𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 , 𝟖𝟎𝐬

9 = the audition

[ this chapter could possibly be triggering ? back then in hollywood, a lot of directors were very seedy and molested actors & i decided to include it in here since i find it a very big deal. so if it's triggering ! skip]

brandy's point of view

michael basically shoved me and the corey's into the door since we only had exactly seven minutes until it was all of our turns to audition. we rode the elevator up to the fifth floor and in the hall were a bunch of empty chairs. everyone had already finished their auditions and we must've been last, considering a few teenagers were walking towards the elevator once we stepped into the hall.

the three of us took a seat outside of the two doors where the chairs led up to. one door had a sign taped to it which read "les anderson, dean" and the one i was waiting outside of read "mercedes lane".

corey f was up first, leaving haim and i to sit across from each other.

"i like your shoes." he said, breaking the silence.

"thank you." i smiled, looking down at my converse.

the door i was waiting outside of opened, and out walked a young heather graham. it felt strange knowing she plays mercedes in the movie yet here i am, auditioning along side her. she smiled once she looked at me, "they're ready for you."

i nodded, and walked into the room.

one woman and two men sitting at a desk smiled at me, "hi, brandy?"

"yes."

"hi, i'm greg beeman, the director. this is the casting director, penny perry. and this is our producer, john davis." he outreached his arm for my binder and i gave it to him.

jason's point of view

michael and i were waiting outside in his car.

"listen son," he turned down the radio to speak, "i've already told brandy that i like you two hanging out together. you're a very put together young man who knows what he's doing, you know, whether it be with your career or any kind of personal matter. but like i said a few minutes ago about the cast interviews coming up, there are going to be many questions revolving around jami and brandy."

i nodded as i looked down at my hands in my lap.

"it's personal business to all three of you but the way jami made it blow up is what got it out there. they're going to ask why you were clearly interested in a girl one year older than you and then it switched to a confusing, either friendship or secret relationship with a sixteen year old girl. i know the story but tell me it again and maybe we can come up with some answers to questions you might be asked."

i sighed and leaned my head back on the seat, "well, during the filming of the lost boys, jami and i hit it off pretty well and i took her out a few times. brandy was only a friend to both of us at this time. jami and i weren't necessarily going, we'd only kissed a few times. but then brandy and i were hanging out, going over lines and what not and i just saw a young, beautiful, intriguing girl all of a sudden. she's not like any other girl i've ever met. there's just something different about her and it draws me in deeper every time i see her."

"and then jami started getting jealous, right?" michael asked.

"yeah. she couldn't even talk it out without starting an argument with me. and then she changed towards brandy too and started acting like a real bitch on set. that's when everyone noticed something was going on between all of us."

michael let out a sigh and shook his head, "i don't want to bring this up but i'm going to. a week before the premiere jami implied to a few interviewers that you and brandy have had sexual relations in these past couple months."

"she did what?" my voice raised.

michael held out his hands for me to calm down, "i know, i know. it's caused paparazzi and everyone to gossip about the two of you in that way. it's confusing because we all know jami is jealous so she could clearly be lying, but why would she be jealous if you and brandy were only friends? that's why everyone thinks you two are more than friends. being more than friends is when stuff like that happens usually, and you are twenty one and she is sixteen, making those "sexual relations" illegal."

my mouth was left agape and my throat was dry. for one, i didn't want everyone thinking i could possibly be going to jail, but more than that, i didn't know how to react towards what jami did.

brandy's point of view

my audition went, i'd say 98% well until it ended with the director sitting on the couch with me after the producer and casting director left.

he was complementing my work in the lost boys and saying he had a feeling i would become big and then his hand started trailing up my thigh.

"thank you, greg. that means a lot." i said awkwardly before he used his other hand to move my hair behind my shoulder and leaned in closer to me.

"uh, what are you doing?" i pulled away quickly.

"don't you think this should be your real audition for the movie?" he smirked, pulling me back into him, "i'd make sure you get the part."

i suddenly jumped off of the sofa to my feet as i realized what was happening. this man looked like he was in his 30s and i was sixteen. this is exactly what you hear about in 2018; young actors and actresses in hollywood being sexually abused and raped in the industry. usually the teenagers went along with it because they felt as if they had to because they'd been threatened. but i wouldn't let this sick fad affect me.

"if you want me to have sex with you for a part in a movie you are an incredibly sick man." i shook my head as i stood by the door.

he scoffed, "well then maybe hollywood just isn't for you, doll."

"maybe it's not." i said and then slammed the door behind me. i cringed at the moment i had just experienced as i took the elevator back down to the main floor. i was just happy to escape the smell of alcohol in his breath.

as i walked out the doors, the corey's weren't even at the car yet, they must've just walked out too.

"guys!" i called out and they turned around.

"hey!" feldman smiled, waiting up for me, "how'd it go?"

"it went alright." i pulled together a fake smile.