I was walking from the Immigration zoowards the waiting area, dragging my red suitcase, my eyes taking in every face looking for two particur ohat I wao see more than anything else at the moment.

  "Troy!"

  I turned my head towards the familiar voice. Standing right there were Steve and Kathy. I picked up my pace as I almost ran towards the couple, bang the suitcase carefully. As soon as I reached them, Kathy opened her arms for a hug and I literally rammed into her and hugged her for dear life.

  I never knew when I got so attached to these two people, but I did.

  "I missed you, Mum, Dad," I whispered into her arms, but I keve was close enough to hear me out. Within a moment, Steve engulfed the two of us in a family hug.

  "Whoa, if I didn't know aer it would seem as if you didn't enjoy yourself in Hawaii at all," came out a boisterous male voice.

  We separated only to see Melinda smag her husband on the chest, "You just ruined a perfectly good family moment!"

  Evan looked as if he was fused about whether to ugh or be embarrassed at his parents' antics.

  I turowards John Spader who was a man in his early 40s and had a strong physique with graying dark hair. He was usually a very serious, no-nonsense kind of guy, but the vacation led me to see a totally different carefree side.

  "Dear John, I had loads of fun and would definitely love to do that again sometime. But that doesn't mean I iss my family at the same time." I answered with fake siy.

  Melinda and Evan burst out ughing at that inside joke of ours while John had a mock hurt expression on his face.

  "Dear John?" Steve mouthed to me at the same time as Kathy asked, "Are we missing something?"

  Melinda took the opportunity to expin with a straight face, "Troy thinks that had John been a soldier, he would be getting a 'Dear Joher from me."

  Steve barked out a ugh while Kathy looked torween ughing and rebuking me. Finally, she settled oer.

  "Troy Armitage! That's so rude!" Her stern expression made me avert my eyes as I looked away at the other travelers ierminal.

  "It's all good Kathy, cut him some sck," John said pgly, "It was all in good fun. We were both poking fun at each other the whole time."

  Kathy didn't ent any further and seemingly the matter died down.

  The thing is, most people ot their heads around the fact that I exge witty remarks with people four times my age and still e out on top. That is sidered disrespectful by Kathy. Steve is more id bad hardly ever reprimands me for it.

  Still, I wouldn't ever ge anything about Kathy because I know she loves me and is doing whatever she is doing to help me bee a better person.

  Bidding our farewell, we parted ways with the Spader family and sat in Steve's car as we drove home.

  "So how was your vacation? Did you have fun there?" Kathy asked after we all sat down in the living room.

  I nodded with a smile, "It was amazing. Wish you were there too. John taught me how to swim and I lear within an hour! Then we went kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, trekking, you . I have taken many photos and videos on the camera you packed, I'll show you at home. And the food was to die for. Especially the prawns, I loved them."

  "That does sound like fun," Steve remarked.

  "What about you?" I ged the subject, "Are you doh the movie?"

  "Filming has been done, yes," Steve replied, "Just a few ses are to be shot iember. Post-produ has begun. We will be doh assembling the director's cut within a few weeks. Obviously, barring some of Michelle's ses. We have given the footage to HBO and soon you'll find the trailers airing on WarV els."

  "I'll have to find a new school, won't I?" I asked dejectedly.

  While I didn't hate the idea of school, I didn't love it either. The only reason I didn't want to leave school early was because I'd be bored out of my mind if I did that. you imagiing out of school early only to do a kiddy role in some bsted Disney movie that primarily caters to preschoolers?

  Yeah, hard pass on that one.

  Kid movies be good, but it's not like I'd have watched all of them in my past life to decide whie to choose from. It's not like I'd have the option to choose either.

  Unless I'm at Macauy Culkin's level, I hardly think anyone would want to give me a script to read and decide. Child stars at the end are exactly that, children. Even if my parents have accepted me as a genius anomaly, other producers and directors won't.

  So school it was. Just keep getting good grades and maintaiatus quo for an intelligent child of my age. That was my ultimate decision for my schooling. And finally, when I got used to the monotonicity of an Ameri public school, I would have to ge to a private one.

  "It's for your own good. I know you don't care much for your education," Kathy raised a hand when I was about to protest, "Don't even deny it. Steve and I discussed it at length when you were in Hawaii. Your coursework es easily to you so you don't care for it much, but art is unique as every person has their own expression and you clearly want to go in that dire."

  I just looked at Kathy silently as she and Steve exged annce.

  "I won't lie," She tinued, "I don't like the idea of you w at ye. Steve and I have had many arguments over this. You shooting short films at home was ohing, but taking it to the studio is a totally different thing."

  "Do you wao stop ag till I grow up?" I asked bluntly.

  She shook her head, "Seeing your performand the joy it brings you, I ot deny you that. All I request from you is this, don't be in a rush to take up too many projects in a year."

  I smiled at her, "Rex Mum, it's not like I'll be getting too many offers on the basis of just one role."

  Steve, who was a silent observer for some time, said, "I won't be too sure of that."

  "What do you mean by that?" I asked curiously.

  "Just wait for the movie to release and you'll know the answer," He said mysteriously.

  I decided to ge the topic, "So when I see it?"

  "Not anytime soon!" "When you are 15," Came the reply from the two parents who then looked at each other and smiled.

  Kathy firmed Steve's words, "15 seems to be a good enough age to watch the movie."

  "That's so unfair!" I crossed my hands over my chest, "I have acted in most of the ses, I know the tent of the script pletely but you don't wao see it?"

  "Yes." Kathy and Steve said in unison.

  I sighed i. I just khey wouldn't let me see it at any cost. They haven't taken a subscription to HBO so I won't be able to see it at home. CDs and tapes won't be released until year at the earliest and among my friends, Evan would have the same problem as me. Well, then there's Bobby.

  Yes! I could always vince Bobby to help me out. Although we weren't as close as Evan and I, Bobby was the cool older brother who sometimes bent the rules for you.

  "There's one more thing we have to discuss," Steve looked down at me with a ptive gaze. I o show my attentiveness.

  "Of the amount of your sary of 75,000, 30% has been deposited in the Coogan at," Steve expined.

  I nodded in uanding. Coogan at is a safety at for minors w in any performandustry in California, be it music, movies, TV, theater, or anything else. It saves them some money so their parents don't blow away everything before the children e of age.

  Jackie Coogan was the first child superstar who earned signifit money from his movies. However, most of that amount was used by his mother and stepfather. He even had to involve the authorities to get some amount back. That led to the passing of the Coogan Act that mandated a portion of the earnings of child actors to be deposited in a trust at till they came of age. This amount is decided on a case-to-case basis by a judge, whi my case turned out to be 30%. From what I remember, this amount would be fixed at 15% in a few years.

  Steve had expihe legistion to me and how it worked. ened an at with a Mutual Fund pany to i money in high-quality funds. That way, any of my funds would be able to beat the inftion at the very least.

  "From the bance 70%," Steve tinued, "I've paid your initiation fee of the S Actuild and AFTRA which came out to be around 2,500."

  S Actuild (SAG) is a film actors' union that protects hts. Simirly, AFTRA is the union of TV Actors. Although the initial price of 2500 may sound steep, they offer a lot of prote for actarding pay and work ditions. Like health insurand in the absence of a, SAG iates actors' tracts for them.

  And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more bes and most big produs don't eve non-SAG actors audition for them. Joining it was iable.

  " is your taxes. Right now, after all financial pnning, your taxes e out to be somewhere around ten grand. So after dedug everything your bance money would be around 40,000."

  "Why are you tellihis?" I asked after taking all that info in. "I mean, I'm grateful that you are sharing this with me but you use that moo pay for my schooling or something. I don't o know the details."

  Steve shook his head, "As your parents it's our responsibility to take care of your needs and wants. We'll bear all your expenses including schooling, clothing, hobbies, games, whatever you need. You save your money for your future, like, if you wish to set up a business or maybe i in someone else's business."

  Those words struck a chord within me. Iing in someone else's business seems to be su amazing idea if I could get some future stoowledge.

  "You use this money now if you want, but you must give us a good reason for using it. I won't let you waste it away on meanihings." He finished his speech.

  I was evaluating my options when I asked, "Would you let me i in stocks?"

  "If you give me a good enough argument as to why you want to i in a particur stock," Steve answered.

  "Alright," I nodded in acceptance, "give me a few days to research."

  "On another matter," Kathy interjected our financial talk, "we have booked an admission interview for you with the principal of Crossroads School, week. It's nearby so uting won't be a problem when you are accepted."

  "Don't you mean if I am accepted?" I asked with a grin. Of course, I know I will be accepted. There's nothing that a teacher throw at me that I 't handle.

  "No." The single word was enough to show her fiden my ability.

  "And what about Evaold me he would follow me to whichever school I chose."

  Kathy snorted softly and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'minion'.

  "I'll talk to Mel and John. I'm sure they won't have an issue booking an interview themselves with how artistic that kid is."

  Evan loved making sketches and cartoons. Whenever free he'll make these small caricatures for everyone he knows. His family, me, my family. You get the point, right? Crossroads, being a private school heavily geared towards Arts, should be good for a kid like Evan.

  (Break)

  I carefully read the list of stocks and their prices as shown iest issue of the Wall Street Journal. I had thought that I would get another set of memories as soon as I looked at a list of stoames but no such luck.

  I looked at all the big stocks carefully, be it General Electric, Microsoft, or Pfizer, but no future knowledge came bae. It's as if I didn't know what was going to happen about their future stock price.

  Ohing that came to me is that Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, would remain one of the richest people for at least two more decades. The problem is that he already is at the top, so his wealth won't be growing by that much as pared to those who have yet to establish themselves.

  Let's say, we know that Bill Gates' wealth will grow tenfold in the 20 years. Seeing that you may think that it would be better to i in Microsoft, right?

  That's where you're wrong.

  Now suppose, there is a fledgling pany whose stock is still sidered penny stock, priced below even 1. But their future growth is tremendous and may even reach 100 within, say, 10 years. Such a pany would be much better for ao i in. These are those panies about whom you read in the news a not iing at the right time.

  I was about to turn the page away from the already established Fortune 500 pao move towards the list of other emerging panies when I caught the name of one particur tiny little ting at number 150.

  Apple.

  As soon as I read the name a plethora of information came to me about the future. Their Macbooks, iPads, iPods, and most importantly: iPhohe product revolutiohe mobile phone market and created a new sub-segment of smartphones. Later on, their new products like Apple Watd AirPods sold innumerable units as well. One of the most profitable panies from the future perspective.

  I also remembered something that I didn't for any other stocks in the Fortune 500. Apple was one of the most profitable stocks iure and I remember doing a proje my past life (college perhaps?) on a few stocks and their life cycle of stock price.

  I sat stu the goldmine I'd just discovered. From what I remember, Apple had the potential to increase your wealth hundreds of times if ied at the right time.

  Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I picked up the notebook I had brought along for this purpose and carefully wrote the name uhe definite buy category.

  Putting the notebook back down, I read ead every name very carefully. Again. I was just about to give up when I sale. It would've been a disaster had I actally left it out. I couldn't let this happen to another supany.

  It took me the better part of an hour, but I looked at ead every name of the top 500 panies, but no other name came to my recolle. Then I turhe page to the emerging stocks and started reading each of them carefully.

  Luckily for me, I found two more hat I had knowledge of. Yahoo and Amazon.

  Amazon was the one of other most profitable stocks iure report of my other self. It was also on the list of most profitable stocks for ao i in if do the right time. I wrote it down uhe must-buy category.

  Last but not least is the stock of the year: Yahoo.

  Yahoo was the biggest emerging stock currently for having increased its value tenfold within two years of listing. It was the biggest shock to the whole market when the prices of Yahoo fell sharply after reag the closing peak of 475 in the first week of the year 2000.

  Currently, it's priced at 48.60. I know the stock will split multiple times before hitting its peak, and if I i in it right now, I could definitely increase my wealth by multiple times ihan two years.

  Now, if I was of legal age and had some sort of creditworthio my name, I could've easily used this knowledge to make myself millions with the 40,000 I have. Unfortunately, I'm not. And while Steve may allow me to i in a stock with potential, he will not let me specute anything that much riskier.

  With that in mind, I decided to be satisfied with what I could get.

  Of the other options of Amazon and Apple, I khey were the safer option in the long run, but currently, they ot give me tenfold returns that Yahoo .

  With my mind made up I went to Steve and presented my idea.

  ______________________________

  AN: Read ahead on Webnovel/Royalroad.