13 Double Disaster - My Sister the Vampire by Sienna Mercer Page B

didn’t recognise Jackson with a scowl on his face, storming through the maze of production trucks and trailers. His hands were clenched into fists as he was followed by a
short, squat, middle-aged woman. She shouted after him in an exaggerated “Cockney” voice.
    ‘It’s “a
-rand
the corner”, not “a
-round
the corner” . . . You utter, utter
plonker
!’
    Olivia’s mouth dropped open. It was Jackson’s dialect coach, Ingrid . . . who seemed to be the meanest woman in the world!
    Before she could think twice, she lunged for the door.
Someone
needed to stand up for Jackson and tell that woman that she’d gone over the edge! How could anyone think that treating
an actor this way would get them to do their best work on set?
    In her loose sweatpants and T-shirt, it was easy to move quickly. As soon as Olivia reached Ingrid, she opened her mouth to let loose – but Jackson gave her a light shake of the head,
making the message clear:
Don’t get in the middle of this
.
    Olivia stared at him. Didn’t he
want
to be defended?
    Ingrid kept shouting: ‘Apples and pears! A Weaver’s Chair! The Top of Rome!’
    Was she insulting him, or setting him really bizarre riddles? Olivia had no clue. But the cruel tone of Ingrid’s voice was clear.
    ‘Can’t you keep any of them straight, with all the bread you’re getting for this tosh? Use your loaf   !’
    I may not have any idea what she’s saying
, Olivia thought, crossing her arms,
but I know that I don’t like her.
    Jackson didn’t argue back, though. He only smiled tightly. ‘I’ll work on it, Ingrid,’ he said. ‘I promise. I
am
taking this seriously. It’s just . .
.’ His gaze fell briefly on Olivia. ‘. . . I’ve got a lot on me mind right now. But I am focused.’
    The accent was much better there
, Olivia thought, aware of the strange fluttering in her chest,
when you’re speaking from the heart.
    ‘Huh.’ Ingrid snorted in obvious disbelief. ‘We’ll see about that tomorrow.
Early.
We’ll go over your script together before shooting resumes – so that
you
don’t sound like a total wally on-screen!’
    Olivia gritted her teeth and waited for Ingrid to walk away before she walked over to Jackson. In a voice pitched too quietly for anyone else to hear, she asked, ‘Are you OK?’
    ‘Yah, I’m awight.’ Jackson shrugged, keeping a nasal Cockney twang in his voice. ‘I been yelled at afore, ye know? She’s just been yakking on all afternoon about
it. It’s really narking me.’
    ‘
Oh
.’ Olivia’s eyes widened. ‘Is
that
why you looked so grumpy when I saw you in your trailer window just now?’
    Grimacing, Jackson nodded. ‘I shouldn’ta got the ’ump like what I did, but . . .’ He dropped the Cockney accent. ‘Wait a minute. Why did
you
think I was
grumpy? What were you worried about?’
    ‘Oh . . . nothing.’ Olivia smiled, feeling a weight drop off her shoulders.
    He hadn’t been angry at her, or at Will.
I should have known better.
When had Jackson ever been unreasonable?
    He was frowning now, though, as he looked down at her. ‘Are you sure?’ he said. ‘You look so relieved –’
    ‘I’m fine!’ Olivia said. Hastily, she changed the subject. ‘But how can you handle being yelled at so much?’
    ‘Oh, well.’ Jackson flashed the smile Olivia had seen on movie posters and in dozens of magazines. ‘It’s easier to take when you can barely understand what’s being
yelled!’
    ‘I guess so.’ Olivia wrinkled her nose. ‘But still –’
    ‘It’s
normal
for the movie business.’ Jackson shrugged. ‘You get used to it after a while.’
    ‘Really?’ Olivia looked around the bustling maze of production trucks and trailers with fresh eyes. ‘Yuck.’ Instinctively, she took another step closer to Jackson.
‘I mean, I’ve read about movie set drama in magazines, but . . . it’s different to see and hear it for myself.’ She shook her head. ‘And I just don’t understand
how anyone can accept