aqua's silly stuff!

bonus chapter #4 - "star of the show"

Jeremy wasn't like any other child. He was a child actor, a bright star in the eyes of the world. His parents loved and adored him, but it wasn't enough. It never would be. Jeremy knew that he should be grateful, that his parents loved him and supported him, but it didn't feel genuine sometimes. It felt like they only cared about his success as an actor.

"Ma, pa, I'm tired." Jeremy whispered softly one day as he curled into his mother's arms. "When can we leave?" He'd asked them countless times before, and it always resulted in the same response. "When you finish filming." His mother had said with her ever present fake smile on her face. His father just kissed the top of his head gently, patting him comfortingly on the back.

When Jeremy turned eight, his parents got him a role in a children's TV show called... What was that show called again? Oh, right. The Rainbow Funtime Friends TV show. That must have been it. Jeremy would play as one of the main children in the live action cuts of each episode, a boy named Jerry who was dubbed... "Blue's best friend".

Now, it felt like all he ever lived for was to get on set and act. But over time, he grew to love this role, unlike all his other roles in the past. He loved acting with the mascots and other kids in the cast. He even made a connection with the character Blue himself at one point. Jeremy felt special whenever Blue would talk to him during one of their scenes together.

Blue eventually became Jeremy's favorite character on the show. And he knew it was just some random guy in a costume, but every time he saw him on set, Jeremy couldn't help but think 'this is what it's like to have a best friend.' He liked acting more and more with every episode he starred in, and by the end of season two, the Rainbow Funtime Friends show was something Jeremy could never dream of losing.

And sure, Jeremy had his friends: Keith from school and Norman from the city, but their friendship could never top what he had with Blue. He even crafted his own paper crown based off of the one Blue always wore. Those days were really the greatest for Jeremy, and his acting days had gotten significantly better since the Rainbow Funtime Friends show aired.

But not all good times last forever.

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Today was the big day. The Rainbow Friends Play Place opened not too long ago, and the party room was already a favorite among children and adults alike. The Rainbow Friends would perform little plays and songs on the stage, and the public absolutely loved it. Today, the whole cast of the Rainbow Funtime Friends show would be performing there to celebrate the opening of the play place.

Naturally, Jeremy was nervous as all hell. His character would be the main focus of the show. It was hard for him to believe that he was going to be doing so many lines in front of so many people, much less in front of a large, live audience. His fans seemed to support him no matter what he did, but still. Jeremy felt a little overwhelmed by the thought.

"Jeremy, are you done getting ready?" His mother, Carla, asked, peeking out behind the door of the dressing room, holding Jeremy's baby sister, Karen. Jeremy was too busy practicing his signature smile to respond to her. "They need you on stage in ten minutes." Her words broke Jeremy out of his trance and forced him to respond.

"Oh! Right! Sorry, ma. I'll be right there!" Jeremy answered with the practiced voice he used around Carla. She smiled at him, though not without some hesitation. He knew she wanted to tell him how proud she was, but he also knew better than to believe it. Carla soon disappeared behind the door once more while cooing at Karen, leaving Jeremy to his own devices.

Jeremy looked in the mirror once more, adjusting his iconic blue striped shirt and paper crown. Perfect. As long as he kept calm and kept smiling, everything would be fine. His mother and father will definitely be proud of him, for real this time. The crowd will love him. Everything will be okay. Everything was going to go great.