The Kiss that Sparked it All

The more Ivy scrolled through the online chatter, the more anxious she felt. In the end, she handed her phone over to Evadne.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, Ivy went meet up with the director and the crew. Their first stop was the college in the city where “Ballad of Valor,” the film they were promoting, was shot. The movie spun a yarn of young, starry-eyed love, targeting a youthful audience as its main demographic.

College students were unpredictable, a tough crowd that didn’t follow the beaten path.

Ivy’s nerves were strung tight as guitar strings at the thought of facing this challenging group.

The director noticed Ivy’s pallor – a few shades lighter than usual a few shades lighter than usual and couldn’t help but chuckle. “You weren’t this jittery when you auditioned for the role of Valor. What’s got you spooked today?”

Ivy pulled a face, “Aren’t you nervous? The thought of being grilled with random questions has me tied up in knots, like I’m back in school facing a pop quiz.” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Hey, they’re just college kids. They’ll ask you questions based on the film, and you, my dear, are the living embodiment of Valor. What’s there to fear? You can’t get stage fright now you’re our leading lady!”

The other actors rallied around Ivy, offering words of encouragement. Among them was Ryan, a new actor like Ivy, but with a seasoned model’s experience in the limelight, today’s Q&A session was nothing big for him.

But Ivy was different. She had been the target of online vitriol for quite some time before facing a real audience. She didn’t know how these people saw her or if they bias that might prevent them from

giving the film a fair chance. That was one she hadn’t voiced to anyone except Balfour. And under a circumstance couldn’t be there to offer comfort.

Though they were both swamped with their schedules, Balfour still found a mo call and bolster her spirits before her event.

“Have you gone on yet?” he asked.

“No, otherwise how could I be talking to you?” vy muttered, her voice tinged with nerve

–

“Don’t worry about the online drama; it’s old news. They won’t judge you with those biases. A good movie speaks for itself. You’ve got to trust yourself. Remember when your teaser dropped and you gained eight hundred thousand followers overnight? That’s not something just anyone can do.”

Ivy stomped her foot in frustration, “But back then, they weren’t swayed by all that online nonsense. Ugh, it’s so annoying. Why me? I don’t want to be misunderstood. I wish they could get to know who I really am from the start.”

Balfour could hear the depress in Ivy’s voice and felt a pang of sympathy. These were unwarranted troubles, and yet she had to bear them alone.

“As an actor, your work is what matters most. Today is the first step for them to get to know who you really are. You can’t back down, Ivy. The more you retreat, the more those lies gain traction. You need to reach out, to show them who you truly are, to make them understand.”

“Okay, I’ll give it my best shot.”

When the lights dimmed, Ivy took her seat among the audience and allowed herself to become absorbed in the story of “Ballad of Valor.” It was her first time watching the final cut. After wrapping up filming, she had only caught glimpses of the editing process and had never seen the complete work.

The story began with two girls biking down a country lane, their laughter as free as the wind in their hair. The cheerful tinkle of their bicycle bells accompanied them as they turned into the schoolyard.

“Valor, are we hitting our secret hideout later?”