Melinda’s Journal
Monday, March 12
Lights shine on the stage
Director calls for silence
Rolling and . . . Action!
Melinda’s Story
I woke up feeling extremely disoriented. I was comfortable, snuggled under a blanket. It took a moment to realize I was not in my bed. When I felt an arm draped around me, I remembered I was on the couch.
Sunlight was streaming through the window. It was morning.
I turned to face Pat, sitting up slightly to kiss him. “Sleepyhead, time to wake up.”
He pulled me closer with a smile. “Hey. What time is it?”
I twisted his wrist so I could read his watch. “About time for you to go running with Walter. I’m gonna go rest in my bed. I’ll meet you downstairs later.”
With one more quick kiss, I went off to my room. I crawled into bed, but I was too awake to go back to sleep. I settled for playing on my phone for an hour until I heard Pat and Walter coming back upstairs.
After taking my time in the shower, I threw on a sundress and headed to the kitchen. Pat was eating pancakes.
I sat across from him with a smile. “So, what are we doing today?”
He shrugged. “I have to bring Walter to work. Mom invited us to come to the studio today. Interested?”
I nodded. “Definitely. Visiting a movie studio was on my California to-do list.”
“Sick. Okay. Well, be ready to leave in about an hour, then.”
After we brought Walter to his recording studio, Pat drove us to the lot where his mother was filming. Miss Kara had left his name with security, so we had no trouble getting through the gate. As Pat pulled into a parking space, I pointed to a tram passing us.
“What’s that?”
“The studio tour.”
“Ooh! We should do that!”
Pat looked amused as we climbed out of the car. “Sweetheart, I practically grew up here. Wouldn’t you rather I give you a private tour? I can tell you which movies I filmed in which soundstages.”
I shook my head. “No you can’t. You can’t even remember which movies you made.”
I could tell by his fake sneer he knew I was right. I took a step closer until our lips were only inches apart. “Please? It’ll be fun.”
He gave me a quick kiss. “How can I say no?”
Pat brought me to his mother’s trailer, but it was empty. She was probably filming a scene. But he knew where to find the visitor passes.
Taking my hand, he led me between some buildings to the area where tourists were allowed. On the way, Pat and I used our phones to reserve slots in the next tour.
There weren’t many people in our group. It was small enough that there was plenty of space on the tram and we didn’t have to squeeze between random strangers. But there were still enough people that Pat and I could sit in the back of the tram without drawing too much attention to ourselves. The driver was also our guide and spent nearly five minutes welcoming everyone and going over the rules.
I leaned into Pat. “Like anyone is going to jump out of a moving tram.”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen it happen.”
Finally, the guide stopped talking and drove away. As we drove by the office building, she told us the history of the studio, including a long list of movies and television shows that were filmed here.
We pulled up to a building with a lot of golf carts outside it. Our guide said it was the property building and encouraged us to take as many pictures as we wanted. Inside, it looked like a huge furniture store. Couches and tables set up to look like living rooms. Desk chairs sat on a shelf above antique desks. Empty bookshelves lined the aisles.
On each item was a tag that listed the movies and shows where it was used. There were also a lot more guides more inside excited to share their knowledge with us.
Pat recognized many items, although he had to check a lot of tags to remember why they were so familiar. We were both surprised to learn that his bed from Mighty Max was also used in House Arrest and a table from Romeo and Juliet had also been used in Gnomeworld.
After the prop house, the tram took us to the backlot, which was used to film outdoor scenes in many movies. When we drove past Baker Street, I really felt as if we were on the street of New York City. It was very authentic.
The guide parked and led us through the city facades, naming movies and shows that had been made on the fake streets. The area was actually composed of several blocks, one of which we couldn’t see because it was being used for filming today.
After boarding the tram, we passed the studio fire station and a row of cars used in famous movies. Pat whispered in my ear that there was a garage nearby housing the not-so-famous random cars used in other movies.
We continued through the backlot, passing houses, a jungle, and even a lagoon. The tour guide named movies and shows filmed in each location.
After about an hour, the guide parked the tram in front of a building with a large number seven on it.
“This is Building Seven, home to the Kelly Reynolds Show.”
There was a collective “Ooh” on the tram, mostly from middle-aged women. My mother loved the popular talk show. I had absolutely no interest.
But the building was pretty cool. After stopping by the restrooms, we walked through a corridor clearly designed for this tour. Glass windows on one side let us see into the [editing room]. On each of the many screens, I could see different parts of the set. One camera was doing closeups of the host. Another focused on the guest. One had a wide view of the stage. There was even a camera on the audience.
A screen in the center kept shifting views. Our guide explained that was what was being broadcast. Or would be, since the show was pre-taped.
We continued through the corridor, which was lined with framed pictures of some of the award-winning episodes and famous guests.
More frames lined the stairwell. As we went up two flights, we saw some of the older movies and shows filmed in this building.
The next corridor looked out onto the set. We were above the studio audience and could hear what was going on below us. The host had her guest crying. I had no idea if they were happy tears or sad ones.
We didn’t stay long. The guide ushered us down another set of stairs and back to the tram.
After driving us past some of the other sound stages, naming movies currently being filmed, we ended our tour at Building One.
This place might have been a soundstage once upon a time. Now, it was home to several sets. We could take our picture in the living room of one famous sitcom or in the restaurant of another. We could pose with wax cutouts of some famous movie characters dressed in their original costumes.
I pointed to one of them. “You should pose with Mighty Max.”
Pat eyed the statue warily. “That’s just creepy. It’s me and not me at the same time.”
The tour ended in a gift shop. Pat and I quickly made our way to the exit and headed back to the opposite end of the studio. After showing our passes to the guard, we returned to the restricted-access section.
The commissary reminded me of a food court. There were many stations and a wide selection. I turned to Pat.
“What do you recommend?”
He frowned. “Honestly, the food is only eh. I suggest a salad. We can have a proper meal later.”
I ordered the southwest chicken salad in a crispy tortilla bowl. Pat went for a grilled chicken Caesar. We brought our meals to a table in the corner.
“Thank you for going on the tour with me.” I smiled as I took the first bite of my salad.
He returned the smile. “It was actually pretty cool. I learned some stuff. You should plan our activities for the rest of the week.”
“Really?” I sat a little straighter. “Because I was thinking we could do that celebrity home tour.”
Pat sent me an incredulous look. “Seriously?”
I rolled my eyes. “Does that sound like something I would like to do? No, not seriously. I’m not sure what else I want to do. Honestly, I still have some puzzles I want to build. Although we should probably go play minigolf again.”
Pat smirked. “Loser buys ice creams?”
I kissed his cheek. “You’re on.”
I had learned a lot during our studio tour. I learned even more when we went backstage.
After lunch, we went back to Kara McGregor’s trailer. She was just about to return to the set and was happy we could join her.
Her new movie was some type of romantic suspense. We followed her to the same Baker Street we had seen on the lot tour. While she went to get ready for her scene, Pat led me to a table of food and grabbed a donut.
I raised my eyebrows. “Aren’t you full?”
Pat gestured to the table. “Help yourself.”
I just shook my head. “I’m thinking I have the wrong McGregor with me.”
Pat made a face, then pointed toward a mass of people. “So, you see the cameras, right? The guy sitting over by that tv? That’s the director.”
I nodded. “I remember him from that party. Drew Garrett, right?”
Pat nodded. “Yup. Stay away from him.”
“Why?”
“He is going to be watching the screen. He wants to see how things work. He doesn’t want to be distracted. Most directors, including this guy, are really nice when they’re not working. But during the shoot, they’re all business.”
I nodded. “Got it.”
As we approached the scene, I heard the director yell “action” and people started moving around. I could see cameras on Pat’s mother as she wove her way through the people on the sidewalk. She pulled her jacket a little tighter and looked over her shoulder several times until she walked right past the director.
“Cut,” he yelled. “Let’s set it up again.”
I watched the same scene filmed many times. After the fifth take, I leaned close to Pat, keeping my voice low so as not to disturb the director.
“How is your mom going to know how to do it right if the director isn’t telling her what she’s doing wrong?”
Pat frowned at me. “What makes you think she’s doing something wrong?”
“Well, why else is she doing it over and over and over?”
Pat smiled. “Watch the cameras. They’re in different positions each time.”
When they finally finished the shot, Kara McGregor filmed more or less the same scene, but now she was running instead of walking. I watched in awe as she literally bumped into the same person six times. Now that Pat had pointed it out, I could see that the cameras moved each time.
During a break, Pat’s phone rang. I recognized the ringtone as belonging to his agent. Pat tried to send it to voicemail, but the phone rang again.
I giggled. “Go ahead. You know he’ll keep calling.”
He was probably glad he answered. Dave was calling to tell him he had received the part of Patrick Barrett. I was a little surprised he wasn’t more excited about it, especially since I knew how much he wanted this role. Then again, from what I overheard, it sounded like he wanted to have a meeting with the producers before accepting the part.
He seemed more excited about the text he received a few minutes later inviting him to a party with some friends. While I went to the restrooms, Pat went to share his news with his mother between takes.
Melinda’s Journal
Monday, March 12
I can’t believe I got to visit a real movie set today! Last week, when I made my Hollywood to-do list, I thought visiting a movie set would be a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I never expected it to be so educational.
Although we were watching Miss Kara, I realized that this was what Pat does every day when he films his movies.
I’ve always known Pat Evans. But today I felt like I really got to see the real Patrick McGregor. A guy who works really hard and puts his entire self into his roles.
I think I’m just as crazy about him as I am about Pat Evans.
Pat’s Story
The next thing I knew, Melinda was kissing me. “Sleepyhead. Time to get up.”
She was still in my arms. “Hey.” I pulled her a little closer. I was in no rush to let go of her. “What time is it?”
She glanced at the arm I had draped around her. “About time for you to go running with Walter. I’m going to go rest in my bed. I’ll meet you downstairs later.”
She gave me a quick kiss before leaving. With a resigned sigh, I went to my room. I would have much rather stayed on the couch with my girlfriend in my arms.
I quickly changed into my running clothes and washed my face. When I emerged from the bathroom, Walter was waiting in my doorway with a smirk.
“I thought you’d still be across the hall. What time’d you go to bed?”
I shrugged, leading the way downstairs. “We didn’t. Spent the night on the couch.”
Walter shook his head. “I was going to wake you, but Melinda looked so comfortable, I couldn’t do it.”
I frowned as we went out to the pool deck. “What about me?”
Walter stretched with a shrug. “She’s my friend. I like her better than you. I covered you guys with that blanket, then asked Mom what to do with you guys. She said to leave you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Mom knew? And was okay with it? Ready?”
He nodded, setting off along our track before answering me. “It’s not like it was the first time. You guys seem to be making a habit of sleeping together.”
I hit him, hurting my hand more than his muscular shoulder. “Don’t say it like that. There’s a big difference between falling asleep together and sleeping together. And, speaking of sleeping with girlfriends, what happened with you and Lily yesterday?”
Walter’s face went red. “She’s not my girlfriend and we’re not sleeping together.”
“Yeah? Then what were you two doing yesterday?”
Walter smirked. “You’re not seriously asking for details, right?”
I frowned. “I’m not sure. What exactly happened?”
He shrugged. “When? When we were hiking?”
“Well, I meant when you disappeared for two hours. What happened on the trail?”
“Nothing. We talked, then went back to the car. You and Melinda were gone for a long time, and we eventually got tired of talking.”
I frowned at him. “And after the pool? Where’d you go?”
Walter wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Lily was using the guest room to get changed. I went to check on her, then realized that no one would think to look for us there.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You two didn’t—”
He shook his head. “We talked. And kissed. But that’s all.”
“So, she’s back at school now. You going to see her this week?”
Walter shrugged. “I talked to Mom. She said she’d consider letting me take the bus to Lily’s school after work. She’s thinking about it. How about you? You and Melinda have the day to yourself. You staying here? Alone?”
I smiled at the thought before shaking my head. “Mom invited us to the studio for the day. I haven’t asked Melinda yet, but I figured she’d like it.”
Melinda not only loved the idea of visiting a movie studio, she said it had been on her California to-do list. Despite my telling her that I knew the place like the back of my hand, she insisted we take the studio tram tour. Well, more like she asked nicely with those pleading eyes I found impossible to refuse.
The tour was only about half-full, so we there was plenty of room for us to sit in the back of the tram. Our first stop was the prop building, and our guide encouraged us to explore on our own. Inside, several managers roamed the aisles point out memorable props—the sofa from a popular sitcom, the kitchen table used in a certain movie. Meanwhile, I pointed to other props while whispering in Melinda’s ear.
“That’s the carriage we used for Romeo and Juliet. And that was my bed in Mighty Max.”
After we boarded the tram, we drove through the Baker Street cityscape. As we parked to wander and take selfies, I glanced at the next block. Mom was filming there today. I couldn’t see her, but I thought I saw the production tent.
The tram continued through a collection of famous cars and the backlot neighborhood. We passed the lagoon and jungle sets that I had never visited before reaching the soundstage housing the Kelly Reynolds Show.
I tried not to groan as all the women Mom’s age cooed. I had met the woman. She was the nicest person in the world on television. In real life, she was a little pretentious.
Our tour guide gave us a quick bathroom break before leading us upstairs to a viewing station. The show was being taped. It sounded like Kelly had forced her guest to relive something traumatic. We spent most of our time watching the person cry. I was glad when our guide told us we needed to move on.
The tram continued past other sound stages. As we passed Building Three, the guide mentioned Mom’s new movie was filming there. They didn’t mention that she was filming elsewhere today.
Eventually, the tour ended at Building One. I had been in pretty much every soundstage in this studio. I had never been in this one. As soon as I entered, I realized why.
It wasn’t a real soundstage. At least, not anymore. Now it was a shrine to movies and television shows of the past. Melinda and I passed the rest of our tour group posing for photos in the living room of a sitcom that was off the air before we were born. I avoided the airport lobby from a movie neither of us had ever seen. We stopped dead in our tracks when we reached the wax museum.
The entire back of the soundstage was filled will realistic figures, dressed in their original costumes. Melinda pointed to one with a smirk.
“You should pose with Mighty Max.”
I examined the statue. It was a near-perfect image of me, right down to the freckles across my nose. Sure, I looked a couple of years younger, but the statue could have been my twin.
I shuddered. “That’s just creepy. It’s me and not me at the same time.”
At the far end of the building was the gift shop. Thankfully, Melinda had no interest in the cheesy souvenirs. We wasted no time crossing to the exit and returning to the restricted-access portion of the studio.
After lunch at the commissary, I brought Melinda back to Mom’s trailer. We had stopped by earlier to get our backlot passes, but Mom had been on set. Now, however, she was there, finishing her lunch.
We had just enough time to tell her about our studio tour before we followed her back to Baker Street. Melinda had a lot of questions about how the filmmaking process worked, but she never turned into a crazy fan girl. It was one of the many reasons I loved her.
We had been there about an hour when my phone started singing the theme song to Flower Children. I tried to send the call to voicemail, but my agent didn’t get the hint. He immediately called again.
Melinda giggled. “Go ahead. You know he’ll keep calling.”
Sighing, I accepted the video call. “Hey, Dave. What’s up?”
“Congratulations, Patrick Barrett. You got the part.”
Even though the casting director had implied it, I was still surprised. “Really?”
“It’s yours if you want it.”
“I so want it. But I have a few concerns.”
“What’s the problem?”
I sighed. “First of all, who’s playing the girlfriend?” Please, not my ex. Please not my ex.
“She’s a new actress. Destiny Adams. Already signed on. So did Jake Ellsworth for the high school coach.”
I wasn’t sure who that was, but I didn’t care. I didn’t have any problems with any of the male actors.
Dave was still talking. “I’ve looked at the contract, and it seems solid. What do you say?”
That I had a few reservations. “I want this. I really do. But Mom needs to read the contract before I can sign it. But even when she says I can, I still want to talk to the casting director and the producer. I . . . have a few concerns.”
“Anything I, as your agent, can negotiate?”
I shook my head. “No. It has to come from me.”
Dave frowned. “If I set up this meeting, you’ll be respectful, right? You’re not going to be the obnoxious brat with ridiculous demands?”
I smiled. “Well, I was going to ask for a high-speed chase scene, but I’ll settle for asking twice the salary.”
At Dave’s panicked expression, I laughed. “Relax. I just have a few questions about the script. I want to make sure that I understand the movie before signing anything.”
Dave nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.” He ended the call without saying goodbye.
I glanced at Melinda smiling beside me. “What?”
She threw her arms around me. “Congratulations.”
“I didn’t sign anything yet.”
She stepped away with a shrug. “Doesn’t matter. You got the part.
Before I could say more, I received a text from my friend Dante. I showed Melinda the screen. “So, a friend of mine just invited me to watch some TV show with him and some friends. Would you like to go?”
Melinda screwed up her face in an adorable look of confusion. “Like a party?”
“Nah. Just a few people watching TV together.”
She shrugged. “Sounds fun. What’s the show?”
“I dunno. It’s called Music Box.”
“Never heard of it.”
Neither had I. I quickly searched online, finding a trailer for the show. I angled my phone to show Melinda. A large box stood taller than me in the middle of the stage. As music played, the box lit up from the inside and the silhouette began to sing. A voiceover asked who it could be.
I turned to Melinda as the clip ended. “So, what do you think?”
“Yeah. Why not?” She looked around. “Um? Do any of these buildings have a bathroom?”
No, because they weren’t real. With a smile, I pointed to the nearby restrooms. As she disappeared inside, the director again yelled, “Cut!”
Mom joined me a moment longer. “Where’s Melinda? Everything okay?”
I nodded. “She had to pee. Dave called. I got the part.”
Mom gave me a big hug. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. So, I was thinking, maybe Melinda and I could go out tonight to celebrate?”
Mom narrowed her eyes. “What’d you have in mind?”
I followed her to the craft services station. “Dante Carrington invited me to come watch some new show with him tonight.”
Mom took a sip from her water. “What show?”
“It’s called Music Box.”
“Oh! I’ve seen commercials for that. I think you’ll like it. Are you going by yourself?”
I shook my head. “I was going to bring Melinda. Maybe Walter, if he wants.”
Mom nodded. “Will Dante’s parents be home?”
I shrugged. “Didn’t ask.”
“Will there be alcohol?”
I didn’t quite keep the whine out of my voice. “Mom. It’s not a party. We’re just watching TV.”
“Will there be alcohol?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. I’m not drinking any if there is.”
Mom shook her head as she sipped more water. “Try again.”
“If anyone’s drinking, I will leave.”
Mom nodded. “Yes, you may go. Text me to let me know if your brother joins you. You have a ten o’clock curfew.”
Attention Hammerheads
Melinda is always trying to build her vocabulary. What were some words in this episode that were new to you? She will add them to her vocabulary journal.
Hartfield Chronicles 