It was in the evening that I got some very good news. News, that immediately made me fet about the troubles of the school day, be it my best friend, my cssmates, or the media problem. All paled in parison to what Steve told me.

  "Is it true? You aren't joking, right?" I asked agaiedly.

  Steve chuckled at my enthusiasm, "You remember my friend Barry Mendel? We met at Sundan January?"

  I nodded enthusiastically, "Yes. He was the one who is around ye but has those really brown eyes."

  "Yes, him. I received a call from him today. He saw our film and liked your performance a lot. He is currently produg a movie that has a major role for an 8 to 10-year-old boy. Shooting is set to start in January when you turn 10 so age-wise it's perfect for you. The movie is a supernatural thriller. This will be a major produ, distributed by Disney with a budget exceeding 40 million, and will be shot in Phidelphia for two whole months." Steve expined.

  I was barely listening to his expnation. I was just excited to be a part of a big produ with a media giant like Disney helming the project.

  "Troy, pay attention!" Steve flicked my forehead and I gave him my undivided attention.

  "This will be a major role on par with the male lead and you won't have the fort of w with me. The shooting schedule will be intense and for those two months, you'll have to study using a tutor with no school. That is if you clear the audition." Steve gave me aern look while emphasizing the st line.

  "Wait, your friend, the producer, liked my ag and I still have to audition?" I asked in fusion. As far as my uanding goes, producers are the top dogs in the industry. Whatever they say happens. If you upset them you will likely be repced.

  Steve gave me a disapproving look, "Stop being so cocky. You have done just one film till now and that too in a British at. They want an Ameri kid. I know you do the at somewhat, but unless you vihe other producers and the director, you won't get the role."

  Of course. My role in [Sex-ed] was of a British immigrant, not an Ameri. A studio iing 40 Million will be hesitant to spend it on a Brit when they get an Ameri kid that may be more acceptable to the domestic audience.

  While I have gotteo uanding Ameri ats and sometimes using Ameri terms more frequently in my vocabury over British terms, I am still a little inexperienced while using Ameri in long versations and my Britishness es out one way or another. I love my 'r' and 't' sounds too much to bee pletely Ameri.

  "And," Steve tinued, "if insiders were getting all the roles, then there would be no newers in the industry. No one wants to waste their money on an ued person."

  Properly chastised I lowered my head a little, "Got it, will keep that in mind."

  "Make sure you do. hink for one moment that you're the best even when you've achieved a lot. In Hollywood, it takes one misstep to lose everything. Many people have lost their entire careers because of one bad role or one wrong statement to the media," Steve lectured.

  I nodded in uanding. Just because my first role was a success doesn't mean others will be the same or that I will have an easy time getting future roles. Many things factor into a film's success. A bad director derail the whole projeto a mess. A bad editor select those final shots that are not the best. There were other factors as well like petition from other films, sensitivity of the subject matter, release time of the film, and many others which decide the success or failure of the film.

  Then there was the problem of being typecast. An actor like Richard Gere who is mostly seen in cheesy romantic movies is one such example. Or Tom Cruise in a-packed movies like Mission Impossible or Top Gun.

  Child actors had another problem altogether. People find it difficult to accept child stars growing up and doing mature roles. There are rarely actors who have been successful as both children and as adults. Jodie Foster is one of the rarities.

  "Now," Steve tinued and I was jolted back to the present once more, "I know how much you love the [Harry Potter] projed I would love for you to star but there is a problem there. I will o vihe produ pany to i such a rge amount of money and no pany will accept it if the lead actor hasn't proven himself beforehand."

  "Don't worry," I reassured him with a determined look on my face, "I'll give my best performance for the audition."

  He smiled at me, "I'm sure you will. I have to go to Pittsburgh tomorrow for the [Wonder Boys], so your Mum will take you to audition for this movie. You'll have to take tomorrow off from school."

  I mulled over the information, "What about the role? Do you know anything else?"

  Steve shook his head, "Not much. They are maintaining secrecy about the script. You will receive the script only if you are firmed to py the role. What I do know is that the male lead is pyed by Bruce Willis and the director is retively inexperienced, some Indian guy named Night Something."

  Hearing the two ogether gave me all the information I needed for the role. Bruce Willis had done many films during this period when he was still an A-lister. Of them, there were two particur films that he had doh an Indian dire. Night Shyaman. [The Sixth Sense] and [Unbreakable].

  While [Unbreakable] was a good movie, it was of the superhero genre, not supernatural and it was released in the year 2000, only after [The Sixth Sense] was a huge success.

  So the role proposed by Barry should be for the film [The Sixth Sense]. It henomenal movie that was ercially and critically successful, receiving many Osominations. That movie immediately brought the child actor Haley Joel Osment to broader media attention and even an Osod.

  If the same movie was made 20 years iure, apart from the ag, it would be sidered an average movie at best. But the cssics are called cssics for a reason. And [The Sixth Sense] was an undeniable cssic.

  A perfect movie for my big-s debut.

  "Does the movie have a name?" I asked for firmation.

  "[The Sixth Sehe character is named Cole Sear."

  Yep. I am getting that role. By hook or by crook.

  (Break)

  I didn't think it would be super easy to get the role after just deg that to myself, but never in life I could imagihat I'd be in this dilemma. In my hands were two scripts and none of them was titled [The Sixth Sense]. One was [Stuart Little], written by her than M. Night Shyaman himself. The other was [Magnolia] written by Paul Thomas Anderson (or PTA as he's only known.)

  The dilemma was that after seeing my role in [Sex Education], Mum, who was registered as my agent in the SAG, got calls from the casting directors of these two movies as well. Acc to Mum, there are few really good ay age in the industry, so those whet many offers to audition.

  I wao pick up all three of the said movies, but the problem was the flig schedules. All three of the movies were to begin shooting in January. And I didn't have a big enough hat I could push around their schedules for my venience.

  [Magnolia] was a critically accimed movie. Then there was the ce to work with Tom Cruise. I mean, who doesn't love Tom Cruise? The problem here is that the movie was a box-office disaster. And if Tom Cruise couldn't save the inal movie, I hardly think my presence would ge anything. The missed ce to work with PTA, who is a very accimed director, would surely be a sore point, but I always work with him iure.

  Then there was [Stuart Little]. That was a good, fun movie that any kid would enjoy watg, the problem was that I had a much lesser role than a CGI Stuart Little and that role too didn't have any difficult ag. Just being cute and doing stupid shit.

  When pared to [The Sixth Sense], [Stuart Little] doesn't even stand a remote ce of winning. Although teically Cole's role is supp Bruce Willis, it is a much more fleshed-out character and almost everyone agrees that it was the little kid who made the film what it was.

  Having made my decision, I annou to my Mum, "While I would audition for all three, I wish to go with [The Sixth Sense] if I have a choice."

  Mum furrowed her brows in fusion, "But you haven't evehe script."

  Oh, Crap!

  "Ahem," I coughed nervously but soon stabilized my voice, "Yes I haven't, but the other two scripts aren't to my liking. So by process of elimination, the third one wins. Also, Barry is Dad's friend, so the w ditions will be better, I guess. Magnolia is not bad, but have you seen the script? It's too long to get shot within a month or two. And Stuart Little is what little kids would like. I do these films but only if I get rejected by [the Sixth Seeam. The fact that they haven't given out the script like the other two means it has some sort of mystery or suspense. And I love suspehriller movies!"

  "You deduced that much from them not giving out scripts?" Mum asked incredulously, "Maybe they wao give out scripts in person?"

  I just shrugged my shoulders carelessly before doubling down on my choice, "First preference, [Sixth Sense], sed [Magnolia], third, [Stuart Little]."

  Later on in life, I always chalk it up to my sixth sehat made me take up [The Sixth Sense].

  (Break)

  "Are you nervous, love?" Mum asked from the driver's seat after parking the car in the parking lot of Hollywood Pictures, a Disney subsidiary that rodug [The Sixth Sense].

  "Yes. My first audition, how I not be?" I ran a hand through my hair nervously and straightened my tie for the umpteenth time. For some reason, I had decided that wearing a suit to the audition would be cool as that would make me out to be mature and sophisticated. Like Cole.

  I was totally fi home, but as the location got nearer, I was getting more and more anxious about the impending audition.

  "You'll do fine love. I know you." She turned bad started to tidy up my hair, "And stop messing your hair!"

  I smiled at the loving look she sehanks, Mum."

  "Anytime dearie. e along now, we have to get to the pce or you'll be rejected before the audition begins." She got out of the car and motioned for me to follow.

  Entering the building, the kiionist showed us the room we had to wait in. Following her dires, we ehe room to find at least 10 other young boys sitting in the room with a guardian ent.

  That's quite tame pared to some roles where literally thousands of kids are auditioned before deg on one particur actor. But then again it was already the third day of audition when I had arrived so it is possible that on the first two days, they had auditioned hundreds of people before me.

  As soon as I was in the waiting room, every eye turowards me. The reason was quite obvious. I was the only one in a suit and a tie. Now I was dreading my choice. Why did I have to be a dumbass and wear a suit to the audition? Why couldn't Mum stop me from making this grave mistake?

  No point thinking too much about it now though. I had made my choid now I could only wait for my turn.

  "Johnny Lynn." A name was called out by a beautiful dy in her early twenties. A boy stood up with a raised arm as an older robably his mother, apanied him inside.

  It took five minutes for him to be doh it while all the other children sat outside, fidgeting quietly to not blow away the ce to audition.

  In the meanwhile, I thought about the character that I am auditioning, Cole Sear. A 9-year-old kid who could see ghosts, because of which he remaiually scared and depressed. People don't believe him, including his own mother, which has caused some deep reseowards everyone else.

  "Michael Cera." Another name was called, but this time this name made me reize the cute kid who rose to fame iure thanks to the TV show, [Arrested Development], and two sleeper hit indie films, [Superbad] and [Juno], both released in 2007.

  Cera went ihe audition room and that made me a little nervous. The dude was a good actor. I know because I have seen some of his works or rather future works. And while he has been typecast as a edy actor, he is yet to get any rht now, so he could get the role if the audition goes well.

  This audition also tinued for around 5 minutes. When Cera came out, he had a normal expression on his fad he directly made a beeline for the exit. I shrugged internally a back to setting my mood for the role of Cole Sear.

  Two more kids went in for their audition when finally my name was called.

  Kathy and I stood up and made our way towards the door where the casting team was located. Ihe room, there was a long table that could easily seat 7 or 8 people. At the moment, there were only four people there. The first I reized was Barry Mendel, my father's good friend whom I had met at the Sundance festival.

  o him were two middle-aged dies and a brown man who I guessed must be M. Night Shyaman. I gave them a small smile, trying to be in character, and gave a brief nod to Barry, before speaking in my best Ameri at, "Hello, my name is Troy Armitage, and I'm 9. I am here to audition for the role of Cole Sear."

  "Nice suit," Shyaman ented with a grin. "I don't think anyone else wore one."

  "Thank you," I gri him. At least now I know he will remember me at the very least. I had a differentiatiure in the form of my suit.

  "Hello Troy, Kathy," Barry smiled at me and Mum, who was sitting behind me in a chair, "I must say I loved your role in [Sex Education]."

  "All credit goes to Dad," I smiled at him politely.

  "I thought that was you," Shyaman interjected, "but your at is totally different from that movie."

  "Oh, I am actually British," I expined but tinued in Ameri, "But this role is of an Ameri boy so I am doing an at."

  "That's good," One of the dies cut in, "So Troy, other than ats what else you do?"

  "I act, sing, swim, py a guitar. Pnning to start the pia."

  "Great," the dy plimehis time looking behi my mother, "If you are selected, would you be willing to shoot in Phidelphia for two months beginning in January? We will provide tutors for your education, of course."

  "No problem at all," Kathy answered for me.

  The dy looked satisfied with the ahen she handed me a couple of sheets of paper, "Why don't you read a few lines for us, Troy?"

  I took the sheet ahe lines written there silently. From what I could grasp, it was the se from the where Cole freaked out his teacher and made a huge se.

  "Before we begin, you give me Cole's temperament and some background of the plot?" I asked the director.

  Shyaman looked surprised for a moment, apparently not expeg that question from a kid. But he quickly cleared his throat and posed himself before saying, "Yes, Cole is a misuood and quiet boy. His cssmates and teacher don't believe him so he is hesitant to answer in css. This turns to anger when his teacher disregards his answer as untrue because Cole believes that he knows the correswer."

  I hummed audibly reading the lines for a few more moments, "Okay, I am ready."

  _____________________

  AN: Visit my Pat reon to read ahead up to 20 chapters, or participate in free polls about the story.

  Link: (dot)pat reon(dot)/fableweaver