~My first love broke my heart for the first time, and I was like
Baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, oh
Thought you'd always be mine, mine~
I watched Zoe Kravitz sing with slightly judgmental eyes and raised eyebrows.
"Really?" I asked. "You have to sing that one out of all the songs in the world?"
Justin Bieber had made his debut with "Baby" only recently, and the song had exploded worldwide. It was one of the biggest debuts any young pop star had seen in years. It became the fastest song to hit 100 million views on YouTube and 200 million streams on Spotify. It was even faster than any of my songs had ever managed. His album, [My World], had sold out everywhere, and stores had rushed to order more CDs.
I was happy for the kid, and Phoenix was making good money from it, too. Yet a small part of me couldn't help thinking it was an overwhelming amount of success for someone his age. I'd need to make sure he stayed grounded.
"Hey, it's a great song," Zoe said defensively. "And shouldn't you be happy that I'm singing one of your son's songs?"
I couldn't stop the laughter that escaped my mouth at her joke.
"I'm too young to be a father," I said after controlling my laughter, "and Justin's just five years younger than me."
"Really?" Zoe looked me up and down with genuine confusion. "He looks like he's thirteen, and I thought you were twenty-five."
"I'm twenty," I corrected her.
She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. In my headcanon, you adopted him and showed him the way to success. And the way you appear in the video is way too fatherly. Let me show you what I'm talking about."
She pulled up the video on her phone and hit play. I'd seen the thing far too many times not to know what scene she meant.
The video opened the same way the original did. Justin was bowling with a group of boys while the girl he liked was bowling with her friends. They exchanged shy glances across the lanes, and it was clear to anyone that they liked each other. The video then cut to shots of Justin singing the song directly to the camera.
If it were one of my videos, I wouldn't have included that part. I've always found standalone singing shots cringe, both while filming and while watching. For me, the story in a music video matters more. I only add singing clips when there's no strong narrative to lean on.
But this was Justin's video, and he wanted a proper singing segment. I wasn't going to say no to a kid about something he wanted for his first music video, especially when most artists in the industry used this exact format.
As the video continued, Justin walked home looking crushed after the girl rejected him. He stopped in the front yard, where I was doing pull-ups in a tank top. The video never identified who I was, but behind the scenes I was meant to be his older brother, someone who understood the sting of rejection and wanted to help him figure out how to win the girl over.
Then my part began. I'd rewritten the entire Ludacris section because I thought it was terrible and added an original rap of my own instead.
~My baby got me runnin' 'round, losin' my breath,
Feelin' like a kid again, holdin' on to what's left.
First crush, first touch, first kiss, hit me deep.
Now I'm awake all night, not a wink o' sleep.
You ruled my dreams, you had my heart,
Now I'm lookin' at the doorway hopin' you'll walk past.
If love's a little game we play, I'm givin' it all.
I'm here, will always be, never lettin' you fall,
So tell me girl, why you got my world spinnin' crazy?
'Cause I'll always be your boy if you'll always be my baby.~
Justin smoothly took over from there and began singing the chorus, which blended perfectly with the last word of my rap. The transition was so seamless that it felt like the two parts had always belonged together.
Featuring in Justin's debut song served a dual purpose. First, it boosted the song's visibility by a huge margin. Second, I already knew how big this track was going to get, and I wasn't about to miss that opportunity. I'd had a few Asian friends in my first life who told me that "Baby" became so massive in their countries that it introduced people to Western music. I wasn't going to let that chance slip away in this life.
I could've chosen to sing instead of rapping, but I didn't want to overshadow Justin vocally, and I wasn't about to lower my singing standards for anyone. It would take him a few years to reach a level where he could sing alongside me without sounding like a weaker singer.
"That's what I was talking about," Zoe said as soon as the song ended. "You totally looked like a young stepfather to him."
I shook my head and didn't bother explaining. Some fans are too set in their beliefs to accept the truth even if you tell them directly. I'd learned that the hard way when I once met a hardcore Drarry shipper who was convinced that Tom Felton and I were secretly seeing each other. I still shudder at the memory.
"Anyway," Zoe continued, completely missing my reaction, "I think you should release all his songs as singles. 'Baby' is good, and I get why it resonated with the young audience, but his other songs? 'Love Me More', 'Homework', 'Mama's Boy', and 'One True Love' are my favorites."
I blinked in genuine surprise.
"They are? Really?" I asked. "I wrote those songs for myself when I was younger, but I never thought anyone would like them, so I gave them to Justin."
Zoe gave me a look full of disbelief. "Are you serious? All of those songs are absolute bangers. You should've released them in your own voice. Justin's good, but he's nowhere near as good as you."
The reason her comment stunned me was simple. Other than "Baby", I had personally written every song on his album, and this time I hadn't even borrowed ideas from the future. Songs like "Homework" and "Mama's Boy" had been written as early as my first album. They were relatable for a teenager still in school, but I never released them because I thought I wasn't a good enough songwriter and that no one would listen to them. I eventually gave them to Justin, and after a few tweaks to match his voice and style, his debut album was ready.
In a way, this whole album had been an experiment for me to see if people would like my original songs as much as they liked my copied ones. Yet only "Baby" had been released as a single, and I hadn't paid much attention to the others because my career kept me busy.
"Have you not read any reviews either?" Zoe asked in amazement. "Most of them are wondering why you released a generic song like 'Baby' as Justin's first single when you have so many better ones available in the same album."
"I stopped reading reviews a while back," I confessed. "As for why I released 'Baby' instead of the others, it's simple. I suspected the song would be huge, and I was right. We have a number one trending song worldwide, and people are still wondering why I released it first? Sure, its composition is simple and basic, and it won't win any major critical awards, but Justin and I will make bank from that one song alone."
Zoe opened her mouth as if ready to argue, then closed it with an audible click. She had no counter, and she knew it.
After a moment or two, she finally seemed ready with a comeback, but the door opened and a man peeked inside.
"I'm so sorry for the delayed interview, Troy," he said in a highly apologetic tone. "The girl who was meant to interview you got stuck in traffic and has just come in. She's here now and will be in here within five minutes."
"Don't worry," I said easily. "No apologies needed. Although it's a little disrespectful of you to address me and ignore my colleague here."
The man turned to Zoe and winced. "I'm so sorry, Zoe, I just..."
"It's fine," Zoe cut him off. "Just get her to come in quickly."
He nodded and slipped out of the room again.
"Thank you for that," Zoe said with a small smile. "I don't need some rando's acknowledgment, but I appreciate you doing that."
"He's an asshole and a kissass," I said. "It's like he valued my time more than yours."
She tilted her head thoughtfully. "It makes sense though. It's my first film, and most people don't even know me yet. You're the face of the movie, and everyone knows you, so of course they'll give you more importance."
"I still don't like it."
Before we could continue, the door opened again, and our last interviewer of the day walked in.
"I'm so sorry, Troy, Zoe," she said, looking between us apologetically. "There was a terrible car crash on the way over, which caused huge congestion."
"It's okay," I said with a reassuring smile. "Happens to the best of us. Take your time getting ready."
The crew had already set up the cameras, mics, and everything else. All they needed was her. She was beautiful and looked young for an interviewer, probably fresh out of college. Then again, the news outlet she represented was one I'd never heard of, so it made sense they wouldn't hire someone well known.
"Today we are here with the stars of the biggest movie of the year, James Cameron's [Avatar]." She paused suddenly, realizing that she had not introduced us. "Zoe Kravitz and Troy Armitage," she said hastily, shoulders slightly hunched and fingers pressed tight around her cue cards to keep them from shaking. Even her voice lacked the confidence she clearly wished she had.
"Stop," I interrupted softly.
The girl panicked even more. "Is everything alright? Are you late for something? I can ask my questions quickly if you want."
I shook my head. "You need to calm down. Neither Zoe nor I will eat you. Tell me, what's your name?"
"Samantha," she said hesitantly.
"Take a deep breath, and for a minute forget who Zoe and I are. Think of us as random people off the street. Sit straight and speak with confidence, as if you own the place, while still being approachable. If you keep interviewing us like you just did, it won't look good for your career, and your news agency might even drop you from future interviews."
She frowned briefly, then accepted the advice. She closed her eyes, took a few long breaths, and slowly relaxed. When she opened her eyes again, she gave me a bright, grateful smile.
"Thank you."
"My pleasure," I said with a nod.
This time she sat straighter, steadied her hands, and looked me directly in the eye as she repeated her opening line. The difference in her confidence was immediate.
"So, Troy, Zoe, what can you tell me about working with James Cameron? Is he as much a tyrant on set as the behind-the-scenes stories of [Titanic] suggest?"
I motioned for Zoe to take the lead.
"I think tyrant is a very strong word," she began thoughtfully. "I haven't worked with any other directors since this was my first role ever, so I don't know how the others are, but one thing I learned from working with Jim is that he respects you if you give your hundred percent."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," I said. "There was some friction when we started shooting because we weren't used to working the way he wanted, but by the time filming ended, I loved working with him. Jim is the most punctual director I've ever met. We'd usually be home long before the scheduled wrap time because he's that good at managing time."
Samantha nodded slowly. "How is the whole motion capture process different from live action?"
"Very challenging," I answered, since Zoe didn't have much live action experience to compare. "There's nothing there to act against. You're basically performing in empty air. All the props, locations and sometimes even background extras are created through CGI in post-production, so it's a lot harder than regular acting."
"Isn't that similar to greenscreen work you do for movies like [Harry Potter]?" Samantha asked.
"Good question," I said with an approving smile. "It depends. During greenscreen work, mostly just your background is replaced. Everything else is still very much present around you. Even then, you have a solid idea of where the background is supposed to be."
"I was terrified of the whole thing," Zoe confessed. "But when you have this guy here to hold your hand while filming, it gets much better. If you know what I mean."
"I know exactly what you mean," Samantha said with a quick, knowing look toward Zoe. Her earlier nervousness seemed completely gone now.
"Let's talk about your romance scenes," she continued, shifting smoothly. "Were they shot like they usually are in movies, or was that also CGI?"
"If you mean to ask whether we kissed," Zoe said, taking the lead again, "then yes, I kissed Troy. And it was glorious. I mean, just look at him." She waved her hand at me in a dramatic flourish.
I wasn't even dressed to deserve the compliment. I wore a simple light blue shirt with the top buttons open just enough to show a hint of my pecs, paired with khakis. Nothing flashy or remotely seductive, but Zoe still made it sound like I walked onto set straight out of an underwear commercial.
"If Jim had even suggested doing the kiss with CGI, I would've revolted," Zoe said with complete seriousness.
"Speaking of kisses," Samantha said, leaning forward eagerly, "what was your first kiss like? Both of you."
Finally, an easy question. "Well, everyone saw my first kiss."
Zoe turned to me quickly, eyes bright. "The [Perks of Being a Wallflower]?"
I shook my head. "I was 10 or 11, I think, filming for [Billy Elliot]. I had to kiss my co-star, Nicola, for a scene, and I kid you not, we were both scared shitless. We had multiple takes, and things weren't looking good, when suddenly, in the final take, she burped in my face."
"Oh, I remember that scene!" Samantha said excitedly. "So that wasn't scripted? I thought it was because it's so good, and you stayed in character."
I shrugged. "I did. And that's why Stephen Daldry, our director, loved it. Nicola, who was the same age as me, was mad at Daldry for keeping it, but Stephen convinced her, and the scene stayed in the final cut."
"What about your first real kiss?" Samantha asked. "Off screen."
"I was 14 or somewhere around that age," I said carefully, choosing my words so I wouldn't implicate Emma. "It was with my first ever girlfriend, and it was great."
"Ugh, mine was terrible," Zoe groaned. "I was fifteen and went to this party. We were playing Suck and Blow, and this guy I didn't even know dropped his card on purpose just to kiss me. And he was terrible at it too."
I laughed at the way she described it. "I hope you punched him afterward."
"I wish," she said with a dramatic shake of her head. "I was too mortified to do anything. To make matters worse, my dad came over minutes later to take me home because I wasn't supposed to be at that party."
I nodded before turning back to Samantha and motioning for her to return to the actual topic of the interview, which was the movie.
"The early reviewers are saying the film glorifies a white savior who rescues aliens in their own home," she said. "Do you think that's the correct essence of the story? That it promotes old racial beliefs where only a white man can save the oppressed?"
Damn. She had some really hard-hitting questions. And as much as her point held on a certain level, I knew I couldn't openly agree with it. That would only create negative buzz for the movie.
"Not really," I said confidently. Half the battle in maintaining your public image was making your audience believe you knew exactly what you were talking about even when you didn't. "I think people need to look away from race and focus on the human element of the story. By your logic, [Schindler's List] also promotes a white savior complex since a white man saved the oppressed in it."
"But that film is based on reality," Samantha countered.
"And fictional stories are also inspired by reality," I argued gently. "I feel sorry for the people who can only see racial tension in a movie that's mainly about saving our environment. Our earth was beautiful once, and it could be as good as Pandora, maybe even better, but we'll make it unlivable in the coming decades if we don't change ourselves."
Samantha stayed quiet for a few moments, unable to find a comeback to my little speech. She glanced down at her notes and, seeing she was out of questions, said, "That's all the questions I had for you both. I wish you the best for the movie."
"Thank you," Zoe answered for both of us.
The moment the cameras stopped rolling, Samantha said quickly, "I'm so sorry, Troy. I didn't mean to..."
"Stop," I interrupted. "You were doing your job. And I was doing mine. And now I'm done."
I got up from my seat and offered her a handshake. "You're a good interviewer. Have some confidence, and you'll go far."
"Thank you," she beamed. I gave her a small nod before leaving the room, Zoe a step behind me.
I really needed to get some rest before [Avatar]'s premiere tomorrow.
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AN: Check out my second story, 'Swimmer to Superstar (A Hollywood SI)', which is now publicly available.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com