"Jesus Christ, Jon....How much is she paying you to make this film?"
Jon could hear the accusation and anger in his agent's voice, even from clear across the Nexus. Money wasn't the motivating factor in Jon's decision to lend himself to 21twelve studios, and it wasn't about fame either. "What does it matter what she's paying me, Mase" Lelah's a friend, and I owe her plenty."
"You owe her?" The man's voice echoed Jon's words doubtfully. "You brought her to Rhydin, you helped her get established there....Hell, Jon, if it wasn't for you, she wouldn't even have that god-damned Oscar sitting on her mantel, now would she?"
"Mase, that's not fair. Lelah earned that Oscar. She deserves it."
"And you were passed over. Like you always are. Do you know why you always get passed over, Jon-boy' Do you know why you didn't get the Superman part?"
"I didn't get the Superman part because I didn't want it. I've got too many other commitments..."
"Commitments?" Mason's voice interrupted, mockingly. "You're co-starring in Rhydin's first film and you're getting paid peanuts. Who the hell is Aimee Savage, anyway' Where'd they dig her up from' She's a nobody, Jon. You're co-starring in a movie with a nobody."
"I'm not getting paid peanuts, and I don't need the money. Aimee has a lot of talent. She just needs a break. She'll be fine. I was a nobody once, remember?"
"Yeah, until you met me," Jon's agent pointed out. "Has she asked you to put any Granger money up yet?"
Jon frowned. Lelah hadn't asked for one favor concerning money. He was the one who'd asked if she wanted him to go to Caroline for funding, and she'd declined. He'd been more than willing to put some of his own money into the film, but he wasn't nearly as wealthy as the other backers. "No, she hasn't."
"You still haven't answered the question....What's she paying you?"
Jon felt a flare of anger rising up inside him. "This isn't about me, is it, Mase" It's about you. It's about your percentage. Don't I pay you enough, or have you been blowing my money up your nose again?"
"No, this is not about me. This is about what?s best for your career. I don't understand you. You had the world in the palm of your hand, and you chose to throw it all away to go work in local theater. Seriously, Jon....Do you know who works in local theater" Has beens. Are you a has been?"
Jon scowled, his face flushing with anger, struggling to keep his voice even. "You know better than anyone why I came back here."
"Yeah, I know. Because you love the theater. Blah, blah, blah. That's bull shit, Jon, and you know it. You went back home because you're afraid, that's why. You got a little taste of success, and you're afraid where it will take you. I'm telling you, Jonny boy, you could be the next Brad Pitt, if you would just let me help you."
"I don't want to be Brad Pitt," Jon pointed out. "I want to be Jon Granger, but I don't even know who he is anymore."
"I can tell you who he is. He's the best damned actor I've ever had the privilege to know, and he's wasting his time and talent on some crappy horror movie that will never be seen by the people that really matter."
"It's not a crappy horror movie, Mason."
"It's about vampires, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but..."
"Then it's a crappy horror movie. It's been done a thousand times already. I've read the script, I've seen the clips. Vampires are passe, Jon. No one cares about vampires anymore. Superheroes are the thing now. Do you even read the papers anymore?"
Jon bristled, anger brewing. "It's a good script, Mason. I believe in the movie, and I believe in Lelah. It's going to change things on Rhydin. It's going to be ground-breaking."
"It's not going to get you an Oscar, Jon. No one will give an Oscar to a vampire movie."
"I don't care about the god-damned Oscar, and I don't care about the money! I'm trying to get my life back together. I'm trying to get back on track. I love acting, and I love the theater, and I promised Lelah I'd do this. She's a good friend. She believed in me when no one else did, and the least I can do is return the favor."
"Look, I understand that you almost died. I get it. I do. You're trying to find yourself or whatever. That's fine. Take some time for yourself, but don't take too long. The public is fickle, Jonny. Out of sight, out of mind. You have to stay in the limelight or risk being replaced by the next Henry Cavill that comes along and tries to take your place."
"I'm done with Hollywood, Mason. I'm not living life in the fast lane anymore. I made my decision, and I'm sticking to it."
"You're forgetting something, Jon. I believed in you. I made you what you are. If you owe anyone, you owe me. Call me when you're ready to quit playing games and get serious about your career again, but don't wait too long. Your good looks won't last forever."
Jon opened his mouth to speak, but the connection went dead. He clenched his jaw in anger, tired of everyone telling him what was best for him, how he should feel, what to do with his life.
Helena was right. He couldn't make everyone happy, and it was foolish to even try. It was his life, and he'd decide what to do with it. No one else. Not his family, not his friends, not Lelah or Mataya or Correy or Nikki or Mason. From now on, he'd make the decisions for himself, for better or worse, and let the chips fall where they may.
Jon could hear the accusation and anger in his agent's voice, even from clear across the Nexus. Money wasn't the motivating factor in Jon's decision to lend himself to 21twelve studios, and it wasn't about fame either. "What does it matter what she's paying me, Mase" Lelah's a friend, and I owe her plenty."
"You owe her?" The man's voice echoed Jon's words doubtfully. "You brought her to Rhydin, you helped her get established there....Hell, Jon, if it wasn't for you, she wouldn't even have that god-damned Oscar sitting on her mantel, now would she?"
"Mase, that's not fair. Lelah earned that Oscar. She deserves it."
"And you were passed over. Like you always are. Do you know why you always get passed over, Jon-boy' Do you know why you didn't get the Superman part?"
"I didn't get the Superman part because I didn't want it. I've got too many other commitments..."
"Commitments?" Mason's voice interrupted, mockingly. "You're co-starring in Rhydin's first film and you're getting paid peanuts. Who the hell is Aimee Savage, anyway' Where'd they dig her up from' She's a nobody, Jon. You're co-starring in a movie with a nobody."
"I'm not getting paid peanuts, and I don't need the money. Aimee has a lot of talent. She just needs a break. She'll be fine. I was a nobody once, remember?"
"Yeah, until you met me," Jon's agent pointed out. "Has she asked you to put any Granger money up yet?"
Jon frowned. Lelah hadn't asked for one favor concerning money. He was the one who'd asked if she wanted him to go to Caroline for funding, and she'd declined. He'd been more than willing to put some of his own money into the film, but he wasn't nearly as wealthy as the other backers. "No, she hasn't."
"You still haven't answered the question....What's she paying you?"
Jon felt a flare of anger rising up inside him. "This isn't about me, is it, Mase" It's about you. It's about your percentage. Don't I pay you enough, or have you been blowing my money up your nose again?"
"No, this is not about me. This is about what?s best for your career. I don't understand you. You had the world in the palm of your hand, and you chose to throw it all away to go work in local theater. Seriously, Jon....Do you know who works in local theater" Has beens. Are you a has been?"
Jon scowled, his face flushing with anger, struggling to keep his voice even. "You know better than anyone why I came back here."
"Yeah, I know. Because you love the theater. Blah, blah, blah. That's bull shit, Jon, and you know it. You went back home because you're afraid, that's why. You got a little taste of success, and you're afraid where it will take you. I'm telling you, Jonny boy, you could be the next Brad Pitt, if you would just let me help you."
"I don't want to be Brad Pitt," Jon pointed out. "I want to be Jon Granger, but I don't even know who he is anymore."
"I can tell you who he is. He's the best damned actor I've ever had the privilege to know, and he's wasting his time and talent on some crappy horror movie that will never be seen by the people that really matter."
"It's not a crappy horror movie, Mason."
"It's about vampires, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but..."
"Then it's a crappy horror movie. It's been done a thousand times already. I've read the script, I've seen the clips. Vampires are passe, Jon. No one cares about vampires anymore. Superheroes are the thing now. Do you even read the papers anymore?"
Jon bristled, anger brewing. "It's a good script, Mason. I believe in the movie, and I believe in Lelah. It's going to change things on Rhydin. It's going to be ground-breaking."
"It's not going to get you an Oscar, Jon. No one will give an Oscar to a vampire movie."
"I don't care about the god-damned Oscar, and I don't care about the money! I'm trying to get my life back together. I'm trying to get back on track. I love acting, and I love the theater, and I promised Lelah I'd do this. She's a good friend. She believed in me when no one else did, and the least I can do is return the favor."
"Look, I understand that you almost died. I get it. I do. You're trying to find yourself or whatever. That's fine. Take some time for yourself, but don't take too long. The public is fickle, Jonny. Out of sight, out of mind. You have to stay in the limelight or risk being replaced by the next Henry Cavill that comes along and tries to take your place."
"I'm done with Hollywood, Mason. I'm not living life in the fast lane anymore. I made my decision, and I'm sticking to it."
"You're forgetting something, Jon. I believed in you. I made you what you are. If you owe anyone, you owe me. Call me when you're ready to quit playing games and get serious about your career again, but don't wait too long. Your good looks won't last forever."
Jon opened his mouth to speak, but the connection went dead. He clenched his jaw in anger, tired of everyone telling him what was best for him, how he should feel, what to do with his life.
Helena was right. He couldn't make everyone happy, and it was foolish to even try. It was his life, and he'd decide what to do with it. No one else. Not his family, not his friends, not Lelah or Mataya or Correy or Nikki or Mason. From now on, he'd make the decisions for himself, for better or worse, and let the chips fall where they may.