Finally, the year was over and summer vacation began. I still find it strahat It’s been a year since I came to America. It was a very unique experience going from a lonely self-depe boy to where I am today.

  “Troy,” A voiterrupted my thoughts.

  I turo look at my best friend Evan.

  “What are you doing this summer?” He asked, “I mean, if you have time you could e with us to Hawaii? I know my parents would allow you if you agree. Just imagine how cool it’d be to do that together.”

  “Yeah, it would be cool,” I answered with a smile, “but I have to shoot the movie this month and the . After that, Mum and Dad would get busy with post-produ.”

  Evan had a defeated look on his face as he thought long and hard for a solution. Then as if a switch had been flipped, he smiled, “That means you’ll be free in August, right?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Hmm, okay we’ll do something in August then,” Evan said in his kid voice.

  I smiled back at him, “Yeah we will, mate.”

  Bidding him farewell I came back to Steve who atiently waiting for us to finish our talk.

  “Are you excited about the uping shoot?” He asked versationally as he pulled out of the parking space.

  I merely hummed in affirmation.

  “Not in the mood to talk?” He asked.

  “Just thinking about something Evan said. He and his family are going to Hawaii for vacation. He invited me to e along.” I replied holy as I looked at him. I immediately regretted telling him when I saw the guilty expression on his face.

  “It’s okay, this is something I wanted.” I assured him, “You’re doing this because I want to be an actor. Remember?”

  He sighed audibly, “You’re still too young Troy. I know you have seen a lot in your life and you think you’re all grown up and stuff, but it doesn’t have to be like this. You also have a right to go on vacations and enjoy life like a kid. There is still time, if you want to go, we find another actor.”

  “And pay damages to HBO for the breached trao thanks,” I snarked, “but more than that, this is my wish. This will be a unique experiend I want to have it, so please don’t beat yourself up over it.”

  “How do you even know about the breach of a tract?” Steve asked incredulously, “Moreover, with a child actor they ot enforce work legally, the most they do is fire me and Kathy as well. But with the amount of work we have doh the scripting, casting, a preparation, it would be a bigger loss to them to let us go at this point. Not to mention, they would be the ones breag the tract.”

  “No, the real problem would be angering a media giant like Warner. So uhe reason is genuine, leaving a project at such a time is ill-advised if you wish to stay in the industry. For you, it would hardly matter because of ye when you grow up,” Steve expined as we reached our apartment building.

  The part where Steve and Kathy would face Warner’s attack if I deed at this point was left unsaid.

  Up in the living room, Steve and Kathy sat me down and looked at each other before finally, Kathy said, “We must establish some rules for the filming tomorrow.”

  I nodded in assent as she tinued, “First of all, because it is a mature movie, it will have…stuff that you should not see. So first rule, you ot wander around the set without either of us esc you.”

  At another nod from me she tinued, “If at any point you feel unfortable, whether it’s a se or a dialogue or even a co-actor or crew member, you must tell us at o has been included in your tract as well so you don’t have to worry about it.”

  “Anything else?” I asked patiently.

  “Tomorrow is the meet and greet for the cast and crew, followed by a table read,” Steve expined, “We will be discussing the plete script, whicludes you as well, of course. But it won’t take much of your time. If you have any questions about shooting or your character you voice them tomorrow. I will be direg the whole thing but there may be some ses shot by the assistant directors. Make sure to introduce yourself to all of them personally. It helps in the long run.”

  “Of course,” I nodded in uanding. If the directors are happy with you, they will make sure you perform your best.

  (Break)

  The day, I rode with Steve and Kathy to the HBO office. Steve had booked a ference hall for the table read. I looked around the room and saeople. Ohing I found odd was that there was no other child in the room.

  I took a look around but didn’t find any reizable faces either. That artly because Amy and Bobby had deed to reprise their respective roles. Amy because of the nudity and Bobby because of his character's newfound sexuality. Their reasons were uandable as there were some pretty graphic ses involving both Dyn and Jenny.

  I sat down beside Kathy who was sitting beside Steve. On my other side was a young man in his te teens or early twenties. He was a tall and good-looking bloke with brown hair and brown eyes.

  I smiled and offered him a handshake, “Hello mate. I’m Troy Armitage. I’m pying Mark.”

  He looked startled for a sed as if not expeg such a greeting from me, but he shook out of the stupor almost immediately. He shook my hand casually and said jovially, “Hello, I’m James Frand I’ll py Dyn.”

  As soon as he whispered his name, I immediately remembered him from the future. From what I know, I remember many of his movies distinctively. The most promi ones were the inal [Spider-man] trilogy, [127 Hours], and [The Disaster Artist]. I had watched more of his projects as well, like [Milk] and [The Deuce], but those three were the ones where I distinctly remembered him.

  “Hey, are you old enough to py Dyn?” I asked with a smile, “You look barely sixteen.”

  “I am 20,” He answered indignantly, “and you’re oo talk, jailbait.”

  “Eww,” I made a disgusted face, “do I look like a young underaged girl? And for your info, I don’t have any nude ses. All I have to do is talk shi… I mean bad words.” I amended quickly when I heard my mother clearihroat.

  “Please don’t ence him,” Kathy said from beside me, “my little baby get carried away with his jokes and sarcasm.”

  “Mum, stop embarrassing me!” I said in mock e. Then immediately turned my expression to indifference, “Were you expeg me to say that? Seriously, woman, you o try harder.”

  Franco ughed loudly and banged a hand oable unsciously which did the job of quieting the room down as everyone’s eyes turowards us.

  Franediately ceased his ughter and tried to duck a little as if he were caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

  “Yeah, that wasn’t awkward at all,” I nudged him with an elbow, who looked more embarrassed than anything with all the attention on him now.

  Taking iuation Steve cleared his throat loudly, “Hello everyone. If by any ce you happen not to know me, I’m Steve Kloves, the director, writer, and producer of the movie. This is my better half, Kathy Kloves, our co-producer and co-writer.” He said pointing at Kathy, “Before we begi’s introduce ourselves. Why don’t you start Troy.”

  I looked around the room at the expet gazes and stood up, “Hello. I am Troy Armitage. I am 9 and will be pying Mark in the movie.”

  I retook my seat. This started a series of introdus starting from James Frand going all the way around till it came back to Steve.

  “Great! Now that that’s done, let’s take out the script. All of you who have a role with lines should enact them in character. First, we’ll be reading Troy’s lines. Only after that will other parts be read.” Steve said with finality.

  I frowned in irritation. Steve had expihings to me but it still made me mad.

  Apparently, because I was underage, I could not be given access to the plete script legally and it should only be the parts where I appear. Also, the ses have to be shot in such a mahat no manner of sexual activity, simuted or otherwise, happen in front of me. Not that I want to see it. But they will merge ses in post-produ so it would seem that I am witnessing a sex se if the script so desires. Which it does.

  This also means that they will shoot most of my ses and the ses involving other kids at the beginning to let us leave early. Some ses of others may have to be shot iween to save costs but as far as my ses are ed, they should be pleted within a month if the produ goes as pnned.

  With that thought in mind, I lifted up the redacted version of the script that I was given for the day and read my first line.

  (Break)

  I reached the film set in my mother's car the day. My father had to oversee some preparations for the set so he reached the se early.

  For my first se, the location was set in aary school that was already built ihe Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank. While Steve preferred shooting on location, we all k would unnecessarily escate the costs, thus he had agreed to indoor shooting.

  Walking inside I was stunned for a sed, seeing the eborate and highly detailed set. At first g would seem as if it was a real , only the ck of all four walls made it seem like a fake one.

  “Seems real, doesn’t it?” Steve asked as he walked up to me.

  “It would if it had all the walls,” I answered.

  “The walls be added,” Steve expined, “See that slot over there, They add cardboard walls whehe se requires and you won’t find a difference.”

  “That’s ve,” I mumbled.

  “It is,” Steve affirmed, “First we will be shooting ses from this dire so we won’t he wall. This gives us better lighting and camera ahe set designer is prepared to add the wall when needed for shots from the other side.”

  I hummed nonittally.

  “Why don’t you go a your makeup done?” Steve asked and poiowards ahat now I see has a lot more people than iher areas. “e I’ll apany you.”

  I knew an order when I heard oeve wasn’t a particurly strict Dad but he got work done in a subtle but effective way. His orders will feel as if they were mere suggestions and it was you all along who wao do that.

  I followed him obediently as he introduced me to our makeup artist, “Aaro my son Troy. He is the lead actor in the movie. Troy, this is Aaron Greenberg, our Makeup and e Specialist. He will take care of your requirements for the day. Aaron, fix him up soon, we need him ready in half an hour.”

  “Will do, boss!” Aaron mock saluted, then turo me curiously as he took in my fad hummed audibly, “What amazing skin! e, we shall begin our work at once.”

  Aaron talked in a pompous and dramatic voice that was quite childish but did make me ugh. Seeing the satisfied look on Aaron’s face, I thought it would be better to just humor the man.

  He sat me on a tall chair and started applying the first yer.

  It took him like five minutes and he was doh it, “Your skin is very good, love. I don’t o hide anything, you have a perfect faext, we have to do the hair!”

  What happened was ruffling my hair with several brushes and bs.

  “Your character o look with u hair as if he just got out of bed, right?” He firmed to which I nodded.

  “That’s dohen,” He decred, “Now let’s get you ged and then we will redo the makeup if required.”

  “Yes. e, love, we’ll get ged,” I turowards the voice to see Mum standing there. She had gone off after handing me over to Dad, to do some stuff.

  I nodded and followed her to a ging room. She was already carrying the set of uniforms Mark was supposed to wear to school. It was a little crumpled as was required in the script.

  I went inside and quickly ged. I was supposed to be in a school district that had implemented uniforms iary school, thus the ge. The uniform was simple khaki shorts with a blue polo shirt.

  I came outside only to be led to Aaron again who redid my makeup. Why didn’t I dress up first and the makeup? I’ll never uand that.

  So it took almost half an hour, the same time as allotted by Dad for us to finish the dressing and makeup.

  I reached the set again, apanied by my mother who said, “ you see the empty seat at the back of the sed row? That’s yours. When the se begins, you’ll be sitting there.”

  I looked around and saw that all the other seats were filled by other kids my age. Many adults were standing behind one of the open walls and looking at the kids. Their guardians probably.

  I nodded in accepta Mum and asked, “How long will it take?”

  “Probably five minutes? It shouldn’t take long or children will get antsy.”

  “Troy! e here, the se is about to start.” Dad called out from the door of the , “You remember your lines?”

  “Yes, I do.” I answered resolutely, “Just make sure not to go easy on me.”

  “You asked for it kid,” Steve gri me.

  “Lights!” Steve shouted and immediately, tons of lights switched on.

  “Camera!” “Rolling!”

  “Sound!” “Rec!”

  “A!”

  I adopted a zy attitude as I walked in from the front dht as the teacher was calling out my name, “Mark Lewis.”

  “Here!” I shouted and raised my hand high zily.

  “You’re te, Mark,” my teacher Mrs. Vogel, pyed by a newer, said with a slight frown on her face.

  “I’m sorry Mrs. Vogel, but m-my parents were fighting…” My lip quivered quite vingly as I thought of the worst thing that could happen to Steve and Kathy. Immediately my eyes teared up and my quivering lip became worse.

  Mrs. Vogel kept staring at me in shock. It turned unfortable when she didn’t speak her line.

  “Cut! Linda, what are you doing? You are supposed to say your line! Did you fet it?” Steve shouted.

  Linda gulped audibly, though her eyes were still focused on me. As soon as I heard ‘cut’, I dabbed at my eyes lightly with a handkerchief.

  “I’m sorry, director. For a moment I thought, Mark would begin g for real. He was so ving,” She said finally, “Won't happen again.”

  Steve Linda in acceptance, “No problem, just stay in your character.”

  I gave the older woman a reassuring smile as I retook my starting position. I had practiced all my ses with Steve so many damn times that I could do them in my sleep if I wao. Each dialogue and expression had been ingrained in my head. I guess that’s what being a diligent actor is all about.

  “A!” Steve called again as the sed take of the se began.

  I walked in again and said my lih a quivering lip and watering eyes. Mrs. Vogel went down on one knee as she hugged me, “Oh poor darling. It’s alright, Mrs. Vogel is here for you.”

  As she hugged me, I smirked slightly, as if happy that my ploy worked. She released me after a few moments, “Go to your seat. I’ll excuse you for today.”

  I nodded in mock sadness as I looked towards the floor but made my way towards the st seat and sat down gingerly.

  “Cut! Very good everyone. Now please stay in your pce.” In the meaeve started giving orders to the cameramen and lighting guys and they adjusted their equipment.

  While they were doing so, my mother came o with a dy who started singing a children’s rhyme. That’s great crowd trol when the children actually joined her and sahusiastically.