"Mrs. Vogel!" A little girl raised her chubby hand high, "Where do babies e from?"

  Mrs. Vogel looked very unfortable as she cleared her throat, "That's, ahem, a good question Annie. You see, when a man and woma married and love each other a lot, God will give them a small baby. That's where babies e from."

  "Then why does Mommy say that there is a baby iummy? Did she eat it?" Came the prompt query from the same girl.

  "No. God sends the babies directly to mommy's tummy." Vogel answered again, sweatiaphorical bullets.

  At this point Mark, the protagonist, decided to be a dick, "So you mean it has nothing to do with Daddy peeing inside Mummy's butt?"

  A number of 'Ewws' rang ihe css. It wasn't in the script, but quite the natural response of kids their age so Steve didn't interrupt the se.

  Mrs Vogel went absolutely white as Mark said that.

  "I saw Daddy peeing inside Mummy," Mark answered fidently, then turo Annie, "Hey Annie, you ask your daddy as well."

  "No! No one will ask anyone's daddy." Mrs. Vogel said sternly as she gred at me, "And you, you…," She whispered harshly, "Stop spreading lies and rumors."

  "But I really saw! It was all white. Daddy said whe older it ges from yellow to…" This was as far as I could go.

  "Stop it, you retard. And fod's sake, it is ejag, not peeing." Mrs Vogel lost her posure. Then immediately paled as her own words dawned upon her.

  "Ooohh! Mrs. Vogel said a bad word!" A random kid excimed.

  I smiled cruelly at that, "Mrs. Vogel, did you just call me a retard in front of everyone?"

  "I-I-I…" She stuttered and then stepped out of the with tears visible in the er of her eyes.

  "Cut! Nice job everyone."

  I heaved a sigh of relief. It was the eleventh take when we were finally finished. It is a real pain in the arse w with child actors. Thankfully, I don't sider myself to be part of the group because I trol myself mostly and behave professionally at the same time. Kids need some sort of eai between two takes, or they bee distracted.

  The day went on like this and we were finally finished after a full day of shooting. From other kids' perspective, it was a little fun too as they were given snacks regurly and were given breaks after every few ses to go enjoy. But as I had a lot of lines, I had to prepare for them between takes, so I couldn't indulge myself with the same.

  "Troy."

  I looked up from my dio look at my father who eaking, "Yes?"

  "Did you like today's work?" Steve asked nontly.

  "Very," I answered holy, "As much as I may like to think I didn't, I enjoyed myself a lot. Though, you did help me with all my lines beforehand so I don't know what it would be like w with a different director."

  The reason my ses today were retively smooth was that Steve had goo great lengths to ehat I uood the role and the character. Eveeve was writing the script, he would show it to me and we practiced lines and discussed different sarios. Then he would edit the script if he thought it didn't sound good.

  Our ag practice which had been going on for a year now had been slightly modified as now I practice lines of my own character with him and he would correct me. W o today was like an eborate stage py where I had practiced the role so many times that I knew my character forwards and backward.

  While some may say that this is bad for my future development as everything bees so rehearsed that I won't be able to improvise o iure. To them I say, fuck you.

  It doesn't matter to me if the performance was rehearsed or not, if I give a better performaer excessive rehearsals, so be it.

  "I'm not going anywhere. I always run your lines with you," Steve said with a smile, "Even if you are w with other directors. Just make sure to listen to their advice when you are w uhem. Every director has a uyle and vision for a particur role, so don't undermiheir authority."

  I nodded resolutely.

  "Now, how about we discuss your part for tomorrow?"

  (Time Skip)

  "Hey, little dude! How you doin'?" James Franco asked me with a devilish grin.

  "I'm fihanks for asking, Mr. Joey Tribbiani." I retorted back immediately.

  His grin faltered but was regained bastantly, "You watch Friends? Do you even uand its jokes?"

  "Do I? Could you BE any funnier?" I imitated my sarcastic dler voice.

  James ughed, "Yood dude, yood."

  "I know!"

  He ughed harder at my Monica voice.

  "Okay boys, enough goofing around," came Steve's voice from behind the camera where he was making se preparations.

  "There are others here as well, you know." A female voice called out.

  I tilted my head in the dire of the said voice to find a beautiful girl ie teens standing there with a mock pout on her face whnized as Michelle Williams. A very talented actress with loads of awards and nominations in her future.

  "Aww, Michelle you know I love you," I extended my hands to her in a hugging motion. She bent down and scooped me in a hug and swung me around. I whooped in joy.

  "You know if only you were a little older, I would totally marry you." She teased as she pnted a kiss on my cheek.

  "You just have to wait fht and a half years." I said with a thinking face, "But why do we have to marry? I mean we could do 'it' before also."

  Her face colored as she looked around at the ughing people o. Steve let out a tired sigh as he shook his head in exasperation.

  "You little devil," Michelle gritted her teeth and gave me a noogie.

  "Behave, Troy," Kathy called out loudly with a stern expression. A very stern expression.

  Uh Oh.

  I gulped unsciously after Michelle stopped hurting me, "Yes Mum!"

  Another round of ughter came around the set seeing my face. I looked at Michelle, "I'm sorry Michelle."

  She smiled and pulled my cheek, "No, you're not."

  "O!" I yelped.

  "Michelle, don't," Steve warned. "We'll have to do his makeup all ain."

  Thankfully, she did let me go.

  I rubbed my cheek as I looked at the girl with a gre. If only she wasn't a good actress she won't even be pying the role.

  The script had some graphic ses for the role of Jenny. However, the person who came to audition was a girl who was only 17. Steve and Kathy didn't know this. heless, Michelle was ready to do said ses, but if they were shot when she was underage, it would create legal troubles. Most filmmakers would search for a different actress. However, Steve was so impressed with Michelle's audition that when he couldn't find anood enough actress, he decided to wait a few months to shoot them wheurned 18 iember.

  Right noere shooting one of the most difficult ses of the movie, the one where my character was assaulted. There were some ges in the script like instead of Coke, Dyn would throw ilkshakes on Mark because that's more sticky and difficult to stay in.

  Then the se was longer aended with more dialogue because it was one of the most important ses of the whole movie.

  (Break)

  "A!" Steve shouted and instantly everyone except me went quiet.

  "Then I told Andrew how much of a loser he is! He peed his pants right there and cried." I bragged loudly and then both of us started ughing.

  The se went on for a few more moments as we shared our respective school experiences like a bunch of bullies bragging about who's the bigger one.

  "Did I tell you about my girlfriend, Sarah?" Dyn asked out of the blue.

  I shook my head dutifully.

  "Well, she is beautiful. And she gives the best kisses." He grinned.

  "E! Kisses are bad. You're not supposed to kiss till you're married." I parroted the well-rehearsed line.

  Dyn ughed loudly, "That's a lie you will realize within a few years. Then you'll want to kiss all the time. And more."

  "More?"

  He went on to expin the barebones of physical retionships without going into too much explicit detail.

  Then the se went like the inal, he threw the chocote shake at me. I retaliated and threw mine on him. He could stop me from doing so but he didn't.

  We went to the bathroom to shether which acc to him was quite ong male friends.

  This time we were both wearing skin-colored underwear as we showered. I asked a few questions about differences in our bodies that he answered and then attacked me.

  I shouted but he blocked my mouth with his hand. That particur shot was taken multiple times to get the correct emotion and ahen came the se where my sister Jenny pyed by Michelle burst in a Dyn, with a toilet pluhis time, and we cried together.

  "Cut! Good work everyone." Steve shouted, "David, get Troy and Michelle out. Franco, you stay."

  I followed Michelle and David, who was an AD, out as they gave me towels and led me towards the ging rooms.

  If my guess was correct they were probably shooting Franaked without the minors' presence.

  This is a really messed up society we live in. In the name of art, people are ready to make and e borderline porn. The worst part is that people eve awarded Oscars and Emmys and whatnot for such 'art'.

  (Break)

  Finally, after more than a month of effort from everyone, I was free from my shooting requirements. It wouldn't have taken such a long time if I wasn't a minor. Acc to child bor ws of California, a child actor of my age only work at max seven hours a day during a non-school day.

  This was the main reason HBO agreed to shoot the movie during the break without much argument. During school days, a child ay age ot shoot more than four hours a day.

  Now I remember that they had to get a special act passed in the UK to shoot Harry Potter there, that allowed child actors to work longer hours, otherwise they were shifting shooting locations elsewhere.

  Then there are people like Michelle who got emancipated and graduated high school early to work longer hours at produ sets. At this point, I uand why she would do that.

  "Penny for your thoughts?" Kathy asked as she was driving me bae in our old Chevy.

  "Just thinking of child bor ws. You know, general stuff." I answered with a grin.

  "Why do I even ask?" She groaned, "Do you ever think about anything a normal kid ye should, like, I don't know, going out to py with your friends oing to the beach or something?"

  I shrugged, "I only got Evan and he must be in Hawaii by now. And seriously, the beach? We live in Santa Monid you want to seo the beach?"

  "How about a park then?" She quipped pyfully.

  Seeing my unimpressed gaze she ceded, "Alright alright, it was a joke. But just because you are done shooting doesn't mean you ze around at home."

  "Don't tell me you've signed me up for a summer camp," I said jokingly.

  Seeing the bnk expression on her face I was horrified, "Oh God, no! Please tell me you're joking!"

  "Oh love, stop being so melodramatic. We both know you're more mature than that." She rolled her eyes, "And it's not a camp if that's what you're w about. But you must uand that Steve and I have work to do and we have to finish it at the earliest. I truly wao go on your first vacation as a family but this project has forced our hands."

  "Don't worry about that," I tried pg her, "We'll have many opportunities iure."

  "Yes, I know love. I have pns for the ohough, don't worry about it." Kathy reassured me, "For the remainder of the summer though, you'll be having a babysitter."

  "Wow, that makes me feel so much better, just after shooting the movie." I snarked, refereng the part where my character was assaulted by his babysitter.

  "I don't think you will have any problem with your babysitter," she smirked right as she pulled over in a familiar driveway.

  "Hey, isn't that Evan's pce?" I asked, just realizing that we weren't going back to our apartment.

  She didn't reply but did get off and motioned for me to follow her. She opehe trunk and took out a red suitcase.

  "Wait, are we breaking aering? Isn't that a crime? Do you wanna go to jail?"

  "Will you just keep quiet for a few minutes, you dumbass?" She finally snapped.

  I snickered, "Yes! I finally made you cuss."

  She rolled her eyes again but just kept pulling me along towards the door and rang the bell. After a minute of waiting the door opened only for us to e face to face with Melinda Spader, Evan's mother. She was in her mid-thirties and really pretty. With her brown hair and eyes, she looked exactly like Evan, just an older and female version of him.

  "Kathy, Troy, you're here! You must be doh the shooting then." Melinda beamed down at me. I politely smiled back.

  "Hi, Melinda." Kathy beamed.

  "Hello, Mrs. Spader. It's good to meet you." I nodded politely.

  "None of that dearie, call me Melinda or Mel. e on in. Evan hasn't stopped talking about you sihe holidays began." She beed us in and we followed. Their house was a fairly rge one, located in a rieighborhood.

  When the first time I came around I was a little baffled seeing the size and opulence of the house. Beautiful decor, spacious rooms and yard with a rge garage (that had at least four cars), and most importantly, their own swimming pool. All this is in L.A., one of the most expensive areas in the US.

  The only insistency was Evan studying in a public school when clearly they could go private. I know this because Steve and Kathy had been talking and had strongly hihat I may o move schools before my movie is aired. With the new ihey are receiving from the movie 'Sex Education,' it wouldn't be an issue to sehere anymore.

  Heck, from my personal ine alone, I could educate myself at a top-tier private school easily.

  Private school at this point is only to maintain my privacy. Paparazzi be especially cruel to child actors despite the ws proteg children.

  When I shared my views with Evan oter, he told me that he would e along with me to whichever school I chose. The only reason he was at a public school was because his mother felt it would teach him some humility if he stayed away from rich, pretentious brats for the early years of elementary school.

  Because Evan didn't talk to a me, I don't think Mel would mind if Evan ged schools.

  "Hey Mel, didn't you pn to go to Hawaii for the Holidays? Or are you back early?" I asked curiously.

  Mel and Kathy exged an amused gh each other as if sharing a private joke. I hate it when adults do that to you.

  "Troy!" Before I could take in the voice, a mini-missile unched onto me and tched as if its life depended on it. I only had enough time to hug my friend back before we toppled over on the floor.

  Kathy and Mel had a good ugh as Evan hugged me tightly.

  "Ugh. Get off, Evan. You're stifling me." I pushed him away.

  Evan had the decy to look sheepish as he got off the floor and helped me up, "Sorry, but I waited so long for you to finish filming. Now we go to Hawaii together!"

  I was baffled for a moment but I turowards Kathy with an expet look.

  "Surprise." She smirked, "We talked to Melinda and John about their vacation pns. Apparently, they were going for only three weeks and nothing was set in stone. So ns for you. Now, you will be staying with them for the hree or so weeks so be on your best behavior."

  I blinked momentarily, still uo e to terms with the fact that I was going on a vacation to the isnd state of Hawaii.

  "Is that my stuff?" I poi the red suitcase Kathy was carrying.

  "After you left with Steve for the day, I packed everything you will need and more. If you want anything else, give me a call and I'll drop it off tomorrow m." Kathy answered with a smile.

  I didn't know what to say to her so I did the only thing that made sense. I hugged her tightly and said, "I love you, Mum. Thank you for this."

  She kissed my hair and whispered, "I love you more darling." Her voice was a little hoarse.

  I almost cried right there in her arms, but somehow I trolled myself.

  "Evan, why don't you show Troy your room. I think you won't mind sharing, right?" Mel said after Kathy and I separated.

  "Of course, we'll share. e Troy." With that Evan all but dragged me upstairs. He would have if I wasn't carrying the suitcase with me.

  "So Evan, how did you all make this crazy pn? Moreover, how in the hell did you keep quiet about it?" I asked Evan after lying on his bed.

  Evan looked sheepish, "It was your Dad who called. He wao firm our holiday pns. He told my Dad that you would be doh shooting by now. Dad agreed to postpone our vacation to July so we go with you."

  I was a little surprised, "Hadn't he and your Mum made pns for vacation at their work?"

  "My Dad is a partner in the firm." He shrugged his shoulders as if that expined everything. Which it did actually. Partners in w firms have the utmost authority over choosing their holiday time.

  "When are we going to Hawaii?" I asked.

  "The day after. Your Dad actually firmed st week that you'll be free by that time so we booked the tickets. We are going to Oahu Isnd." He expined.

  "You know I have never received a surprise. Ever."

  Evan didn't say anything, just y o me silently.

  "Thank you, brother."

  "Anytime, brother."

  _______________________________________

  AN: Read ahead on Webnovel/RoyalRoad.