Chp 3 : On My Way?

07.00, 15th July 1980

Al woke up then made up his bed and doing his routine work as always. In his Mind Library, there were a few exercise books for children and some nutrition balance so he could know what to eat to optimize his growth on puberty. That's one part of his plan because he knew that as the child actor, one of his few steps to gain fame was a harsh battlefield.

The child actors sometimes too busy in their works such as movies, TV series, advertisement shoots, and endorsements.

Sometimes they were overworking themselves so their growth was disturbed by that and that's why in the future, there are many supervisors sent from children and parents association.

Also, the hard requirement on the set made them stressed out, and lost their appetite.

Child actors and animals were few things that make the film studio and even the big seven studios shake their heads. Look at some child actors in the future, some of them have average height than the older actor generation.

After doing some stretching and light exercise, Al came to the dining room to break a fast and met with the other kids. Mrs. K then told him that the chief of the LA Times was her friend and has made an appointment with him.

-------09.30---------

Al was called by Mrs. K to the front yard and on there he saw Mrs. K, fellow kids, and surprisingly Mary, wearing a gray business lady suit with a short skirt.

That was new, from here Al start to frown and suddenly remembered something from his past life. What Al remember was that Mary's look is really the same as Eiza González, although she was shorter than her, about 164 or 166 and her face is softer than her but she is definitely a top-notch beauty. Maybe she is her mother or a long lost relative of her in the future.

Saw him dazed, Mrs. K slapped his shoulder, and thinking about Alphonse who would enter his puberty period in the future, and started having a cold sweat.

'He will be harder to tame in the future (sigh)'

"Al, Mary will take you to LA Times headquarters and submit your story. I already call someone from the publishing office, so your story will be directly put into the children column section"

"That easy!?"

"Of course not! Some kids maybe will take a long time for their story to get published. This is the privilege of connection".

"Okay then, let's go, Al, we got the appointment at 11, we don't want them to wait for us". Said Mary

"Don't forget to bring us a present Al!" Said Toby

"Yea, don't forget about us!" while the other kids, Laura, Jon, Annie, and Melissa also screaming to get a gift from him

"Okay², relax my munchkin army, when I get money from my story, I will buy you some gift!"

Mary started her car, a black Ford Fiesta 1979 model, well he felt uncomfortable because he always sees a 2020s car with a smooth edge, while in the 1980s, the cars were mostly squared edges.

He opened the co-driver door and sit on it. Mary was driving away from the orphanage, then he said farewell to Mrs. K and his siblings.

On the way to the LA Times, they both became silent and Al sometimes stole a glance at Mary while pondering about something. Seeing him like this, Mary decided to start a conversation with him, well maybe a bit teasing him.

"So...Al, you seem a bit dazed when you saw me in the morning?" Said Mary with a bit teasing smile.

'Huh!?'

Al who was dazed was startled by what Mary said. With a quick thought, Al quickly replied Mary with a poker face expression while deep down he was smiling.

"Well Mary, I just realized that you are really beautiful, especially when you wearing that office lady suit, it looks very hot."

"WHAT!?!?"

Mary's heart was skipped a beat hearing that and lost her concentration. The steering wheel is deviating to the left, almost hitting the other car. Saw this, she began to stabilize the steering wheel and the car was finally back on track.

"Shoot!? Mary, don't do that!! I'm still too young to die!!"

"JESUS!! It's your fault Al!!! What the hell are you saying!? I've never heard you say those things" she groaned.

After saw Mary's face blushing, he boasted. "Ha-ha, I've never seen someone flustered like that especially by a kid hahaha"

"Ugh, are you too young to flirt with someone?"

"Are you too old to be hit on?" Al asked back

"No." She squinted her eyes and giving Al a mad glare.

Seeing them both silent, while Al glaring at Mary and Mary herself frowning watching the road while sometimes glaring at Al. Sometimes later, both of them laughed simultaneously.

After a long laugh, the situation became calmer and relaxed than before.

"Hahaha, Al it's been a long time since we had a laugh like this. I remember you were 4 when I was playing with you".

"I remember a little bit. You always play with me but you start to become adult-like when I was 6. So it became annoying and I start evading you."

"Yeah, sorry Al. At that time I just graduated and start to work and it was really stressful. I began to feel that the work environment has changed me to become more grown-up. But I was wrong, Mrs. K made me realize something. So I quit my job, open my own business consultant, and having more time to take care of you, kids and it was a success. It made me happier than before."

"But really, that has really made me skip beat Al, next time won't work so don't do those things anymore or I will drop you here."

"Are you sure? I feel you are inexperienced in this kind of thing. Now I worry that my big sis Mary will be kidnapped by lady-killer or playboy in the future."

"Oh look, we have a future lady-killer here, I'm afraid I have to tell the girls to be careful around you."

After having a fun talk, both of them apparently approaching the LA Times headquarters and Mary parked the car on the roadside parking place.

"Soooo, we are here," Mary said while bit thinking for a moment, and then asked him again "Al, what really made you doing this anyway, it's the first time, and I know you are a troublemaker since child"

"Hey!!" He retorted.

"But doing this? This is new." Mary made a hand gesture.

"I know Mary, I'm out of character this day but do you remember we were watching Star Wars last month? I feel it was like a call of nature, I want to join the movie making things and entertainment industry but I need fame and money to do this, and this... this is my first step".

"(Sigh) Okay Al, I won't question your dream but make sure you tell me your plan, I will also help you to realize it"

"Thanks, Mary, I will" He smiled

"And now, let's go to your first step, it's 10.45, 15 more minutes before the appointment time."

"Bring it on!" He smiled

To Be Continued...