While everyone in the theater, including Jennifer who hadn’t been a part of the shooting, was aware of the contents of Home Alone, with the progress of the film, especially when Kevin pranked the two robbers, they couldn’t help but burst out in laughter, even Jeffrey who was in his mid-fifties was roaring.
The 100 minute long film unwittingly ended, and once the last line of the ending titles disappeared, everyone stood up and applauded together.
“I really have to admit, this movie is amazing. Eric, I think I should congratulate you in advance,” Jeffrey Hanson said as he patted Eric on the shoulder.
“Thank you, Jeffrey, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help. At least, I wouldn’t be able to complete Home Alone so quickly.”
The people present spoke for a while before they gradually dispersed. They had intended to throw a small party to celebrate, but seeing Eric’s unkempt and tired face, they very consciously gave up on the idea. Their director had overexerted himself for half a month, so he needed to rest.
The next step was to plan the film’s release. Since he’d have to go to the 17 Again’s internal screening tomorrow, Eric thought it would be a good opportunity to meet with Fox’s head of Distribution to talk about his film. He believed that as long as the executives watched his movie, they would agree to get it out on schedule. Although he’d have to share some of the profits, he didn’t really have a choice as he had no foundation at all.
Perhaps waiting after 17 Again’s release would make things easier for Home Alone, but by that time, even the New Year would have passed. As a Christmas comedy, it naturally had to be released around Christmas, and Eric didn’t want to wait another year to release it as he had already put a lot of effort into it.
Jennifer had gotten her provisional license, so she drove Eric back to his home in his car. After reaching home, Eric quickly put the copy of the movie away, and dove into his bed, unwilling to keep his eyes open any longer.
Jennifer had wanted Eric to take shower before going to sleep, but seeing him plunge head first in his sheets and noticing his exhausted face, she simply uttered a sigh before taking his clothes and shoes off, covering him up with a blanket and leaving the room.
Eric hadn’t been home for over two weeks, and since there was no one to clean up, the place was already full of dust.
Jennifer rolled up her sleeves and looked for some cleaning utensils. Unlike her Friends character Rachel, a spoiled girl who didn’t even know how a washing machine worked, the real Jennifer had long since been self-reliant.
On the desk in the study, Aniston found a variety of books on basic music theory. She picked some up and used a rag to wipe the dust when a document slipped out of one of the books. She curiously picked it up and found that it was a mortgage agreement.
***
Eric didn’t know how long had passed, but it was probably noon when Jennifer had asked him if he wanted something to eat. He had groggily refused and fell asleep once more. When he woke up again, it was already dark.
Eric turned on the lights and looked at his watch: it was way past nine.
He thought that Jennifer had left, but as he dressed up and walked out of the bedroom, he could faintly hear the sounds of the TV coming from the living room.
Downstairs, he saw her curled up on the couch, her arms hugging a pillow as she watched TV.
“Hey, Annie, evening,” Eric walked over and kissed her cheek.
“Eric, you woke up. Go take shower, I’ll fix you something to eat.”
Eric didn’t notice the strange look she was giving him. He turned towards the bathroom, showered for half an hour, shaved, and when he got out and went to the living room again, Jennifer was back on the couch with dinner ready.
“Wow Annie, this is really great. You even made such delicious Chinese fried rice,” Eric praised as he tasted her cooking.
“You said that you liked it so I learnt it.”
Jennifer had a smile on her face as she looked at her boyfriend wolfing down her cooking. She waited patiently until he was finished before asking, “Eric, did you… did you take out a mortgage on your house?”
Eric was about to go to the kitchen to do the dishes when he heard Jennifer’s words and couldn’t help but look at her, puzzled. He hadn’t told anyone about it, so how did she know?
“When I was cleaning the study, this fell out from a book.” Seeing Eric’s inquiring look, Jennifer took out a document from the coffee table.
Eric put down the cutlery, took the file and looked at it before nodding, “I was short of $200,000 for the filming of Home Alone, so I had to take out a mortgage on the house.”
“Then, the piano in the study was also…” Jennifer had come to Eric’s home a few times, so she had seen the Strauss before.
Eric nodded again.
Jennifer frowned in distress as she said, “Eric, I think you were too impulsive, although everyone thought that today’s screening of Home Alone was very good, you never know if it might end up in failure and lead you to bankruptcy.”
“Don’t worry, Annie. You see, a few months ago, I was just a broke high school student, and now only a few months have passed and I have successfully published a novel, written a screenplay as well as starred as the main lead, and now even directed a movie. How many people my age can do this? So, even if I failed this time, I believe that I’ll easily be able to stand up again. We are still so young, we ought to enjoy life and strive whole-hardheartedly for success. In fact, failure isn’t a bad thing, it’ll help us grow, happy times do not come without some tear shedding. I don’t want to become an old man who looks back at his life, dully and placidly gazing at the sun in the sky, full of regrets regarding his younger days. That would be too miserable.”
“Oh, Eric, when you say it like this, it sounds so amazing…. You think I don’t know you’re trying to trick me?! You damn rascal!”
***
The morning sun hit her face as her eyelashes subconsciously fluttered and Jennifer who turned to avoid the light soon woke up. Eric came into the bedroom holding a tray and smiled as he said to his already awake girlfriend, “Good morning, baby.”
She pouted and replied, “Not such a good one thanks to you, you bastard.”
“Come on, I even spent an hour making this delicious ribs soup as an apology.”
“Don’t want it, I’m dieting.”
“Make an exception for today, you won’t gain weight just because of this, come one, taste it, how’s the flavor?”
“Wait, I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet.”
“… I’ll take you to the bathroom.”
***
After a warm breakfast, due to her distance from the convenience store where she worked, Jennifer decided to ask for a leave from her manager. The manager was really accustomed to it as there were many people who dreamed of stardom in L.A. and needed time to go to auditions or be on set earlier, and he knew that Jennifer was one of them. When she had taken on the job, the two of them had reached a mutual understanding.
The two lovers lazed around for a while before Eric drove his car away as the internal screening of 17 Again was set to take place that afternoon. He wanted to take care of the issue of Home Alone’s release at the same time.
Ten o’clock in the morning, in one of 20th Century Fox’s luxury theaters, executives from the Publicity and Distribution departments, filmmakers and a dozen of other representatives, as well as the 17 Again crew, were all present.
Before the start of the screening, Eric went to James Brooks and Penny Marshall’s side as he wanted the two of them to introduce him to executives from the Fox’s Distribution department.
“Eric, you’re saying that you want to release your movie in time for Christmas?” James Brooks asked, startled. He also knew about Eric making a movie as soon as he had wrapped up 17 Again, but he didn’t expect for it to have been completed so soon.
“Yes, James, it’s a Christmas comedy, so it would be best if it was available in theaters during Christmas.”
James Brooks held some disdain in his heart. While he recognized Eric’s talent as a screenwriter and actor, he didn’t believe that he could have directed a worthwhile movie. Directing a movie required years of experience after all, however, he had to at least give him face, so he promised he would help introduce him to some people.
