Like a Star, page 17
If J.K. knew the young Sun was a genius, then he was ready to bet his life that Nathan was the most gifted director of his generation. He had the power to awaken the dormant talent inside normal people and he could boost existing talent to the maximum. It was as if he could see what someone was lacking and knew precisely how to improve it.
He didn’t understand his own power yet. He probably didn’t believe he had talent. Lately, he was most interested in racing cars and pissing his father off. But Nathan had always admired J.K.
When he was six years old, he once assisted the director in a play where his sister was the lead. Matilda is a musical where the main cast consists of children, so no ordinary director could have made it the success it was. Nathan’s father wanted him to act alongside his sister, but the kid wasn’t interested in acting. He didn’t even try to hide it. But the boy knew the play by heart, he knew every line and understood the complexity of every character who walked the stage.
He agreed to be assistant director only because he didn’t want to be separated from his sister. But the first thing the boy said when J.K. told him his offer was: “Me, assist you? Be honest, old man, it is you who should assist me.”
Nathan was just an arrogant brat at that time, but J.K. understood it was his responsibility to help his talent to bloom to the fullest. With time, they developed a relationship of master and pupil, as in martial arts. Nathan even called him Sensei and he had assisted him in many plays during his childhood.
J.K. hadn’t seen Nathan for a month because he went to Germany for a race, which he won, just to annoy his father. He had told the director several times that he was not interested in becoming a director or having anything to do with the entertainment industry. But J.K. knew he was lying. Art was in his blood. He could see the light around him all the time. Most people only shone when they were doing what made them special, but Nathan, like Joe, shone all the time. Sometimes brighter than others, like now when he was playing the violin.
J.K. loved to hear him play the violin. Since a young age, Nathan displayed an affinity with the instrument. Something that fascinated his whole family. For that violin was an heirloom he inherited from his great-great-grandfather, a war hero and art lover who founded the family empire. Yet, Nathan refused to play for an audience. He said his music was for him alone, and for the people he chose to share it with. J.K. felt honored to be one of those few people.
Nathan had invited the director for dinner and, as always, he cooked. J.K. loved his cooking; he always joked that Nathan would be the perfect wife. Tonight’s dish was roast beef and grilled vegetables.
“So,” said Nathan as they were eating, “have you seen her again?”
J.K looked at him, pleased. “You remember,” he said with a grin.
“I remember everything you say, Sensei. It’s not every day someone manages to impress you.” J.K. had told Nathan about the Elite and the circle exercise where he witnessed a marvelous interpretation of Feline.
That day, J.K. had arrived at the school before anyone, so he had been observing the Elite all morning. They were good, talented indeed. But nothing out of the ordinary. And he had gotten used to that kind of talent. That was why seeing that girl’s performance shocked him that much.
“And here I thought you asked only because you didn’t want to hear me talk about Joe,” joked J.K.
“That as well.” They both laughed. “How was the first day of rehearsal? Do Constellations’ stars shine as bright as Milky Way’s?”
J.K. swallowed a piece of meat. “What have I told you: the brightness of a star depends on its direction.”
Nathan told him about his race in Germany and how his last family dinner was a failure. Family topics were better avoided, so J.K. decided to talk about the girl sitting in the back.
Nathan listened carefully. He was sure Frank must have seen something inside her and he couldn’t wait to discover what it was. He wanted to test her, to bring her on stage, but he understood this was an important play for Constellations. What a shame she was not part of the Elite. Gerard had informed him she’d just started school a month ago.
“Listening to you, Sensei, even I want to meet her. What is her name?”
“Summer, they have told me. I haven’t spoken to her myself.
But I’m pretty sure Frank called her Summer today.”
“Summer…” Nathan wondered. “It’s a good name.”
“And…” J.K prompted. “Have you written something? What about that movie you told me about?”
Nathan sighed. “I’m blocked. I think I may never find the inspiration.”
“Take your time,” advised J.K. “You still want to make it in the indie market, right? That’s not easy to accomplish.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he sighed once more.
“But don’t take too long. If inspiration doesn’t come to you, stop racing cars and go find it.”
Nathan laughed. No one could understand his love for speed. But it was true that racing cars were only a distraction. There was a story inside of him. A story he needed to tell but couldn’t find the way.
Yet.
ACT 20
Matt didn’t understand why he was in such a terrible mood. He was living the dream. All of his life he wanted to be a superstar, traveling the world with his guitar and hearing people singing his songs everywhere around the globe.
Today that was his reality.
Hundreds of people had come to his concerts in different cities in every continent. He was an international star who was making millions of dollars per day. He felt one step closer to his goal of being the Sun. It had been ages since a singer had such an incredible debut. Most singers break records with a song, he had broken records with his whole first album.
When he was on the stage, he was truly happy. Listening to his name being shouted out loud was thrilling. All the love and devotion from his fans, it was how things were supposed to be. He was sure he’d been born for this.
But why did he feel so miserable when he was alone? And why hadn’t he written anything yet? He used to write lyrics and hum new melodies as a daily routine before. But now every time he tried to write, he saw lady inspiration walking away from him. And it frustrated him. How dare she… What bothered him the most was that lady inspiration had taken the face of a girl he knew very well.
Tired of seeing her face, Matt stopped trying to write on his tour and decided to just enjoy it.
When Matt came back to New Los Angeles, he was welcomed by Milky Way like a hero. His international tour was an utter success and the King was very pleased with him. Tamarah organized his welcome party, which was bigger than the one he had when he came back from his national tour. Matt met many stars that day, most of them related to the music industry.
Alexandra Wood didn’t miss his party. She was known as Miss America, an actress and songwriter who became a star at sixteen. She was two years older but that didn’t stop her from flirting with him.
Matt was used to women flirting with him, and he could be incredibly charming when he wanted to be. Like every man, he thought Alex was hot, but he was much more impressed with her vocal range. Maybe spending time with her could help him write again. That’s what he thought when he brought her to his apartment. But not even spending the night with a talented singer could make him forget about the face lady inspiration was using to taunt him.
The next day, Matt had a meeting with the King. No member of the Warner Family had attended his party last night. That made him feel a little disappointed. Alexandra left very early as well; she had a photoshoot. She texted him saying last night was wonderful and she wouldn’t mind doing it again. Matt wasn’t so sure. He was trying to find inspiration but found himself even more blocked than before.
Tamarah took him to Milky Way Central. Every time Matt went to the King’s office, he hoped to see Shonny Faith. Once more, he was unlucky. He wondered why the Queen never visited the King—weren’t they the most powerful couple in Starland? Matt tended to forget that power didn’t always mean happiness.
Milky Way Studios was full of stories of the unyielding love the King harbored for the Moon. Legend said he had been in love with her for more than fifteen years, but the best actress in the world only returned his affection three years ago when she accepted to marry him. Shonny Faith was so rich and talented that nobody dared to think she married for power. I mean, she was the Moon, the most talented female artist alive and she had been so for more than ten years. All the talk about them was about how James won over her heart with unparalleled persistence. Besides, because of a condition in the Warner inheritance, made almost a 100 years ago by James Warner I, the founding father of Starland, only those who possessed the Warner blood could inherit Milky Way. So, neither Shonny nor her three adopted children had any right to the studios.
The one Matt had seen the most in the King’s office was their daughter Hazel. She was always storming out of his office in a bad mood. It seemed Matt wasn’t the only one with a complicated relationship with his father. But today she wasn’t her usual stormy self. She was looking down as she came out of his office, causing her to bump into him. The script she was holding fell to the floor.
“My bad,” he said, picking up the script.
Hazel Warner was a beautiful woman. So beautiful that Matt’s eyes stayed focused on her instead of looking at the title of her script. Something that he usually would have looked at—or he simply wouldn’t have picked it up. But this was Hazel Warner, the Princess of Starland, the girl he had grown up watching on the big screen. She was the girl standing next to him in all the dreams where he won the Sun award. The one girl he deemed worthy of his company.
They were the same age, but the fierce intensity of her royal pedigree made her look stronger than any other eighteen-year-old girl he knew. Her sky-blue eyes were puffy and red, she must have been crying. Matt sucked when it came to saying something to crying girls. But Hazel didn’t wait for him. She grabbed the script, thanked him, and left.
Matt could smell her perfume as she walked away. He hadn’t had the time to properly talk to the Princess, but he watched her perform on stage a year ago. She was one of the few artists he deeply admired. You could even call him a fan. He thought she looked prettier in person and he did like the confidence she walked with, even when she was upset. Hazel Warner knew who she was, and she was proud of that. Also, she was gifted with artistic talent and a bright intellect. Skills Matt considered to be fundamental in order to succeed.
The King congratulated him and Tamarah for his amazing performance in his world tour. He was very pleased with them and encouraged him to work harder for his next album. They would be working with Richard Montes, the producer of his last album. Matt knew James would ask him about his new songs. A singer without a song that sells was of no use to the greatest producer. Matt understood; the King was famous for not wasting time with useless amateurs. Every piece of praise hinted he expected even more for his next album. What was life without pressure? Usually expectations motivated him, and he was planning to keep it that way.
The Screen Actors Guild Awards was coming and everybody in Starland was talking about it. Constellations Studios were in charge this year and there were rumors the Devil of Starland was planning something different for the opening act. Rumors were confirmed this morning when Frank announced on morning television that the Sun, along with six other Constellation stars and some students from his school, were going to perform a small musical adaptation of The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, with Joe playing the sixty-year-old knight-errant.
As expected from the Devil, Frank had been wanting to produce a musical of Don Quixote for years now. The SAG Awards were the perfect marketing strategy, but the real catch here was that a twenty-two-year-old genius actor was going to perform an iconic character of advanced age. Frank was totally aiming for a third consecutive Sun award for his house.
Matt avoided any news regarding the young Sun. He had never personally met him, but it was disliked at first sight. Matt wasn’t blind to talent. He acknowledged Joe’s artistic value—that’s why he considered him a rival. The rival. It was Joe’s first Sun Award that pushed Matt to leave his home in Colorado two years ago. His intense desire to surpass him gave him the courage to finally go against his father.
Matt came to NLA with the intention of surpassing him. He didn’t just want to be a rock star. He was aiming for the Sun. He had always aimed for the Sun. And knowing there was someone who won that legendary award at the age of twenty infuriated him. Matt was supposed to be the youngest Sun in history.
In the beginning, he blamed his father because of all the time he wasted on his farm when he could have started his music career earlier. Joe Starlex was discovered by Frank Hills when he was twelve. Matt firmly believed he could also become the Sun after just eight years in the music industry, maybe even less than that. But because he started last year, he would always be eight years behind the Sun. On the bright side, he liked to think that when he achieved his dream award in the next five years, he would be considered the quickest star to reach the Sun. Matt was grinning at the idea. The SAGs were in less than two weeks. Usually it was an actor-only event, much like the Grammy’s for musicians. But Alexandra would surely invite him. The TV series she had been working on was nominated for Outstanding Performance of an Ensemble in a Comedy series. And because every actor could bring a plus one, he was confident he was going to be Alexandra’s.
ACT 21
Summer hadn’t had any time to breathe lately. She didn’t mind, really. She kind of liked it. She’d been working with Neverland to create different characters for her classes. Her benefactor proved to be an incredibly good teacher. His instructions were easy to understand, and his knowledge about acting was overwhelming. With his help, she was able to become Summer, the ballerina, and Summer, the singer—all thanks to the actress who was growing inside her.
Remember, texted Neverland the day she told him about her circle exercise. You are on the way to becoming an actress. Do you know what that means?
And she, as honest as ever, told him, Not really.
Joe Starlex smiled at his phone. He liked that she never tried to impress him. She didn’t lie to hide her ignorance. She knew that acknowledging you don’t know something was the first step to learning it.
The path of the actor means you can become whatever you need to be.
Summer was amazed by the immensity of what it meant. She could be a princess, a prima donna, an astronaut, she could even be an alien or a superhero.
But first you need to understand deeply what you are trying to become, her sponsor warned her.
They texted each other every single night for hours. She told him everything she did, and he always replied fast. When he was busy, he apologized for the late response. Oh, how she would love to meet him or at least hear his voice.
“Goodnight, Pan.” She held her lucky charm before falling asleep—the golden star she had treasured since she left the cold streets of Chicago.
Lately, Summer had been loving her life. Even if she had to deal with Clarissa’s antipathy and the Elite’s cold stares. She loved the Constellations School, her teachers, the classes, Suray and Carol Marie. Plus, because she’d part of the production team for the SAG Awards, she was falling in love with the performing arts more and more.
The aspiring actress was watching professional stars on the stage every day. She was beholding the birth of Don Quixote inside the Sun. To behold such raw talent at work was an invaluable experience. Joe Starlex was nothing like she had imagined. She knew the Sun was handsome, but she has always thought that Matt was more handsome. And she was annoyingly faithful to that thought when she first saw him. Thankfully, it didn’t last long. One could always tell, even when he was among other stars, that he shone the brightest. He only needed to stand on the stage, he didn’t need to move. He just needed to be there, and all eyes would turn to him. And when he moved, talked or did anything at all, his presence became a magnet you couldn’t break free from.
It was as if the stage loved him. The performing arts itself adored him.
Summer felt a little envious; acting looked effortless to him. As the days went by, Summer fell irrevocably under his spell. She didn’t have the courage to talk to him.
He was always surrounded by people and she didn’t dare bother him. But she wanted to ask him so many questions. There was so much she wanted to understand about his overwhelming stage presence. She was fascinated by how the young actor could become a sixty-year old knight-errant from a different era when he hadn’t even dressed for the part yet.
Neverland had told her the wonderful story of Don Quixote and what his quest meant. And she was touched by how Joe was portraying the iconic character’s idealism. The other stars were good as well. But the gap between Joe and the rest was getting more obvious with time. J.K. Wales was a good director. He knew how to lead his cast in a way they would not be eclipsed by Don Quixote.
Frank did a good casting, of course. Those stars were used to working with Joe. Yes, in most rehearsals they ended up being overshadowed by his powerful aura, but they didn’t get scared by it. On the contrary, it seemed to motivate them. As if they were looking for the perfect performance and they needed Joe’s power to achieve it. J.K. knew how to use that in their favor. It was Summer’s first time watching a director work.
The Elite were loving the experience of being the ensemble. The few who got lines with Joe were thrilled and didn’t waste the opportunity to get closer to the professionals. There was a special bond created once you shared the stage with someone.
The Sun was nice and polite to everybody, but Summer didn’t dare to approach him. She preferred to observe from afar. The closest she got to him was saying “Good morning” at the same time as the rest of the production team.
