The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

"AND cut!" Director McCann shouted. "Everyone, that's a wrap!"

The cast and crew paused for a moment before breaking into applause. After over a month of long days and intense filming, they'd finally wrapped [The Shadow Within]. A mix of exhaustion and satisfaction settled over the group, tired from the relentless schedule but proud of what they'd accomplished together.

Director McCann clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Listen up! Food and drinks are on their way, so nobody leaves yet. We're celebrating tonight. You've all earned it. Stay, eat, and enjoy."

Even though it wasn't some fancy restaurant booking, like bigger productions do for wrap parties, the crew still cheered loudly. Astrid smiled at their excitement.

He recalled how the director had worried about their wrap party budget. With limited funds, booking restaurant tables would've been too expensive. So Astrid proposed ordering food and drinks instead, letting everyone eat right here on set. Since they could still use the location until tomorrow, it would work out perfectly.

Astrid headed to his tent to change out of his costume and wipe off his makeup. With filming wrapped today, he had a full week free before starting work on the [Blind Justice] movie. He'd ultimately agreed to play Noa again after reading the script.

It wasn't a hard choice. The script was well-written and he liked Noa's character growth. It also worked perfectly as a farewell movie for the three main leads. Astrid could see how much love and effort Director Evans had put into the story. So saying yes had been easy.

Since he still had more than a week before filming started for [Blind Justice], he should probably put his plan into action now. He just needed to find a day when both he and Wulfric were available.

***

The cast and crew gathered at a restaurant set they'd converted for their wrap party. Long tables were pushed together to fit everyone, covered with stacks of pizza boxes, buckets of fried chicken, and trays of burgers. Beer bottles and soda cans littered the tables as people ate with their hands, laughing between bites.

Some crew members were already on their third slice, while actors leaned back in their chairs, finally relaxed after weeks of filming. The director sat with the cinematographer, both holding beers as they argued good-naturedly about shot angles. Empty plates piled up as the noise level grew louder. There was no fancy catering, just greasy food and cold drinks that just hit the right spot.

Astrid was seated between Rhett and another cast member. Ellis sat with the director and other senior staff. She hadn't originally planned to attend, saying the dinner was only for the cast and crew. But Director McCann overheard their conversation and insisted Ellis come, saying she was just as much a part of the film as everyone else.

And he was right. Whenever something needed to be done on set and no crew was available, Ellis would jump in to help. So yes, she definitely belonged at this wrap party.

Ellis likely felt awkward being the only agent there. She probably wanted to avoid anyone thinking Astrid got special treatment. But honestly, Astrid knew neither the cast nor crew would care. The proof? When they arrived earlier, nobody even batted an eye when they saw her.

Astrid grabbed his can of cream soda and took a drink. He was just deciding between pizza or chicken when Rhett cleared his throat beside him. Turning, he saw the other's expression. That look that said he had something to say. And specifically to Astrid. Yet, he didn't know where to start.

"Do I have pizza sauce on my face?" he asked jokingly to help the other relax.

It seemed to work, since the tension in Rhett's expression just melted. "No. Sorry, am I staring too much?"

"Not really. Although, if you continue to stare, I might start to think it's because of some nefarious reason," he answered, keeping his tone light.

Rhett laughed. "Then I should just be upfront and tell you exactly what I want to say."

"Good idea."

Rhett cleared his throat again. "I just wanted to say thanks. Acting alongside you this past month has been incredible. I learned so much, and it made me even more driven to improve. All thanks to you."

Astrid blinked, caught off guard. "I didn't really do anything special."

"Maybe to you it was something that was expected, so you gave your all into portraying the character you're given." Rhett smiled, making the hard planes of his face softer. "But for me, seeing you doing your absolute best in every scene, it got me more motivated to do the same. It made me remember the reason why I even started acting. So... yeah, thank you."

Astrid didn't really have a response for that. So he picked up his drink and clinked it against Rhett's beer can. "Then I'll gladly accept it."

Just as Rhett chuckled, Director McCann pushed back his chair and stood up.

His movements slightly unsteady from the drinks. His face was flushed, and his fingers tapped nervously against his beer bottle before he raised it.

"I just... I need to say thank you," he started, voice already wobbling. "To the crew - for putting up with the long hours and last-minute changes. To the cast - for bringing these characters to life better than I ever imagined." He took a shaky breath, his free hand rubbing at his chest like his heart was too full. "We had a tight budget, crazy schedules, but everyone gave their best every single day."

His gaze landed on Astrid, and his eyes got that watery look again. "And Astrid... thank you for giving my script a chance. For letting me see that I actually have a rough diamond with me and not a fake glass shard." A tear escaped despite his blinking. "Damn. Sorry. Just... thank you. All of you."

He quickly sat down, hiding his face behind his bottle as the group broke into applause.

And that was how filming for [The Shadow Within] wrapped up.