I bme my teenage hormones freeing to Emily's request. Any sane person would tell me that this is a very bad idea. Kissing someone for a se is ohing, but doing it for 'practice' while all alone was unnecessary and almost as bad as cheating. I khat very well. Still, I agreed to Emily's request for reasons that I couldn't fathom.

  But it wasn't meant to be. As if some divine poatg over me, I got a call from Emma right at the moment when Emily was about to kiss me.

  "Hi, Troy!" Emma said over the phone. "Did you get the present that I sent over to you?"

  "Emma?" I asked in surprise. I was not expeg this call at all. "Of course, I received your present for my birthday. It was so good." I walked a few steps away from Emily to get some privacy. "I needed a new watyway, and the Rolex you gave me was just the perfect addition to my wardrobe."

  "Gd to know that," Emma said. "So, what were you up to?"

  I khat I could easily make something up. She was there in the UK, and I was here iates. No one would know that something like that happened. As much as my hormones were tellio lie, I couldn't.

  "Emma," I said seriously. "I o tell you something. You know Emily, right? She made a strange request to me…" And then I told her everything about Emily's request. But not the part where I had already agreed to it and was standing in her apartment to fulfill this desire of hers. I may be ho, but I wasn't stupid.

  "Hmmm," Emma hummed audibly. "And?"

  "What should I do?" I asked. "I'll do whatever you say. If you tell me to tell her no, then I'll do it."

  Emma was silent for a couple of seds while tension was building up in my head.

  "I think you should give it to her," Emma said after some sideration, making me shocked. "I was re-reading that book you're adapti, [The Perks of Being a Wallflower], and in it, there's this se where Sam kisses Charlie because she wanted him to have his first kiss with someone who cares for him. You care for her, don't you? As a friend?"

  "Yes," I didn't even have to think about it.

  "Then do it," she said nontly. "I wouldn't want my first kiss to be watched by some strangers either. So I uand her . She's in a different city, all alone. Just keep in mind that after today, only kiss her while shooting. As long as you don't give me the details, I won't mind it at all."

  I knew right at that moment that I had the best girlfriend in the world. If our roles were reversed, I wouldn't have givehe permission to kiss someone else. Maybe this just shows how mature of a person Emma is, while I'm still a little kid ag like an adult.

  "I love you," I said unsciously.

  "Love you too," she said. I could sehe huge smile that must have been pasted on her face at the moment. "It's getting te," she tinued. "Talk to you soon, yeah?"

  "Goodnight. Dream of me," I quipped.

  She ughed. "Always."

  I disected the call and walked baily. The girl who was fident and daring just a few moments ago had lost all her steam as I stood in front of her. Her demeanor screamed that she had realized the call was from my girlfriend. I decided to end her hesitand moved in for a kiss.

  I didn't expect things to get a little out of hand like that. As soon as I realized that other parts of my body had started reag to Emily, I got up, made a quick exit from her building, and got in my car. This was a disaster. I felt guilty as hell for doing it, even if I had received Emma's blessing. She had told me to kiss her, not to make out with her! Not to mention Troy Jr... I shook my head to clear that line of thought. I didn't want to even think about that right now.

  Right now, I should think about my course of a. While one part of me wao call Emma and tell her everything, I khat would be a stupid decision. She already knew we kissed. Tellihe full-blowails would just make her suffer. Moreover, she had specifically asked me not to tell her the details. So I scrapped that idea.

  The more I thought about it, the more I realized how big of a mistake I had made. I had asked Emma for her permission, but I didn't sider Emily's rea to what happened. I didn't even stay behind to talk to her, which was rather immature of me. After a lot of brainst, I decided I o talk to Emily and nip this thing in the bud. Not only had she bee a good friend, but she was also currently employed under me, which opened a whole host of ethical problems if we were to go beyond friends right now.

  (Break)

  "You seem troubled," Dad noted idly as I sat beside him for dinner.

  "It's... just work," I stopped myself before I could tell him the truth. "I hadn't realized it could be so hectic."

  "Of course it is hectic," he said, sounding slightly offended. "Do you think I click my fingers and we produce [Harry Potter] just like that? Pre-produ is equally important to the actual produ and post. In fact, I think it is the most important part."

  Gd that I had diverted the topic, I asked something else, "So you'll be flying to London tomorrow?"

  "As much as it paio do it, yes. As a producer, you'd uand why I o work on the post-produ of [Goblet of Fire]. But don't worry, you won't be alone. I've asked Tobias to stay with you full-time. Not to mention, this house is much more secure than any other in the area. The 24/7 guards, top-of-the-line arm system, and the cameras will further ensure your safety."

  "I'll be fine, Dad," I rolled my eyes in irritation. "I know you're worried after that i, but you worry too much. Don't fet that I'm taking my martial arts csses every m. If worse es to worst, the person to attack me will be sorry they did so."

  I shook my head to clear that thought and focused ba Dad, who eaking again.

  "...he was you some advice about some ocks in the market," Dad was saying.

  "Who?" I asked.

  "Andrew , your iment manager," Dad gave me a pointed look to pay attention. "He called me today and reminded me again that we o tell him about your future iments."

  "How much money do I have?" I asked curiously.

  "Even if we ighe iments you have already made in some stocks, a lot. Your returns on making [Billy Elliot the Musical] have been phenomenal. Out of the initial iments of 19 million, we have recovered a total of 43 million, giving you pre-tax profits of 24 million to date."

  My eyes wide that annou. When I po make the musical, I hadn't expected to more than double my money ihan three years. The show's attendan New York and London had lowered a little since I was not perf anymore, but they were still running successfully.

  "We also have received offers to take the musical to Australia and Japan as well," Dad tinued. "Japan mostly because of your popurity there. osition both these releases so that they cide with [Goblet of Fire]. Then you do a little promotion for it at the same time."

  "That's a great idea," I said. "And it be trao Japanese as well by then."

  "Exactly," Dad nodded proudly. "You cat quick. Moreover, theater produ costs are lower there, so roduce the two for just 10 million. You will receive more than 90 million in a month or so, so that shouldn't be an issue."

  I reeled ba surprise. "e again?"

  Dad looked at me as if I had gone crazy. "You hadn't realized it till now? From now on, you'll get 10% of every [Harry Potter] film revenue. Given the fact that the third film has grossed 900 million already and is still going strong…"

  Of course, I khat I would get a shit ton of money for the film, but this much?

  "How much money do I have then?"

  "After paying off your taxes and redug the amount you have set aside for your wo films, your worth after receiving your [HP3] sary will be somewhere around 150 million."

  I could only sit there in silence. Why the fuck was I then being such a miser while making [Brick]? I know it may seem impusible, but it hadn't occurred to me till now how much money I really had. Making a film and w on it tirelessly made sure I khe real worth of money.

  "Don't think too much about it," Dad said, breaki of my deep thoughts. "Now that you have so much money of your own, you'll never have to work for it unless you squa. A good rule of thumb would be to set aside 100 million in good quality stocks or whatever iments you prefer and have fun with the rest."

  I nodded slowly befaining my voice. "Okay. Tell Ahat I will do some researd send him a list of all the stocks aors where I want to ihat 100 million. For the bance money, I'd like to buy some real estate in LA, NYd London, just like you."

  As much as I wao buy out a big pairely to leverage my future knowledge, that was too much work. Produg just one film had shown me how much went into the business side of things. I was happy being an artist and a passive ior. Moreover, I would need a py own to live in when I moved out of my parent's p a few years.

  (Break)

  Sae, where [Brick] was to be shot, was 75 miles away from LA. We had rented a few adjat houses in the area for the entire cast and crew to stay at for the month, though we po be done in three weeks. All the filming equipment arrived on time. While we, the actors, were getting ready, Rian took the cameras for a test run and filmed some establishing shots of the background and the surrounding area, which are used to give more depth and realism to a film.

  "Is it done?" I asked Tobias while Rian was shooting the front of the school. "Or will it take time?"

  "It will take at least 10–15 minutes," Tobias replied. "Then we will shoot your ses directly."

  I nodded in uanding. "Then I'll be ba a few minutes."

  Tobias was a smart man because he never asked me where I was going. I simply left the area. My guards quickly fell in step around me. I waved to the plethora of fans who had e to watch the shooting. There was definitely a shriek in the crowd, but I ig in favor of doing what I had been dreading for the st two days. Because we had a very small budget, we couldn't afford trailers. So, repared two akeup rooms for either gender for all the actors. As it would only be used for actors with a speaking role and not the extras, today there were just two actors o: Emily and me.

  Motioning my guards to stay behind, I knocked on the female makeup room.

  "e in," I heard Emily's voice from the other side, and I went in.

  She turo look at me, and I was impressed by the amazing work that had been done by the makeup artists. Her blonde hair was messy and tangled, her green eyes were red-rimmed, and her skin was so pale it seemed she hadn't been out in the sun in weeks, if not months. All in all, she looked like a picture-perfect junkie.

  "Oh," she made a startled sound upon seeing me. "I thought you would send a crew member to call me. Just give me a minute."

  I smiled unsciously at her innoce. I shook my head as I began, "It's not that, Emily. We o talk about what happened in your apartment."

  "We do?" she asked in fusion. "I thought it was just a oime thing? What else is there to talk about? I had a problem, you helped me out. That's all."

  Now it was my turn to be fused. Didn't this girl say to me just a few days ago that she hadn't ever kissed anyone? And now she was ag nont about me ag like a jerk after kissing her? Was she lying to me now, or was she lying earlier about being inexperienced?

  "heless," I said, "I o say that I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bolted like that. It's just that... I really love my girlfriend. I even told her about this kiss."

  "You did?" she asked, surprised. "That's good to know. But you really don't o apologize. We're friends. Just friends."

  I smiled at her. "I'm relieved to hear that. Now, if you don't mind, the shot will be ready in a few minutes."

  "You go on ahead; I'll be there."

  "Sure." I turned around and walked out of the room. Emily didn't have any idea how free I felt after clearing that misuanding.

  (Break)

  Emily looked wistfully as Troy left her dressing room. Some things just aren't meant to be. Maybe in some other world, she could be with Troy, but she khat if she told him the truth, their friendship would be over as well and she didn't want that. As much as she would love for Troy to be her boyfriend, she wanted him as a friend first and foremost.

  _____________________________________

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