CHAPTER 17 – TEMPORARY CREW
Back on the 17 Again set, Eric kept thinking too much about the Home Alone matter, and made a lot of mistakes during the shooting, but probably because the end was near, Penny Marshall’s temper was surprisingly good, and she patiently kept correcting him.
Eric had even thought of seeking help from her but quickly dismissed the idea. Penny was the equivalent of the 20th Century Fox. Such a huge film company would obviously be able to see the potential of his low budget Christmas comedy and try to be a part of it. This was something Eric didn’t want to see happening.
After thinking about it for a while, he was finally reminded of a certain loli. Even after going through hard times, she was still able to make a comeback. Whether it was a producer, a director or a child star, they had one thing in common: connections.
Don’t just think of Drew as a thirteen-year-old girl, with that kind of personality, her social network couldn’t be underestimated, at least she wouldn’t have a problem helping him put a small team together.
October 9th, 17 Again’s filming was finally over, and Eric got his 500,000 $ paycheck.
Thus, he began working non-stop on his next plan.
……
“Eric, where are we going ?” Aniston who was sitting in the pa.s.senger’s seat asked curiously.
Eric pulled out the Home Alone script from his bag, and said: “Take a look at this first.”
Aniston looked at the name, surprised: “Oh wow, Home Alone ? Is that your new script ?”
“Um.” Eric nodded, then started the car and said: “I intend to shoot the film myself.”
“What ? Eric, you’re not kidding right, do you even know where the camera’s power b.u.t.ton is ?”
“I do. By the way, I want to become a director, not a cameraman.” In his past, he had stayed in that circle for so many years, when it came to directing, he knew just about everything.
“Alright then, you still haven’t told me where we’re going though ?”
Eric hesitated for a bit but still said: “We’re going to see Drew.”
“Humph!”
“Annie, I brought you so that you wouldn’t have any misunderstandings.”
“Humph!”
“I need Drew to help me find some professionals, she might be young but she knows a lot of people.”
“Humph!”
Eric sighed, parked on the roadside, unfasten his seatbelt and said: “It seems that today I’ll first have to convince a jealous little girl.”
……
“You understand, right ? You have no reason to feel like this. Let’s go now.”
Eric put his seatbelt back on and started the car again.
“Hey Eric, you can find James or Penny, there’s so many other people, why does it have to be that bi-…. girl.” In order to maintain her ladylike image in front of Eric, Aniston quickly swallowed back her words.
Eric explained it to her once again, Aniston clenched her fists, but no longer spoke.
The rehabilitation center was well-known in Los Angeles, and in order to prevent visitors from bringing drugs, the two of them were searched. Then a staff lead them to Drew.
From afar, they saw the la.s.s was lying on a sun chair on the side of an open-air bath, a hardcover version of Jura.s.sic Park in her hands.
“Hey, Drew ?” Eric shouted.
“Eric, if you didn’t come to see me, I was going to escape and find you.”
Eric’s voice had just left his mouth, that the girl had already bounced off her chair and thrown herself in his arms.
“You!” Aniston’s face darkened as she was completely ignored by Drew.
Although she had a very strong impulse to get her away from Eric, there were a lot of people around, and Aniston wasn’t as bold as her.
After frolicking for a while, Drew finally noticed Annie: “Hey supersized girl, I heard you were so desperate to lose weight that you fainted on set, that’s really pathetic. You don’t look like you thinned at all though, how much did you lose ?”
Aniston was about to attack, when Eric swiftly knocked on Drew’s head and said: “Well Drew, I don’t think you’re in any position to make fun of Annie.”
Drew grunted in pain, and tearfully said: “Eric, you’re so mean.”
Eric ignored her pitiful appearance, and said: “There are too many people here, let’s go to your place.”
Drew’s living quarters were comparable to a suite, it even had a kitchen. The three went to the living room and Drew poured them gla.s.ses of juice as she sat down on the couch holding one too.
“So, Eric, what can I do for you ?”
“Can I not come and see you without motive ?” Eric was a bit embarra.s.sed.
Drew curled her lips: “With that annoying fatty ? You know I don’t like her.”
Aniston who had successfully endured for so long, finally exploded: “I’ve had enough you b.i.t.c.h ! I’m the one who doesn’t like you !”
Drew was gloating as she tutted twice: “She finally reveals her true nature, hey Eric, you see, that fatty’s nothing like a lady at all, you need to be careful in the future, or you might suffer.”
“You….”
Eric rubbed his temples in distress, secretly vowing that he wouldn’t let those two meet again in the future: “Guys give me a break, I’m seriously gonna get mad.”
“Eric ……” Aniston looked at Eric, aggrieved.
“Annie, why don’t you go and wait for me in the car, I’ll be there soon.”
When Drew heard these words her eyes flashed, but she soon calmly looked down, pretending to drink her juice. However, a woman’s sixth sense was really something, and Aniston had caught on her expression.
“I won’t, I’m staying.” Aniston refused as she turned her head.
Eric helplessly appeased her with a few words, then took out the script and handed it to Drew: “Drew, this is a new script, I want you to help introduce me to some professionals to set up a temporary crew.”
Drew took the script and looked at it for a bit before chuckling: “Haha, that’s really funny, this is a good script…. Ah! Eric, you’re saying….”
“Yes,” Eric nodded: “I want to make this film alone, it’s a low-cost project so I only need about a million dollar which shouldn’t be a problem, but I’ll need professionals who are both reliable and cheap.”
In fact, people from this industry were a dime a dozen in Los Angeles, so even without relying on Drew, Eric would also be able to sc.r.a.pe up a crew, but on the other hand this was an unnecessary waste of time, and if the ones he hired were a bunch of good for nothings, he wouldn’t even have the time to shed tears.
While Eric wasn’t paying attention, Drew glanced proudly at Aniston, then lovingly nodded: “No problem, I know a lot of people, what do you need ?”
When Aniston saw Drew’s glance filled with pride, she felt her anger rising, but in the end only turned her cheek and glared at Eric.
“Cameraman, gaffer, sound recordist …… in short,” Eric pretended not to see Aniston’s unhappy look as he spread his hands and shrugged: “I have nothing right now.”
Drew thought for a bit and said: “I happen to know about the recent closure of a small film company, they have a shooting team. Their boss took a mortgage on the studios in order to get a loan, but he lost all the money. Their team is really good, I was a guest on their movie once. If they have yet to disband, you might be able to get them, compared to unemployment, they’d probably be willing to shoot with you.”
Eric excitedly said: “That’s awesome!”
Drew stood up, smiled and said: “I’ll give them a call for you, I hope I’ll make it in time.”
She went to phone next to the window and started dialing.
Aniston leaned on the couch full of resentment, her hands clutching the hem of Eric’s t-shirt. She felt utterly useless, even Drew Barrymore was of some help to him, but not only was she not, she was also the one constantly on the receiving end. Coupled with Drew’s undisguised attempts towards Eric, Annie became really anxious.
Soon, the phone call ended and Drew brought back good news: the movie company was done for, but the filming crew was still in L.A, and the original owner was willing to introduce the team to Eric.
He noted the time and place of the meeting, and quickly got up to leave, he did not want to waste a moment of time.
Drew confidently forced a kiss on Eric’s cheeks during their farewell, very reluctant to let him leave.
On the way back, Aniston was depressed and Eric kept trying to comfort her.
“Annie, I’m sorry, I don’t know as many people as Drew does, so I really needed her help. I’ll rely on myself for the actors.”
Aniston looked anxiously at Eric and said: “I understand, Eric. Hey, you will… you will always love me, right ?…”
Eric unhesitatingly replied: “Of course.”
“I love you, Eric.”
“Hey Annie ?”
“Yeah ?”
“Be my girlfriend ?”
Aniston’s face suddenly flushed as she stammered: “Eric, I…. I”
“Fool, why are you thinking so much about it, you only need to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”
“Yes.”