Noah Buschel _top_ -

Noah looked at the pie. He took a bite. It was terrible. The crust was soggy, the filling too sweet, the whole thing a monument to mediocrity. And yet, it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.

On the first day of shooting, Noah arrived at the diner at 4 a.m. The crew was small—twelve people, most of whom had worked for scale because they were tired of green screens. The actors were two journeymen named Frank and Dennis, both in their fifties, both with the gentle desperation of men who’d once been called “promising.” Frank had been a child star. Dennis had been a soap opera heartthrob. Now they were just… actors. Which is to say, experts in the art of pretending that the next job would be the one that changed everything. noah buschel

“A diner. Two old friends. One night. That’s it. No flashbacks, no gimmicks. Just… conversation.” Noah looked at the pie