AN: Lacking powerstones guys. If you want me to keep up with the daily updates, I'm gonna need those PS.
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[Evening – Preston House, On Set]
The shoot for 17 Again resumed. They were shooting the house party scenes at night, and instead of building or renting a space, they were shooting the scenes in a Preston-owned house.
Large production trucks lined one side of the street, cables running across the pavement in careful lines, taped down and marked. Bright film lights stood tall behind diffusers, casting a soft artificial glow that made the house look warmer and bigger than it actually was. Crew members moved, adjusting equipment, checking angles, calling out small updates to each other like it was second nature.
A few neighbors stood across the street, watching with mild curiosity. Some leaned against their cars, others sat on their porches like this was just another evening with a film crew parked outside their homes.
It barely felt like an event to them anymore.
In Los Angeles, this kind of thing happened often enough that it became part of the background. People noticed, sure, but they didn't stop their lives for it. A couple of kids tried to peek past the barriers until a crew member gently redirected them. Someone walked their dog right past the setup without even glancing twice.
Inside the house, it was a different world.
Music played softly through hidden speakers, just enough to set the tone for the scene. Colored lights had been placed strategically around the living room to give it that messy, crowded party feel. Red cups were scattered across tables, snacks half-arranged to look like they had already been picked through, furniture slightly shifted to create space for movement.
And there were junior artists and newbie actors, ready to jump into the party.
Jack stood near the staircase, already in his shooting clothes, running through the scene in his head while a stylist adjusted the sleeve of his shirt one last time. He looked focused as usual.
Across the room, Leslie Mann stood near the mirror again, going over her own marks. She glanced toward Jack for a second, then back at herself, grounding before the next take.
Near the monitors, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord stood side by side, watching the setup come together.
"Alright," Christopher said, clapping his hands once. "Let's lock this in. Party energy, but controlled. Don't overplay it."
Phil nodded, scanning the room. "Background, keep it alive. Conversations, movement, but don't steal focus."
Crew members echoed the instructions as they moved.
The assistant director raised their voice slightly. "Picture's up!"
The room shifted.
People fell into position. Extras adjusted their stance, slipping into character like flipping a switch. The noise lowered just enough to feel intentional.
"Rolling!"
"Sound speed."
"Camera rolling."
Christopher lifted his hand.
"Scene 35 A. Take 1. Action."
..
[Party Scene 1]
The house pulsed with energy, bodies moving in loose rhythm as music filled the space. Laughter blended with overlapping conversations, the kind that felt loud but never fully clear.
Mike moved through it all like he belonged there, confident, grounded, carrying the energy of a teenager. The party was his, even if it was Ned's house.
Stan stood near the center, loud and careless, saying things that carried just a little too far.
Mike didn't hesitate.
He stepped in, closing the distance, the shift in his presence enough to cut through the noise. Words were exchanged, tension rising fast, the kind that didn't need much time to boil over.
The push came suddenly.
Then the hit.
Everything snapped out for a second. Mike passed out.
When Mike woke up, the noise felt distant, blurred at the edges. He was lying on Maggie's lap in the bedroom, and her face was too close.
They exchanged their dialogues...
Maggie tried to seduce him as she leaned in, trying to kiss him.
Mike didn't respond the way she expected. He quickly pulled back and jumped down on the floor. He tells her he is in love with someone else, and Maggie leaves, much to Mike's relief.
[Scene 2 locked in]
Later, Scarlet arrived.
Her presence shifted the energy again. Mike found her as she entered and they had a little dialogue exchange before he guided her attention toward Alex, who had finally managed to get together with his crush.
It was a small victory, but it mattered.
Scarlet watched it, something soft forming in her expression, something that didn't need to be explained.
When she turned back to Mike, the conversation between them slowed everything down.
The party faded into the background.
It became quieter between them, more personal, like the rest of the world had taken a step back. Words were exchanged, but it was the pauses that carried more weight.
...
Christopher leaned forward slightly, eyes still on the monitor, replaying the scene in his head. Phil stood beside him, arms crossed, thinking through it from a different angle.
"It's good," Phil said, nodding slowly. "Really good."
Christopher tilted his head slightly. "But it can go further."
They exchanged a quick look, already on the same page.
"Jack, Leslie," Christopher called out, gesturing them over.
Jack stepped away from his mark, grabbing a water bottle on the way. Leslie joined a second later, brushing her hair back lightly as she approached.
Christopher didn't waste time. "That last moment between you two," he said, pointing toward the set. "It's working. The tension is there. But we want to push it a bit further and add the cut part of the original script."
Phil stepped in, explaining it more clearly. "Right now, it feels like almost. We want it to cross the line. Just for a second."
Jack listened without interrupting.
Christopher continued, "In the middle of that conversation, you get caught up in it. And it just… happens. You lean in and kiss her." [NOTE: I was rewatching the movie and I kinda forgot about this small kiss scene. So, I had to add it. 😬😬]
'What?! A kiss scene with her?' Jack thought.
There was a brief pause.
"Then she pulls back," Phil added. "Hard. She's not okay with it. She leaves looking disgusted. You try to explain, but it just makes things worse."
Leslie nodded slowly, processing it. She thought, 'Okay. A kissing scene with a teenager at my age. Well, I don't have a problem with it, hope he's ready because in the future he'll need to be flexible enough to do on-the-spot improvisation. Not many can do it, due to the sudden addition of kisses and nudity. But this is just a little kiss, so I just hope he does it. Wait! Am I looking forward to kissing him and making up a valid explanation? What the fuck is wrong with me? He's just a teenager... who can lift me up and dance like a pro and smells... Fuck, nope! Stop thinking.'
"It adds conflict," Christopher said. "And it raises the stakes for both characters."
Phil glanced between them. "But as Christopher said, this scene was cut from the original script, so we need to ask first."
He looked at Leslie. "You okay with that?"
She didn't hesitate long. "Yeah," she said simply. "It makes sense for the scene."
Then she turned toward Jack, studying his expression for a second before asking, "What about you? You good with it?"
"How long is this kiss?" Jack asked directly. 'Darn it! I can't even call Haley and tell her. It's already 1:30 AM. And if I say no and delay the shoot, it might not look good on my part. They might think I'm not flexible enough. Haaa... C'mon, why do I get into this kissing and flirting mess every single time?
"Just one lip-to-lip kiss, and she pulls back almost instantly. So, in a way, it won't even look like a real kiss," Phil explained.
"Okay, I'm good," Jack nodded. "Let's do it."
Jack walked back to his mark, rolling his shoulders once as he let the moment settle in his head. The noise of the set faded into something distant again as he focused. It was just another scene. Another beat to hit and another emotion to land.
Leslie moved into position across from him, her expression calm and professional, but there was a slight tightness around her eyes that hadn't been there before. She exhaled once, grounding herself, then gave him a small nod. She has done kissing scenes before and even nude sex scenes, but for some reason, this small kiss scene got her heart pounding. Maybe it was the age thing.
"Let's just keep it clean," she said quietly, almost under her breath.
Jack nodded back. "Yeah."
The assistant director's voice cut through the room. "Alright, let's reset. Quiet on set."
People moved quickly. Extras returned to their spots, picking up half-finished conversations and frozen laughter. The music started again, low and controlled, just enough to carry the illusion.
"Picture's up."
"Rolling."
"Sound speed."
"Camera rolling."
Christopher raised his hand.
"Action."
...
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