MassaHJ
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Chapter 133: Debut
🕑 Added 2025-06-16 10:56:19 +0000 UTCTwo weeks had passed, and the group was getting together again at my house in Santa Monica. Paige had adapted well to her new life—which wasn’t surprising. My friends are nice, and she could enjoy a life of comfort (and luxury).
She had quickly managed to transfer to Caltech.
I was in her room now, talking with her about the days she’d be staying in the dorm.
"So you’re going to stay in the dorm Monday and Tuesday next week?"
Paige had managed to get a flexible arrangement. Technically, the first two years were supposed to be mandatory for dorm residency (and most students stay even after that), but Paige was a special case.
"Yep. I only came back today because you said everyone was watching your ex’s TV debut," she said with a smirk.
We were gathering to watch the premiere of Smallville, where Laura was making her debut.
"How’s Caltech?" I asked.
"I’m doing great. But Sheldon is annoying as always..." she replied.
"At least you have a friend there," I said, smirking.
She looked at me annoyed. "I’ll befriend a very beautiful girl and bring her here. And make sure you never kiss her!" she mocked.
"Good luck with that," I mocked back.
"And what about Missy?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Nah, the moment you said you’d kiss her, she’d break any deal we had," she replied playfully.
I rolled my eyes. "I wasn’t talking about that."
"She’s still grounded. She will be until the end of the month..."
"Mom was too lenient to let you go with only three days..." I murmured.
"Hey, you don’t even stay grounded for a day," she snapped back.
"Why should I be grounded? I was a charming prince helping a drunk girl in distress..."
Paige just threw a plush toy at me.
"By the way, back to Caltech. How’s it going with the professors I mentioned?"
"Dr. Eric Gablehauser is helping me a lot, and surprisingly he listens to my opinions. Dr. Siebert is the Chairman of the Physics Department at Caltech, so he doesn’t have much time, but he helps when he can."
"How do you know those two? They basically run the department..." Paige asked, clearly impressed.
"Lil’ sister, this world is all about power and money."
Dr. Siebert’s daughter wants to be an actress. Pepper just had to connect the dots. And no one could say anything. It’s not like they’re giving Paige unfair advantages—her potential and talent are undeniable.
Gablehauser just followed the flow. If Siebert rises further, he’ll probably be next in line to head the department.
The doorbell rang.
Everyone arrived not long after, and soon the living room was full. We all sat on the large sectional sofa in front of the massive TV.
Carly looked excited. "That’s exciting, seeing a friend on TV."
Cher, Regina, and I all looked at her weirdly.
"Carly, you’re in a series. Your name is in the title," I said, raising an eyebrow. "You’ve already been in a movie and in a hugely successful music video."
Carly looked confused for a second, then laughed. "I guess I’m just not used to it yet. It still feels surreal. I mean, I never took acting classes, let alone went through auditions..."
"I just love our gig better," said Sam. "I’m being paid just to be myself."
"You’re welcome," I said. Sam and I bumped fists.
"When is it being released?" asked Freddie.
"Next month," I replied. "Nickelodeon liked the three episodes we recorded. We’ll release and see the public reaction."
Pepper already made a deal with them.
I paused, then added, "We’re also recording a few more episodes just to stay ahead. They even suggested a writer—a young Dan Schneider—but unfortunately, he had five of his limbs severely injured."
Freddie blinked. "Wait... five?"
"Yeah, don’t ask," I muttered.
After a few minutes, the show started.
As Clark Kent appeared on screen, Cher sighed and said, "He is so dreamy."
I immediately kicked her off the sofa.
She looked at me, annoyed. "Seriously, Jake?"
I shrugged. "Sorry, reflex."
A few minutes later, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived. Laura appeared on screen as Chloe Sullivan.
"There she is!" said Regina with a smile.
"She looks cute with short hair," added Carly.
"Woah, that was Jake’s ex?" Paige exclaimed in surprise. Then she turned to me, mocking, "She is waaay out of your league."
"For your information, she was the one who approached me first," I replied.
A loud, synchronized, "Yeah, right," echoed through the room.
Sam smirked at me. "You hit on her the first day."
Cher corrected, "He hit on her with the very first ‘hi.’"
"I was only being polite," I protested.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. I picked up my new Samsung SPH-i300 and looked at the screen.
"See?" I said, holding up the phone for everyone to see. "Guess who just texted me."
Everyone leaned in. Paige narrowed her eyes. "Is that... Laura?" Paige read the contact name.
"Yup. She asked if I saw her scene. I told her we’re all watching together."
"Isn’t it weird everyone looks like adults?" asked Freddie indignantly, changing the subject. "They’re freshmen in high school. They’re supposed to be a year younger than us!"
"Ha, I agree with Freddie," I said. "And Lex is like 21. Isn’t it strange that he’s going to be hanging out with a bunch of 14-year-olds?"
I paused for a moment. Wait... why do I feel like I just made a self burn... let's forget about this.
