Kiss Me, Bianca: 5

 

It's callback day for John. Ed and Rose will be auditioning too. The possibility for stardom and wealth are so close.
How will they all handle the pressure? Are they looking for someone like John or someone like Bebe?
Installment six is well underway. I hope that I don't make you wait too long.

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Author's Note: I have received so many wonderful and supportive emails about this story! Thank you to everyone! As always, I love to hear your critiques! Thank you, again, for all of your support! Please? Leave me a review?
I am always willing to learn! ~Clara.
 
This version of Kiss Me Bianca: 5 has been updated with many corrections towards spelling and grammar.~Sephrena.
 
Image Credit: Image created through the use of ai at https://perchance.org/beautiful-people .~Sephrena.

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THE LONG NIGHT -or- TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM
 

"I don't know how much sounds like a lot of money to you, Mrs Foley..."

"DOCTOR Foley," Marilyn interrupted Rita. She usually let the prefix alone when not on campus, but when dealing with people in other professions, it didn't hurt to remind them that her full name was 'Dr. Marilyn Foley, Ph.D.' "I'm sorry, you were saying?" Rita was in business mode, which Marilyn found a bit phony and she didn't love having people giving off the 'Let Me Tell You Something,' vibe in her own house.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Foley," Rita was unperturbed. "My point was, what seems like an exorbitant amount of money in Massachusetts is not enough to survive on for an actor in LA. When an actor is working, she needs to make as much money as she can because (A) she never knows how long the job will last or when the next one will come along and (B) the cost of living in a nice, clean, safe area of LA is extremely high! If they make John an offer, I want to be there to drive the price as high as I can."

"So, you need Johnny to sign this agreement before you can advocate for him at the callback tomorrow, is that correct?"

"Yes, it is. John and Rose and Edward. All three stand the chance of a very nice payday and, in all honesty, Mrs... Dr. Foley, I am their best chance to get that payday."

Marilyn sighed. What the hell did she know about entertainment contracts? She knew that lots of people got screwed in academia, of course, and she'd heard a lot about musicians signing away their rights, but... who the heck could she talk to about this? She only had about twenty one hours before the kids had to do whatever they had to do.

"Look, Ms Gomez..."

"Rita, please, Dr Foley."

Marilyn nodded. "Look, Rita, you may write contracts like this everyday, but this is all new to me and the kids. I don't know what Rose's parents do for a living, but I know Ed's dad is an electrician and his mom works as a medical billing clerk. I know that the kids are all 'adults' in the eyes of the law, but I am not going to advise Johnny to sign anything unless it has been looked at by someone I trust - or at least someone who has no 'horse in the race.' I just don't know who to turn to with so little time."

"I understand, Dr Foley, but I don't know who you could talk to, other than your family lawyer. Maybe he'd know someone."

Marilyn shook her head. In fact, the lawyer she'd used for years had passed away recently. She hadn't searched out anyone new. She sipped her coffee and asked, "Realistically, Rita, how much money are we talking about?"

Rita thought for a moment. "I don't want to make any promises, you understand, but this production company is a partnership with ABC, which is, of course, owned by Disney, so, this is a very well funded show. Now, John is an unknown entity, but I have made it clear that I'm going to be shopping him around to everyone, so I suspect that they'll make a good offer - and - as I said, it's my responsibility to try to get a lot more than that. Now, I'll do what I can for Edward and Rose, but John will be the key to anyone getting on the show. Realistically, with no credits and not being the primary focus of the show, I think that they would probably make an offer of somewhere in the area of fifteen to twenty thousand dollars per show..."

Marilyn's jaw dropped. "Per SHOW!?"

"Yes, Doctor, but I think I can PROBABLY do considerably better than that. I think he could end up making as much as thirty thousand dollars per episode if things go as well as I hope they will."

With her heart racing at the thought of making a mistake on her son's behalf, Marilyn suddenly had a thought. "Rita, will you excuse me for a few moments? I think I know who to call."

"Of course," Rita knew that John's mom was hooked.

Marilyn still had concerns, but she turned to the only advisors she could think of. She hit a saved contact on her phone. When a voice came through it said, "Thank you for calling Emerson College. How may I direct your call?"

"Hello," Marilyn said as cheerily as she could. "I wonder if you might help me figure out who I need to speak to." She went on to summarize her situation, then waited while the receptionist connected her to someone in the Vocational Assistance Office.

"Hi, kids!"

"Rita!" Rose smiled as she placed her rehearsal bag near one of the couches. "I didn't know you'd be here!"

"Well, I'm here for two reasons. Number one - to check that you all came straight home after rehearsal, which, I see, you and John, obviously did, but you, Edward," she teased, "did not go straight home, so you're in trouble."

"Actually," Ed smiled, "I did. I'm actually home. I'm sleeping here tonight. My brothers are all at my parents' place and, if I want to get a good night's sleep, I'll be better off here."

"Good thinking, Edward," Rita smiled.

"What's the second reason?" John asked.

"We have to talk some business if I'm going to represent the bunch of you, tomorrow. I need you to sign representative contracts or I can't negotiate on your behalf."

"Ok," Ed clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Where do I sign?"

"Ed," Rose touched Ed's arm to get his attention. "Umm, I think we should talk to our parents about this. My dad will kill me if I sign something without checking with him, first."

"Yeah, ok," Ed continued rubbing his hands, "I understand what you're saying, but it's different for me. You guys are real actors. I'm not. I'm an engineering student, remember? I never even considered ever doing something like this. Without Rita, I'd never even consider doing it, so... where so I sign?"

Rita laughed. "That's nice, Edward, but Rose is right. You need to talk to your parents before you sign."

"Speaking of parents," John was looking past Rita, "where's my mom?"

"She's in her room, I think. She's calling someone to ask advice about these contracts."

"Who's she calling?"

"I called that School in Boston where my son and my money go," Marilyn said as she pushed past John heading towards the kitchen. "Come on, kids," she flashed a look at Rita, "let's all go sit around the big table in the screened room. We have a lot to talk about."

They all sat, with Rita sitting opposite Marilyn, who was trying to rub the stress out of her eyes. "Geez, kids, there's a lot to think about here. Essentially, these contracts sign you to be represented exclusively by Rita until such time as SHE opts to terminate the contract. Isn't that so, Rita?"

"It is," Rita nodded. "It's my standard agreement with my clients. I'm not an amateur, Dr Foley. My clients are all good and my clients all work unless THEY mess up their careers."

Marilyn nodded. "Well, the man I spoke to in Boston said that he didn't 'love' that clause, but he'd heard of you, Rita, and he said that he'd recommend that the kids take a chance on you because, well, as for the rest of the contract, he said it seemed almost too generous for unknown actors."

"There you go," Rita held her palms up. "I told you. I'm here to look out for their best interests - that's what's best for my best interests, too."

Marilyn leaned back and crossed her arms. "Rita... I want to be honest. I've never won a lottery or a raffle or anything else. You seem too good to be true, so, I'm wondering... are you?"

Rita smiled. "I may well be, Dr Foley, but I'm for real. One hundred percent for real. If these kids sign with me, I cannot promise they'll get these roles, but I guarantee that they'll be working and making a damned good living as actors. Maybe in TV. Maybe in film. Maybe on stage, but they'll be working. That's what I do, Dr Foley - I get my clients work and lots of it."

Marilyn looked at Rose. "Honey, What do your parents do for work?"

"My dad's an oral surgeon and my mom is a stay at home mom. Why?"

"I'd like to talk to your dad as soon as I can, honey. I'd like to talk to him about this contract."

Rose nodded. "He's not available until after five, but I'll call him, then."

"Great. Ed - I already talked to your dad."

"Yeah?" Ed asked. "What did he have to say?"

"After he got over the shock of hearing that you were auditioning for a TV show, he said that it sounded like a great opportunity, but he'd like you to call him to talk before you sign."

"Well, ok!" He stood. "If you'll all excuse me, I'll go give my dad a call."

When Ed was done talking, he returned to the kitchen and once again said, "Where do I sign?"

"Your dad's ok with everything?" John asked.

"Hunky Dory! He said that if I wanted to give it a try, he was fine with it."

Rose stood. "I'm going to give my mom a call. See what she thinks."

While Ed and Rita spoke about the contract, John said, "What do you think, mom?"

She shrugged. "Johnny... I don't know. I just wish I had a day or two so I could see a few lawyers to be sure you weren't being taken. I mean, you're an adult, so, ultimately, the decision is yours, but... I just don't want to make any mistakes. This all seems so important to you."

He nodded. "It is, mom. It's very important."

She looked at the little girl her son had become. He was wearing a very simple, yellow, cotton, sleeveless dress she'd bought him at a thrift store. His eyes were so big and innocent, that it nearly broke her heart to even consider disappointing him. Had he always been this pretty little child and she'd just never seen it? Just a few weeks ago, he seemed like a confident guy. Now...

"Johnny," Marilyn searched for the right words. "Do you remember that story I read you when you were about thirteen or fourteen? The one by Kurt Vonnegut?"

He thought for a moment. "I remember reading 'Slaughterhouse Five' in high school..."

"No. This was a short story about a young man. He had no personality at all, but he he was a great actor for the local community theater. Remember? When he played Stanley Kowlaski he became passionate and abusive. When he played Romeo, he became obsessed with his costar. Etc. Do you remember that story?"

He thought for a moment before the story occurred to him. "I do remember! The girl bought him a whole bunch of scripts of romantic plays until he proposed. I remember it, now. It was called, 'Who Am I This Time,' right?"

"That's the one, yes! Now, think about that story. Is that what's happening to you?"

He shook his head. "Mom, it's just for a role..."

"No, Johnny, it's not. Ed said it last night. It's hard to remember John's still in there, now. You're different. You're really Bebe, now, Johnny. You're not twenty any more - you're a child. You're frailer. You're more emotional. I swear you're even smaller than you used to be! These contracts, Johnny... if you were still Johnny - still a man - I'd tell you to sign it in a second, but you're not, baby. You're a child, Johnny, a little girl. If I advise you to sign this, I'm sending my little girl out on her own and I'm scared. I look at you and I see someone who needs to be protected - to be cared for. How can I possibly let you go to LA on your own? Ever since Rita showed up with these contracts, this has all become far too real! I don't think I can do it. I really don't!"

"Mom, come on, you need to be rational. I'm not a child. I'm an adult. I'm a man..."

Marilyn was nearly hyperventilating and she was starting to cry. "No you're not Johnny. You WERE a man, but, like that guy in the book, you've become your character in real life. Johnny, you're a little girl. You can't take care of yourself. You are dependent on older women - Rose, Ms Weldon, Rita, me - for everything! We guide you. We dress you. We feed you. We care for all of your needs. Johnny, please don't ask me if you should sign those papers. I don't know what to tell you!"

"Mom..."

"I was talking to Nancy yesterday, honey, and she made some good points."

"Oh, mom, come on. Nancy doesn't support my choice to be an actor at all. You wouldn't believe the conversation we had on the way home from the air port."

"Johnny, it's not that I'm not proud of you, I am, I really am, but... Johnny, Nancy is right, you've actually become this little girl. I admit, I was so proud of you until I spoke to Rita and I realized that you are going to be leaving - not just for a night, but forever and, look at you , Johnny... you're a... child."

Both of them were shaking and tears were gathering in their eyes.

"Mom," John whispered. "I love you more than I can explain, but..." he slid a copy of the contract to himself, grabbed a pen and signed it. "I'm doing the callback tomorrow and, if Rita can help me, then..."

There was silence as Marilyn realized that Ed and Rita had been listening to their conversation. They were both watching in stunned silence.

"Johnny," she finally took her son's petite hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry. I'm just not as strong as I thought I was." She kissed his hand again, then left the table. "I'm going to take a walk," she called over her shoulder as she passed Rose on the way out the door.

Rose looked at the shocked faces of the people surrounding the table. "What's going on?"

John got up and hurried out of the room before he lost control.

"Is he ok?" She asked.

Ed gave a long, slow exhale. "I don't know. His mom is... scared, I guess. They kinda had a fight. She's gone for a walk."

"What did your mom say, Rose?" Rita asked.

"Oh," Rose came back to the matter at hand. "She's on the phone. Can she speak to you?"

"Sure, dear. Give me your phone."

John had stayed in his room all evening. Rose made grilled cheese sandwiches for Ed and Marilyn for dinner. It was a subdued
conversation. Marilyn tried to smile and be normal for the kids, but she felt awful. She'd never had to speak to anyone the way she'd spoken to John earlier and Nancy's warnings about his mental stability gnawed at her tremendously.

Finally, after the kitchen was cleaned and the trash had been taken out, everyone headed to their beds early. By nine o'clock, the house was silent. Rose was tossing in her room, Marilyn was trying in vain to read in hers and Ed had taken one of the day beds in the breezeway where he was staring at the ceiling. No one had heard from John since his door had closed earlier.

It was nearly two in the morning while Ed was watching a super hero movie on his iPad that he sensed someone standing near him. He looked to his right, towards the door to the big room and he spotted John standing in the doorway.

He pulled his ear buds out and said, "Hi," very quietly.

"Hi," John whispered in return. He was wearing a simple, sheer, lavender nightgown that hung sleeveless from his shoulders and ended mid thigh. There was nothing overly feminine about the night gown, but the simplicity of it made it look all the more feminine and natural for a young teenaged girl to wear.

"You ok?"

John shrugged. "I guess. Can't sleep."

Ed laughed. "Me neither. I can't believe I have an audition for a TV show in a few hours. You must be a wreck."

John sat on the day bed on the opposite wall. "I guess. It's more to do with my mom, though. I never really challenged her before. I just... Well, I feel bad, I guess. I can't believe that Nancy tried to undermine me like that. You saw mom Monday. She was a hundred percent behind this. A few words from Nancy, though..."

Ed could see the tears twinkling in John's eyes. "Hey, John..." that just didn't feel like the right name for this pretty girl. "... I know your mom and sister and no matter what, I know that they love you. They're just concerned, you know? They'll get past it. I know that they will."

John shrugged and shivered in the cool, night air. There were no blankets on the day bed on which he sat, but Ed, who was wearing sweat pants and a Boston Bruins hockey shirt had grabbed a blanket from the linen closet before going to bed. He sat up and grabbed it from the foot of the bed and put it over John's shoulders. Then he hugged his friend and kissed the part on the top of his head. "Better?"

John nodded.

Ed sat back on his bed, with his back up against the wall that acted as the head board of the bed.

"Ed," John asked, tentatively. "Do you see me as a guy any more?"

Not wanting to hurt his friend, but wanting to be honest, he said, "Not really. Sorry."

John shrugged again. "It's ok. How do you see me then?"

"Wow," Ed rolled his eyes at the enormity of the question. "I guess - when we're at rehearsal, I kind of see you as a beautiful woman. To tell you the truth - when you're Bianca, you're kinda my dream woman. You're beautiful and smart and you like video games..."

He let that linger.

"How about when we're not at rehearsal?"

"That's complicated." Ed thought a little. "At first, honestly, I wanted to date you. You're just so pretty. Honest, John, you're unbelievable. But - after I saw you with those girls, well, you kinda became 'Bebe' instead of 'Bianca' and I see 'Bebe' more as like a little sister or a younger cousin than a potential girlfriend. Does that make sense?"

John contemplated that. "Ok. I get it." Then he was silent.

"I didn't upset you, did I?" Ed was truly confused by what he should say in this bizarre situation.

"I don't know," half way through the sentence, the water works let loose.

"John... Johnny... Bebe," Ed searched for the words. Finally, the right words occurred to him. "Come here."

John nearly fell onto the bed next to Ed and buried his head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Maybe my mom's right. Maybe I'll never be a man again..."

Ed put his arm around John and hugged him. "John... Bebe... man, what should I call you?"

"I don't care. Whatever you want to call me."

Ed took a breath. This heart-to-heart stuff was very tough for him. "Beebs... ever since we were kids, you have always been the best actor I knew and I get it - you needed to be Bianca all the time and that just led you to being Bebe... but I swear, I KNOW that if you needed to play a role like Liam Neeson in one of those 'Taken' movies, within an hour, you'd be the toughest, 'I'm not taking any shit from anyone,' guy in the world! Acting is who you are, so, for now, that means that you need to be Bebe - or Bianca - or - whatever... you know what I mean?"

John appreciated the kindness that Ed was extending and the warmth he was stealing from Ed's body. "Thanks, Ed. You're really a great friend, you know, that, right?"

"Johnny... I'm not great at this, but you know that I love you, right. Like... you're my only real friend and you're, like, my brother... or sister... or... you know..."

"I know." John kissed his big friend's cheek. "Do you mind if I stay here a while?"

Ed moved to the side and laid with his back against the windowed wall, pulling John tightly up against him. "Stay as long as you want." He kissed the back of John's head and whispered, "And remember - we all love you. Even Nancy and your mom. We all love you."

Sometime after four-thirty that morning, Ed's eyes opened again. This time, it was Marilyn sitting on the opposite daybed. She was looking at her little son, wrapped up in a warm blanket and being held by Ed who was uncovered.

"Hi," Ed whispered.

"Hi," Marilyn whispered back.

After a few minutes of silence, Marilyn whispered, "You need to pass this audition, Ed. You and Rose, both."

Ed screwed up his tired eyes. "I'll do my best, Mrs... um... Dr Foley."

Marilyn snorted. "'Mrs.' is fine. Ed... I'm very concerned about him. I know he's leaving and I want to be happy for him."

"You should be, Mrs. F. Wait till you see him on stage, he's..."

"He's amazing... he's incredible... he's the best... yeah, I've heard that... but he's my baby, Ed and he's more my baby now than ever. You need to get onto this show with him, Ed. I need you to take care of him."

Ed smiled. "Like Samwise Gamgee in 'The Lord of the Rings.' Like he took care of Frodo."

Marilyn shook her head. She'd read all the Tolkien books to the boys when they were tiny. It was one of her favorite ways to pass a cool, rainy, summer evening. "Like a big brother, Ed. Make sure nothing happens her."

Ed nodded. "Her?"

She stood and moved the hair from John's face, planting a soft kiss on his smooth, soft, scented cheek. "I think so."
 
JUDGEMENT DAY -or- ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD
 

Breakfast was quiet. Ed ran to a local bakery, not all the way to the one in Harwich Port, and got some cinnamon rolls. They all pulled and poked at them, but no one really dug into them. Even Ed only ate two thirds of one. Usually, he was good for two or three rolls.

"Aren't you all excited?" Marilyn asked, trying to lighten the mood, but acutely aware that the reason for the tension was her outburst the night before.

"I thought I would be," Rose folded her arms and leaned back in frustration, "but I'm just petrified."

"Me too," hissed Ed, as he wiped his hands on a napkin. "Petrified."

"Well..." Marilyn couldn't imagine the pressure they were feeling and the added pressure she'd laid on Ed earlier. "Do your best, right? I mean, that's all you can do."

She got up and left the room for a moment, returning with a brush and John's flat iron and she went to work on his hair.

"I can do it, mom."

"I know you can, honey... but... I'd like to do it for you today. I know you find it relaxing and, to be honest, I like to do it for you."

John sat tensely while Marilyn ran the brush gently through his long, thick hair.

Ed smiled. He knew that Marilyn was trying to thaw the iciness of last night. Rose saw Ed's smile and realized it, too.

"Umm... Ed?" She said. "What do you say you and I go out into the breezeway and we can talk some more about the techniques I've been taught for acting on camera?"

"Oh, that'd be great!" Ed said with way too much enthusiasm.

Marilyn continued brushing and looking for the right words to say. As she went to work with the flat iron, John broke the silence. "Mom..."

"Yes, dear?" Marilyn hoped that this would be a positive
conversation, but she wasn't sure if John was ready to talk or lash out.

"Mom..." he stuttered again. "About last night... I'm really sorry that we fought. I feel really bad about it."

Marilyn stopped her work, closed her eyes and took a moment to thank God for such a wonderful child. Then she held her head next to his in a kind of hug and kissed his temple, still warm from the flat iron. "Honey... I shouldn't have said... look, I know how important all of this is to you and... I'm just frightened for you, Johnny."

"I know, mom, but, please, don't listen to Nancy. She just doesn't understand..."

"Johnny, I want you to know that Nancy is only being... well, let's say 'bossy' for lack of a better word, because she adores you, baby. You are her baby brother and she's afraid that you'll be hurt and she doesn't want that to happen. To be honest, that's why the things she said resonated with me. I don't want you to be hurt, either."

"I know, mom, but..."

"No, please, let me finish, baby. I didn't sleep a wink last night, Johnny. All I wanted to do was go into your room and hold you. I hated how I behaved last night, but I need you to know that I take Nancy's concerns seriously - BUT - I am done being a bitch, honey. I don't want you to hate me and I don't want to hold you back, either. So, go to rehearsal and then knock 'em dead at the callback, ok?"

"Mommy." John was becoming a little emotional and the word just popped out of his mouth without him noticing, Marilyn noticed though and her heart leapt in her chest. "I could never hate you. Or Nancy. I know this has all gotten really weird, but... it's what I need to do right now. Maybe things will change after the run of 'Shrew,' but right now, this is who I am. Ok?"

She hugged him from behind and kissed him again. "Ok. I love you."

"Love you, too, mom."

The run through went well, but John didn't feel like he was in 'the zone' because he kept checking the clock. Rose felt the same way and so did Ed, but they all kept their heads in the game well enough to support the rest of the cast. All in all, the show felt ready!

At 11:30, Ms Weldon addressed both casts.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced, "I know that you're all interested in the process that is going to be taking place here, today, and I know that you all want to support the three cast members who will be reading for the crew, but I can't allow you to be in THIS ROOM during the auditions." There were several disappointed groans. "Now, of course, you're all welcome to take the afternoon off and go home, if you'd like, but if you'd like to stay, I have set up a seventy-inch monitor in the other rehearsal hall. If you'd like to watch, you can do so in there. It'll just be a static feed from that camera," she pointed at a camera on the wall, "and the sound will be as good as we can get it. Ok? So, go have some lunch, and if you want to watch the process, please be in the other studio no later than 1:00. They will start at 1:30 on the dot and I need the hallways to be clear and silent. So, don't be late. Any questions?"

There were none.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and enjoy your lunch."

It took quite a while for everyone to exit the hall. They all wanted to wish the trio good luck and said things like, "Don't forget us when you're famous," and "Maybe we should get your autograph, now, before the crowds get too big." It was all very flattering, but somewhat odd to be congratulated BEFORE they'd even auditioned. It was all meant to be friendly, but resulted in more pressure.

"Alright, my beautiful ladies," Jan appeared at the end of the line, "come with me and I'll make you even more beautiful. Ed, get your suit coat on and I'll make it look like it was tailored at Armani. Let's go, people!"

In minutes, Rose and John were in their bras and panties in Jan's studio. John was going to wear the same white dress with navy-blue lace that he'd worn to dinner two days earlier. Rose, following Jan's advice, planned to wear a less formal dress than she usually wore - something flattering, but less form fitting than her usual choices.

Jan started with Rose, she pinned up the bodice just a bit, then handed the dress to one of her team of seamstresses to sew it up.

Then she turned to John who was stepping into his dress. "Oh, yes, that's adorable. I like that. It's young and pretty. Just perfect."

"Jan," John asked, "are you sure I should be wearing a dress? I mean, I went through this with Rita in LA, too, but I'm supposed to be auditioning for the role of a boy."

"I know, sweetie," Jan nodded, "but Ms Weldon and Rita both agree that, since you're going to be looking like a girl, no matter what, you should be as pretty as possible."

"Ok," he agreed.

Rose's dress, which looked great before, looked unbelievable after the alterations.

A few tucks and stitches, and Ed's suit coat from JC Penny's looked just as classy as one from Brooks Brothers.

"They're here," Ms Weldon told them. "They need about fifteen minutes to set up and then, you're on, kids."

All three went just a little pale.

"Now, look," Ms Weldon smiled, "This is just one audition. It is not the be-all-and-end-all of your careers. I hope that it all goes great, but if it doesn't, there will be more opportunities down the road. Ok?"

They all smiled and nodded, but that wasn't how they felt. They all felt like it was now-or-never.

They were allowed to all enter together. Rita introduced them to everyone. John recognized the casting director, Jim Sheldon, and the camera operator from LA. Some of the other faces looked familiar, too, but the most familiar was Don Ferry, the star of the show who flown out to read against John.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," the casting director said to both the people in the room and people watching in the neighboring room. "We're going to be as quick as we can, today, but I think we'll be here for at least an hour and a half to do what we need to do. We're going to start by reading for some of the smaller roles, first, so..." He pulled some papers from a folder and organized them on the table in front of him. "... Ed? Looks like you're up!"

"Shit," Ed whispered as he stood and shook hands with the people at the desk and took the script pages they wanted him to look at.

"Ok, Ed. You're looking at the part of Ronnie. He's a twenty something guy, a rookie cop and a bit of a smart ass. Take a minute to look at it and try to hit the humor where you can. Ok?"

"Ok," Ed replied. His hands shook slightly as he looked over the pages.

"You can do this, Buddy," John whispered through clenched teeth. The only person to hear him, though was Rose. She let out a nervous breath, herself.

"All set?" The Jim asked, but it wasn't a question. It was time for Ed to start. "This is Sven and he will be reading the other parts. You just read Ronnie for us. Ok?"

Sven began. There was no sign of emotion of interest in Sven's delivery. He simply spoke the words. "Are you nuts, Ron? That building has to be ten stories high. You'd be isolated up there. I can't let you do it."

Ed was thrown off by the mechanical delivery of the production assistant and stuttered as he began to read - not act - read. "Look, Jacobs, you and I both know that there's no alternative. Besides, it's only eight stories. I could jump to the building next door if I need to."

"No. It's my call and I'm saying no." Sven's delivery remained robotic.

"Well, then you explain that to the mother of the next kid he kills. This is our only chance to nail him and I'm the hammer that's going to drive that nail home." If anything, Ed was getting more robotic as things went on. He was matching the delivery Sven was giving him.

John could see the subtle head shakes coming from the production table. Ed was going down in flames.

"Umm," the casting director interrupted. "I think that's fine for now, Ed. Thank you."

John saw the devastation of Ed's face and his heart broke. He wanted to run to Ed and hug him, but instead, from somewhere in the room someone shouted, "No! Let me read with him!"

John turned to see who had spoken, only to see everyone's eyes trained on him. It was only then that he realized that the person who had shouted was, in fact, himself.

Shocked by his own brashness, he stood and walked daintily to the table, trying not to look as frightened as he felt. In his head was a frantic loop of condemnation at having just ruined his own chances. 'You idiot. You idiot. You idiot. You idiot..."

"No," the actual director spoke up, "I think we've see enough."

John reached the table, a child in a pretty dress and a pretty face. "Please," he whispered, his back to Ed, "you've come all this way. He's really, really good. He's just inexperienced. Let me read the same scene with him. You'll love him. I promise."

They all exchanged glances before shrugging and nodding. 'Why not?' seemed to be the final decision.

John thanked Sven as he took the pages from him. He walked to Ed and whispered to him, "Forget about them. It's just you and me and we've done this a million times, right?"

"I don't know, Johnny," Ed whispered his reply. "I shouldn't be here. I suck at this. I think I need to puke."

"Hey!" John said a bit louder, but still in a whisper. "Don't wimp out on me, now! I need you." He landed a gentle, but poignant punch to Ed's stomach, getting his attention and making him smile just a bit at the feebleness of John's punch. "There's no one here but you and me. Close your eyes, take a breath and do this right. Ready?"

Ed nodded.

"All set," John called back to the desk.

"Ok," the casting director acknowledged. "Role camera."

Suddenly, out of the mouth of this pretty little girl came the voice of a seasoned police officer. The voice barked at the young man opposite her, "Are you nuts, Ron? That building has to be ten stories high. You'd be isolated up there. I can't let you do it."

"Look, Jacobs, you and I both know that there's no alternative. Besides, it's only eight stories. I could jump to the building next door if I need to." This time, Ed's delivery was animated and expressive, making it actually exciting.

"No. It's my call and I'm saying no." John turned, as if to walk away, but Ed ran in front of him and took a demanding, but uncertain stand, perfect for a brave, rookie cop.

"Well, then you explain that to the mother of the next kid he kills." Ed barked back into John's face. His delivery was righteous, but not hokey. "This is our only chance to nail him and I'm the hammer that's going to drive that nail home."

This time the director didn't stop Ed. He let the scene continue and, four pages later, he finally shouted, "That'll do! Great job!"

The room erupted into applause. John took Ed's hand. Ed bowed and John curtsied. They returned the pages and took their seats.

The production team compared notes for a moment or two, then the casting director called out, "Rose, if you would, please take a moment to look over these two scenes. John, please take a look at them, too."

The first scene was between the older son, Matt, and his girlfriend. Nothing earth shaking, just a conversation about something that happened at school. Mostly, the girlfriend was complaining about someone spilling chocolate milk on her dress while the boyfriend tried to change the subject. There wasn't much meat to the scene, but Rose did an admirable job.

The second scene was one John recognized. It involved the two brothers and how they were coping with an tragedy in the family. "Rose," the director said, "please please the role of Matt and ignore the gender of your character. Read it as if you were the other character's sister. Ok?"

"Yes, sir," she smiled her most radiant smile and turned to John.

As the younger sibling, Alex, John's character, was supposed to be having trouble coping with the situation. He did his best and, if you closed your eyes, it sounded just like a fourteen year old boy was struggling with an issue. If you opened them, though, that boy looked a lot like a fourteen year old girl.

"Excellent," the director said when they'd finished. "Now, just humor me. I'm curious about how differently you'd do this. Please, do the scene again, only this time, John, please read the scene as if Alex was a girl. I keep hearing how amazing you are as Bianca and now I'm just curious."

"Ok."

They started again, but it was entirely different this time. This time, John's delivery was much more plaintive and vulnerable, while Rose's was much more empathetic and nurturing. They both flicked different switches and their characters took on whole new dimensions. When they'd finished, Ed heard the Casting Director's Assistant mutter, "Well, ho-ly shit," under his breath. Right then and there, he knew that John had nailed it. He felt good about Rose's chances, too, but he thought that he'd just be driving them to the airport to wave goodbye when they left.

Unexpectedly, the star of the show, Don Ferry, stood and walked out onto the floor where Rose and John were awaiting instructions. "Wow!" He said with exaggerated encouragement, "I must say that I am humbled to be in the presence of such great actors." He touched each of them and threw a hand towards Ed to indicate that he was included in his evaluation, too. Ed just mobbed his thanks.

"Ok, do you know the plot of the show, yet?" He asked. They both shook their heads that they did not.

"Alright. So, in the first episode, the father, that's me, is trying to keep a group of gangsters out of the town. Corny, right? But the script writes it really well. Anyway, the gangsters take revenge on the father, who is, obviously, a cop, and they set his house on fire, killing his wife and the mother of his children. Without a wife to raise his children, the father moves back in with his own mother, the children's grandmother, and they struggle to make a new life and, since the show takes place in the early 1960s, that gives us a lot to deal with, too. Civil rights. The JFK assassination, The Beatles, if the show lasts long enough, there's Vietnam, the moon landing, and the drug culture. All kinds of fuel for the script. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Both John and Rose agreed. It's sounded very exciting.

"Great!" He handed them more scenes. "Ok, so in this scene, I'm explaining why we need to move in with my mother. You guys don't want to move out of your neighborhood, especially you, Rose, since you're a senior in high school. Where it says 'football,' just say something else - like field hockey or softball. Whatever you want."

The scene was very well written and had a lot of emotional levels in it. John had never been a big fan of Don Ferry's, but his delivery was very natural and calculated to pace the scene perfectly. He was impressed and he felt really good about the reading.

In the final lines, the father asked if everyone was ok. The 'kids' replied that they were. "That's great," the father said and the actor ran a finger along Rose's face and patted John on the shoulder. "See, being a family is what it's all about."

"Wonderful," the director said, "but, again, just to humor me, can we do the scene once again, and John, please do it as a girl. Thank you."

John nodded, but was a bit surprised that they'd ask this again. "Don't worry," Don said, "he just wants to see what kind of 'chops' you have. You know how directors are."

John nodded, having very little knowledge of how Hollywood directors were.

This time, of course, the scene had a completely different 'vibe' to it. The younger child, Alex, being a girl, seemed to have much more of a connection to the recently departed mother and the father had to be more gentle with her. When the scene was drawing to a close, the actor, instead of running a finger along Rose's cheek and patting John's shoulder, pulled Rose in for a big paternal hug, then did the same to John. Then he put a hand on each of their outer shoulders and said, "My girls. How could any guy be lucky enough to have daughters this wonderful." Then he turned and wiped his hand across the base of his nose to keep from crying.

Even John was chocked up by the performance!

"Fantastic!" The director shouted. "So," he turned to everyone, "we need to talk, but for now... Julia!?" He shouted and a woman appeared with Jan at her side. "Everyone, this is our costumer, Julia. Julia, see what you can do with these three, please?"

"Yes, sir," Julia nodded.

"Me too?" Ed asked, shocked.

"Well, yes," the director smiled, "unless you've changed your mind about auditioning"

"No, no, no. Not at all," Ed enthused. As he jumped out of his chair to join the others, you could hear a cheer from the actors in the other room.

In Jan's studio, Julia had laid out several different looks. First she had Ed try on a 60's era police uniform. It fit quite well and he looked very smart in it. "Very nice," Julia proclaimed. "Just keep that on and don't get it wrinkled. We're going to camera test it to see how it works on screen."

"Yes, ma'am," Ed gave a brisk, excited salute to Julia.

"You look great, Ed," Jan whispered.

Next, Rose was put into a blue, buttoned down top with a Peter Pan collar, a mustard colored sweater that only buttoned at the top button, a matching, mustard skirt with dark blue strips forming a wide criss-cross pattern, blue knee socks and penny loafers.

"Oh!" Julia exclaimed. "Adorable!" She truly was. The style was very dated, but looked right for the period.

"You're a bit a problem, though," Julia looked at John in the button up white shirt and old style denim jeans. "Your boobs make the shirt gap and your hips seem wide for a boy.

The second criticism surprised John. His hips hadn't actually gotten wider, had they?

"Let's see what the camera says, people," Julia clapped her hands and guided them back into the hall.

The director was talking to the casting director when the returned. "Ok, this is just to see how you play on camera in a costume. It's as much about the costume as it is about you. Ed, I'll start with you. Go to the middle of the floor, I'll ask you a bunch of questions and you just answer them as casually as you can and we'll see what happens."

Ed took center stage and he was asked to pantomime several poses and positions. He did very well. He was serious when asked to be and goofy and charming when asked to be. He answered about twenty questions as well, some serious, mostly just conversations. He told several funny stories and smiled handsomely into the camera.

When they reached the end of the questions, the Director asked just one more. "How do those clothes make you feel?"

"Like a cop!" Ed replied. "Like a big shot, you know. I like them."

Next, it was Rose's turn. She did the same thing, posing and answering questions. When she laughed, she looked gorgeous - just the kind of face a camera loves.

When they reached the end of the questions, once again, the Director asked, "How do those clothes make you feel?"

"I like them," Rose smiled. "They're different, but they're comfy. The sweater is very soft. The longer skirt makes me move a little differently. It's cool."

Finally, John was called up. He moved to the center of the floor, very self conscious about the ill fitting clothes and he did his best to smile and act cool. It didn't work.

And then, the final question was posed. "How do those clothes make you feel?"

"Like a hobo," he replied too quickly.

"Why's that?"

"Well, they don't really fit me. The pants are really uncomfortable and the I can't keep the shirt from opening here in the middle of my boobs."

"Julia, is there anything we can do about this?"

Julia stepped up next to John. Not really. Not if you want him in boy's clothes. If I go bigger on the shirt, it'll hang funny around the neck. If I tailor a larger one back, I'll need to put in darts to accommodate his breasts. With the fake boobs and his naturally big hips, he's just not built for this kind of costume."

The director nodded and made notes.

"The boobs come off and I can exercise to make my hips smaller," John said. He sounded a little desperate. "One of my teachers put me on a pretty strict diet back in March. It's going well. I'm sure that I can drop more weight and if I go to a trainer, I can reduce the size of my hips."

"Don't worry, honey," Julia said. "We have lots more to choose from. This look just doesn't work for you."

"Julia, can you try him in the red outfit, please?"

"Sure," then she turned to John. "Come on with me."

When John returned, he was wearing a red and black, plaid shirt dress. It was very much a style of the early 1960s, but not exactly what John had expected to be asked to wear as a costume. The pattern was uniform across the whole dress, but the fitted bodice was off set by the blossoming skirt that puffed out below it. On his feet were little, one inch high, kitten heeled pumps. Julia had removed his earrings, saying that in 1960-63 - they'd yet to actually pin down the year in which they'd begin - girls as young as John was playing didn't have pierced ears. She also had redone his makeup to reflect the proper age and time period. She'd used Bobbi pins to pull his hair back from his face just a bit which also recalled the time period just a bit more realistically.

Following Julia's instructions, John took dainty steps and bounced just a little, to look a little younger.

"Without makeup, he looks like a baby," Rose whispered to Ed.

"Are they seriously thinking of casting him as a girl?" Ed whispered back.

"That's much better," the director said with a smile. "Do you feel less like a hobo, now?" He asked.

Again, reverting to his Bianca training, John gripped the sides of his somewhat spacious skirts and gave a shallow curtsy. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

"What do they call you off stage when you look like this?"

"Bebe, sir." Again, just the hint of a curtsy. The gesture was not out of context for a young girl of that time period speaking to a powerful man.

"Bebe? Very nice. Ok, Bebe, I'd like to do the whole conversation over and, please, this time answer as Bebe world - and think about being Bebe in 1060."

"Yes, sir." Another curtsy. The director liked it. This kid was getting into the role.

"So, Bebe, tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm fourteen years old, I live in Worcester, Massachusetts and I'm going to be going into my freshman year of high school in the fall. I like to read and draw. I love horses. I have an older sister named Nancy who is a doctor and my mother is a college professor and my best friend..."

It went on from there. John never stumbled on an answer. He seemed completely locked into the culture of the early 1960s, too. He spoke about his favorite music by Elvis, The Four Seasons, Frankie Avalon and Del Shanon. He talked about The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Flintstones and Leave It To Beaver. He giggled where appropriate and he was shy when the questions seemed a bit too 'grown up' to be asked of a fourteen year old.

Finally, "How do those clothes make you feel?"

Still in character, John replied, "I like this dress a lot. It's pretty, don't you think?"

"I do," the Director chuckled.

"My mom bought it for me for my school pictures in the fall. We got it on sale. She always knows a bargain."

"Well, it's very pretty, Bebe. I think you look lovely in it. I think we're done for now."

"Thank you, sir. It's been very nice speaking with you, too." And another curtsy.

The Director and his crew all left the room.

Rose ran up to John and hugged him. "Holy shit, Johnny! Where did that all come from. You were amazing!"

"No kidding," Ed hugged him, too, "it was like you actually were living in 1960!"

John shook as if coming out of a trance. "It was ok?"

"It was great!" Julia joined in.

"It really was," Jan assured him, too.

They were told that they team needed to have a discussion. It was already nearly five o'clock and none of them had eaten much all day. Rita advised them all to go have a good meal and 'IF' she heard anything, she'd call, they were told not to expect anything that night, though.

Ed and Rose got changed and returned their costumes. John was going to change into the white dress with the navy-blue lace, but Jan said it was too much for a casual meal. She handed him a simple, baby blue sundress that she had hanging around. Instead of his pretty heels, he used the flip flops he kept in his bag for use in the dressing room.

He looked at himself in the mirror and was about to redo his makeup, but Jan said, "Don't put on any makeup, sweetheart. Let your mom see you like this. It's really natural. I think she'll like it."

"Ok," and he headed out to join Ed and Rose.

Not wanting to do anything fancy, they went to reasonably priced, family owned sandwich shop on the main drag. Both Ed and Rose had burgers, but John, very aware of the 'wide hips' remark earlier, stuck to a salad with low calorie dressing.

Rose kept looking at John with a look of fascination.

"What, do I have some dressing on my cheek?"

"No," Rose laughed. "You know, I thought that I knew a lot about makeup and I know people who do amazing things with stage makeup, but it's amazing what Julia did to you by making everything look so natural."

"Is it? I thought it looked really plain. Like I wasn't wearing any makeup."

"That's what I mean." She smiled.

"It makes you look even younger," Ed offered.

John scoffed. "Great! Just what I need."

"Do you think they'll offer you a girl's role?" Ed asked.

"There is no girl's role. It's written for two brothers."

Ed shrugged. "I think that they might offer Rose the older brother role. They'll probably just make the older brother an older sister. What if they offer you the role of the younger sister?"

"I don't think they'd do that, do you?"

Rose shrugged. "I think that they might, honey. You kinda blew everyone away as Bebe."

"I was just trying to do my best!" John put down his napkin and thought about it. "I don't know how I could accept a girl's role."

"I do," Ed laughed. "You just say 'yes' if they offer it to you."

"But... my mom..."

"Your mom will be ok, Johnny," Rose said.

"Nancy will come around, too," Ed said through a mouthful of burger.

"But, there's no way to maintain this forever. I can't do a long term part."

"What if they told everyone that you were a boy, up front. Then you wouldn't have to hide it."

John let out a big sigh. "Wow. I hope that doesn't happen. I mean, I like being Bebe and all, but... I don't know if I can do it forever."

"I don't know if you'll have a choice," Rose took a bit of her own burger.

Suddenly, Ed's phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hello, Edward!" It was Rita.

"Hi, Rita," when he said that name, John and Rose sat bolt upright.

"I have some good news for you, my friend. You have been offered the role of Ronnie. It's a weekly, recurring role. Right now, it's written as just a work-friend/comic-relief role, but, after today, they're talking about developing it into a bigger character. As for your pay check - it's pretty generous, Edward. How does thirteenthousand per episode, sound!?"

"Oh, my God!"

"What?" Asked both Rose and John.

"I got the part! I'm playing Ronnie!"

"Who's with you?" Rita asked.

"John and Rose."

"Let me talk to Rose."

"She wants to talk to you."

While Rose talked to Rita, John congratulated Ed. "I owe it all to you, man!" Ed said. "I was going down fast! You saved me!"

"Nah. You were great!"

"Oh, my God!" Rose shrieked! She covered the phone and said to the boys, "They're changing the oldest son to a daughter! I got the part! I can't believe it!"

The boys congratulated her.

"What's that?" She said into the phone. "Uh huh. Oh, I see. No. I'll tell him. Thank you, Rita." And she ended the call.

"She didn't want to talk to me?" John asked, very excited.

"Umm, no, honey. She said that they were still deciding on the younger brother. She said she'd call when she heard back."

This couldn't be good, John knew that. If they had already decided on the other two major character openings and had not decided to take him, then they probably weren't going to take him. "Oh," he muttered, the disappointment obvious in his voice, "well.. they'll be other auditions I guess. Hey, maybe I could come out to LA after you guys are set up and I could, maybe, hang out while I go on auditions."

"Johnny, I'm sure..." Rose started saying, but John stopped her.

"No, Rose, you don't have to feel bad for me. It just isn't my time. But you guys....! Holy cow! Congratulations! I can't believe it!"

"I can't either, man," Ed said. "This is bull. If they don't take you, I'm not going."

"Ed, don't be stupid," Rose said, but then she realized that Ed and John had always been together. Staying with John was probably Ed's primary reason for auditioning.

"Rose is right, Ed. You won the role fair and square. It just wasn't meant to be for me."

"Are you ok?" Ed asked.

John shrugged and nodded. "I guess. Just disappointed. Tell you what, you guys go out and have a celebration. I'll call my mom for a ride home, ok? She won't mind coming out to get me and I don't want to bring you guys down."

"No, no, baby..." Rose tried, but John was adamant. He took his phone from his purse and called his mother.

"She should be here in less than ten minutes. You guys go have a great time. I'll see you in the morning." He walked out to the parking lot to wait for his mother to come and drive him home.

"Bebe!" Ed called after him.

"Let him go, Ed. Being near us right now is probably awful for him. I can't believe things turned out this way."

When Marilyn pulled into the parking lot, she was startled by John's new look. The inexpensive sundress, the flip-flops and the new 'natural look' makeup made him look even younger than usual. He explained the change of appearance and the reason he'd called her to pick him up.

"I'm so sorry, baby," she said with real sympathy, but also with a slight sense of relief - and maybe just a hint of guilt.

He shrugged, on the verge of tears. "It's ok. That's how auditions go. I just figured that, you know, since they came all this way to see me... and I know it's petty, but I didn't think they'd be leaving me behind."

More to break the awkward silence that followed that last sentence, she asked, "So what now? Are you going back to school in September?"

"Maybe... I don't know... I need to think. Maybe I'll take Ms Weldon's advice and start auditioning. Rita says I stand a good chance, but... I don't know if I'm really ready for this or not. It really hurts to fail this big, mommy. It really hurts."

Back home, he put on his yellow nightie and joined his mother in front of the TV. She was watching a Smithsonian Channel documentary about the pharaohs of Egypt, but John had no interest.

"Lay down, sweetie. Here, put your head in my lap. Let me pet your hair."

At first, he cried quietly as he lay there, but within five minutes, he was sound asleep. Marilyn's hand continued to run through his hair, eventually settling on his small, naked, smooth, girlish shoulder. What would become of her little boy? Would he ever be ready to return to college? Was he destined to remain a little girl forever? Would he have to go through his teen years again just to truly regain adulthood and even then, would he be a man or a women? This summer was going to play terrible tricks on his psyche and the worst part of all of this was she had contributed to this insanity.
 
 
To Be Continued...