Chapter 233: Frustrated.

Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Frustrated.

[Edward POV]

*Ring Ring Ring*

In the living room, I set up my laptop on top of the coffee table while I sat on the couch, reading Percy Jackson and the Olympian Book 1 – The Lightning Thief, and I called someone.

*Bling* The person on the other side picked up the Skype call.

"Hi." Alex answered lazily as she propped her head with one hand. She was using the family laptop in the living room to do her homework.

"Have you read the books?" I asked her while showing the Percy Jackson books to the screen.

"I haven't finished it yet." She replied with slight interest. "Why, is the ending good?-"

"You're useless then. Goodbye." I said as I cut the call.

"HEY! THAT'S RUDE! –" She protested.

Then, I dialed another number, which was the only experimental physicist that I knew who liked to read. Well the only one I liked to talk to at least. Leonard answered it while holding a pizza slice in his hand, "Hello?"

"Pizza night?" I asked.

"Yeah, wanna join us?" He asked with a smile. I saw Sheldon sitting on his usual spot, and I said playfully, "I'll come if you'll let me sit where Sheldon's sitting right now."

"Then you're in for a disappointment, because I'll never give up my spot to a teenage pop star with attitude issues." Sheldon retorted from afar.

"The only person here who has issues is you..." I snarked back, and then I realised. "Wait. All of you guys there have issues." I nodded pitifully, which made Howard and Raj burst out in anger, "We don't have issues! We're normal."

"Really? One is too horny, one has selective mutism. Also, have you forgotten about the latent homosexual feelings you guys have towards one another? That can actually be easily seen... plain as day as a matter of fact."

Leonard turned to his friend and looked at them with disbelief, while trying to figure out how he had never seen that before. Sheldon also did the same thing, but he was just curious on whether that was true.

Both of them spat out their food. Howard said defensively, "We don't have latent homosexual feelings towards one another?!"

"Yeah, tell him Howard!" Rajesh shouted.

"I see." I said, but my face still showed that I wasn't believing them.

"I swear to god! I'm a ladies man! I'm not gay!" Howard said while walking towards the laptop, bringing his face closer to the screen, slowly becoming unhinged.

"Hey Guys! I thought I smelled pizza." Penny opened the door and entered the apartment.

"If you don't believe me, then I'll prove it to you!" Howard whispered before he resolutely walked to Penny.

Penny looked at him with disdain and said coldly, "What?" She was clenching her fist too, ready to strike him the moment he crossed the line.

"Nevermind." Howard shirked back and returned to his seat. Leonard laughed out loud, which made Penny ask, "Why are you so happy– Wait, Hi Edward!"

"Hi Penny." I greeted casually. She was bending down to greet me, and was wearing a low cleavage shirt, so I could peek into her dress. "Did Leonard call you? What did he make you do? Settle a bet?" She asked.

Leonard chuckled and said, "He's the one who called, just to make us realise that Howard and Raj may have latent homosexual feelings for one another."

"Stop talking about it!" Howard shouted begrudgingly. Rajesh tried to whisper in his ears as he couldn't say anything with a woman present, which made Howard get startled and said, "You whispering in my ear is not helping our case right now."

"Ohh. You know what? I had a hunch about that when I saw the way they were dressed." Penny joined in.

Howard exploded, and he stormed off the apartment with Leonard laughing at him. He only did it for a few seconds before coming back in. "I still haven't finished my dinner yet." He muttered pitifully.

Rajesh in the meantime managed to blurt out, but only towards Sheldon, "What's wrong with the way I'm dressed!?"

"Penny, as much as I love to see what's under your shirt, can I talk to Leonard? I can call you back next time for us to continue this lovely interaction." I said as Penny kept hogging the camera.

"Ah!" Penny burst into laughter and covered up her cleavage. "I didn't realise that. Also, we're not continuing anything." She said playfully.

Leonard and Howard realised it based on the angles, and muttered begrudgingly, "You ungrateful bastard."

I ignored them and asked, "Which one of you has read the Percy Jackson books before?"

They looked at each other to see if anyone was raising their hands up, but none did.

"Damn it. Aren't you guys like nerds? Why haven't any of you read the books? Especially you Shelly Cooper. I'm so disappointed in you." I said angrily.

Sheldon was confused as to why I was berating him, and he corrected me, "First of all. I'm Dr Sheldon Cooper. Only my mother can call me Shelly. Secondly, the target audience for the books is teenagers. I'm already an adult."

I looked at him with disbelief and asked, "Seriously? Now take a close look around your apartment, and then say that again."

Penny laughed out loud and said, "Oh my god, you guys are the target audience."

Howard teased Sheldon, "And the book is in your wishlist. You just haven't gotten the time to find it yet."

"Sorry Ed. Looks like we can't help you with your problem. What is it you want to ask anyway?" Leonard asked apologetically.

"Well I want to ask about the current adaptation of the book into a movie, and I can't really do it without spoiling you about the storyline."

"Wait. They are making it into a movie?" Howard asked curiously.

"It's still in progress. 20th Century Fox hasn't officially begun yet. I really want to discuss the adaptation with someone, but so far, none of the people I know have read the books," I explained.

"Oh, umm... Why don't you call us back tomorrow? I promise I'll go and buy the books tonight. We can discuss it tomorrow. I think I can finish one of the books in a day," Leonard suggested.

"Me too," Sheldon chimed in.

"I don't think I'll have time tomorrow. I have to go to a film set," I replied, feeling disappointed. Just then, I received a call from Alex.

Haley widened her eyes with disbelief and she asked worriedly, "Why are you being so weird? Did I do something wrong?"

"Nothing. You haven't done anything." I placated her nervously before I let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright. I have a question for you. Let's say that, you could date anyone you want in the world–"

"I like where this is going." She interjected. "Sorry. Go on."

I smiled wryly and added, "But, no matter what you do, you'll break up with them after 3 months. That includes, even if you guys were in love with each other."

"Is this for a new movie your company is going to make?" Haley was confused, "If they fall in love with each other, then why did they break up?"

"Let's just say, the guy has a curse on him, and he can't ever be with anyone. All of his relationships will end badly. It is for a movie, so just humour me for a second."

"Hmm...." Haley mulled over the situation for a while before she asked, "In that movie, does the guy who gets into the relationship knows that it's going to end badly?"

"He doesn't know, at the beginning. But, he finds out." I replied.

"Finds out?" Haley asked, puzzled.

"I mean, after the first few relationships that had crashed and burned." I explained.

"Hmm..." Smoke almost came out of her ears as she thought about the situation. "I give up. Why don't you ask Uncle Mitch and Uncle Cam? They usually have unusually strong opinions about a love story. I'll add them to the call."

"Wait, you don't have to do that–" I tried to stop her, but the call was already connected.

"Hello? Haley, Edward? What are you guys doing? Date night?" Cameron giggled as he teased, his face was a bit red because he went on a night out with Sal just before.

"Uncle Cam. Where's Uncle Mitch?" Haley asked.

"You guys are drunk." I said.

"I drank a little bit. But Mitch didn't because he needed to drive home. We alternate who gets to drink when we are on a night out." Cam explained before he called his life partner. Mitchell appeared on the screen and said, "Shush! Talk slowly. Lily has just fallen asleep."

"Ed has a question about his new movie." Haley whispered, " The main character– is a guy that has a curse on him, that will make him break up with everyone after 3 dating for months. Even if they had fallen in love with one another."

"Oh, that sounds interesting." Mitchell said as he looked into my screen. Cam thought seriously and said, "It's alright. It's not really at a great movie level...but you can watch that to pass the time. I'm sorry. What's the question again?"

"The question is, if you could date anyone in the world, but you knew that you were going to end up hurting them after 3 months, would you still do it?" Haley asked.

Mitchell looked at me and asked, "So...the guy knows about it?"

Haley interjected, "He didn't know at the beginning for the first few relationships. Or maybe, the movie could start after the relationship had already ended before he figured out that he had the curse."

"I'm sorry. Why are you adding so many details to the story?" I looked at Haley with disbelief. She shrugged playfully and said, "It's kinda fun to think about."

She was immersed into the storyline, and so was Mitchell.

Mitchell said, "So, he...knew? Huh. And right now, he likes a girl, and he can't do anything because he knows that he's going to hurt her?"

Cam added, fully immersed now, "But, if he doesn't do anything. He's going to lose her."

"And if they knew each other before they were dating, and she's already in love with her, she's going to be hurt either way." Mitchell said excitedly. "Oh my god, the potential drama in this. Um..."

Haley chimed in, "Wait. He's going to hurt her no matter what? Then, isn't this a cruel movie?"

Cam said, "That's what makes it a great romance! The ethical conundrum in this- What does the guy actually do? He loves her, but he can't be with her. The world is cruel on him, but if he actually did date her, he's the one being cruel."

"Oh my god Cam. I feel like crying." Mitchell said as he held back his tears. "I can totally see Ryan Gosling holding back his tears as he sees that the girl will be happier with someone else."

"Now you are making me wanna cry." Haley said as tears pooled in her eyes too.

Cam said, "The movie should be called 'Love Countdown'. Oh I got goosebumps now."

"Ed. What do you think?" Haley turned towards me, and was shocked when she saw my despondent expression. Even my face was a bit pale.

I tried to smile and said, "Um...I still don't know if we're going to make the movie yet. I do love to talk more, but I have to wake up early to go to the film set tomorrow. Goodnight everyone."

I said as I cut the call without even hearing their response. Then, my head dropped into the desk and I let out a huge groan. "Uuughhrhh."

...

[General POV]

After Edward left the call, Haley and her guncles looked blankly at each other.

"What's wrong with him?" Cam asked with ignorance.

Mitchell shrugged and said, "It is quite late. Maybe he has a really early filming for tomorrow. Haley, you're okay?"

Haley snapped out of her thoughts and muttered worriedly, "Did he look okay to you? It seemed that whatever we were talking about, really spooked him out."

"Wait! I got it!" Cam suddenly shouted. "SHHH!!" Mitchell shushed him greatly as he was worried that the noise would wake Lily up.

"Sorry." Cam whispered again. "Maybe he's immersing himself in the story as part of his method acting. He might be, playing the main role in this himself."

"Oh, I would really like it if he became the main character. I wanna see him act on the big screen. I always knew he was a great actor. He's just...great." Mitchell supported Cam's theory.

"You know what we should do? We should call Pepper. He will know more about it." Cam said.

Haley fell for her uncle's theory and said, "Oh, he's playing this himself. That might explain why he looked like that."

Later that night, Mitch and Cam called Pepper to ask him about the movie. Pepper was confused at first, and then fell in love with the movie idea, and immediately called the screenwriters in the company to see if they had a movie like that.

Without Edward knowing about it, the gears for the movie production were already turning, and he had missed the opportunity to stop it.