Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Amy nodded “Sure…” she walked around the table and took a hold of one of the microphones. “The third screening is dancing. We will play soft music in the background and each of you will get to dance with Philip for 20 seconds. It may seem like a short amount of time but it will give us more than enough of an idea how you would look next to Philip.” She nodded at the first girl and turned to Philip “It’s all yours Mr. Cheung.”
Philip and the first girl stood in position, it looked a little awkward in Amy’s eyes and she wondered if the other two thought the same. She turned to Liz and she shrugged her shoulders “Too stiff.” She mouthed and Amy nodded in agreement.
After what seemed like hours, the last girl was finally up. Amy could imagine that Philip’s feet were probably burning from all the dancing. She thought this part of the audition would be easier for the girls but most of them were either too star struck to dance or they were too shy to look at Philip since he had the tendency to dance closer to the girls than expected. Most of them could not take the charming fellow. Amy smiled at one time when a girl was so nervous that she stepped on his foot three times and yet he still managed to smile over it and assured her that he was okay.
They cut another 100 girls and when the double doors closed after the last girl who was escorted outside Philip stood in the center of the room “Congratulations to those that have made it this far. You have to understand that each screening gets harder and harder. There were a few that danced very well, but a few I could feel was nervous. That only comes naturally but I want to show you how it should look like.” He turned to Amy and waved her over.
She frowned and looked at Liz who shrugged her shoulders while Johnny was grinning at her. She scowled at him but eventually got up and walked over to Philip “What is it?” she asked.
He smiled at her warmly “I just want you to show the girls how this dance is suppose to look like.” He brought out a hand and waited for her to take it.
Amy stood there dumbfounded “You’re kidding right?” a nervous smile plastered on her face.
Philip shook his head as he reached for her hand and placed it on his shoulder. Within seconds they were standing in the mode as he turned to Johnny and gave him nod to turn on the music. “Just relax.” He coaxed.
Amy let out a sigh and figured there was no harm in dancing, she wasn’t competing so it shouldn’t matter how well she danced with him. So she relaxed and swayed along with Philip’s lead. Their eyes locked automatically and she fit well in his hands. A smile appeared on her face when she realized she didn’t need to look down at her feet to dance with him like that other night. He smiled in return when his mind tricked him into believing they were the only two on the floor.
She didn’t know how long they were dancing but he ended it by dipping her on his thigh and brought her up with one hand as he spun her in one full circle until she was wrapped around his right arm. They didn’t mean for it to end that way but it looked perfect down to their smiles. The room once again applauded at the beautiful performance and Amy quickly let go of his hand. She didn’t want the attention on her as she turned to the girls “The last cut will be determined by your natural talent to do act a scene. I know most of you probably don’t have any experience in acting. But we wanted to see who will be able to do a scene the most natural with Philip. We will give you a scenario and you will come up with your own dialogue as well as Philip. Remember, we want originality and comfortably with just acting because for the music video it will be done with almost a natural spark between the two people. Remember don’t look at the camera. Let’s start with the first girl.” She nodded to the girl in the front row, she was originally number #34. “Your scene is you and Philip are dating but you feel that something is wrong between the two of you. Your job is to find out the problem.” She returned her seat which was the cue for them to start acting.
Philip was a born natural of course, trying to make the girl more comfortable because it was too obvious that she was stumbling with her dialogue. She wasn’t sure what to say next and Philip would have to continue talking to keep the flow going.
There were about 10 different scenes that Amy came up with the night before so it repeated it self. There were a couple of girls that caught her attention. Their acting skills were great and some were overacting that it made Philip forget what he was about to say next. Amy smiled when she knew he wanted to laugh but couldn’t. It was a long 3 hours until all the girls were done.
Philip took a seat next to Amy, he still had on a smile but she knew he was drained “Tired?” she whispered with a smile.
“You would be too.” He sighed “Do you guys have the final 10?” he looked at the other two.
Amy nodded “I think so.” Liz too agreed. The girls turned to Johnny waiting for him to comment.
“Don’t look at me like that. I agree with whomever you two chose.” He nodded firmly.
“Which means you didn’t put your heart into this job.” Amy quipped. His eyes gleamed slyly as he smiled slowly, she knew it was true. He was being lazy.
Philip leaned in with a grin on his face “I just asked him to come to fill up the seats. His opinions are not important. I only care what Amy and Liz has to say.”
The girls muffled their giggles while Johnny looked at Philip with a vengeance “Is that right? Well I can be a critique just like them.” He cleared his throat and raised a hand delicately to his chin “Well, I think #34 is too skinny, she disappear when the camera shoots on her side. Oh and #59, talk about frog eyes….” He chuckled like a nut.
The girls raised their eyebrows “What do you see in him?” Amy asked Liz sarcastically.
“I forgot.” Liz shrugged carelessly.
“Let’s not keep them waiting.” Philip knocked his knuckles on the table to bring the three stooges back to reality “Amy, can you do the honors?”
Amy nodded “Sure.” She stood up and called out the numbers for the final 10 girls. “I want to thank the rest of you for coming and helping Philip with this audition.” She waited for the 40 girls to leave before continuing “I believe Philip has a few words to say.”
He stood up with a smile “Amy read my mind.” His gaze followed Amy back to her seat. “I wanted to compliment all of you on your performance today. But as any critique, I have to say there was not one girl that stood out than the girl next to you. I do not have my choice yet. But I want to ask Amy to come out and help me out one last time. We’re going to do a short scene, the same audition that you girls went through. It should flow smoothly and be relaxed not tense like most of the girls that were here earlier.”
Amy slumped back in her chair “When does it all end?” she groaned.
Liz laughed “That’s what a personal assistant is for, you do what he asks, no questions or comments about it.”
“Like a good puppy.” Johnny added.
Amy shook her head at him, he always had something to say. She turned to Liz “Your pet must be hungry because he’s yapping to much.” she smiled when Liz giggled and stood up to walk over to Philip. “Why do you hate me?” Amy asked with innocent eyes staring up at his.
He chuckled “I just want to show these girls how it’s supposed to be done. I know you can do it.” He said with much confidence that Amy had to smile. He turned to the 10 girls “This is what we call natural talent. I won’t tell Amy the scenario, we’ll just make it up as we go.”
Amy rubbed her face with frustration “Okay…I’m ready.” She took a deep breath and Philip began as he grabbed an empty chair and brought it in the center. He sat down with his face in his hands. Amy instinctively walked over as she kneeled down below him “Philip, is something wrong?” she asked softly.
He uncovered his face which appeared to be distressed “I can’t do this Amy.”
“Do what?” she smiled urging him to continue.
“The speech.” He sighed and leaned back on the chair looking extremely frustrated. By now the room grew silent as each and every person was pulled into the center of the room at the scene unfolding before them.
Amy grin grew wider “Is that all?”
Philip looked at her with furrowed brows “I’m glad you find it amusing.” His tone of voice hurt.
She laughed “It is. This is coming from the same guy that was captain of the debate team in high school. The same guy that use to pick on girls until they cried. How could you be afraid of one short speech in front of your fellow co-workers and boss?”
He leaned on his arm and Amy sat down on the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees “Do you know that feeling you get when you just think you can’t do anything? Like all of a sudden the confidence is gone? I know I’m going to freeze up there, I just know it!”
“You were just drained of the strong Philip, that’s all.” She shrugged her shoulders lightly at the situation.
Philip frowned “What do you mean?”
Amy smiled as she spun around and sat crosslegged on the floor facing Philip “Do you remember what when I was small, I was so nervous about my ballet recital but you helped me with using the ‘inner power’?” he shook his head not remembering and Amy sighed “Guys don’t have good memories do they?” he smiled with a shrug. “Put up your palm.” She instructed and he did as she said. She placed her small hand over his palm “You told me that you had so much confidence that it was over filling, so you used your inner power to pass it on to me. I’ve kept it for over 15 years, now it’s time to give it back to you.” She smiled warmly when his grin grew by the second. “Is it working?” she asked after their hands fell apart.
Philip was lost in her eyes “I think so.” He reached down for her hand and helped her off the ground “Thank you, Amy.” He reached over and hugged her warmly. She was surprised by his gesture since she thought the scene was over but she returned the hug which seemed so real to her that she had to remind herself that they were just acting. When Philip pulled away he gave her a quick wink “And I did remember the ‘inner power’, I just wanted you to remember.”
Amy dropped her mouth “How sneaky!”
Philip raised his palm and glanced at it “Sneaky? Did you give me all your inner power?” The crowd began laughing as they applauded at the naturalism of their acting. Philip turned to everyone and bowed “And that is how each scene should be done.” He wrapped an arm around Amy’s shoulder “She’s a pure natural.” She blushed at his open compliment. “I want to thank you all for coming here. We will give one of you a call tomorrow at 2pm to let you know if you made the cut.” He bowed politely at the girls as they left with smiling faces.
Amy broke away from Philip’s arm as she prepared to return to her chair but he pulled her back. She looked up questioningly “What is it?”
He smiled as he reached over unexpectedly and pulled off her frames “You were lucky, I didn’t blow your cover earlier. You don’t even need glasses do you?”
She opened her mouth in surprise “Who said?” at the corner of her eyes, she was looking at Johnny.
Philip cleared his throat as he pulled up her frames to the light “Not a single prescription in the lens.” He folded it up and placed it inside his shirt pocket “Don’t try to pull the cover over my eyes girl.”
“I wasn’t trying to. I just didn’t want you to think I was a liar.” She tried to explain.
“And so you thought by hiding this, I would not be upset when I find out three years from now that you were wearing glasses because you thought I wouldn’t give you the job if you didn’t have any?” Philip asked incredulously.
Amy turned to Johnny with a finger pointing to his face “I knew you told him!!” she cried angrily “You nosy little butthead.”
Johnny smiled smugly at her “I couldn’t keep anything from my friend, Philip.”
“You mean you can’t keep a secret.” She retorted.
Philip smiled as he clapped his hands “Okay guys, no more arguing. Whatever is in the past is gone. Let’s just concentrate on the future.”
Amy was suddenly reminded what she wanted to ask him “So who is your choice?”
He shrugged “I have an idea.”
“Really?” she frowned “It didn’t seem like you had a favorite.”
Philip smiled crookedly as he crossed his hands “Oh I had a favorite. Here’s a hint, I put her on the spot all the time to get her use to having attention. I complimented her tremendously….” He tapped his chin thoughtfully “I took something that belonged to her and if you don’t get this clue, I give up. She’s standing in this room.”
Amy widened her eyes as a shocked smile appeared on her face “Really??” she exclaimed happily. Philip nodded with a smile assuming that she guessed it correctly. He frowned when she ran over to Liz and hugged her friend “Congratulations Liz! Wow, what a chance this is. I’m so happy for you.”
Liz glanced from Philip to Johnny as she gave her boyfriend a strange face and waved her index finger in a circle at her right temple indicating that Amy was out of her mind. Johnny nodded in agreement “Hey, genius, he’s not talking about Liz.”
Amy’s smile slowly faded “Then who?”
Philip laughed with his head shaking “You are cute when you act dumb.”
“She’s not acting.” Johnny laughed as he collected the equipment and ordered the guards to take it back to where he borrowed it.
“How do you know?” Amy asked slyly. A grin appearing on her face “I gotcha.” She pointed to Johnny and then Philip who looked at her with surprise. “But don’t be get excited yet, I didn’t say I wanted to record the song and star in that music video.” She collected her folder and purse and prepared to leave.