24 Fans screaming on cue

Burt

The movie was pretty good, a rather dark psychological suspense thriller where the girl Mark is in love with is disguised as a guy. It will make more sense if you watch it. It's probably high time Mark starts doing these kinds of movies, he can't play the good looking playboy millionaire next door for the rest of his life. Or he could, but why would anyone want to?

"He really looks more like a movie star, doesn't he?" Steve whispered to me. I nodded. I knew he meant "rather than a singer." Or maybe he also meant "rather than one of us."

It was press time for this premiere, the movie had just ended and reporters could ask the director and cast their questions. Mark was also already an ace with the interviews, looking so suave and humble at the same time. So pro.

We say that to each other a lot, when any of us notices if somebody has played their public persona so well that even we start to believe it. Lately, we've been saying it a lot to Mark. This is his third movie just this year, and it's not even June yet.

The MC asked Mark's love interest a question and prompted LJ to whisper something to Steve. "Who?" Steve exclaimed, then lowered his voice. "Who? Jamie? Seriously?"

"What?" I leaned in towards them.

"Mina from Heart's Vampire was going ape shit flirting with Jamie before red carpet," LJ hissed at me.

"Who's Mina from Heart's Vampire?" I had to ask.

Both Steve and LJ pointed at the girl speaking in the panel in front, who had just played Viola, Mark's cross dressing love interest, in the film.

"Guys, volume down," Jamie said, dryly.

Steve reached over LJ and slapped Jamie's knee. "Yaaas, let's pretend you didn't know we were talking about you," he teased. I pinched his thigh, and put my finger to my mouth when he snapped his head to look at me incredulously.

"I admire Mark very much and I feel honored to be working with him," said Mina from Heart's Vampire. "I'm actually a big fan of his band, Boy Next Door!" This elicited screams from around the theater. I'm actually shocked nobody brought light sticks to the movie.

"Oh really! Lucky for you, they're all here with us tonight, can we get the light on the audience please?"

And then the dreaded moment I knew was coming. They trained the spotlight on us and we waved and smiled. Time to be pro.

"Could we ask them what they thought of the movie?"

I saw Mark's face flinch at this. He kept his composure and people would probably miss it, but I knew him too well.

A microphone suddenly materialized and was handed to me. "Good evening everyone, I'm Burt from Boy Next Door," I said politely. Fans screaming on cue. "I really enjoyed the movie, and thought Mark was really good in it. He needs to play more of these anti-heroes in the future."

Mark's face relaxed slightly as I said this. Yes, this is my job, first to take care of everyone and ensure their happiness, to promote us well and leave a good impression, and only after then, singing.

"So this is the best acting you've seen from Mark? Over his other films?"

"Well, I actually haven't seen his other films," I smiled apologetically as Steve and Jamie start slapping LJ's back and shoulders with their laughter. Mark gave me that look, that "you're so dead later" look. I'm sorry, bud, I really tried.

Okay, we know I didn't really try and I'm not really sorry. Heh.

"Ah, your bandmate is just teasing you, isn't he? Isn't it great how they joke around like this, their friendship is really the best. What about the others, what are your thoughts on Twelfth Night?"

I passed the mic, and Steve and LJ passed it straight to Jamie. "Hello, good evening, this is Jamie from Boy Next Door," and the fans screamed on cue. "I really liked the film, and Mark may have changed my opinion of him with this movie. His Viola is really awesome too."

Onstage, Mina from Heart's Vampire suddenly giggled, her eyes like bright sparkling stars flashing at Jamie.

When the spotlight was finally removed from us, we all crossed our arms and looked pointedly at Jamie. He turned to look at us and was genuinely startled. "What?"

"What?" Steve threw back in his face.

"Can we use her in our next music video?" Jamie asked, as if that was the actual point.

"Next video is shooting on Sunday," Steve groaned. "Ugh, I need to still finish mixing that song and Mark wants to change his rap."

"Do you think she'll charge us if she's a Geend?"

"Jame, we already have a girl picked out for the video, we agreed over a month ago," I reminded him.

Jamie nodded, his eyes never leaving the stage. "The video after that?"

"You never saw Mark's other movies?" LJ leaned towards Steve to whisper to me.

"I think I saw the one with that girl who has that KFC billboard on the avenue," I whispered back. Steve turned his head to look at me and both he and LJ narrowed their eyes at me.

"That's my movie," LJ hissed.

"Really?" I suddenly remembered the scenes she was in were with LJ, after all. I racked my head for Mark movies. "Yeah, I've never seen Mark's other movies..."

"You're the best, Burt," Steve smiled at me, squeezing my knee.

"Guys, volume down," Jamie said, for the nth time.