Jennifer Lawrence looked nervously at the red carpet from the window of her car. This was the first time she was getting such a grand treatment. A star treatment. She had previously attended the premiere of [Superbad], but this was so much bigger than that. There, all the spotlight went to Troy. He probably didn't mean to do it, but it happened because his photos do grab a lot of eyeballs.
Just like they were meant to today.
"Calm down, Jen," the said boy in question assured her by taking her hand in his. "It's gonna be fine. Just take a deep breath and think of it as… prom night. Yeah, that would work."
Jennifer looked at Troy nervously. "I…never went to prom? I graduated early. Remember?"
"Really!?" Troy smiled at her. "Then you absolutely have to treat it like prom. We are in a limo, you're looking gorgeous in that beautiful dress, and tonight you will be crowned the prom queen thanks to your performance this past year."
Not to mention, she was being escorted by the man of her dreams. To be fair, he was the man of many girls' dreams, and for good reason. The fact that he had offered to accompany her was beyond her wildest dreams. Especially when…
"Are you sure it's fine? With you and Scarlett, I mean…" She hesitated.
He waved her concerns off. "It's fine. We're doing this as friends, aren't we? And I didn't want to go back on the plans I had made before I started my new relationship. Scarlett doesn't mind. She knows it's part of the job."
Instant jealousy flared up within Jennifer. Scarlett seemingly had everything. She was an amazing actress, had that awesome body, and the best boyfriend in the world.
"Come on," Troy motioned towards the door. "Shall we get on with the show?"
Jennifer took a deep breath before fixing a huge grin on her face, just as she had been taught. Troy opened the door of the car before getting out, rocking his crisp tuxedo. He threw a sexy grin at the crowd that went nuts upon seeing him, before turning around and offering an arm to Jennifer.
She grabbed it before she could even think about it, before getting out. As soon as she did, she was almost blinded by the flashes that went all around her. She was right. This was so much worse than [Superbad].
Troy, being the gentleman he was, placed a hand on the back of her flowy dress before leaning closer. "Breathe. It'll be okay."
She did. And it was.
Or more like she got used to it. She gave a thankful nod to him as he escorted her down the carpet.
Numerous reporters were extending their mics in the duo's direction.
"Troy! Why aren't you here tonight with Scarlett?" "Did you break up already?" "Is it an open relationship?" "Did Scarlett approve of this?"
Troy raised an arm, like a maestro conducting an opera, and immediately they all fell silent. Seeing the man beside her with that kind of power over the media, almost made Jennifer weak in the knees. Almost.
"Jen is one of my best friends," Troy lied smoothly. Of course, they weren't best friends. "I accompanied her tonight because I made a bet with her while we were making [Juno]. I promised I'd go to the premiere with her if she gave it her all. Guess what? She did. When I watched the first cut of the movie, I knew I was watching a masterclass in acting. It's that good of a performance. And critics agree with me unanimously. Mark my words—next, I'll be accompanying Jen to the Oscars. She's getting nominated for sure."
"Please!" Jennifer scoffed before she could stop herself. "That's not gonna happen. Seriously. This guy grows Oscars if he so much as touches a good film, but me? No one even knows me. Why would they vote for me?"
Troy laughed. "And who knew me before [The Sixth Sense]? How about a bet? If you get nominated for an Oscar for this role, you'll feature in my next music video. For free."
Jennifer grinned, forgetting the cameras were still trained on her. "Okay, but if I don't get nominated, you're giving me a role opposite you in your next movie as the lead."
"Deal." Without missing a beat, Troy shook her hand.
The reporters had captured the entire exchange on camera, something Jennifer realized a second too late. She was about to duck her head in embarrassment for sounding so greedy about landing her next role when Troy gently led her by the back.
"If you'll excuse us, we have a premiere to attend."
As they headed inside, Jennifer couldn't help but think about the second premiere. The film had first been screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation and rave reviews. It already held a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83/100 on Metacritic as of that morning. The hype surrounding its theatrical release next week was strong.
For now, it would open in limited theaters under Fox Searchlight, the company that had acquired its rights, but the release could expand based on audience reception in the coming weeks.
Inside the theater, Jennifer was more than excited to reunite with her co-stars after months—J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman. And most important of all, their director, Jason Reitman, and the writer, Diablo Cody.
If anyone deserved an Oscar for this film, it was those two. Without the sharp script and tight direction, her performance wouldn't have mattered at all.
(Break)
It was surreal watching things change so much, yet remain the same. Aside from Jennifer Lawrence's presence in the film, everything else was more or less what I had expected. It helped that I'd managed to secure Jason Reitman as the director. He had firm control over the casting, and aside from Jennifer, I hadn't asked for any other changes. It had played out exactly as I'd hoped.
"What're you thinking about?" Scarlett asked suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Just the premiere of [Juno]," I replied honestly, raking a finger gently down her bare back. "That girl, Jennifer Lawrence, she's going to get nominated for an Oscar this year. I don't even doubt it. You should see the movie."
"I will," she promised, looking away. There was something in her eyes, jealousy, maybe something else. I couldn't quite tell.
Taking a shot in the dark, I said, "I told you, nothing is going on between her and me. You've got to trust me on things like that."
"I do." She rolled her eyes. "I know you won't cheat on me. At least not this early in the relationship."
"Hey!"
She ignored my protest and went on, "I was just thinking about the Oscars. My most acclaimed film to date, [Lost in Translation]—the one I won the BAFTA for—I wasn't even nominated for the Oscar. It fucking hurt. I cried myself to sleep that night when the nominations came out. And judging by the way things are going, it doesn't look like I'll be getting one anytime soon."
"You will," I promised. "Just say the word, and I'll line up Oscar-bait movies for you every year until you get one. Hell, I'll produce the film if I have to."
She looked up at me, a little shy. "You'd do that for me?"
"Of course. But only if you're okay with it. I don't want you thinking I'm interfering in your career."
Scarlett smiled and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on my lips. "That's awfully sweet of you. I'll think about it."
We lay there in silence for a while. Having Scarlett here beside me wasn't something I had planned, but it had happened anyway. After the incident, she had seemed reluctant to return home, so I'd arranged to have some of her clothes and essentials delivered here.
"I think I should go back to my place tomorrow," Scarlett said suddenly, as if reading my thoughts. "I've stayed here long enough. I think it's time I face my fears. My mom's coming to L.A. tomorrow for a few days. And you'll be busy with that James Cameron movie starting tomorrow."
"You don't have to go," I said firmly. "This place is big enough to fit your mother for a few days. Or… are you ashamed of me?"
"Of course not," she assured me. "It's just that…" She hesitated. "Don't judge her for it, okay? But my mom thinks it's a little weird that I'm dating you, because of the age difference. And this is so new, it would feel weird asking her to stay here."
Those were valid concerns for both Scarlett and her mother. But neither of them knew about my past life, so it wasn't exactly a fair judgment.
"If our genders were reversed, no one would have a problem with it," I said.
She shrugged. "Not my fault if the people in my life are old-school."
"Fine. When your mother leaves, then," I suggested. "Move in with me, at least for as long as we're both in L.A."
She stared at me, stunned, for a couple of seconds. "Are you sure?"
I nodded. "You said we should try it for two months before deciding." Then I slid a hand over her bare ass and pulled her closer. "How else will I make up my mind without full access to this amazing ass?"
She let out that beautiful laugh of hers before shoving my chest playfully. "You're bad."
"I'm the worst and the most depraved," I corrected. "And tonight, I'm going to show you just how deep the rabbit hole of my depravity goes."
The excited grin on her face and the 'come here' motion she made with two fingers were all I needed to pounce on her.
(Break)
"I fucking hate this suit," I complained to the only person currently listening. "It feels so stifling."
I tugged at the collar to give myself some breathing room, but it didn't help.
"You'll get used to it," Jim said confidently. "Everyone who's ever worked in one does, usually in a few days at most."
Looking down at myself, I couldn't help but frown. I was wearing a skintight black suit that stretched from neck to feet, with neon strips along the sides. A cap with a mounted camera sat on my head, trailing fiber strands meant to simulate my character's alien hair. "Jake" was printed on the chest to help the crew differentiate between mo-cap suits of different cast members. While I couldn't see it, I knew there were small markers dotting my face to capture my expressions.
All in all, I felt like a complete clown in this outfit—more so than I ever had while filming [The Dark Knight].
"If only Zoe had shown up on time, we could've started already," Jim grumbled.
Zoe Kravitz was running late. She was currently in hair and makeup, getting prepped for the shoot.
"By the way," I asked curiously, "why'd you hire an actress with almost no experience? I'm pretty sure you're not the kind of guy to cast someone just because of her father."
"She gave an amazing audition," he admitted. "Originally, I wanted to cast someone much older. I had even shortlisted an actress. Coincidentally, also named Zoe, but I needed her to be closer to your age to get the right chemistry. So we redid the auditions, and here we are. Had I known she'd be this late…" He shook his head. "I'll make sure she knows this is the last time I'll tolerate it."
"Don't be too harsh on her," I said. "She's new to all of this. And if you absolutely have to say something, wait until after the shoot's done. Otherwise, it'll just waste more time."
He thought for a few moments, then nodded in agreement.
"By the way, have you started your new diet and training regimen?" He asked.
"I have," I confirmed.
Since I was playing a paraplegic for this role, bulking up wasn't an option. I'd reduced my calorie intake and muscle training, shifting focus to cardio instead, so that by the time we are done with motion capture, I look right for the role. It helped that my next project would be [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows], which also required a slimmer build, especially since Harry, Hermione, and Ron would be on the run for most of the story.
"I was thinking," I said, "do we really have to shoot the intimate scene today? We could push it a few weeks—give Zoe and me some time to build a rapport."
He gave me a long, thoughtful look, clearly debating whether to tell me something. Eventually, he relented. "You weren't available for a chemistry test. So we had to go ahead without it. Today's shoot is also a chemistry test for Zoe. If the two of you don't click on camera, we'll have to replace her. That's mentioned in her contract as well."
That was rough. Benji had mentioned, after I ended my self-imposed isolation, that Jim had tried to reach me for chemistry tests with potential co-stars. Now I regret getting so deep into the Joker role. It would be awful if Zoe got fired—just because I'd been an asshole method actor on another project.
Just then, Zoe emerged from her changing room and speed-walked over to us. She was dressed in the same motion capture suit as me, complete with a cap and a front-facing camera. The only real difference was the name stitched across her chest: 'Neytiri'.
"I'm so sorry for being late, Jim, Troy," she apologized as soon as she reached us. "It won't happen again."
Jim looked like he had plenty to say, but thankfully held his tongue. He raised his voice to address the entire set. "Alright, everyone, we're ready to begin. Get into positions."
At his command, the previously relaxed set snapped into motion, as if no one wanted to give him a reason to blow up. Jim really did have a terrible reputation. Whether it was deserved or not, I'd find out in a few days.
"You two," Jim turned mostly to me, "get comfortable with each other. We'll run a few rehearsals first so the crew can get used to everything. This kind of shoot is new for everyone. Once we're confident everyone's in sync, we'll go for a real take."
I nodded. It was a pretty standard approach among directors, so it made sense that Jim would go this route.
As he left to speak with some crew members, I turned to my on-screen lady love.
"You know your lines?" I asked casually.
"My lines?" she shot back. "I know the entire script front and back. I've had multiple acting coaches walk me through every scene, every emotional beat. I know what's at stake here. I can't afford to mess it up with incompetence."
I was impressed by her dedication. Now I knew that I had to sell the chemistry between us, no matter what. Otherwise, I'd feel terrible if she didn't make it through because of me.
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AN: Visit my personal website to read ahead, or check out my second Hollywood story set in the 80s.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com