Chapter 7: The Bad Famous Actress

" CUT !"

" CUT !"

" CUT !"

And….

" CUT!"

"Ouch! Try one more time! Try once again!" Gele still didn't give up even though the scene had been repeated eleven times.

"You…..My husband's confidant? What's your name?" Without waiting much time, Eiffel rushed to repeat the scene between Adelaine and Rozlard.

After trying again, Gele still wasn't satisfied. There was something stuck in his brain. Over and over again he tried to think of something that made today's scene rehearsal so flat. Until finally, he found what he was looking for.

"CUUTTT!" This time, Gele shouted louder, more echoingly. All the students were shocked. Meanwhile, Gele couldn't wait to tell his students what he was thinking.

"NNAAAHH! FINALLY I KNOW WHY WE HAVEN'T MOVED FORWARD!" Gele put his hands on his hips. All the students lowered their heads.

An uneasy feeling emerged in the hearts of the disciples. They were absolutely sure that this scene was flat because of Gilang, who had been nervous on stage for a long time. Every time he finds a student who is bad at embodying a role, Gele will tell Eiffel or Reno to train him in a very dark glass room. The room was on the second floor. There, Eiffel or Reno will 'finish off' the new student until he can embody his role.

Almost all junior students have experienced it. Except Gilang, winner of the best new actor of the year last night. And it seems, now is Gilang's turn to enjoy that nightmare.

"EIFFEL!" Gele turned to face his golden pupil and glanced cynically at Gilang who had been looking down, afraid to look at Gele.

"Yes?!" Eiffel approached Gilang. He was ready if Gele told him to immediately take this poor child to that scary glass room.

  Gele stepped closer to Eiffel. Several steps later, his thick, dry lips parted.

"YOU ARE SO UGLY AS ADELINE!"

****

"Look at the flowers at the end there. Look at the Bird up there. Everyone was happy to welcome me, who was in love, who was sailing on the sea of romance. The chains of love tied throughout my veins make my heart forget to beat. My blood forgot to flow. I forgot to inhale. Even so, I'm still alive. Because the shower of love he gave continues to flow...…"

" CUT! CUT! CUT! CUT! CUT! " shouted Gele as he ordered the lighting staff to turn off the spotlights. The auditorium was dark for a few seconds. The only light came from two side doors that were deliberately opened.

"What monologue is that Eiffel?! RIGID!" Gele looked at all his students who were very surprised - shocked by his attitude. Only once, during the three years that this excited coach has known Eiffel, has he badmouthed the acting of a talented player who was predicted to be the successor in his footsteps.

"That's not how it is to be Adeline!" Her gaze scared Eiffel to death. "That's not how Adeline looks at the audience!"

"..." Eiffel did not reply to his coach's comment. she looked down while playing with his nails, which were ugly because they were often bitten.

"Well that's that then! The training ends here!" Gele ended his first training today. Even though it should still be an hour before practice ends.

***

When she arrived home, another surprise came to Eiffel. Hopefully this surprise can change his confused mood.

"SROTTT!" As soon as Eiffel opened the gate, a spray of water from the hose greeted his return. It turns out that this surprise succeeded in changing Eiffel's mood.

Becomes more frantic.

"Ouch, I'm sorry..." Miss Eli, the perpetrator, grinned, "I'm sorry, Miss...I intended to spray Finn . Oh, he's hiding next to the pot. When he touched my face it was like I had been punched. This is blush on, sis . "This woman with two braids pointed to her fat cheeks. " That's it, sis, he called me Eliswati. I get emotional, now I live in the city. I want to call her Eli! Eli! "

Eiffel doesn't care about Miss Eli's defense, what's clear is that her clothes are now wet. she glanced scary at Miss Eli.

"Hahahaha..." Finn came out of his hiding place "So, don't ever water me with a hose! You're strong, right?! Ha ha ha!" The Winnie The Pooh t-shirt with a dented face (fake product) that he was wearing was wet from Miss Eli's spray.

"Miss Eli!" Eiffel's glance made Miss Eli pee in fear. "If you water the plants properly."

Miss Eli nodded hesitantly. Then, Eiffel walked towards the house.

Seeing his friend's cold attitude towards Miss Eli, Finn was happy. He put his two thumbs next to his forehead then moved his other four fingers while sticking out his tongue, "♪Wek wek wek wek wek♪!"

"GOD DAMN IT!" Miss Eli chased Finn while twirling the water hose like a cowboy, but the he rushed inside.

****

Inside the house, Finn approached Eiffel who was lying on the sofa in the living room. Initially, he came here just to return the car keys he borrowed yesterday. However, seeing that Eiffel seemed to be having problems, Finn approached her and made small talk about the theater practice earlier.

Eiffel was silent for a moment responding to Finn's pleasantries. Then, she sighed and said, "Maybe I will fail this time, Finn. I just want to sleep on myself. The role I'm playing now is bad!"

Finn's eyes widened. He immediately sat on the edge of the sofa where Eiffel was lying and grabbed the manuscript that Eiffel had placed on his stomach. After Eiffel told her that she was Adeline, Finn Baru read it carelessly.

"So far, none of the roles I've played are like this, Finn." Eiffel got up from her sofa and walked over to the window "So Jeanne D'Arc, Medusa, worker, anti-government student, journalist. Yes... basically people who make me sympathize with their ambitions and way of life."

"Is Adeline's way of life not interesting?!" asked Finn innocently.

"Interesting how?! If I say, she's just a woman who wins her ego for her own happiness. How can she cheat while her husband is busy fighting?"

"That's if you look at it from your point of view. Try looking at Adeline's side. Surely she had a special reason why she cheated, for example because she felt her husband prioritized the war over her? See, you can do it? Try asking Mr Gele tomorrow. He did it."

"And for Gele! It looks like he's disappointed in me! Moreover, if one of the three of us fails to play his role, the three of us will be denied a scholarship for an acting course in Paris. Instead of me being an obstacle to Reno and Gilang, it's better if I step down, right?"

"Wait! Wait! Wait! What did you say?! PARIS?!" Finn stopped reading the script. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out. His nostrils flared "That's so crazy!"

"Just get used to it! It's really exciting!"

"Heh, that's really fun! You've always wanted to go there, right?! Maybe later you can become an artist there. Well, if it really happens, I'll be happy too. If you need a manager, I'm ready to help. Finn Finger . Hehehe….I can speak a little French Eiffel."

"Finn, Reno, the winner of Best Actor , seems really ambitious to go to Paris. He was acting really well earlier ! Wouldn't it be a shame if his efforts were wasted just because of me?! So it's better if I just go out and look for work. "That adds to the family income."

"Looking for work?! Eiffel, don't work yet. Every month, grandfather still sends money to you and your mother. If grandfather finds out, grandfather will definitely be angry and sad. Grandpa really wants you to go to Paris to make your dreams come true."

Hearing Finn to mention her grandfather, Eiffel's longing for the warm figure of the old man emerged again. Since the Aridipta family brought down each other's brothers and fought over family assets, the grandfather, who was disappointed with the behavior of his descendants, preferred to spend the rest of his life alone in a comfortable place far from the city center.

When Eiffel was still in high school, grandfather still lived around her life. At that time, Eiffel lived at the house of his grandfather, a successfull conglomeratee. Even though her uncle and aunt don't like Eiffel - because Eiffel's mother often bad-mouths for the family-, she still feels at home there because her grandfather really cares about her. 

Unfortunately, when Eiffel entered college, her mother asked and forced Eiffel to live with her. Mama got angry and cursed at Grandpa when the old man was visiting the rickety Eiffel house. Since then, the family has grown to hate Eiffel and her mother. She said, because of this incident, grandfather retreated to go faraway

"Hey Eiffel! Why are you daydreaming?!" Finn strummed his fingers in front of Eiffel. Before Eiffel said anything, he opened his mouth again.

"Eiffel, listen to me!" Finn grabbed Eiffel's shoulders. "The reason you've been playing theater all this time is because you're looking for a scholarship for the course. Now the scholarship is in front of you. Now you're going to resign just because of 'Adeline'?! Moreover, the city chosen by the sponsor is Paris. What else is missing?! You're only half a step away from arriving in Paris!" Finn is excited "I don't know why you're so desperate to go to Paris that you're getting involved in French literature. What's clear is that you have to make your dreams come true!"

Eiffel did not respond to Finn's answer. she immediately entered the room and slammed the door loudly. The star who was left alone could only sigh while rubbing the camera hanging around his neck. His intention to take Eiffel's picture today failed miserably.

***