Lights, Camera, Action! [https://cdn.midjourney.com/2289008a-2644-4c12-a4f4-148d97561ffe/0_0.webp]
Wiping the last of her stage makeup off, Kennedy glanced briefly at David’s reflection in the mirror. His right knee jigged up and down rapidly. Kennedy asked, “Are you scared I will eat a chunk of you?”
“No.” He turned his phone over and placed it on his thigh. “I just don’t want anything distracting you before we are done with this.”
“Is Red okay? Are there signs of infection?”
“The guys are fine. It’s not anything that can’t wait until later.”
Kennedy tossed her tissue into the trash can in the corner of the utility closet that functioned as their dressing room. The space had been cleaned out and re-purposed for the day. The two of them hardly fit in the space without touching. She swiveled in her chair and her knee brushed his thigh. “Just spit it out. The not knowing will make me more nervous.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am going to bite you, David, and afterwards I will tell the wolves that it was an accident caused by the bright lights and situational confusion.”
“Your Mom’s house burned down. The firefighters think it was arson.” His knee began to bounce again and Kennedy reached out her hand and gripped his thigh to focus him. “Terry is having trouble keeping your Mother in place. She wants to go home.”
“You just said that there is no home to go back to.” Annoyed with her mother, she pulled out her phone and impatiently waited for the screen to come up.
A brisk knock sounded on the hollow wooden door. Kay said, “We need you in five.”
“You can talk to your mom in thirty minutes.” David stood up and reached for the robe hanging on the supply hook on the back of the closet door. “Let’s get this complete first. You need to be a happy party girl bear.”
“Is there any bear that fits that description?”
“You did in the original video.” He held the robe out toward her. The scent on it was unfamiliar, a little musky. Wolf, not bear. “The you in that video was having a one bear rager.”
Her phone chimed as it booted up and pinged merrily. She placed it on the small table she had been using as a makeup station. “Do you think we need a hairbrush?”
He laughed. “Do you like being brushed?”
“I mean… I want to look my best.”
“We’ve got like two minutes.” Okay, Kennedy pulled her undershirt up and off.
*
Kennedy flattened herself to the floor like a giant, furry pancake. They were struggling to get the lighting right for the before the action scenes. The thick leather collar around her neck was hella annoying.
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“Is she okay?” Kay asked.
“Bored, I think.” David answered. “Are we close to ready?”
Kennedy blew out a long breath and swiveled her ears toward his voice. It was humiliating to be on a lead. She stretched out, enjoying the feeling of power in her body. Spreading her paws wide, she extended her gleaming black nails.
Daniel had changed into casual business attire and had a ridiculous-looking microphone in his hand. The girl, Kay, powdered his forehead and cheeks, grumbling, “Do you have to sweat so much?”
Dan teased, “Do you have to complain all the time?”
They sounded like a couple. This wasn’t just a way to help rein in the spreading exposure for them, it was a chance to gain a little visibility in a highly competitive field. They wanted to get it right.
The two of them wanted the videos they released to go viral too, maybe even surpass the originals, and open the door to stellar internships. If they did a good enough job, they might land impressive first gigs in the industry.
And Kennedy? She was a trained bear. And not even a very good one. They had pitched the idea that they should show the bear eating the couch as a handler problem. The idea was to make David and his bear seem to be so inept and poor at being animal actors that no one would ever want to contact the fake business they had set up on line. Kennedy rolled over onto her side and flipped onto her back. It wasn’t going to be a struggle to be a bad bear. The part she wasn’t looking forward to was eating more couch. The last time, she’d had a stomach ache for days.
“And… Action…,” Kay called. The tiny red light on top of the camera they had checked out of the film department blinked green.
Daniel sat as far as he could from Kennedy on a cheap metal chair, just in frame. “Do you think you could get her to sit up?”
“Raspberry, come on girl. Sit.” David gave the tether a half hearted tug.
Kennedy hated that name. She lolled on the floor, ignoring David’s request. She gripped the leather lead in her mouth and gave it a light tug, jerking him to the side.
Daniel said his lines perfectly. “What we need is some shots of her in front of the couch. Maybe she could pull off a cushion or something. Then a few images of her in front of an open fridge would be great.”
“You do realize that she is a wild animal, and I can’t one hundred percent promise any specific behavior. I have been working with her on rending a pillow.” At the word rend, Kennedy lifted her head. “See, she recognizes commands.”
Kennedy rolled onto her side and got up. Both men retreated backward as she approached the prop couch David had been sitting on.
Sounding panicked, Daniel said, “Did she take that as a command? We aren’t ready.” When Kennedy reached up and dragged one of the end pillows off the couch, the guy yelled, “Roll the camera, damn it!”
Faking fear, David unclipped the lead. “Don’t get too close to her. Give her lots of room.
Once she started, it became fun. The way the couch came apart was delightful. College furniture was little more than two by fours, cardboard and foam. The only difference in how much damage she did was that she spit out the bites, instead of swallowing the spongy, mouth springy foam chunks like she had done in the original video. Outside of the frame, David was frantically calling to her, trying different commands to get her to stop.
Because she knew that was part of the plan, she kept on with her gleeful destruction. Tiny flecks of foam and fabric floated through the air.
“Cut.” Kay called out and Kennedy spat free another mouthful of fabric. “Perfect.” Kennedy swung her head in the woman’s direction and she took a step back before she addressed her. “Kennedy, are you still in there? Ready for the kitchen scene?”
Kennedy stood up on all fours and gave her body a good shake to get rid of the clinging bits of couch. David chuckled. “Naughty bear.” She flicked her tail and walked toward the next set.
“Wait, I have an idea.” Daniel said. “What if it’s hard to get her to come into the kitchen? I’ll open the door, and a few of the side cabinets, like in the original film. I want footage of you trying and failing to get her in place.”
David shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ve had lots of experience with trying to get her to do things and failing. She is stubborn in every shape.” Kennedy sat down heavily on the floor. He wanted stubborn? He was going to get stubborn.