Chapter 263: Fix it Felix– No, Edward!

Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Fix it Felix– No, Edward!

(Sorry was out for the week cause I was focusing on writing a Community Crossover arc)

[Edward POV]

Paige sighed and said, "The movie..."

"...Is really bad." I finished her thoughts.

She widened her eyes and panicked, "No, that's not what I was going to say." Pepper and Judd turned towards her, making her feel self-conscious.

Pepper chuckled as he turned towards me again, "It's not bad Edward. I'll go watch it in the cinema, granted that there's no... other alternatives."

"It's still a good movie if the execution is played right." Judd said as he stood up and pointed at the whiteboard, "I especially like the brother character. There's a lot of funny ways he can interfere with the main relationship."

As a director focusing on comedic movies, Judd has a lot of ideas on how to make the movie funnier.

"But it feels too one-dimensional." Paige commented on her own works in a critical manner. "The brother doesn't feel like a character. It's like he's just there to progress the plot. They were shaken up with the relationship, the brother is there to help. The main lead forgets to plan a date, the brother is there to help."

"It's good for a low budget movie. You can get the budget back, not really create a masterpiece.." Judd said from his director's perspective.

Spinning the marker in between my fingers, I thought about it for a while before I agreed with Paige, "It is quite one dimensional. I mean, it's a story about an actor who doesn't know what love is, and the feisty hot shot lawyer who agreed to test out the curse with him, only to find out that the both of them were in love with each other."

"And at the ending–"

"LALALALA~!" I glared at Paige before saying, "Not with me here."

"Come on! We're almost done! There's just a little bit left on the ending." Paige retorted angrily. Realizing that she had lost her temper, she apologized to Pepper and Judd, "Sorry."

Ignoring the fact that she didn't apologize to me, I continued on with my ramblings, "I mean, don't get me wrong, this kind of feel good movie does sell tickets, but it was not what I envision to have for the movie."

"What's your vision Edward?" Judd asked. "Maybe you can fix it up a little bit."

"Hmm, alright." I uncapped the pen and made a few suggestions on the board, "So, in the story, the lawyer and the actor– male and female lead, know each other pretty well. She already knows about the curse. And there's nothing left to explore there since they know each other. I'll tweak this a little bit."

"How?" Pepper asked.

"You see, actors are usually narcissistic, especially those who're really famous like the setting you cooked up." I pointed at Paige. "If he can live his life just banging 19 years old, why would he even want to date someone properly?"

"I don't know. Loneliness?" Paige retorted with some slight dissatisfaction.

"Yeah...no..." I dismissed her comment.

"You're talking about Leo aren't you." Pepper chuckled for a bit. Judd burst into laughter and said, "Yeah, if the movie wants more realism, then that is accurate. Women will throw themselves at him. Why even settle?"

Paige groaned in disgust before looking at me. Startled, I instinctively defended myself, "Not me though. I want to enjoy romance."

"If you want more realism, you need to start from the very beginning of the story." Pepper suddenly interjected. "Maybe a scene of his dad telling him about the curse when he was very young?" He added.

"Yes, a deep seated belief that builds his entire character." Judd added in excitement. "We can have a cameo here."

"There's also an opportunity to show him as a hopeless romantic, but he slowly grows weary of getting into a relationship as he grows older. Therefore, he opted to become a human trash." Paige chimed in.

"Human trash is a harsh word." Judd looked at Paige with disbelief. However, I agreed with Paige and put down the word 'human trash' in the character introduction for the male lead.

"So how do we fix a human trash?" Pepper asked with a weary tone. "If he's trash, he won't even try to break the curse in the first place, so there is no movie to make."

I smirked and then circled the word 'brother' on the whiteboard. "He is the key. And it will even explain why he acted the way he did in the entire story. Well, if we want to save anything from the draft."

"How?" All three of them were curious.

"Simple. They are brothers. So, will the younger brother get away scot free from the curse?"

"Oh, I get what you mean!" Judd immediately understood my idea. Paige thought about it for a while and said, "It does explain the stuff of why he desperately wants to help his brother break the curse."

"Because he has the curse too! I finally got it now!" Pepper exclaimed excitedly after he understood it.

"The younger brother, who seems like he doesn't believe in the curse, fixed his big brother up with a screenwriter, a woman way outside the type his big brother would usually date." I made some corrections on the whiteboard.

"Or, maybe even blackmail him into it. The main lead, if he's a self made actor, may have some dark history that will damage his reputation if it comes to light." I thought about it for a while and wrote, 'Gay Softcore Porn' on the whiteboard.

"That seems too dark for a rom-com." Paige commented.

"Not really. It played exactly into the trope." Judd chimed in. "The comedic trope."

I nodded and said, "We'll iron out the nitty gritty later. So I want to add an emotional stakes into the film. A crucial thing to make this entire movie believable. Although he was manipulated, the main character does fall in love with the female lead."

"Yeah, you said scriptwriter. Not a lawyer." Paige asked.

Maggie was clearly referring to herself, but the cameraman suddenly turned to record Edward crashing into the interview. "I was wondering what you were doing. Turns out you are trying to butter up the director to get a role."

Maggie panicked and said, "Wait! This is Pepper's idea!"

"I know. That's the only reason I'm not shutting you down." Edward chuckled before he left the camera shot to go check on the set he needed to make his music video.

"That scared me." Maggie breathed in relief after Edward was gone. However, as she turned towards the director again, she realized that he was scrutinizing her. "You know what, that's actually not a bad idea."

Maggie blushed for a bit before she dismissed him, "I was only joking."

"And I saw potential...Not as the main female lead of course... That may have to wait a few years later." The director leaned in and said seriously.

Maggie couldn't hold back her smile and said with a tiny voice, "...Yeay!"

While Edward was preparing to record his music video, he groaned in frustration and muttered, "Where is my dad? Why does it take too long for him to kidnap two small children?"

Renaldo heard Edward's words and froze in his spot. "What?" He muttered to himself as Edward walked past him.

...

(The genre changed here Lol)

On the Dunphy's front yard. Phil's car just pulled into the driveway after Phil picked up Luke from school. Luke rushed to get into the house while Phil laughingly follow him from behind when suddenly, Phil's step halted.

His eyes were glued on the figure of a man standing across the street, waving at him. Phil's eyes shook, but a cry from Luke made him snap back into reality.

"Dad! Come on! I want to play basketball!"

"I'm coming, Luke!" Phil said before he walked into the house, closing the door behind him. He sighed as he rested his back on the door, when suddenly he heard a soft knock.

"Phil, are you there?" Ted asked with a whisper.

Phil was silent for a while, trying to ignore the voice, but the call was magnetic for him. He replied hesitantly, "Ted, you know we cannot see each other anymore."

"I know that. But Phil, please open the door and talk to me." Ted asked with a slight frustration in his voice.

Phil's face contorted as he held back his tears and replied with a hoarse voice. "I can't. Our relationship is prohibited."

"Will it be so wrong, just for me to meet my best friend, just for a minute?" Ted asked with a dejected expression. Phil bravely held back his tears and remarked angrily. "It is wrong! You know for damn sure, it won't end with us just meeting each other, just one time! I made a promise to my daughter. I'm sorry Ted. I really am."

Ted went silent for a while before he chuckled sadly. He whispered through the door, "Do you remember the time, when you took me to WingStop. We ate chicken and drank beer while watching the football game."

"Ted, don't make this harder than it needs to be!" Phil begged.

"Do you remember the promise we made back then!" Ted knocked on the door hardly as he expressed his feelings. "Remember that promise Phil!?"

"I should've never made that promise! I regret it now! I even regret that day!" Phil shrieked back.

"We promised! That we will get together again! On Thanksgiving! We promised that we will watch the football game together and have that same day again! Be honest with me Phil! Do you REALLY REGRET all of the things we have gone through together?"

"I'm sorry!" Phil's voice is but a whisper, "I can't disappoint my daughter."

"I get that." Ted sighed as he gave up on trying to persuade Phil. Phil choked back his words, trying to say something to Ted as he went silent, when he suddenly heard Ted humming a song.

[Johnny Cash- Hurt]

"I hurt myself today...To see if I still feel...I focus on the pain...The only thing that's real..." Ted slowly moved back from the door. Phil grasped the air in front of him, trying desperately to hold himself back. Then, he sang along with Ted.

"The needle tears a hole...The old familiar sting...Try to kill it all away...But I remember everything..."

Phil slumped down on the floor by the door while Ted slowly moved away from the front porch. All the while, the entire interaction was witnessed by Haley and Claire who were sitting in the living room, barely noticed by Phil from the moment he entered the house.

"Do you see what your little argument is affecting everyone Haley?! DO YOU!!" Luke shouted at Haley with anger, while the teenage girl was extremely confused in trying to comprehend what she just saw.

As Ted went back to his car, Manny, who was sitting in the back seat asked, "So, did you get Luke?"

"Sorry Manny. They didn't even try to hear me out." Ted replied tiredly. Manny nodded in understanding and said, "Should I give it a try? Edward really wants us to be in his music video. And I'm afraid that he will cancel it if he cannot get both of us."

"Sure. I'll wait here." Ted replied.

In less than 5 minutes after Manny was gone, he returned together with Luke. "Drive! QUICK BEFORE THEY NOTICE I'M GONE!" Luke said anxiously as he got into the back seat of the car.

"I'm...not going to do that. That's kidnapping." Ted said wearily. Manny explained, "Oh, don't worry about it. Claire knows. She's the one who let Luke go."

"Okay..." Ted breathed in relief before he asked with a low voice, "What about Phil? Did he say anything?"

"Dad keeps singing the same song over and over again." Luke said with some anger. "It's all Haley's fault!"

"Well...I don't think it's ALL her fault." Ted replied ambiguously.