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Chapter 87 - Premiere Day
🕑 Added 2025-04-30 20:15:16 +0000 UTCThe day had finally arrived.
The premiere of Paranormal Activity.
Even though it was technically an indie project, the buzz around it had grown steadily—especially after Pepper worked her magic getting the right people talking.
I stood in front of the mirror, straightening my collar. Black jacket, charcoal shirt, dark jeans.
Downstairs, Dad was already pacing by the door.
"You ready?" he asked, trying not to look more excited than me.
"Yes," I replied.
Right then, the front door opened and Grandma Evelyn swept in like she owned the place
"Hello, boys," she said with a dramatic flair.
"You look nice, Grandma," I said.
"Of course I do. I don’t dress up for just any occasion," she replied, brushing invisible lint off her coat. "And while I’m still not sold on this horror movie nonsense, I wouldn’t dare miss the premiere of something I’m financially invested in."
"Five percent, Mom," Dad muttered under his breath.
"Five percent more than you contributed," she snapped, not missing a beat.
"Okay, let’s go," I said, heading for the door. Then I turned back. "And Dad, please don’t scream like you did here."
Evelyn smiled sweetly and looped her arm through his. "Don’t worry, Mommy will sit by your side again."
Dad just glared at her.
Charlie and Dad went in one car, while I rode with Grandma Evelyn and Jimmy, our driver. We were making a quick stop to pick up Laura on the way.
Evelyn, seated in the front passenger seat, turned to glance back at me with a raised eyebrow. “So, how is this girl? Is she your girlfriend?”
"No, Gramma. She's a good friend," I replied, then paused with a small smirk. "We kiss. But we’re not dating dating."
Evelyn smiled knowingly.
"Be nice with her, okay?" I added.
"I am nice," she said, a bit too emphatically.
I looked at her.
She sighed. "Don’t worry, sweetheart. Unlike your father, I trust that you’re more than smart enough."
A few minutes later, we pulled up to Laura’s house.
She stepped outside, wearing a sleek dress
“Wow,” I said under my breath before catching myself. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she replied with a smile.
“You know this is an indie horror movie, right?” I teased.
Laura laughed. “But it’s still a premiere.”
I smiled and turned toward Evelyn. "Grandma, this is Laura. Laura, this is my grandmother, Evelyn."
"So you're the girl he's been talking about," Evelyn said, giving her a quick once-over but with a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, dear."
"Nice to meet you too," Laura replied, not missing a beat.
With introductions made, we all got back into the car and headed to the theater.
---
The cinema in downtown LA was buzzing—one of the biggest venues in the city, all prepped for our debut
The marquee out front glowed with our film's title. Inside, a red carpet had been rolled out, and rows of plush velvet chairs lined the theater. It was simple, but elegant.
Guests were starting to arrive—friends from school, a few industry folks Pepper had invited.
I stood near the entrance with Carly, Spencer, Sam, Freddie, and Laura.
“I feel like we’re at a real movie premiere,” Carly said amazed.
“That’s because we are,” I said, a little weirdly, turning to her
“Right… just feels surreal,” Carly replied, her eyes darting around the venue, trying to take it
Cher and Regina arrived, both dressed in gowns even more glamorous than Laura’s.
I greeted them with a smile and raised an eyebrow. It was the same question I'd asked Laura earlier. “You all know this is an indie horror movie, right?”
They both answered in unison, “But it’s still a premiere.”
I shake my head and stepped aside to mutter to Freddie. “Did you get what I asked?”
Freddie nodded and handed me a compact camera with an infrared mode. “Yeah. What exactly are you planning?”
“Obviously, I’m going to leave it filming their reactions,” I whispered back, subtly gesturing toward Cher and Regina with my eyes.
---
We all filed into the theater and found our seats. I ended up between Carly and Laura.
As the lights dimmed, Laura leaned in and whispered in my ear, “I really want to watch the movie.”
“What?” I said, caught off guard.
Laura gave me a knowing look.
I asked, “Do you think I would want a make-out session during my premiere?”
She just glanced back at me—silent, steady.
“Okay, fine…” I muttered, letting out a half-defeated smile as I leaned back in my seat.
---
The theater settled into silence as the opening scene of Paranormal Activity flickered to life on the big screen.
It started slow, with quiet shots and subtle tension. But the first jump scare hit hard—and the reaction was immediate.
A collective gasp erupted, followed by nervous laughter. Some people clutched the armrest.
Terrance, you're going to break the chair, I thought, watching how tightly he gripped the armrest.
I glanced down the row toward Cher and Regina—both frozen in place. Cher’s eyes were wide, and Regina had her hand halfway covering her mouth.
Perfect.
The camera I’d set up was definitely earning its keep.
By the halfway mark of the movie, Laura was already clinging to my arm. Even Carly grabbed onto me from time to time.
I leaned slightly toward Carly and whispered, “You were part of the film… and you’ve already seen it once.”
She shot me a wide-eyed look. “Still scary,” she whispered back.
I chuckled and murmured, “I didn’t even need to tell my dad not to scream like a little girl… people are already doing it"
---
As the movie reached its final stretch, the tension reached a peak. The entire audience was locked in—silent, breath held, eyes wide.
After the final, only a few gasps escaped at first, barely audible over the theater
Then came the nervous laughter, the whispered “oh my gods.”
It took a long moment before the applause finally broke out.
