[General POV]
When JB and the other partygoers returned to the port, there was a swarm of reporters and paparazzi camping out in front of the dock.
"Justin! Did you have fun at Newgate's party?!" a middle-aged paparazzo said sleazily as he snapped pictures of the partygoers.
"Where's the yacht?" another shouted.
"Did you hook up with anyone?" A paparazzo shouted invasive questions without even a change in his expression.
Justin and Taylor Lautner, being the most famous people there, were encircled by the paparazzi as they asked questions about the party. Most of them were curious about where the yacht was and why they had come back early.
"Was the party a bore?!" a reporter shouted as she pointed a recording device at Emily Ratajkowski.
Emily was startled, and she blurted out, "No. It was very fun." The reporter quickly took some notes and quoted her for the article she was going to write.
Edward's security helped the guests get away. Taylor Lautner just walked on by without caring about the paparazzi, but Justin smirked and went to talk with one of them. He remembered one of the pieces of advice Edward had given him and wanted to try it out.
The paparazzi's eyes lit up, and they ignored the other guests as they caught a big fish. "JB! Who invited you there?! Was it Edward?!" a reporter asked.
Amidst the flurry of questions thrown at him, JB focused on that and replied, "No. It's actually Brenda Song's party."
"Then, how come it's held on Newgate's ship?" another reporter asked. JB explained, "First, Ed wanted to go on a trip to clear his mind, but Brenda called several people over, turning it into a party. In fact, we don't even party much."
"What did you do instead?" the same reporter asked.
JB replied with a chuckle, "We played games, watched the Spider-Man movie, watched the sunset, and ate good food. That's all."
-Flashback-
On the ship, during dinner, JB asked Edward, "Man, how do you handle the press so well?" JB was sitting on the kitchen counter while Edward was rinsing off the crabs.
Edward turned to him and replied, "First of all, you have to understand something. Your fans are obsessed with you. They want to know everything you're doing—your underwear brand, your hair products, everything they can get."
"The press has the same desire, but they have their own agendas. So you have to make sure to choose how to disseminate your information so that they will suffer if they try to paint you in a bad light," he continued.
"Who will make them suffer on my behalf?" JB asked, slightly raising his eyebrow. "Should I get in contact with some thugs?"
As JB didn't have any contact with Diddy yet, he didn't really know how to navigate Hollywood right now. Edward licked the curry paste he had made off his finger before replying, "The one that will make them suffer is your fans. So put your trust in them. One day, you could even become a modern slave to the people you trust, but your fans will be the greatest help you can get to get through that." (Example: Free Britney Movement)
Brenda raised her hand as she listened in on the advice and asked Edward, "Um, how can we choose to reveal the what-not?"
Edward looked towards her and realized that not only Brenda, but also Taylor Lautner, Danielle Panabaker, Vanessa Hudgens, and Emily were listening in on the conversation.
Edward sighed and said, "Let me give you an example. A reporter asks you about this party. What should you say?"
"Nothing, right?" JB replied.
Edward shook his head and said, "You should tell them what's going on from your point of view. Share things that won't bring you any trouble. You can say you enjoyed the delicious dinner I cooked, but don't mention that you paired it with some wine or who you were eating it with. Just keep it general or vague."
"Won't they press on, though?" Brenda asked.
Edward replied, "They would, but they're going to be so busy writing it down that you can take control of the situation. At that gap between questions, take the initiative to bring it to another topic. Something more interesting, weird, or surprisingly fresh, or something very shocking that will divert their attention from the first question."
-Flashback Ends-
The reporters paused, intrigued by his response. "Why Spider-Man?" one of them asked, clearly curious.
As the paparazzi continued to bombard JB with questions, he chuckled and replied, "I never watched it, so Ed made me. My hands are tied! Literally. He forced me to watch it." He laughed, trying to keep the mood light. He pointed to the camera and said, "Now I'm hooked. Remember this, my fans: if I become a nerd, it's all Newgate's fault."
-Flashback-
Edward leaned in, chuckling softly. "Listen, there's a line in that movie. The Green Goblin says, 'The one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually, they will hate you.' Well, we're not heroes, but that's relevant to us too."
Edward continued, "This is important for you. Your public image matters. Protect it, or it will affect your whole life. You can socialize and get to know people, but never let your guard down unless you are absolutely certain you can trust them."
"W-what's the quote again?" JB asked, puzzled. Edward raised one of his eyebrows and asked, "It's Spider-Man. You don't remember Spider-Man?"
"I think I watched it when I was a kid. I don't remember much. Or maybe I never watched it? I don't know," JB replied, a bit abashed.
Edward looked at him in disbelief. "You NEVER WATCHED SPIDER-MAN!? No wonder your childhood sucked!" Edward exclaimed, shaking his head. "Spencer." Edward turned to the staff member, "Start up the projector. JB needs to watch the movie tonight."
"I don't want to—" JB was startled. "You don't need to—"
Edward interjected, clarifying, "You don't have to actually watch it. It's just one of the cover stories you can use later on. You can do what you want."
JB breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that. He planned to try and pick up the girl he had been talking with; however, when the movie played, the girl wanted to watch it. JB reluctantly watched it with her and found himself hooked on the story.
Near the climax, the girl suddenly raised her hand and forced out a yawn. She turned to JB and said, "I'm feeling quite tired. I'm going to my room." She hinted at JB by touching his arm slightly and asked, "Want to come with?"
"Uh—what?" JB replied, his eyes still glued to the screen. "I'm going to my room," the girl said again. However, JB didn't even turn to her and said, "Oh, okay then. Goodnight."
The girl was speechless and huffed as she went back alone. JB watched the full movie and even continued to watch the second one, unaware of the sacrifice he had unintentionally missed.
"How did I never watch this movie before?" He mumbled as he grabbed the remote and increased the sound volume of the movie.
-Flashback Ends-
The articles were quickly written and uploaded to numerous gossip sites. They discussed Brenda and Edward's close relationship, noting that he even lent her his yacht.
Emily's quote about the fun party, along with JB's account of what happened, made people think that it was just a simple relaxation trip for the celebrity youngsters. However, the headlines were still quite scandalous:
"Hudgens and Newgate's Yacht Adventure: Are They More Than Just Friends? Shocking Details Inside!" This was on the cover of a tabloid website.
"Scandal on the High Seas: Did Newgate's Yacht Party Hide a Secret Romance?"
"JB's Wild Night Out: Did He Choose Newgate's Yacht Over Diddy's Famous Party? Is This Trip Going to Be the New Diddy Party?"
Although JB's interview eased the speculation about the trip, and Brenda's confirmation about the party being hers put her in the spotlight for a bit, some fans were wondering if it was just a simple trip, then why did the most important figure around Edward not come to the party—specifically referring to Taylor?
Although there were questions, people were still more excited about the new revelation—JB and Edward's friendship. Both of the hottest teenage pop stars of the era were hanging out, and JB's answer made it seem like they were good friends.
Unfortunately, it also sparked the rise of JBxEdward shippers on the internet. These shippers, who were on the same level as furries on the dark web, emerged from their deep, dark caves and tried to breach the mainstream line, but they were shot down immediately by people with common sense.
However, they weren't shoved back down empty-handed, as these monsters managed to convert a number of people into their cult before they disappeared.
Lily—Edward's fan club president—breathed heavily as she read the fanfiction some people had made about those two in some deep corner of the internet. "How dare they," she mumbled; however, she kept scrolling. Her face flushed with excitement, and she was even unaware of the blood flowing down her nose.
…
[Edward POV]
After I returned to my house, I suddenly received a call from Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Sergeant Terry Jeffords.
Robin chimed in as I stepped foot into my living room, "He has been calling all day. Including him, you have a total of 102 missed calls and 432 text messages asking about your well-being. It's recommended that you reply to these concerns to put your associates at ease."
"I will," I replied as I threw my bag on the couch. When I went on the trip, I decided not to use my phone and made Robin screen out the calls, only connecting me if my presence was urgently needed.
"Answer it." I leaned on the desk as I connected the call from Terry. Then, I heard Rosa's voice coming from the other side of the call. "Finally!" she said through gritted teeth. "How dare you go no-contact when the last thing we knew about you was that you wound up at the hospital with blood all over! What happened over there?"
"Hi, Rosa," I replied cheekily. "About that…" I told her all about Chloe and the near-death experience she had while working on the case. Terry listened in too and said worriedly, "I knew it was a bad idea to have you working on a case. THIS IS ADULT BUSINESS! Kids HAVE NO PLACE BEING INSIDE OF IT! No matter how smart you are! I'm calling the judge and having her change up your community service!"
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" I hurriedly stopped him. "Terry, wait! Don't do that. I need this to make sure I can meet my schedule before my world tour. If it changes to ordinary community service, then I will have to postpone my tour."
Rosa interjected in an angry tone, "Isn't your tour starting next year? You still have some time to settle it. Don't use the tour as an excuse."
"It may seem like I have time, but I'm shooting a movie right now, remember? I even have a two-day concert on the 20th in Las Vegas. By the way, I can fly you guys out if you want to come–"
I suddenly heard Jake's voice from afar during the phone call. He asked Rosa, "Is he alright?"
"He's fine! Just being a little bitch," Rosa replied. Jake was excited and said, "Great!" I imagined he snatched the phone from Rosa or Terry, as his voice was the main one next. "Ed! Sucks to be you. But I just closed my seventh felony this morning. You know what that means?"
"That you're one day too late to win the bet?" I guessed, pouring cold water on Jake's excitement.
"What? But I solved the case!" Jake asked, befuddled. "I got twenty! You only have ten," he whined.
"The last case I submitted is a serial arsonist case. It's worth ten points. I forgot to tell you yesterday because of the whole hospital situation and needing to clear my mind, but I won it yesterday."
Jake yelped, and his voice became strained. "I'll call you right back." Then, he cut the call.
"Robin, what's he doing now?" I asked Robin to eavesdrop, as I was curious. Robin replied, "Detective Peralta is trying to convince everyone to pretend the bet never happened and that your mind made it up after experiencing a traumatic memory. His second plan is for everyone to change their names."
I nodded in amazement and said, "That can actually work. I need to try it out sometime. Just gaslight people into thinking their memories are fake. Wait, let me try it out. Call Jacob."
Jacob had called me a lot of times yesterday. I had to return his call anyway, so I decided to try it out on him.
"Hi Jacob. Do you want to hang out again today? We just met yesterday," I said as soon as he picked up the call.
"Huh?" Jacob sounded confused and forgot his questions. "We didn't meet yesterday?" he asked, surprised.
"We kinda did, remember? I sent you that telepathic link only a bro could hear, and we hung out. You don't remember that?" I asked casually.
"If you're trying to trick me, that's too much. I still have some common sense," Jacob replied with an annoyed tone. I burst into laughter and said, "I knew it wouldn't work the moment it came out of my mouth."
"How are you?" Jacob asked. I had a conversation with him for a while before he asked, "We're going to hang out at Jenna's place on the 15th. Are you coming?"
"I have my final scene in the morning, but I guess I can hang out after that," I replied casually.
"Great. You need to decide if you want to be an elf or Santa. Enid planned something. I don't know what," Jacob replied wearily. He had tried to talk Enid out of it, but since she received support from the other girls in the group, he had to go along.
I was startled at first before I asked, "Santa?"
"It's like a Secret Santa thing. I have no idea what she wants to do," Jacob said.
I talked with him a bit more before calling the others and reassuring them that I was fine. After that, I sighed and said, "It's tough when you know a lot of people. In my previous life, I just had to care about one."
A wave of nostalgia hit me, and I began to miss Nonni. "I guess I'm going to cook Nonni's favorite recipe tonight," I mumbled before my phone rang again. Terry finally called me back.
"So, you won," Terry said with a depressed tone. Then, he suddenly got a bit hopeful. "But do you even remember what the bet prize is—"
"You'll go a week without suspenders. Rosa will send me a selfie of her smiling, which I will frame and hang on my walls forever," I muttered. Rosa interjected, "Do that, and I'll gut you like a fish."
"Are you going back on your word, Rosa? I thought you were better than that," I said snidely. Rosa growled and didn't say anything, expressing her silent agreement that she would honor the bet.
"Boyle will eat whatever Jake is eating," I continued. "And lastly, Jake and Amy will have to go on a date together. I have booked the restaurant, and it's hella classy."
Jake begged, "Wait. Can you do it somewhere where I only need to spend 20 dollars?... 'Cause that's all I have right now."
"Don't worry about it. I'm covering the bills. I'll also be sending you guys the attire you're going to wear for the evening," I said confidently.
Jake and Amy exclaimed excitedly, "Wooo—" But as they turned their faces and met each other's eyes, they stopped abruptly, becoming awkward instead.
"You guys also have to answer 20 questions before finishing up the date. I'll update the questions in real time, and Gustav, the manager of the restaurant, will make sure you guys answer them all honestly before you can leave."
I wondered if the questions designed to accelerate intimacy that Penny and Sheldon would do in the future would help bring those two together. Right now, their relationship was plain awkward.
They accepted the consequences of their betting after a thorough discussion. Amy made sure I wouldn't add anything else about the matter when I suddenly heard Jake grumble, "This is all Holt's fault. If he doesn't mess around, then we won't fail spectacularly like this."
"Wait, Holt interfered?" I asked with intrigue. "So does that mean he's part of the bet?"
Jake suddenly became excited and said, "I like where you're going with this."
"So, if his interference is the cause of you guys losing, then make him accept the punishment too," I said. "Let me talk to him."
After the squad hassled Holt about his involvement, he finally became defeated and said, "FINE! I'll admit that my interference became a major factor in causing you guys to lose. Even if you were going to lose, you deserve to have a fair fight in it. I accept responsibility for it."
"Enough talk, Captain," Jake said excitedly. "We are all in this together—not High School Musical, but as a detective squad. Edward, please present Captain Holt with the whip."
"Whip?" I asked, fully shocked. "Is that a racial thing? Is it because he's black?" I asked, pretending to be innocent. Jake was flabbergasted and said, "NO! I meant the punishment thing."
Holt piled on, "It's kinda weird to categorize a whip as a punishment for a black man anyway."
"I'M NOT RACIST! I WAS TOO EXCITED!"
I chuckled and said, "Because of that, I have to tweak Captain Holt's punishment a bit. I wanted to make him listen to my album and slowly seduce him to become my fan, but instead, there's a barrel exhibit in downtown New York. Holt is going to take Jake there and explain all about the barrels displayed in the exhibit."
Holt asked, slightly surprised, "Wait. So for my punishment, you want me to teach Jacob about barrels?"
I agreed with him, "Yes, and later that night, Jake is going to bring Amy there after their dinner together, and he's going to repeat everything you said to her. I know that extensive knowledge about a certain studious topic will surely turn Amy on."
"It will?" Jake asked. Amy shouted into the phone, "No, it won't!" but her tone was unconvincing.
"I will honor my punishment fairly," Holt said. "I'll make sure to hammer all the knowledge I have onto Jacob before the date begins."
"He can use 'hammer'! Is hammer not racist?" Jake mumbled to himself.
"Great. Then you'll have 4 hours. The restaurant reservation is tonight." I said before I cut the call and arranged everything for the date. I managed to sneak in a bath and change my clothes before my phone rang again.
"It's Priority 1." Robin alerted. "Answer it."I replied.
"Hey, Peps, I'm going to go to the company now—" Before I could finish, Pepper interrupted me, saying, "We finished—DON'T COME! REST! WHY ARE YOU COMING HERE?!"
He scolded me first before continuing with his initial topic. "We finished the trailer for the movie. If you say it's okay, then we can release it."
"Already?" I asked, slightly surprised. "You don't sound confident. But that's fine. I know you have a really high standard. We are confident that we've reached it with this trailer edit. I'll send it to you now."
"Okay, I'll wait," I replied. Pepper cut the call, and I loitered around the living room, waiting for the file to arrive. I even had time to eat some bread before Pepper finally figured out how to send the file using email. He didn't—he asked Renaldo for help.
As I watched the trailer, I scrutinized it and gave my notes to Pepper through a phone call. "The music came in way too early. It needs to be at the one-minute mark. And the trailer gives away too much. I want it to stop abruptly and trigger people's desire to know more about it. I don't want a trailer that reveals the entire plot. Then what's the point of watching it? Less me, more Ryan and Emily in it."
Pepper said sternly, "No. We already felt that there's not enough of you in the trailer. SunHee wants to cut out Ryan's screentime to only 20 seconds."
I was startled and asked, "She's from the gaming division. Why is she even there?" Rubbing my sore forehead, I said, "I'm coming to the company. Judd is there too, right?"
"He is; he's laughing at me the whole time," Pepper said with dissatisfaction.
"He already expected I won't like it, didn't he?" I asked Pepper knowingly. "He said it's fine enough for a trailer. Not good. Fine."
Grabbing my car key, I said, "I'll be there in 20 minutes."