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improv

"THAT'S A WRAP!" yelled greta. it was nearing 9:30pm, so the crew hastily bustled around the chase-jackson house where they were shooting on location and began to clear up.

after changing into more comfortable clothing, the actors went around as well, trying to pack things as quickly as possible since a snow storm seemed to be brewing outside.

"i'm stuffed," complained haley to joe who was packing a bunch of camera equipment for one of the crew members, frankie.

"if the body is eighty percent water, then the other twenty percent of me is probably turkey and pie." he called back.

earlier that day, the whole cast gathered in the large house to shoot a christmas dinner scene, which was actually a really important part in the film. it was where greta (as paris' mom) would break the news about haley's supposed pregnancy. which is why from noon onwards, the whole cast rehearsed everything they'd eat, and yet, needed multiple takes to fully satisfy the director.

"greta?" james mclean asked. he was on set to help supervise things at the house. "you can't go out there. it's snowing hard. it isn't gonna let up soon, and it takes an hour to get back to the hotel."

haley pulled aside a curtain. james was right, the snow was coming down so hard she could barely see anything.

"here's what we can do: i live just a few blocks away, so if you'd like, some of the cast or crew could come with me and stay in the guest house." suggested james.

"or we could all just stay here?" great asked, watching as kristen began to lay down on a nearby sofa.

"or you could stay here." he agreed, before leaving.

since they've stayed overnight at the house before, there were already a couple of mattresses on standby. kristen began hauling one down from the storage room while bradley and cate each retreated to separate nearby couches.

"get some rest everybody, don't mind me i'm just gonna take a piss," announced greta, heading to the nearest bathroom.

some the crew members headed down to the basement where there was a home theater. some of the cast— the older ones like john and meryl— were in the guest rooms, but most of them were just there on the main floor, lying idly in the dim glow of the light.

lily and hoyeon shared a mattress, both trying to sleep. kristen and mckenna shared one too, scrolling through tiktok videos together and occasionally bursting into laughter.

haley lay on a mattress with joe, their backs turned to each other. his eyes were shut, and as he was trying to sleep, haley was reading a book and occasionally scrolling on social media.

and then- since she was restless- haley got up and began to get out ingredients from the pantry and began to make some sort of chocolate bread recipe her dad taught her when she was little.

"what're you doin'?" mumbled joe from the mattress as he heard her whisking something furiously.

"ignore me!" she whispered back, just as their director came back from her toilet excursion.

"what's that?" she was asked again.

"just some... chocolate bread." haley waved away the question as she transferred the half chocolate mixture into the flour.

"HANG ON!" greta said suddenly, right before haley was about to fold it all in. "frankie!" she hollered, heading over to the stairs that led to the basement.

some of the crew emerged, like andie, aryn and anjika, along with frankie behind them.

"can we get a camera situation here?" the director asked. "i know, i know- we just packed up, but i kinda wanna film her baking here." so the four ladies began setting up, preparing two cameras: one was stationary and the other was free to be moved around.

sure they were tired, but they did their jobs without complaint. haley told herself to send all the crew fruit baskets or cookie boxes once filming wrapped.

"what do you want me to do?" she asked, greta.

"improv." was the reply. "i know we shot you and joe sorta reconciling awhile ago but that was a bit too sweet. try to fight him, you know? there's nothing about it in the script, so i'm really relying on both your improv skills."

"oh god." joe jumped to his feet; he was awake the whole time. he did not like the idea of improvising, since he heavily relied on the script. "we're wearing pajamas!" he protested, trying to back out of the whole thing.

"well then, perfect!" greta exclaimed. "so this is set after james' really asshole joke to ria, after she ran upstairs. we know her family has this whole discussion that christmas eve, but she stays in her room all night. until," she paused, "she heads down to bake. and james notices and heads down after her to apologize. and there's a fight. this is set in the middle of the night, so..."

"pretty realistic, if you ask me." remarked haley.

"you want, like, a full-on fight?" joe asked. "just making sure. like how far should it go?"

"like the 'all too well' short film fight." smirked greta. it was what haley played on repeat on set, and the song too, so the whole cast and crew were really familiar with it.

"oh my god." groaned joe.

"you got this," was all greta told him, holding out two hands for a fist bump. haley and joe reluctantly returned it. "joe, you can just walk in anytime, say stuff, whatever comes to you in the moment, just make sure that it makes sense."

"rolling!" frankie announced. "ready when you are."

so haley returned in front of the camera and continued the baking process, acting like she was deep in thought and had a lot on her mind. just as she was about to use the hand mixer on the batter, she saw joe come into view with a glass of water from the corner of her eye.

"hey—" he began, setting his drink on the table. but she immediately cut him off, drowning out the rest of his words by turning on the hand mixer. it took a lot of effort for her to try not to laugh. joe took a deep inhale and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"ria," he began, but haley interrupted him.

"don't call me that," she snapped, trying to act annoyed as she transferred the batter into a loaf pan and loudly shoved it into the oven before heading over to the sink.

"fine!" joe exclaimed. "paris, listen," he tried again, but this time, haley dropped the mixing bowl and other utensils in the sink where they made a loud, clattering noise. he sighed in frustration as she faced him with her hands on her hips.

"i'm so sorry about what i said earlier. i really am!" he added, louder, drowning out haley's scoff. "i can't imagine what it was like for you—"

"of course you can't, james." haley said, putting as much disdain in her words as she turned to, face joe. she was aware of the moving camera that was poised over her shoulder from afar, but tried her best to ignore it.

"you can't imagine what it's like to want to- want to try to be more than what you already are. you can't imagine what it's like to want to work hard for something because you get EVERYTHING handed to you, on a silver platter! and though i'm aware that the same goes for me, that's exactly why— it's exactly why i went to college!" at this, joe stepped forward, and later on, haley realized that he was trying to get them back into the frame of the stationary camera.

"the tabloids are demons so i wanted to, i don't know, prove myself?" she threw her hands up in anger. "and i go, thinking that all's fine, and suddenly out of nowhere come these two guys i looked up to because of their talent, and a professor i idolized, and the three of them just throw me onto the floor and pin me there..."

"it can't have been easy after everything you've been through," joe said.

"it wasn't."

"i didn't mean what i said earlier," he added, softly.

"you didn't?" loads of sarcasm.

"it was insensitive and immature of me."

"it was," she agreed coldly. she could feel the tension start to ease up, but joe added something that caused haley to snap.

"it's just, i couldn't believe it at first," he said. "i mean, you seemed okay every time we'd call, when we picked you up two weeks ago— you seemed happy, even. are you... are you alright?" he asked tentatively.

"oh, i don't know james." haley said, nonchalantly. then— "I WAS FUCKING VIOLATED, ASSHOLE! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?" she shouted with an intensity and rage that she'd been longing to get off her chest for so long, and poured all her anger and conviction into what she was saying, even causing tears to well up in her eyes.

at this, her screen parter looked genuinely surprised at the outburst. nothing to act there. he opened his mouth repeatedly, like a fish, and was clambering for words, but seemed to find none.

"EXACTLY. YOU DON'T KNOW!" she took his silence as an answer in itself and since she was really feeling it, slapped the glass of water of the table in one, furious, fluid motion. and since she didn't want to do a retake ever again, haley went on a tirade without trying to hold back her tears or words.

"you just sit your ass there and wait for all these famous directors to come running to you, and, wow! it works! you don't do shit, you lazy jerk! SO DON'T STAND THERE, AND PRETEND THAT YOU UNDERSTAND ME, WHEN YOU DON'T, WHEN MY OWN FUCKING FAMILY DOESN'T!" she ranted, gesturing around herself vaguely. joe looked stung as she said that, as if he might cry himself.

afterwards, haley flung herself onto a chair and broke down, letting the sobs consume her, wracking her shoulders and retching.

at that point, having let everything out, she realized something: the glass. shards were on the floor, remnants of the water spilled everywhere, and she felt a sharp bite on her left pinky toe.

"oh my god," she gasped, realizing that she might've hurt joe in the process. though she was barefoot, haley still made a move to get off the tall barstool she collapsed in, only to feel a restraining hand on her shoulder. she was taken aback to see joe behind her, smiling softly.

"oh my god, i'm so sorry," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso. "are you okay?" she didn't have to act concerned, since she really already was.

"it's alright," he mumbled, hugging her back. she looked up into his eyes, which were darting around the room, looking at everything but her. "do you really think that of me?" joe asked softly.

"i didn't mean any of it," haley said fiercely, tears pricking her eyes once again. "i shouldn't have said that. i was angry, and i wasn't thinking."

"but you were right. i am a lazy ass."

"not all the time," haley said, getting a small chuckle in response.

with the cameras still rolling, the two actors managed to get the small glass shard out without much problems, or blood, for that matter. they cleaned up in silence, and once the floor was dry, got up again.

"is it done?" joe pointed at the chocolate bread in the oven. haley shook her head; it needed another twenty minutes. the two leaned against the counter awkwardly.

"i really am sorry." this was the most sincere apology joe gave since the beginning, and haley heard it in his voice.

"it's alright." she said, her voice small.

"it isn't. it was insensitive."

"i mean, yeah. when you've been assaulted like that..." she shook her head.

"do you know what you're gonna do?"

"are you asking if i'll keep it?" haley asked. he nodded. "of course!"

"just curious. i know some people who wouldn't."

"have you gotten a girl pregnant?" she teased. at this, he shook his head vigorously.

"never." he answered. "i'm sure." he added, after seeing the mocking skepticism on her face.

"what i meant is, do you know what you're gonna do to the guys?" joe asked again. "you've got to take them to court."

"i'm scared." she said, voice cracking.

"alright, alright, i've asked enough sad questions. it's christmas eve, we've got to cheer up." he said firmly, noticing her discomfort.

"it's christmas," haley corrected, and pointed to a nearby clock that read 12:09am. she knew that that wasn't really the time, and that anjika probably adjusted it before shooting and she just didn't notice.

"even better," he replied, and began humming the tune of 'have yourself a merry little christmas' while he twirled haley around. the cameras followed the two to the piano, where haley tried making up the melody of the song, and joe sang along with her softly.

"AMAZING! amazing. you hear me?" greta snapped a clapperboard in front of the camera, which let haley and joe know that the shot was done, and the two let out a sigh of relief they didn't know they were holding.

"how was it?" haley asked eagerly. her eyes were still a tad red and puffy, but she was smiling, proud of what she and joe just did.

"IT WAS FANTASTIC!" called lily from the mattress, who filmed the whole thing on her phone. "where's your lovergirl?" she teased, as haley retreated, waiting for the timer for her bread to ring.

"she wanted to come along, but she had to go shopping with her grandpa," haley explained.

"you got a plus one?" greta looked up from her phone. "we're filming you guys' wedding scene in like—" she counted on her fingers, "— nine days."

"your birthday!" lily added.

"yup, so we'll need as many plus ones and extras. just have her wear some formal white thing."

"i'll let her know." smiled haley.

i'm so sorry if this was bad but imagining haley and joe actually doing this is what gives me serotonin :)

I MISS YOU, I'M SORRY