CANVAS OF US ? Marius de Saeger

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Amora stared at the email on her phone, her heart pounding. The International Film Festival in Venice. She reread the announcement, feeling equal parts excitement and dread. This was massive. Bigger than anything she'd imagined when they started their short film project. Without hesitating, she opened their group chat.

THE FILMMAKERS

TODAY 00:10 AM

GUYS. Check your
emails right now.

Lou:
Already? You just
sent this, superstar.
What's up?

[screenshot of the email]
We're not just making
a short film. We're
competing for a spot
at the Venice Film Festival.

Lou:
HOLD UP.
VENICE?
Like the actual film festival?

Marius:
This is incredible.
But we need to get serious.
We'll have to recheck everything.
Our concept and the script.
This has to be perfect.

Lou:
Chill, man.
Let's not implode on day one.
Amora, congrats on landing
us in this mess.
Guess we know who's paying
for the coffee now.

Thanks, Lou.
Marius, you're right.
We'll work hard on this.
I promise.

Lou:
Alright, team, listen up.
It's late, and my beauty
sleep is non-negotiable.
Let's all get some rest, and
we'll meet tomorrow morning
at the café to plan this out.
Deal?

Marius:
Deal.

Fine.
But if we don't ace this,
I'm blaming you for the early
bedtime, Lou.

Lou:
😘
Goodnight, perfectionists.

The next morning, Amora walked into the cozy café, spotting Lou waving dramatically from a corner booth. Marius sat beside him, flipping through his notebook. She slid into the seat across from them, dropping her bag onto the floor.

"We all caffeinated and ready to brainstorm?" Lou asked, grinning.

Amora took a sip of her latte. "Ready. But no pressure, right?"

Marius raised a brow. "We should start by reviewing what we've got so far. The Venice showcase will expect something polished and meaningful."

Lou leaned back, arms crossed. "See? No pressure at all."

-

As they walked back through the academy hallways after the meeting, the buzz around the Venice announcement was already spreading. Amora noticed lingering stares and hushed whispers as students passed them.

"Is that her?"

"She's so lucky. Hollywood privilege, right?"

"I heard they already have a shot at winning. Typical."

Amora's chest tightened. She'd dealt with this kind of attention before, but somehow, it stung more here. These weren't paparazzi, they were her peers.

"Don't let them get to you," Lou murmured, falling in step beside her.

She forced a smile, but the doubts were already creeping in.

-

The trio spent the next week diving into the project, but as the deadline loomed closer, Marius's perfectionism took center stage.

"This needs to be sharper," he muttered, erasing a section of the storyboard. "The pacing feels off here."

Amora bit her lip, watching him revise the same scene for the third time. "I think it works fine. We can always tweak it during filming."

"It won't matter how good the filming is if the foundation isn't strong," Marius insisted, his tone clipped.

Amora exhaled sharply, tension building in her chest. Lou noticed, tossing a pencil onto the table with a loud clatter.

"Alright, timeout. Amora, come on. Let's take a walk before Marius drives us all insane."

Marius frowned but said nothing as Amora grabbed her coat and followed Lou out.

-

The crisp air felt like a balm against Amora's fraying nerves. She and Lou walked in silence for a while before she finally spoke.

"I'm terrified, Lou."

He glanced at her. "Of what? Failing? You're Amora Morgan. You don't fail."

She shook her head. "You don't get it. People already think I'm just this Hollywood girl who doesn't deserve to be here. If we mess this up, I'll prove them right. And... I don't want to let you or Marius down."

Lou stopped walking, turning to face her. "First of all, you're not just some Hollywood girl. You're talented as hell, and anyone who doesn't see that is an idiot. Second, Marius and I are in this with you. If we fail, which we won't, we fail together. Got it?"

Amora smiled weakly. "Thanks, Lou."

He grinned. "Don't get used to it. I prefer teasing you."

-

That evening, Amora stayed late in Lou and Marius's dorm room to finalize the revised storyboard. Lou had fallen asleep on his bed, leaving Amora and Marius alone at the desk.

"You didn't have to stay," Marius said softly, glancing at her.

"I wanted to. Besides, you're less scary when Lou's not here to provoke you."

Marius chuckled. "I'm not scary."

Amora raised a brow. "Tell that to my stress levels."

They both laughed, the sound soft in the quiet room. As they worked, their hands brushed while reaching for the same pencil. Amora froze, glancing up to find Marius already looking at her.

"Sorry," she murmured.

"It's okay," he replied, his voice gentle. His gaze lingered for a moment before he looked away, clearing his throat. "Let's finish this scene."

Amora nodded, though her heart raced. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but it left her feeling both flustered and... hopeful.

- 

As Amora packed up to leave, her phone buzzed with a text from Lou:

LOU

TODAY 22:25 AM

[Picture of them working together]

Caption this: "Two stressed artists and one tired genius."

Goodnight, superstar. Don't overthink everything, okay?

Amora smiled, her worries easing slightly. For now.