male wolf she'd seen around, lounged against the wall, watching her. "You know," he drawled. "I bet I could find the perfect part for you."
She ignored him. Thankfully, she was called in for her own makeup. 'Toon makeup was an entirely different art from the human makeup. Human girls used powders and paints. To some extent, so did 'toon girls, only the paint had real solvents. The makeup artist sat Jessica in the chair and dusted some blemish-reducing powder on her. Some of the cheaper toons showed cracks in their drawings, but not her. Jessica's lines were smooth and crisp.
When she went back out to the waiting area, the wolf stood right where she needed to walk. He grinned with all his teeth when he saw her. Jessica couldn't get past him without brushing by, and she couldn't stand here blocking the door.
As she tried to move, tried not to take up space, tried to be invisible, the wolf grabbed her wrist and tugged her closer. "You can stand by me," he said.
"Excuse me," Jessica said. "You dropped this."
"Huh?" He looked down to see her other fist rising to meet his face. Jessica wasn't one for physics, and she couldn't spell "momentum" without help from a dictionary, but she knew what happened when one part of her was stuck in place and the rest of her body moved.
The wolf was laid out flat on the ground. A couple of birds whizzed around his head.
The other 'toons in the narrow space were quiet for a long moment before noise broke out and everybody started talking.
A few of the girls nudged closer to her. "Nice one," said the one in the front, a cute little brunette who had the same voice as the "silent audition" giggler. Jessica considered tossing back her hair and ignoring her, but by then the studio security had arrived.
"What happened?" the lead studio cop demanded. "Who did this?"
"Nobody," said the brunette before Jessica could confess. "Woody Wolf here walked into the wall. We all seen him." There were nods all around. The guards asked them a few more questions while the studio docs brought around a stretcher. Filming was delayed as things got reset. Woody was supposed to be the secondary lead, but now his understudy had to be brought over from the other soundstage right now.
The 'toons were led onto the set, Jessica still full of nervous energy. She'd punched the secondary lead. The other 'toons might back her up now, but what if Woody ratted her out?
The brunette bumped her in a friendly way, reading her face. "Don't worry about it. Ain't no way he's going to admit a dame clocked him out."
"I hope so."
"Melva Mink," the brunette said, and now Jessica noticed the sheen of fur.
"Jessica."
They went to shake hands when the set echoed with a loud crash as a 'toon rabbit burst in through the wall. "Tah dah!" he exclaimed, arms raised. "Your savior has arrived!"
Jessica let out a groan. Another guy who thought he was the solution to everyone's problems. Melva clapped. "Hi, Roger!"
"Hiya, Melvs!" He bounced over. "I didn't know you were working on this one!"
"It's a background bit, but I've been working on my motivations and backstory like you suggested."
"You're gonna be brilliant!"
Jessica watched them, tensing up inside as she anticipated his turn to ask who she was, placing a bet with herself which part of her body he'd make eye contact with before her actual eyes. She was still shaky from her encounter with Woody Wolf, ready to run or scream or fight.
Roger nodded at Melva. "I gotta get my lines. See ya, pal!"
"Bye, Roger."
He sproinged away, not looking at her even once.
Jessica tilted her head. "Friend of yours?" she asked, when she couldn't think of anything else that didn't sound a little cracked.
"Roger? Oh yeah. He's everybody's friend. You'll get to know him. I think he got Woody's part, and you know what, good for him."
The director called everyone to their places, muttering about the late start, while the crew quickly put Roger's mess back in order. Jessica practiced her line in her head while they got the first take of the star Little Darlin' with the background 'toons walking their rehearsed parts behind her. Roger came in on his cue, stumbling, but the director kept rolling.
"I like it," he said around his cigar. "Use that. We'll work it in."
"Fantabulous!" Roger said, and got back into position for the second take. Cue Little Darlin', cue background 'toons, cue Roger tripping his way onto the set. A third take got the shots they wanted, and scene break.
This was Jessica's big moment. She put all thoughts of wolves and men out of her mind. She was the background girl. She could be the background girl. Motivations. Backstory. She had to make sure Little Darlin' got her handkerchief because of a terrible handkerchief-related incident in her past. It would have to do.
As Roger and Little Darlin' chased Roger's dropped papers all over the park, Little Darlin' dropped her hankie. Jessica stooped to pick it up, and in the back of her mind she suddenly saw the camera angle she'd be shown at.
No audition needed, she thought glumly to herself.
"Excuse me," she trilled in an empty-headed voice. "You dropped this!"
"Whoopsie!" exclaimed Little Darlin', her catchphrase in every movie. Jessica handed her the hankie and walked away with as much pride as she could while the scene went on.
They did four more takes. The director made her stand in different places to pick up the hankie every time. Jessica kept the smile on her face. This was her big break and she'd already punched the secondary lead. She kept her mouth shut, and ignored Melva and the other 'toons walking by over and over.
On the fifth reshoot, the director wasn't even subtle about how he wanted to film her all bent over this way, but this time, Jessica was close to where Roger stood, the prop pages in his hand, and as she leaned towards her bend, her elbow bumped him. "Excuse me."
Roger went over with a loud crash, his papers flying everywhere again. Jessica had only half-bent this time, and bumped up with a gasp. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she started to say, but Roger was still wheeling wildly, feet tripping over themselves as he tumbled. The handkerchief got caught on one ear, then flew into the air, landing back in Little Darlin's quick hand. Roger did another somersault and wound up sprawled on the ground, papers settling around him like a snowdrift.
"You dropped that," he said, looking at Little Darlin' with a bemused grin.
"Cut!" shouted the director, before the entire cast and crew burst out laughing, Jessica the loudest among them. "That was genius, Roger. We're using this take. Next scene, places!"
Jessica got out of the way. She had one more walk-through in the last scene, which wouldn't be for a while. As she waited, she realized she'd never bent over in her scene, and they would scrap all the takes where she did. Her big break wasn't going to be of the camera looking down her dress, or at her behind. She watched Roger's work with Little Darlin' admiringly. When he caught her staring between takes, he winked at her, just once.
The End