51 Surprises

Stardust Studios had recently undergone a significant upgrade; they now had a state-of-the-art voice recording studio. While the previous one was great, this one was even better, but I couldn't really tell but hey the sound guys were very excited. The studio was equipped with the latest sound engineering equipment. Jim, the head of all things sound in the studio, looked like he was in heaven. He had been asking for a major upgrade for years. 

Chris and I stood in the control room of the recording studio. We had been having a disagreement about casting a voice actor for the role of Jessie in Toy Story 2. We sat opposite each other, surrounded by the quiet hum of the new electronic equipment.

"I really think Courteney Cox is the best choice for Jessie," I argued.

"Look, Courtney was good, but she was not as good as Reese," Chris argued back.

"And you weren't here for Reese's audition. You left after Courtney's," Chris added.

"I left because I found the perfect voice. She has the experience, and her voice has the right energy for Jessie," I said.

"I see your point, but Reese brings a certain vivacity that can really bring Jessie to life," he countered. He took a remote and switched on the TV in the room; it began playing Reese's audition.

I watched as Reese Witherspoon read out Jessie's lines, and I had to admit, I could see what Chris was talking about. She and Courtney were now tied in my mind.

"So, better right?" he asked.

"Look, let's just have a vote with the others. It's obvious we can't come to an agreement," I said.

Chris nodded. "Fine, fine. Tom will start next week, Tim Allen too," he informed me.

"Oh, great. It will be great to see Tom again," I said happily.

"So, are you going to pitch that script to him?" Chris asked. He was talking about "12 Angry Men."

"I might, but I am writing something else with him in mind," I replied.

"Jesus, kid, how are you coming up with these so fast?" Chris exclaimed, shaking his head.

I chuckled. "Let's go take that vote now. Watch and see as everyone picks Courtney."

"In your dreams, kid."

In the end, I won the vote; Courtney was chosen as the voice actress for Jessie. I followed a disappointed Chris to his office, but before we could get there, I saw Chris's assistant, Sadie, running towards us.

"Whoa, whoa, Sadie, slow down," Chris shouted. She slowed down and stopped to catch her breath. "Mr. Henderson... gasp... Mr. Morgan has just arrived; he's in your office," she managed to say.

"He was supposed to come next week," Chris muttered in surprise.

"Yeah, that's Henry for you," I said, chuckling. "Did I ever tell you about the time I went to his granddaughter's birthday party?" Chris shook his head.

"He insisted on having this specific pizza that's only available in New York. Right after the party, he flew me to New York just to have that pizza."

"He must have wanted to come here now, so here he is," I said.

"Well, let's not keep him waiting," Chris said as he briskly walked to his office, with me trailing behind.

As we arrived at his office, I could see Henry lounging comfortably on the plush couch, puffing on a cigar. His gaze shifted to the door as we entered, and he stood up with a large smile, taking his hat off and greeting us in a jovial tone, "Chris, Daniel, great to see you again."

Chris and I returned the greeting, shaking hands with him. "Henry, this is a surprise. We weren't expecting you until next week," Chris said.

Henry laughed. "I like to keep people on their toes. Besides, I was eager to see how things are progressing here," he explained, sitting back down.

We joined him, settling into the conversation about the recent changes at Stardust. Henry listened intently, nodding along, showing genuine interest in the studio's direction and growth.

"There's one more thing," Henry said.

"What is it, Henry?" I asked.

"So, when are we starting on that movie for the script you sent me?" he inquired.

Chris and I exchanged quick glances, both caught off-guard by the question. The studio had plans to expand into live-action movies, but we were still in the early stages of setting up that division.

"Uh, soon, Henry, but not right away," I answered, trying to sound confident. "The studio is still gearing up for live-action productions."

"I understand. Just don't keep me waiting too long. I'm quite excited about this project," he said, a playful yet expectant look in his eyes.

"We all are," Chris said, agreeing with him.

"Well, I gotta get going," Henry said, standing up. "Chris, Daniel, keep up the good work."

"And remember, boys, I'm just a flight away. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything," he called out as he walked away.

We stood there for a while in silence.

"I think you should look into our live-action expansions now," I said.

"Yup," Chris answered with a sigh.

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I sat in the cushy chair in my room, examining the panels of the comic Matt and I were creating. Invincible was coming along great. Things would have moved faster, but Matt was a perfectionist, and he took his time to draw. However, it was worth the wait as the artwork was phenomenal. I was somewhat worried when the comic came out, Matt would be poached by the bigger companies.

"So, what do you think?" Matt inquired as I examined the panels of a crucial scene in our comic. It was the scene in which Omni-Man massacres the Guardians of the Globe.

"I like it. How about we make this scene a full-page spread?" I suggested, pointing at a specific panel.

"You know, that's a great idea," Matt responded, taking the page from me.

I had been thinking about how to release the comic. Obviously, I was going to use my own company. I had asked Lucy to prepare for something like this when we made it, but I had another idea.

"Why don't we release it online first, then do a full release?" I said to Matt.

"I thought we were already doing that. I even have a list of sites where we can post it," Matt answered.

"That will create some hype," he added.

"You know what, let's create some hype right now," I said, taking out my phone. Matt gave me a puzzled look.

"I'm going to tweet that I'm working on a secret project, and when you post the art on the planned websites, drop some hints that I'm involved as well," I said.

I opened the Twitter app and paused, considering my tweet.

Venturing into new territory! Working on a new idea that's been brewing in my mind for a while. Can't wait to share this with you all! #NewProject

"Okay, that will do for now, and all that's left is for you to do your part," I added, looking at Matt.

"Oh… Should I start posting the sketches now, or wait until the website is up?" Matt inquired. I had requested a website to be created for Invincible; I was told it would be ready to launch in a few days.

"You know what, let's wait until the website launches; that way, you can advertise it as well," I said.

We continued reviewing the comic, and after a while, Matt turned to me again. "So, do you think Jo can do this?" Matt asked, referring to the concert at the end of the month.

"Joanna's got this," I said confidently. "She's going to blow everyone away at the concert."

"I hope you're right, man. It's great seeing her come out of her shell," he said with a small smile, which then slowly turned into a more mischievous one.

"Speaking of Jo, what does Haley think about all those rumors of you and Jo?" Matt asked, shifting the topic.

I was taken aback. "What rumors?"

"Oh please, don't act like you don't know," Matt scoffed at my question.

"Know what?" I asked again.

"You seriously don't know?" With a sly smile, Matt took his laptop and searched for something. After a while, he swiveled it around to face me. I took it from him and began reading.

Can't wait for Joanna's first concert! Did you guys see how Daniel is always supporting her? Something's definitely brewing there. #JoannaDebut

Joanna's first concert is going to be epic, especially with Daniel in her corner.

Why are you guys bothering them? It's obvious they are in a relationship, and they will announce it when they feel comfortable. #JoannaAndDaniel

I chuckled, scrolling through it all. I guess this was expected; Joanna was one of the first YouTube stars, and she had even surpassed a million subscribers last month. I was a constant figure in her vlog-type videos, and it seems people had started to 'ship' us together.

"Well, this is something," I said dryly.

"So, when are you going to announce your relationship, Daniel?" Matt mocked, imitating one of the posts.

"Ha ha… These are dangerous. People get obsessed with stuff like this," I said, thinking of the fans who were obsessed with their favorite celebrities' romantic lives. I had hidden my relationship with Haley as much as I could, but if these internet users found out their 'ship' wasn't real, they might go after Haley.

"I have to put an end to this," I muttered.

Suddenly, I heard Mom call out to me from downstairs. "Danny!" she screamed.

I rushed downstairs with Matt following behind me. In the kitchen, I saw Mom standing in a puddle of water on the floor.

"My water broke," she said, her voice calm yet urgent.

"Oh fuck," Matt whispered, his eyes wide.

I snapped into action. Nathan and I had been planning for this for months. "Matt, call an ambulance, now!" I ordered, moving quickly to support my mother. She leaned on me, her breathing controlled but fast.

As Matt fumbled with his phone, trying to dial emergency services, I helped Mom to the nearest chair. "It's going to be okay, Mom," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I know, honey," Mom replied, managing a small smile despite the pain. "Looks like your brother or sister is eager to meet us."

"They're on their way," Matt announced.

A smile formed on my face as the initial shock passed. It seems I was going to be a brother soon.

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Been busy for the last two weeks. Expect more regular updates from next week.