"I fucking hate this shit!" Austin growled as he stared at the long line stretching across the entrance of the movie theater. "Why are so many people here to watch this film? Why couldn't they do it next week? Or maybe never?"
"We already have the tickets, bro." Eric gave Austin an exasperated look while adjusting the collar of his hoodie. "I brought you out here because I thought Troy was your favorite actor, and watching his film would make you feel better. But you're still acting like a simp hung up on his ex. If Marissa left you, it's her loss. Stop taking it out on the world."
Austin turned and glared at his best friend. The neon lights from the theater sign flickered against his frustrated expression. "I don't mind that she left me. I'm mad about the fact that she didn't trust me at all. I told her repeatedly that the kiss was initiated by that other girl, but she won't believe me. How's that fair?"
Eric sighed in defeat. "If we're having that argument again, I'm leaving right now. I didn't cause your breakup, so don't take it out on me."
Austin grumbled under his breath but didn't say anything else. He knew Eric was right, even if the reminder stung. The whole situation gnawed at him, and it didn't help that Troy was Marissa's favorite actor too. They had watched all his films together for years. Now he was here with just Eric, and the empty space beside him felt heavier than he expected.
"I can't tell you how excited I am for [Avatar]," Eric said once they were admitted into the premise after showing their tickets at the door. The unmistakable smell of buttered popcorn drifted through the air.
Austin looked at him curiously. "Really? But I thought you weren't a big fan of Troy."
"It's not him I'm here for. It's James Cameron, man." Eric's eyes lit up as they walked past posters lining the walls. "[Terminator], [Titanic], [The Abyss], [Aliens], every one of his movies is better than the last. He's releasing this film 12 years after [Titanic]. That alone is huge. And while I'm not a big Troy fan, it can't be ignored that he's a great actor with even better film choices. He hasn't made a single film that was outright bad. When you consider all that, I'm confident I'll love this movie."
Hearing Eric speak so passionately pulled Austin's attention away from his own troubles. For a moment, he focused on the reason they were here, letting the anticipation settle in.
"Can you get popcorn for us?" Eric asked quickly. "I need to take a leak before the movie begins. We'll meet at our regular seat, yeah?"
"Sure," Austin said. No movie felt complete without popcorn anyway. He walked toward the snack counter, weaving through clusters of people. Just as he reached the front, something bumped into his back hard enough to make him stumble.
"I'm so sorry!" a female voice said, breathless and apologetic. "I should've seen where I was going. I…"
Her voice slowed, then stopped entirely as she lifted her gaze. Austin turned, confused, and froze when he recognized her.
Holy fuck.
It was the same girl who had kissed him at Troy's concert during the Kiss Cam.
"Martha?" he asked, needing the confirmation. When she nodded, he exhaled in disbelief. "What a coincidence."
"It is indeed, Austin," she replied with a small smile.
He blinked in surprise. "You remember my name?"
"You did as well," Martha shot back playfully. "And I guess it makes sense that we're both watching Troy's movies, given how big fans of his we are."
Austin couldn't deny that. The lights above cast a beautiful glow around her face, and for a moment he forgot all about the crowd shuffling past them. She was really pretty.
"I'm sorry about the last time," Martha said as her smile faded. "I hope things are okay with your girlfriend?"
Austin swallowed the bitter feeling that rose at the mention of Marissa. He forced an easygoing smile. "Well, she dumped me. What can you do?"
"Oh my God!" Martha gasped. "Now I feel even worse. Was it because of me?"
"Not entirely," Austin lied smoothly. "We were having trouble already. The kiss didn't help."
Martha shifted nervously from one foot to the other, her gaze darting toward the snack counter. "Well, let's get some popcorn before the movie begins."
They grabbed their popcorn, the warm tubs filling their hands with buttery heat. They were about to part ways when Austin had a spark of an idea.
"Are you here with someone?" he asked casually.
Martha shook her head. "Not really. I could only get a single ticket. All my friends are watching it over the weekend, or maybe next week."
"Then join me," Austin offered. "I'd love to watch Troy with you again."
He hadn't expected her to say yes, but she nodded immediately. The surprise made his pulse race a little. Eric would understand, or at least Austin hoped he would. He pulled out his phone and typed a quick message.
Austin: Got something important to do. Sorry, man. Can't watch the movie with you. Get your own popcorn.
He turned the phone to silent and followed Martha toward two empty seats far from where Eric and him usually sat. The theater was packed, people filling every row. Once the lights dimmed, there was no chance Eric would spot him.
The next three hours were the best he'd had in months. The film was spectacular, the kind of immersive experience that made the audience forget to blink. Even better, Martha was the perfect companion, laughing at the right moments and gasping during the intense scenes.
"That was… wow," Martha whispered when the credits began to roll, the soft blue glow of the screen lighting her face. "I haven't seen a better film. Ever. The VFX were out of this world. Literally."
Austin chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. It was great. And Troy was so good."
"When is he ever not?" Martha replied immediately. "He's simply the best. I've known for a while that I'll never date a guy who isn't a Troy fan."
Austin leaned forward slightly, his voice hesitant. "Well, wanna give me a try? I do fulfil that criteria."
Martha's smile grew wider, teasing at the corners. "You want me to decide after a single date?"
"Was it a date, though?" Austin asked with a faint grin.
"True. How about this then? Let's go watch Troy's upcoming musical on Broadway. [The Book of Mormon]. I have two preview tickets. Our first proper date."
"I'd love that."
(Break)
Variety, Saul Freeman
Rating: 5/5
"A Quantum Leap in Cinema"
James Cameron doesn't just direct movies, he architects worlds. [Avatar] is nothing short of a cinematic revolution. Every frame feels like a page torn from the future, with visuals so immersive they dissolve the boundary between screen and audience. Pandora isn't a setting; it's an awakening.
The emotional core, a story of identity, empathy, and belonging, hits with surprising force. The true miracle is how seamlessly the film fuses technology and storytelling. It's the kind of movie that reminds you why cinema exists.
Troy Armitage as Jake Sully steals the show every minute he is on screen. Whether he appears in his human form or as his Avatar counterpart, he is perfectly cast. Zoe Kravitz, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang all play their parts with precision, elevating the film even further.
Don't miss this movie. It is an experience that demands to be seen in a theater. The first view of Pandora, whether it is the floating mountains, the breathtaking god tree, or its blue-skinned inhabitants, is a visual feast for the audience.
Chicago Sun Times, Roger Ebert
Rating: 4/4
"Watching Avatar, I felt the same as when I saw Star Wars in 1977"
Hollywood is filled with spectacles, but [Avatar] stands apart because it believes in something. Cameron uses the tools of science fiction to tell an urgent story about colonialism, environmentalism, and spiritual connection.
None of it feels heavy-handed. It is wrapped in an adventure so thrilling you lose track of time. The final battle is breathtaking, yet the film's most lasting achievement is how deeply you feel Pandora's loss and beauty.
I have said it before, and I'll say it again, Troy Armitage is the best actor working in the industry today. He has been for the last decade. It isn't just his masterful portrayal of vastly different characters, but the human depth he brings that makes it impossible to imagine anyone else in his roles once he is done with them. In [Avatar], Troy pushes the boundaries of motion capture to a level where you forget you are watching animation at all.
The New York Times, Adam Cohen
Rating: 4.5/5
"The New Standard for Immersive Cinema"
Watching [Avatar] is like stepping into a lucid dream: vivid, surreal, and impossibly beautiful. Cameron proves himself not just a filmmaker, but a pioneer of sensory storytelling.
Pandora feels tactile. When the characters run through its forests, you swear you see the leaves drifting down and almost lift a hand to brush them aside. The 3D depth, the emotional fidelity of the Na'vi, and the sheer imaginative scope on display are all groundbreaking.
My only complaint is that Troy Armitage's character ultimately becomes the savior of the supposedly backward alien people. The filmmakers may argue that it draws from historical parallels, but you cannot deny it for what it is.
The New York Press, Armond White
Rating: 1/5
"Blue In the Face"
James Cameron delivers dumb escapism with expensive special effects in [Avatar]. Jake Sully, played by the great everyman Troy Armitage, takes part in a quasi-military program where he enters the alien society through a hybrid body made from human and Na'vi DNA. Cameron's claimed "fully immersive" 3D technology becomes irritating to watch for nearly three hours. Then there is his underlying purpose: [Avatar] is the corniest movie ever made about the white man's need to lose his identity and soothe racial, political, sexual, and historical guilt.
Only children, including adult-children, will see [Avatar] as a simple adventure film. Their love of technology has co-opted their ability to comprehend narrative detail. Cameron provides sci-fi dazzle, yet stumbles on the most important element: meaning. His undeniably pretty Pandora, a phosphorescent Maxfield Parrish paradise with bird-like lizards, animated plant life, and floating mountains, distracts from the inherent contradiction of a reported 300 to 500 million dollar Hollywood production that casually criticizes America's industrial complex.
It also can't be ignored that the film is led by one of the richest capitalists in the world: Troy Armitage, whose companies reportedly contribute more carbon emissions than you could imagine.
The response [Avatar] received was not as unanimous as it should have been, given the breakthrough in visual technology. Even so, the movie managed to score an impressive 85 percent on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 7.9 out of 10. On Metacritic, the film performed even better, earning a score of 87 out of 100, indicating universal acclaim. Meanwhile, audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a perfect A+ on their A+ to F scale.
That said, one factor worked absolute wonders for [Avatar] in terms of commercial success: word of mouth.
"Did you see James Cameron's [Avatar]? You should before they take it out of theaters."
"I haven't ever seen anything like it."
"It was an experience everyone should have."
"You're going now? You mind if I tag along? I want to relive it."
People recommended the film to friends, family, coworkers, and anyone who would listen. Everyone went because of FOMO, the fear of missing out, an acronym not as widely used as it would be a decade later, but accurate nonetheless in this case.
The film grossed 31.7 million dollars on opening day, followed by 30.2 million on Saturday, and finished the weekend with 29.8 million, bringing its opening weekend total to 91.7 million. While this was a strong debut, it was not as massive as the openings of the Harry Potter films or [The Dark Knight].
What shocked everyone, including trade analysts, was that during its second weekend, which fell on Christmas, the film's collections did not drop. Instead, they rose to 96.3 million dollars. In the third weekend, the decline was minimal, and the film earned another 89.9 million.
In just three weeks, [Avatar] had collected an astonishing 448.2 million dollars from North America alone and showed no signs of slowing down. For months, the movie ruled the global box office. It continued its run beyond May of 2010, ultimately grossing 960 million dollars from the domestic market alone.
Worldwide, the magic of James Cameron and Troy Armitage worked together. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and China each grossed more than 150 million dollars, and some even crossed 200 million.
By the time the film ended its global run, it had collected 2.361 billion dollars from international markets, bringing the worldwide total to 3.321 billion. It became the first movie in history to cross both the two and three billion mark in a single run.
Troy Armitage, who had been promised 10 percent of the gross box office, received the largest single paycheck any actor had ever earned, with a take-home exceeding 300 million dollars. Not that it meant much to a billionaire like him, but it was a record no one was likely to break for decades, if ever.
(Break)
I cuddled closer to Scarlett, soaking in her warmth against the cold December morning in New York. The room was dim, the pale winter light barely slipping through the curtains, while her soft breathing brushed against my neck.
"Don't you have to get up?" Scarlett murmured against my ear. "It's getting late. We both have to get to work."
"Don't wanna," I whispered back. "I'm cozy. I love my human pillow so damn much, I won't let it go. Ever."
I tightened my grip around her waist and pulled her naked body closer to mine. Her skin was warm, familiar, grounding.
"Troy," Scarlett said, her voice sharper this time. "We need to talk."
"We have the rest of our lives to do that," I groaned. "Do you have a problem with me getting a few extra hours of sleep?"
"I'm pregnant."
.
.
.
The moment I heard those words, I froze. The words hit me so hard that every hint of sleep vanished. I sat up immediately, not caring that the blanket slipped and left me completely exposed.
"If this is a ploy to get me out of bed, let me tell you it's in very poor taste," I said with a small smile, hoping she'd mirror it.
She didn't. Her gaze stayed fixed on a hideous painting on the opposite wall, the one I always joked about replacing but never did. My stomach twisted as I closed my eyes and tried to process the reality settling over me.
This wasn't supposed to happen. I had a plan for us. I wanted to give her the world and more, and yes, someday have kids, but not today. I wasn't even 21 yet, for fuck's sake.
"Hey." I reached out, gently taking her chin and guiding her face back toward me. "I thought you were on the pill."
"I… was," she said finally, though her eyes drifted away again. "I don't know how it happened. I must've missed a day or something. And I promise you, I didn't want this any more than you do. I just… don't know what to do now."
After a moment, she met my eyes and said quietly, "I can get an abortion if you want. No one will know."
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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