บท 52: Chapter 52: Dancing with the Devil
The beautifully maintained campus was quiet, with a white classroom building standing tall amidst the serene surroundings. In front of the building, a tall flagpole stood, with the American flag and the flag representing California's bear fluttering in the wind.
In a classroom by the window, Kerry Mulligan absentmindedly twirled a ballpoint pen in her right hand while resting her chin on her left hand, gazing blankly at the flagpole outside. It seemed that the bear on the state flag was more captivating to her than the handsome male teacher at the lecture.
"So boring," she muttered to herself. "I wonder how things are going with Murphy."
Leaving the film crew, Kerry Mulligan felt like a bird trapped in a cage once again, with freedom and dreams slipping away from her.
"When will Murphy rescue me?" Kerry Mulligan couldn't help but think.
Suddenly, the pattern on the state flag she was staring at changed. The bear turned into a person—short stubble, rugged facial features, deep eyes, tall and sturdy body... Oh, and there were a few faint scars on his face, making him look so unique.
More importantly, he was understanding, passionate, and always able to overcome all obstacles and challenges.
For some reason, Kerry Mulligan felt like she just wanted to fly to the northern basin of the San Fernando Valley, even if it was just to take a glimpse and come back.
"Kerry Mulligan..." The male teacher noticed her distraction. "Kerry Mulligan!"
Lost in her daydream, Kerry couldn't hear the voices from outside.
After several calls from the teacher, the girl behind her stretched out her foot and kicked her chair hard. Kerry Mulligan finally snapped out of it and quickly stood up.
"Um..." Kerry Mulligan looked around, feeling flustered.
"Kerry Mulligan," the teacher spoke again, "please tell us about the origin of the California state flag."
As a British person, she had no interest in the origin of the California state flag. She moved her lips a few times before helplessly saying, "I'm sorry."
Although the teacher didn't press her further, Kerry Mulligan's face fell as she sat back down, poking at her textbook with her ballpoint pen, hating the school that confined her freedom.
"If this goes on, I'll definitely go crazy!"
She shook her head, lowered it to her desk, and waited painfully for the end of class.
Finally, the bell rang, and as the male teacher left the classroom, the girl behind her approached, curious. "Kerry, what were you thinking about? You've been daydreaming all day."
Kerry Mulligan tossed the ballpoint pen onto the table and replied impatiently, "Nothing."
The girl seemed to have a good relationship with her and suddenly adopted a gossip tone. "Could it be... your first love has arrived?"
Kerry Mulligan was stunned.
Seeing her expression, the girl's curiosity grew even stronger. She grabbed Kerry's hand and urgently asked, "Who is he? What does it feel like to have your first love? How far have you two gone? Have you slept together?"
This series of questions left Kerry Mulligan at a loss for words. Fortunately, another classmate's voice sounded at the classroom door. "Kerry, someone is looking for you!"
Kerry Mulligan quickly broke free from the girl's grip and rushed out. In the corridor outside the classroom, her agent, Bill Rossi, was waiting.
Seeing the agent, her first words were an urgent question, "When can we go back to the film set?"
"I've arranged for you to take a leave." Bill Rossi gestured towards the classroom behind her. "Go pack your things, I'll wait for you outside the campus."
The almost dying Kerry Mulligan instantly revived with excitement and shouted, "Got it!" before rushing back into the classroom.
The film set was where she belonged. There was her role, her soul, and a Murphy who was exceptionally kind to her.
With Kerry Mulligan back on the film set, Murphy's work returned to normal. In the past few days, he had finished shooting all of James Franco's solo scenes, and now only scenes with Hailey and Jeff remained.
The operation of the film crew became smoother, and although there were various problems, given the small scale of the production, Murphy always found suitable solutions. Even if the set designer and lighting technician were mediocre, they could still serve as his assistants temporarily.
James Franco, in particular, although still young, had not yet reached the level of acting he would achieve in the future. However, for handling a B-grade film like this, he was more than capable. He could even be said to be the most stable element of the entire crew during the filming process.
Since Kerry Mulligan returned to the set, James Franco seemed to be avoiding her whenever he could, as if the incident from last time had left a psychological shadow on him.
The entire filming process was tumultuous, but with the motivation of payment, everyone rallied around Murphy and worked
together towards success.
Murphy also evaluated his employees, preparing for possible future plans despite the unknown success of this film. Building a relatively stable team was an essential part of every director's growth.
The lighting technician and set designer were both mediocre, and if it weren't for the limited funds and time, Murphy wouldn't have chosen them. These two wouldn't be on his list for future collaborations.
To be precise, except for makeup artist Jack Watson and the proactive intern Paul Wilson, everyone else would return to where they came from.
Unlike the others who would continue to stay in Hollywood, Jessica Cheston planned to end her internship once the film was completed and return to New York to finish her studies at the Juilliard School of Art.
After months of preparation and filming, she had accumulated some experience in film production. Especially seeing Murphy, who was full of mistakes and constantly correcting himself during the shoot, she truly understood the difficulty of success in this industry.
As the crew approached the final scene of the film, everyone was excited, but Jessica Cheston stood calmly in a corner, watching James Franco, covered in fake blood, being tortured by Kerry Mulligan, who was equally covered in blood.
Originally, she also had a role in the film, but Murphy had spontaneously decided to cancel it.
Looking at Murphy, who was operating the camera, her bright eyes hidden under her red bangs showed a hint of complexity. Jessica Cheston found it hard to explain her feelings.
This person would do anything to succeed, as long as it didn't cross legal boundaries.
She even felt like she was being influenced in some way.
Fortunately, she would leave once she got paid, and there would probably be no more collaborations in the future.
Dancing with the devil always felt heavy to her, but thankfully, it was all coming to an end.
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