{1st Person POV}
*Huff* *huff* *huff*
I was currently running to the Sky Mount office because I was late due to the blight on humanity known as 'Traffic Jams'.
I got too absorbed with watching how people reacted to 'Halloween' that I forgot about the meeting.
And saying it out aloud like that makes me seems like a creep.
Anyways, Uncle David had sent a message to remind me about,. it and so, I rushed out of the theatres. One thing leads to another, and here I was. Soaked in sweat and panting like I was running for my life from a serial killer. Pretty ironic, no?
A crossing came, and the lights on it switched from Green to Yellow. I rushed as fast as I could to get there before it changed to Red, but there were too many people in the way, causing me to slow down.
After releasing many 'Sorry's and 'Excuse me's from my mouth, I finally got to the crossing. I looked at the lights, hoping it was still yellow. But what I dreaded had come true.
It changed to Red.
'FUCK!' I cursed mentally.
I looked at the sky. It was covered in a red tint due to the Sun going down, with a few clouds scattered here and there.
A sigh escaped my lips and I checked the time. '6:38 P.M', it read. My meeting with the execs was supposed to start at '6:15', yet here I was, 20 minutes late.
I guess this was a backlash of sorts against all my good luck till now.
"Hey, doofus! Move, will ya?! The light's green!" Shouted a scruffy looking guy with a giant beard at me.
Other looked at my direction.
"Ah, sorry about that." I apologised and quickly crossed the road, not wanting to get the guy more angry, and so I, too, don't get annoyed by him.
As soon as I crossed the road, I started running again. The Mount Sky building was only two blocks from here, shouldn't take too much time.
Or so I thought.
Apparently, a delivery truck had crashed into a car, causing a commotion and a traffic jam.
Now I couldn't cross the road.
In a normal way, that was, because I jumped and slid over the cars, action hero style.
"Sorry!" I shouted after I got to the other side, and then continued my marathon of sorts again.
Finally, I had managed to reach the Mount Sky studio building. I ran past the guards, who I had familiarised myself with the last time I came here.
I ran across the parking lot and onto the stairs of the main building. I was about to open the door, when I realised I probably looked like shit. I dusted off the dirt on my clothes, and "combed" my hair, and entered the building.
I asked the receptionist the location of the meeting room, and was speed walking my way there.
Soon, I found the room, and knocked on the door twice. "Come in." Came the voice from inside.
I opened the door, entering the room and taking a look. There sat four people, one of whom was Uncle David. The room was fairly bland, with white walls, a projector and an ovular table.
Uncle David looked at me in confusion, while the others had a look of what I can only describe as 'scorn'. Makes sense, I guess. After all, I am only a newbie, who holds no power.
"You're late." One of three people whom I didn't know exclaimed, in a pretty irritated voice. He was wearing a striped blue business suit, had a receding hair line with white hair, and looked like he was on death's door.
"I'm sorry. I got stuck in traffic and had to walk here." I tried to explain.
"Whatever, just sit down." Another exec who I didn't know said. He had brown hair, a small beard, and looked to be in his 40s.
I did as he said and took a seat. All eyes were on me now, and we sat there in silence for a while before Uncle David started.
"*Ahem* Anyways, let's start with the introductions, shall we?" He asked, a bit more playful than usual. The other execs just nodded, and I followed them.
"This is Scott Williams, one of the longest serving people here." He explained, while pointed at the old guy who was irritated at me.
Oh wait, all of them are irritated by me.
Uncle David continued. "This is Joseph Roberts. He has constantly been producer for most of our highest grossing movies." Uncle pointed at the brown haired guy.
"And finally, this is Christopher Bird, one of our greatest director and producer. He's made us award winning movies."
'Wait, this is Christopher Bird? Huh, interesting.'
I'd heard about the guy, but I've never seen how he looked like. Black hair, green eyes AND looks fairly young. For the most part, his movies were of a very special niche, Sci-fi. And hard sci-fi at that.
"And, as you all know, this is Oliver Knight." He said. "Moving on to the main topic." He turned to look at me, and so did the other three. "Oliver, these three gentlemen want you to direct the movie you sold us the screenplay for, 'Night at the Museum'.
'Gentleman? From which angle?'
"I object." I said. There was no reason to hide the truth, even Uncle knew I didn't want to make these movies. I wrote them to get money. I never liked these movies in my old world anyways.
Uncle David looked like his soul had left his body. The execs looked irritated and angry, except for Mr. Christopher. He asked me the one thing everyone wanted to hear.
"Why not? It's your screenplay; YOU know the characters better than anyone else."
'I know these characters better than anyone else? What a joke.'
"Well, because I wrote this and 'Ticket to Paradise' to sell them. I never intended to make these two movies myself. Plus, couldn't you find a betters suited and more experienced director than me? I'm just a newbie who got lucky and made a good, entertaining movie." I stopped to breathe, and continued. "And also, I may know the characters and understand them better than anyone else, but that doesn't mean I can take them and put them on the big screen. I'm sure you'd understand, Mr. Bird?" I looked him directly in the eye. "You've surely had people coming and sending you screenplays, which you had to reject. Its the same for me. So please, understand."
Mr. Christopher closed his eyes for a few moment and then opened them again. "I do understand how you feel, but you have great potential. Not everyone can make a great movie right off the bat, y'know? It takes a certain amount of knowledge and experience, which you have due to being a Film School graduate."
'How the hell does he know?'
"And for that potential to bloom, I think you should direct your screenplay. This is a large scale movie, and the studio will fund it directly you. Obviously it'll feel different and hard to manage all that money at first, but you'll get used to it. It'll help you in the long run." He finished.
'He made some great points. I don't think I can win this one.'
Defeated, I looked at the reflective surface of the black table. I could see my face.
Suddenly, a thought occurred.
If I follow whatever these execs tell me to, then I'll never get to the top.
No, I can't let that happen.
I have to stand up for myself. I can't just sit around and do as they say. I've been a bit too polite until now. I have to change.
I'll challenge these studio exec's authority.
I moved my head back up, and examined each and every one of them, before speaking. "I'll decline your offer." Mr. Christopher looked surprised, and so were the others.
"We're giving you quite a lot benefits, and you just decline them?!" Exclaimed Mr. Scott, who had mostly been quite till now.
"I've already stated my reasons before, but the biggest one is that I have another movie I want to make."
"What?! Are you going to make a sequel to that horror movie of yours?" Asked Mr. Scott.
I shook my head. "No, it's another movie. An original script. This'll be larger than 'Halloween', but not as much as 'Night at the Museum'. It's an R-rated thriller."
"I see. That makes sense. I guess you can't direct 'Night at the Museum' then." Said Mr. Christopher.
"I have one request." Everyone's attention was on me again. "I want Sky Mount to fund it."
Mr. Scott looked angry, but the one to say something was Mr. Joseph. "The audacity! You refused our generous offer to help you and now want the studio fund your movie?!" Mr. Joseph was fuming. It was a sight to behold.
Mr. Christopher and Uncle David interfered and tried to calm him down. Then we continued our talk.
"That's all fine and dandy, but tell us what the movie is about. Then only can we make a final decision." Said Mr. Christopher.
"I haven't written script yet, so I only have the premise." I said.
"That's fine by me." Mr. Christopher assured me.
"Well, alright. So here it goes..."
***
After explaining the premise of 'The Departed' to the three, I slumped back in my chair.
"I see. That certainly sounds interesting, don't you agree, Scott and Joseph?" Mr. Christopher asked his companions, to which both nodded. He then checked his watch, and exclaimed. "Will you look at the time? It's getting late." Mr. Christopher and the other two got up from their chairs, ready to leave.
"Oliver, was it?" Mr. Christopher asked me, which caused me to flinch. "Yes." I somehow replied confidently.
"When you've written the screenplay, send it to me. And about the email, just ask David. He knows it." He walked closer to me, and put his hand on my shoulder. "You have potential, so don't disappoint me, okay? I'll be watching your career from here on." And then he left.
Mr. Scott came to me, far more jovial than before. "I'm sorry about my behaviour from before, kid. You have great potential." He said, bringing my hopes up.
'Huh? Is my luck working again?'
"However, work on your punctuality. You were nearly half an hour late."
'Of fucking course it wasn't.'
And so, everyone except for Uncle David left.
"Let's walk together." He proposed.
Getting out of the room, we walked in silence for a while before reaching the front door.
"You surprised me, y'know?" Said Uncle David. "You were so confident and upfront that you nearly caused me a heart attack. And another movie idea? That too just after you finished your first movie? You're a crazy one!"
I could only smile at this. "Well, I want to become the best and biggest director in Hollywood. And for that, I need to be creative. And if I'm not confident, then how I will rise to the top?"
Uncle David laughed, and soon, I started laughing too.
If I could live like this, it would be so great.
But alas, I can't. I have a dream- no, a GOAL, to follow after all.
Though, this was a pretty shitty day all things considered.
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A/N: Here's Ch 13!
Ch 14 will be delayed to Friday and ch 15 to Sunday.
This is, somehow, the 3rd largest chapter.