Chapter 15: Pretending to Run Away from Home

[Chapter 15: Pretending to Run Away from Home]

"Eric, this is so amazing!" Drew exclaimed from the passenger seat, playfully fiddling with the T-shirt dress she had fashioned for herself, her surprise evident.

Drew's clothes had gotten dirty from the vomiting the night before, and since they were in a hurry to get to the set, Eric had a flash of inspiration. He remembered how his ex-wife used to turn her oversized men's T-shirts into dresses; fortunately, it wasn't a difficult task.

So, there she was in her sky-blue T-shirt-turned-dress, cinched at the waist with a brown leather belt Eric had that measured three fingers wide. This outfit seemed quite fresh and avant-garde for that time, and as they stepped off the car at the set, many people couldn't help but stare at Drew.

Of course, there was an underlying meaning in those glances, because Drew had arrived with Eric.

"Hey, Eric, have you already moved on? After seeing how sweet you were to Jenny just a few days ago, I thought you were really a good man!" Penny Marshall said this while going over the shooting schedule with Eric in the downtime. However, her tone didn't carry much surprise; such things were all too common in the industry.

"Penny, I still like Jenny. As for Drew, it's just a coincidence," Eric replied.

Penny teased, "Is her outfit also a coincidence? Anyway, Eric, I really don't want to get involved in your young people's affairs, but you should be careful; after all, Drew is only thirteen. You get where I'm going."

"Thanks for the reminder, Penny," Eric said helplessly, realizing that Penny had already made up her mind about the situation, so he just wanted to put an end to that topic.

...

The following month passed without any notable events. Filming for 17 Again proceeded quickly and orderly, and Drew, who initially played coy with Eric, had turned outright into the pursuer. When Jennifer Aniston showed up on set, she also noticed the change immediately.

So, when the two girls were at the set at the same time, their subtle rivalry over Eric became a source of lighthearted amusement for all the crew members amidst the tense shooting schedule. The men couldn't help but envy Eric; even the young actor playing the bad boy Stan sought him out for dating advice. Eric entertained him with some wild stories, leaving the kid dumbfounded.

However, Eric soon found himself in an unexpected situation: the other young people on set began spreading the bogus dating tips he had jokingly rattled off. Somehow, those tips found their way to Drew's ears, and during a break in filming, she clung to Eric, half-teasing and half-mournful, saying, "So this is how you managed to get me! You little heartbreaker! What's worse is that you steal a girl's heart and don't want to be responsible for it! Give me back my heart!"

...

Meanwhile, Jennifer was still grappling with her rough dieting plan, but having suffered so much, her results were not very significant; she had only lost less than five pounds in a month. Eric worried even more about this; he wanted to wait until filming wrapped before addressing the matter.

Things often took unexpected turns, and eventually, during a shoot, Jennifer fainted from low blood sugar caused by hunger. Eric stayed with her as she hung on to an IV for the night. The next day, he didn't have any scenes to shoot, so he took her to the fitness consultant Susan Sarandon had recommended.

They walked into a high-end gym mainly serving Hollywood actresses and coincidentally encountered Sigourney Weaver, who had just stepped out of the gym. Eric found himself nervously asking for her autograph while Jennifer eyed her with a hint of envy, considering Sigourney was one of the goddesses of Eric's past.

The fitness consultant was a timeless-looking Russian woman with a long name; they just called her Natasha. Upon first meeting Natasha, Eric noticed how deeply Jennifer envied Natasha's amazing physique. He gently squeezed her little hand and whispered to her, "Don't worry, babe. One day, your body will be even better than hers."

After getting to know Jennifer's situation, Natasha patiently explained the dangers of her recent dieting methods. She took her through some tests and spent the entire morning crafting a weight loss plan that stretched over ten pages.

As they left, they fully grasped what it truly meant to go to an upscale gym: it was expensive! When it came time to pay, Jennifer insisted on covering the bill, only to find her card charged to the limit. Thankfully, she would soon receive her paycheck for 17 Again, though it wasn't much, it would help her out of her financial bind.

...

By the end of October, the filming of 17 Again finally approached its conclusion, with post-production and promotional activities already underway. Eric happened upon some tabloid gossip about 17 Again in the papers. After finishing her scenes, Drew unexpectedly asked to enter rehab to conquer her addiction. A troubled girl seeking redemption -- what a story to promote!

So, under the direction of Fox's publicity department, Drew's transformation was wholly credited to 17 Again. The papers stated that she had become lost after her rise to fame, but while filming 17 Again, she began to reflect on her life and find her direction again, leading her to resolve to make a change. The articles were written as if the reporter had witnessed everything firsthand; if Eric didn't know the truth of the matter, he might have believed it!

Another promotional angle emphasized him being the eighteen-year-old screenwriter and lead actor. The papers illustrated the challenging journey Eric took from submitting the script to Fox recognizing his talent and putting it into production, painting him as the quintessential young man who never gave up on his dreams.

Of course, controversy arose as well; some papers quickly questioned Eric's writing skills, speculating that 17 Again was nothing more than a hasty, crude follow-up to the successful Back to the Future. A $20 million budget might just be a total loss.

This skepticism wasn't unfounded. After Universal's 1985 sci-fi comedy Back to the Future brought in over $200 million, other companies followed suit with several similar offerings, all of which bombed -- something clearly illustrated in the 1986 box office rankings.

As long as the controversies remained manageable within their own control, Fox didn't mind the mixed reviews. A movie riddled with only praise or solely negative reviews would yield poor results; appropriate controversies would only serve to pique audience interest.

...

Simultaneously, Eric's novel Jurassic Park benefited from this promotional wave. Initially, after the novel hit the market, Michael Krauss put his all into marketing it as he had promised; within the first week, it sold over twenty thousand copies, a solid showing for a newcomer. In the following weeks, with further promotions and the book's growing positive reputation, sales gradually increased --though not spectacularly, it aligned adequately with Eric's expectations.

Once the promotional plan for 17 Again kicked off, Jurassic Park naturally became an important feature in the campaign. This made Michael Krauss ecstatic; the impact of even a fraction of a media group's promotional resources would far exceed what his tiny publishing house could manage, having fewer than ten staff members.

Consequently, Jurassic Park experienced a significant sales boost, driven by the growing exposure from 17 Again. The public grew increasingly curious about Eric, the young man who seemed to achieve feats beyond his peers' capabilities.

Unfortunately, all that had been revealed were some stills and gossip about 17 Again. Although the public could guess at some of the movie's plot from its title, it remained conjecture. Naturally, curiosity about the film transferred entirely to the novel Jurassic Park.

By the first week of October, the novel surpassed one hundred thousand copies sold, exceeding the total of the previous weeks combined. It smoothly broke into the eighth spot on The New York Times bestsellers list. Although this rank wasn't particularly high, if you compared it, people would notice that Jurassic Park stood amongst well-known authors on the list. It was the only debut by a newcomer in the top ten.

...

Since there were several night scenes that evening, Eric didn't return home until after ten.

As he drove close to home, he spotted Stuart Ronkel, the youngest of the neighbors. The little boy appeared from his yard, closed the gate behind him, and wandered over to a nearby streetlight, spinning in boredom.

"Hey, Stu, sneaking out of the house isn't what a good kid should do," Eric said, curious about why Stuart had ventured out so late.

"Oh, come on, Eric, do you really think it's right for parents to argue in front of a seven-year-old?" Stuart replied, pointing his chin toward his house.

Eric was taken aback; the little guy argued back with such clarity. He honestly didn't recall Stuart being this sharp. He could hear the Ronkels arguing inside the house.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Eric refocused and asked.

Stuart crossed his arms, leaning against the streetlamp, looking like a mini adult. "I'm pretending to run away from home."

"Pretending?"

"Yeah. That way, when they realize I'm missing, they'll stop fighting."

Eric agreed that arguing in front of a child was really unfair. "How about this, little buddy? Why don't you come hang out at my place for a bit? It's not safe for you to be out here alone at night."

"Okay, thanks, Eric," Stuart said.

Eric parked the car and opened the door, leading the little guy into the living room.

*****

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