Manhattan Upper West Side, May 22nd 2016

It's eight a.m. my phone is ringing. Sam is still sleeping. I wish I could sleep like him, nothing interrupts his sleep. 

An earthquake could happen and he would still be sleeping.

I grab the phone in the dark. I try to minimize any sound because even though he won't wake up with noises and such things. 

I shouldn't disrespect his sleep.

So I grab the phone, my hand is searching for a big phone. My Samsung. I get out of bed and go to the living room and answer the phone.

Elliott – Good morning. Who's this?!

Elliott – Oh I'm so sorry Mr. Jacques, I hadn't the time to save your number with your name. 

Elliott - But what you were saying?!

Elliott – Yes of course. I'll be there. Okay. Bye see you soon.

Mr. Jacques called me to tell me that today is the pilot shooting. Good I didn't read the script. 

Guess I will have to do it at the last minute. In the subway I'll read and memorize my part.

I go take a shower this time it has to be 15 minutes. I have to save the most of the time to memorize this script.

I put bread in the toaster, make coffee and eat and drink really fast. I go then dress myself. 

I won't care much about my looks because I will be wearing outfits in the studio.

I grab a paper and write it to Sam saying that I left for the shooting of the pilot. Then I grab the house keys, the script, my wallet and my phone. 

I'm ready to go.

I take the subway and start reading the script. Wow I should have done this before because there's a lot of lines to memorize. 

But I'm reading and repeating the lines in my head until they're stuck on my mind.

I heard that tv actors have a secret, they hide their scripts in the sets, under props or such to memorize between cuts.

I think I will rely on that, but I've got to memorize this without any cheats.

Basically I'm a bitchy gay guy. Way to support the stereotype of gay guys. 

I'm bi, but that doesn't mean I don't feel the pain of my fellas of lgbt community. 

You don't have to have a different sexual orientation than the normative one to support people from that community. 

As like you don't have to be black to support black people, or a woman to be a feminist.

I arrive at the nearest stop to "HBO", get out of the subway station and walk the block to the tv company. 

Here I go, ready for my first tv show.

I push the heavy door and take the elevator. When I arrive the receptionists tell me Mr. Jacques is going to see me here in this room.

Mr. Jacques finally arrives. Always with his confident bossy walk.

Jacques St. Clair – Well Elliott I hope you have memorized the script.

Elliott – Kind of.

Jacques St. Clair – Well, well. That's not a good start but we will first start with the photo shoots stills of the tv series. Okay?!

Elliott – Okay Mr. Jacques.

Jacques St. Clair – Well today you're going to be here like full day. Don't make plans for later, today we have to work our asses off to make this pilot appealing. 

Jacques St. Clair - Because if the pilot doesn't have much views or good critics then it's done. 

Jacques St. Clair - You don't want to be part of a tv show that only shoot one episode and it was awful, do ya?

Elliott – I sure don't want it Mr. Jacques. Shall I go doing the photo shoots stills?!

Jacques St. Clair – Sure, follow me. I'll take you to the photography studio. 

Jacques St. Clair - That is on the last floor and you will meet with Melvin and your co-stars.

We take the elevator to the last floor.

Elliott – I'm longing to meet them.

Jacques St. Clair – Me too, I hope you all get along.

Elliott – I was reading the script of the pilot. It seemed to stereotype gay guys a lot.

Elliott - Being bitchy, fashion lovers. Couldn't that be toned down a bit?

Jacques St. Clair – I see your point but this is the final script. 

Jacques St. Clair - And if you read your contract then you'll know that you don't have a saying on the script.

Elliott – We'll see about that.

Jacques St. Clair – Don't try to cross me. Your career at theater is probably dead. 

Jacques St. Clair - You don't want you tv career dead as well?!

Elliott – Right.

We arrive at the last floor, the environment is intense. I'm getting anxious now because I'm feeling out of my league. 

I was never crossed by anyone like that. But screw him, I will act my part as I want and think it is more suiting.

The elevator door opens and I hear a lot of young voices. They're talking a lot and laughing. 

I guess they're already getting along.

I take a deep breath walk near them and bat my eyes. Smile quite provocative and start to introduce myself.

Elliott – Hello y'all I'm Elliott Cromwell. But you can call me just Elliott.

Two guys run to me with a speed I could swear they would hit me. They're both brunettes just like me.

One of them shakes my hand.

Vincenzo – Hi I'm Vincenzo, I live in Upper East Side. My parents are Italian but moved to New York when they were in their twenties

Vincenzo - I'm 20 years old. Tell me about you Elliott.

Elliott – Hi Vincenzo. I live in Manhattan with my boyfriend, Sam. 

Elliott - I'm 20 years old as well and I used to study at NYU.

Frankie – Omg. I studied there too. 

Frankie - You didn't get your degree? I'm Frankie by the way.

Elliott – No, I was blinded by my ambition. I dropped out when my boyfriend graduated because I thought I was too good for that school. 

ElIiott - I was part of the university annual musical "Les Misérables" and I got good reviews from Charles Isherwood.

Elliott -  So I started to search for jobs out of NYU and got myself into a play version of Swan Lake.

Frankie – Oh I heard about it. It was tragic. 

Frankie - I heard everyone was digging it until they found out that the suicide fall was real. I didn't recognize you though.

Elliott – Yeah it was a flop. And I've changed a lot. I changed my name too. 

Elliott - I isolated myself after getting out of the hospital. But I thought I should start again so I'm here.

Frankie – That's quite inspiring Elliott. 

Frankie - Well I guess you didn't realized it but we're your sycophant army. 

Frankie - Vincenzo, you and I will be the leaders of the school.

Elliott – I got to be honest, I didn't think I would made it to the pilot. 

Elliott - I waited for two days for a call so I didn't read the script. I just read it on my way here.

Vincenzo – That's sad. But I'll help you. I guess you have spare time to do that. 

Vincenzo - Since we'll start with the stills, so between the breaks memorize the most lines you can.

Elliott – Grazie Vincenzo.

Vincenzo – You don't have to speak Italian to impress me. I don't even speak it. I

Vincenzo -I know little about Italian. My parents raised me only speaking English.

Elliott – Sorry.

Melvin Loomis – Everybody gather around. You'll have plenty of time to get to know each other. 

Melvin Loomis Now I want to shoot some stills. This is a tv show about high school and preppy rich gay guys. 

Melvin Loomis - It's a teen drama. High school. Use everything you got through high school and apply it to this show.

Melvin Loomis – Okay, first. Vincenzo, Frankie and Elliott. Gerda will give you your outfits for the still.

Melvin Loomis – This is for everyone to hear. Gerda is the costume designer and she's the one you will come every day to get you costumes for the shootings.

Melvin Loomis – Gerda come here please.

Gerda approaches Melvin.

Gerda – Yes Melvin?!

Melvin Loomis – I want preppy outfits for these three. Nerdy quirky outfits for that girl, a quarterback costume for that guy.

Melvin Loomis - Trendy clothing for those two guys and an edgy, promiscuous outfit for that brunette.

Gerda – Okay, got it.

Gerda goes to the costume room and gets the outfits that Melvin asks.

Melvin Loomis – Okay while we wait for Gerda to bring your costumes. I want to know if everybody knows their character personality.

Elliott – I'm the gay bitchy leader of the school.

I like to be the first in everything. I'm not afraid to take the first step, to talk first. I have to be the first.

Melvin Loomis – Good. More.

Dorian – I'm one of the popular boys.

Ken – I'm a jock. The quarterback actually.

Harry – I'm one of the popular boys too.

Agnes – I'm the nerdy quirky girl. One of the outcasts.

Mia – I'm the top bitch girl, not a cheerleader. 

Mia - I'm just rich and I will try to drag Elliot's army down. It can only be one ruler.

Melvin Loomis – Good to know that you're all in touch with your characters.

Oh god. I wasn't ready. This came like a wrecking ball. It took my life and I have to go find it. 

This show is awesome I should have read the script before because this will be very popular. I can see it in my head. I will watch it too. 

This is really the type of tv show that appeals to everyone. I'm so glad.

Gerda arrives with a big costume rack. The costumes are covered with transparent clothing dust covers. 

There's the name of our characters.

Everyone grabs their costumes and go to dress them. There's two rooms one for the girls and one for the boys. 

I don't know which costume I have to grab because I still haven't memorized the name of my character. 

So I let everyone grab their costumes and the one that is left is mine of course. I grab it and I see the name of my character.

My character's name is Darcy Prescott. Quite fancy, suits the preppy boy character. 

I go to the male room and dress my costume. Everyone's looking at each other bodies. 

And let me tell you some of them have pretty good bodies. Like Harry and Dorian. 

Lord forgive me for I sin. But they are hot.

But Vincenzo is the man candy of the cast. He's light skinned with brunette hair in pompadour style. 

Hazel eyes, eyebrows on fleek. Hmm what a piece of man. But sorry he doesn't beat Sam. 

Sam is really hot and mine.

Elliott – So what are your character's names?

Vincenzo – Mine is Cameron Montfort.

Frankie – Mine is Duncan Van Dyne.

Ken – Chad Godfrey.

Harry – Chase Greenwood.

Dorian - Lucas Middleton.

Elliott – Mine is Darcy Prescott.

Elliott – I'm really excited about this show. I hope we survive the pilot and the tv show runs for a good time.

Dorian – Don't say that. It attracts negativity. 

Dorian - This pilot is as its name, the launcher of the tv show. We sure will shoot more than just one episode.

Dorian – Did you all see Agnes? She's really beautiful.

Vincenzo – Yeah she is.

Frankie – She is but Mia is hot. There's the difference.

Elliott – I agree with you Frankie. Mia is hot as hell.

Frankie – Aren't you gay?

Elliott – I'm bisexual. And I don't see what that has to do with me find a girl attractive.

Frankie – Sorry you gave me a kind of a gay vibe.

Elliott – And you gave me the vibe of a stuck up little shit. But that's none of my business.

Vincenzo – Burn.

Frankie – And you...

Elliott – Frankie we could play the comeback game this whole moment of dressing the costumes. 

Elliott - But let's save that for the tv show. Okay?!

Frankie doesn't even answer me. Everyone is looking at me with their mouths open. 

Little they know that I could be bitchy apart from my character. We get out of the dressing room and go shoot the stills.

Melvin asks for I, Vincenzo and Frankie to shoot a photo in a backdrop that is meant to symbolize a high school.

Then we do a single photo shoot. I have to use a bitch face. I didn't even know that existed, but okay let's do it. 

I put on my bitchy face, like the one I may express when I say a good comeback or roast.

Melvin Loomis – Really good Elliott. You're amazing. Work that backdrop. Give me all that preppy boy look.

I do a few more poses and then it's time for the rest of the boys to shoot their stills. 

Ken is dressed as a quarterback because that's his character on the show. 

He is working that ball, I mean the way he grabs it as he is about to throw it. He's really good at modelling.

Agnes got a nerdy quirky character, the outcast. 

She's one of those girls who are almost invisible to everyone on the hallways of the school. Mia is the girl that really stands out. 

Mia is the boss bitch. The one who will fight against me because there can be only one ruler. 

She doesn't have an army like me, she is strong enough to not need anyone to support her. She supports herself.

After my photo shoot stills I go memorize the script before we're asked to go on the studio to shoot the pilot. 

It's not enough time but it helped that I memorized some of it on the subway.

Melvin Loomis – Okay everyone. Now I will send this stills to the editors and they will publish in social media. 

Melvin Loomis - We have to market you and this show. 

Melvin Loomis - So thank you everybody for the effort you put into this shoot. 

Melvin Loomis - Now please follow me outside we're going to the shooting studios.

Elliott – What?!

Melvin Loomis – You though we shot everything in here? 

Melvin Loomis - No, we have studios outside of this building, there is the place you will go to shoot every episode. Outside.

Melvin Loomis – Come on everybody. Follow me.

We all follow Melvin and I'm still memorizing the script on my way. But I use my side view so I won't bump into anything or anyone. 

Like Belle in "Beauty and the Beast".

We arrive at the outside of the building and walk to the studio lots where we will shoot the pilot. 

Everyone has a trailer of their own. That's so nice.

On the Studio Lot number 1.

James Murphy – Good morning everyone. I'm James Murphy the director of this show. 

James Murphy - I work with Mr. Jacques St. Clair that wrote this show. I direct it only.

James Murphy – So the first scene is at Chemistry class. Darcy is waiting impatiently for the class to finish. 

James Murphy - Behind him there's Cameron and Duncan. They are writing on their notebooks. 

James Murphy - Darcy is not paying any attention the class.

James Murphy – Then the first voice that is heard is a voice over of Darcy.

James Murphy – Elliott come with me to record your voice over.

James Murphy – The rest please follow the tv crew they will lead you to your studio lots to your scenes. I will go there in a moment.

James Murphy (to me) – Elliott, now you're going to the recording studio and you will meet Christina Gibbins. 

James Murphy (to me) - She will give you the steps to record your voice over. You can use your script.

Elliott – Okay Mr. Murphy.

James Murphy – You can call me just James.

Elliott – Okay James.

I'm lead to the recording studio and I'm introduced to Christina Gibbins.

James Murphy – Now I have to go. I got to direct your co-stars. See you soon.

Elliott – Bye James.

Christina Gibbins – Hello Elliott ready to record your voice over?

Elliott – Yes I am, Miss Gibbins.

Christina Gibbins – Call me just Christina. Here you don't have to call anyone Mr. or Miss. 

Christina Gibbins - We're a family and unless we're a posh family we don't call each other Miss and Mr.

Elliott – Okay Christina, I'm ready.

Christina Gibbins – Let's start then.

I put the headphones on, I'm in room isolated by a two way glass. I see Christina giving me the sign to go on.

Elliott – Oh dear god. This class is sooo boring. I just want to get out of this classroom and go to the cafeteria to drink an orange juice. 

Elliott - I'm a junior and I can't wait to graduate and leave this town. The only thing that still makes me go on is my besties, Duncan and Cameron. 

Elliott - And Chase Greenwood. My crush, who will be more than just that. 

Elliott -I plan to date him this year. I know he likes me too. Well who doesn't?!

I hear Christina through a device similar to a radio.

Christina (through the device) – That was amazing! Great. We don't have to do it again. 

Christina (through the device) - You got the essence of being bitchy. You are Darcy Prescott.

I just smile a lot and I'm screaming inside. I wish I could do it externally but I don't want to ruin my voice. 

And that would damage the show. So I get out of the recording studio go back to the studio lot I was before and now I'm ready to shoot the scene. 

Frankie and Vincenzo are already there waiting for the director.

Vincenzo - I'm anxious, it's my first time doing television.

Elliott - Oh it's gonna be okay, believe me. Here you can fail more than in theater.

Frankie - That's right! Here you have takes and they let you shoot the scene again, in theater it's live. 

Frankie - You have to improvise and give your best without breaking from your part.

Vincenzo - I'm feeling better now. Thank you for your words.

Frankie - You're welcome.

I don't say nothing to Vincenzo I just wanted to assure that he doesn't screw up a lot. 

Because if that happens, it means that I have to shoot endlessly because of him.

So he better keep up with my pace. I'm the leader in the tv show and in the studio too. The show was written around me, remember?!

The director finally arrives. He's really handsome but hey stop looking at him. 

You have to focus on your scene, that is the opening scene. Okay Elliott?!

James Murphy - My amazing actors, sorry for the waiting but your co-stars were struggling with their scenes.

Vincenzo - It's okay Mr. James.

Elliott - I guess I can speak for all of us. We're ready to shoot James.

Frankie and Vincenzo side eye me and they're surprised because I calling him only by his name. 

Bitch we're mates, we already bonded. I'm the star of the show, don't get surprised. Soon I'll be ruling this show so buckle up.

James Murphy - Okay let's go then. There's the chemistry class set.

James Murphy (to me) - Elliott come on. 

James Murphy (to me) - You're going to sit here and imagine Britney Spears in "Hit Me Baby One More Time". 

James Murphy (to me) - I want you to channel the eager to get out of the class.  

James Murphy (to Vincenzo and Frankie) - You two are going to seat behind Elliott. And I want you to be really focused on the class. 

We sit on our seats and do as James directed us to.

James Murphy - Okay everybody ready. Camera man you can start to shoot.

The camera man starts to shoot from our behind. The camera only captures our backs. 

Then he turns to our fronts, first to Vincenzo (Cameron Montfort) and Frankie (Duncan Van Dyne). 

Then he shoots me (Darcy Prescott) not paying attention to class. I'm bored and I want to get out of class.

I'm looking at the clock. Then he proceeds to shoot the rest of the classroom that is filled with extras.

James Murphy - Okay cut. Print. It's ready to go to the editing room, I will send it to Christina so she can add Darcy's voice over.

James Murphy - Nice shooting. You three were impeccable. 

James Murphy  - Now it's the hallway scene. The best part, you're going to get out class in "Mean Girls" style. 

James Murphy - Then Darcy is going to roast Alma, which is Agne's character. 

James Murphy - The other scene is not with you but I still want the three of you on the set.

James Murphy - Okay everybody quiet. We're going to shoot the school bell ringing and the strutting of Duncan, Cameron and Darcy through the hallway.

James Murphy - Okay camera man. Shoot.

The school bell rings I get out of the class eagerly and Cameron and Duncan follow me. The teacher is looking at us confused.

The camera man is shooting us walking through the hallway. We have to look fierce, that was asked us to channel in this scene.

We walk all preppy and stuck up and then we see Alma (Agnes) in her locker.

Darcy Prescott - Hey troll. Need help organizing those notebooks?

Alma - No, I'm good.

Darcy Prescott (to Cameron and Duncan) - She actually thought I would help her. She's so sad.

Cameron Montfort - No wonder, I would be sad too if I dressed like a middle school student. 

Cameron Montfort - Honey we're in high school it's time to upgrade your style.

Duncan Van Dyne - She might be shopping at Goodwill. 

Alma - You all talk like idiots. There's no need to agonize me, I did nothing to you.

Darcy Prescott - Of course we talk like idiots. How else could you understand us?

We all laugh, Alma is really sad and is going away from her locker.

James Murphy - Cut! That was amazing. Great scene. 

James Murphy - Agnes I want more of that sadness puppy. You're channeling that already but I want more. 

James Murphy - You're doing amazing. The four of you all.

The day goes by and the pilot is finally shot. We wrapped up the shooting of the pilot. 

Mr. Loomis shared the stills on social media and he said everyone is going crazy about the show. 

The pilot is going on air in a couple of days. We have to create suspense but not that long so people lose interest in the show. 

I'm happy because the pilot came out great. Everyone's so professional and good looking. 

I'm going to admit, I would kiss and go on an one night stand with the entire cast.