June 27th, 2019

@Ireadalot Apparently someone saw Nithan Sage coming out of CE head office a few days ago. Do you guys think they are making one of his books into a movie?? 👀👀

↪️ Replying to @Ireadalot @MissessSage Picture or it didn’t happen.

                  ↪️ Replying to @MissessSage @Ireadalot lol for you I had to add the pic.

                   ↪️ Replying to @MissessSage @ThisisnotFitz I’m new, so who are the people with Nithan?

                                       ↪️ Replying to @ThisisnotFitz @Fitzsbutthole Welcome to the Circle!! To answer your question- the lanky ash blond guy on the left is Jay Asher, Nithan’s best friend. They started SAP (Sage-Asher publishing, in case you didn’t know) in their first year of college. The brunette in the gray suit is Lily Azure; she works as an in-house agent/manager for Nithan Sage and Camellia Silver in SAP. You will see her in the background whenever Nithan or Camellia is doing a public event.

↪️ Replying to @Ireadalot @Booklover1508 OHMYGOD! THAT WOULD BE SO GOOD! IMAGINE THEM DOING ANGEL AND DEMON!

                    ↪️ Replying to @Booklover1508 @MissessSage Angle and demon already have movies.

                    ↪️ Replying to @Booklover1508 @Fitzsbutthole Imagine them making Maybe Someday!

↪️ Replying to @Fitzsbutthole @Literary_hana Can you stop talking about that book already? It has been years. He wanted to he would dane it already. 🙄

                         ↪️ Replying to @Literary_hana @Fitzsbutthole Can you stop hating on MS already? It has been years. But that would be too much for you since you can't even type a sentence without typos 🙂

↪️ Replying to @Ireadalot @Fitzsbutthole Maybe Someday adaptation is coming bitches!

~~~I~~~

June 18th, 2019

"You are trending," Jay announced as he walked inside Nith's house. Three heads looked in his direction, apart from the copper-headed one that he wanted to tease.

Julie walked over to him, peeking at the phone in her husband's hand. Baby Joy mimicked the action.

"Who is trending?" Julie asked.

“Upsi!” The baby raised her hands, ready for her father to hold her. Jay smiled, lifting Joy up in his arms. He kissed her chubby cheeks, making Joy giggle.

Julie took the phone from his hand, reading the headline aloud, "Author Nithan Sage spotted at Colored Entertainment's headquarters." She looked at Jay. "How did they find out already?"

Jay shrugged. He didn't know either. "I talked with CE. And they say they have no idea which is bullshit." He covered Joy’s ears as he cursed. Julie shook her head. Jay continued, "But told us not to worry about it, since it doesn't mention which book might get adapted or any other information. Thinks it will create an early buzz for the project."

Nodding, Julie picked up her bag from the kitchen counter. "Well, it seems you guys will be busy for a while with all this. But I have a wedding to cater tomorrow and the foods won't cook themselves." She kissed Joy on the cheek, bopping her nose with the almost two-year-old. "So I will be leaving." She slung her bag over her shoulder. "Nith offered to cook dinner."

She eyed her husband suspiciously when he did a fist pump at the news. "Make sure Joy goes to bed early and do the dishes. Don't dump them on Nith." Jay nodded, but Julie knew better. "I mean it Jay, don't dump your work on the poor guy. He's already stressed out."

Jay rolled his eyes, nodding. "Yes, yes." He gestured at Joy, talking in a baby voice, “Mommy worries too much.” Julie scoffed with a smile, walking toward the door. Jay followed behind her, Joy attached to his neck like a baby monkey. "Sometimes you sound like you are his best friend instead of mine."

"Maybe I am." She kissed him on the lips, a smile creeping in. "Bye Joy. Bye, Nith."

Nith straightened his hand up from his place on the floor without glancing up. Letting Julie guess whatever it meant as he continued to read - reread - the contract.

He wanted to find a loop, something suspicious, a ridiculous clause, or a bad term. Something wrong, something that he could use as an excuse to say no again. But the contract was immaculate in all ways, as was most of Lily's work. He rubbed his face with his hands, sighing.

"Can't find anything?"

"No," he groaned. “I shouldn’t have listened to you guys. Agreeing to this was a mistake.”

"Maybe it's a sign for you to give up already. Lily wrote that contract and Lex Hued's lawyers went over it before he signed. You won't be finding any holes in that.” Jay put Joy on the couch. The girl immediately got off, running toward Happy, who was lazily basking in the evening sun beside the glass doors.

"What will I do if she finds out?"

"Nothing." Jay leaned forward. "You haven't seen her in what, ten years?"

"Eight years and seven months."

Jay raised an eyebrow but let the question on the tip of his tongue slide. "Right..." he sat next to his friend on the floor, "The worst thing that could happen is what? She won't talk to you ever again. But isn't that what's already happening? On the bright side, if she does find out, at least she will finally know how you actually feel. Isn't that a good thing?"

"I don't know." Nith signed again.

“Maybe Kate already knows?”

Happy ran toward them, jumping onto Nith's lap. Joy right behind her, toddling her way to them; giggling as much as her heart wanted to. She sat on the ground next to Nith and Happy. The tabby's tail flicked every time the kid tried to touch it, making her giggle even harder. Even though it looked like Happy was annoyed, she stayed in her place humoring the child.

"Don't overthink this. This is a great opportunity for you, for the book, and for SAP. If you still want to run that brain of yours, think about what you will cook for dinner tonight. Cause I'm hungry."

Nith chuckled, shaking his head. "What do you want to eat?"

"Nithi! Nithi! Pizza!" Joy yelled, a long lull of z's as she said the word. Her tiny hands were up in the air, made into tiny fists.

Nith tittered at her. He gently removed Happy from his lap. The cat side-eyed him for a moment before going back to her nap spot beside the glass doors leading into the back garden. Nith placed Joy in front of him, tickling her tummy; the toddler giggled, throwing her head behind.

"And what pizza would Princess Joy like for dinner?"

She looked at her dad, her hand on her head as she thought. And Nith could see how similar she looked to Jay from his spot. The same nose, the same eyes, the same hair, and even the same mannerisms. A true mini-me, as Jay always called her.

"Cheezi?" she answered after a while.

Jay chortled beside him. "That's my daughter!"

"Cheezi it is, then!" Nith handed her back to his friend, standing up. He placed his reading glasses on top of the bookcase next to the blue diary along with the contract papers, away from both Joy and Happy's reach. "I will start on the dough," he said to Jay. "You call Lily. Ask her how long it will take her to get here."

Jay walked behind Nith to the kitchen. "She isn't talking to me."

"Still?"

Jay shrugged, sighing dramatically. "Was it so wrong of me to try to set her up with a nice guy?"

Nith measured the flour in the bowl. "It was. You lied to her and said it was a meeting."

"She would have said no if I had told her it was a blind date."

"I warned you it was a bad idea."

"But Josh is a good guy."

"It doesn't matter!" Nith exclaimed, his hands caked in flour. Astonished at his friend's idiocy. "You are her friend and you blindsided her."

"I mean ..." Jay sat on the stool, spinning one apple from the bowl on the counter. "I don't think Lily thinks of me as a friend. She tolerates me as a boss at most."

"We all tolerate you." Nith pointed at Joy giggling in the living room, playing with Happy’s toy. "Even Joy tolerates you."

"And I tolerate you too." He smirked.

Nith rolled his eyes, stretching the dough on the surface of the counter. "You need to apologize."

Lily walked inside the house just then, her laptop bag on her shoulder, a thick folder peeking out as she closed the front doors. Her shoes clicked on the floor as she walked toward them. "Apologize to who?" she asked, walking past Jay to the kitchen sink, washing her hands.

"To you."

"Me?" Lily asked again, confused. She dropped her bag on the floor as she stood by the kitchen counter. "What for?" She tied her short brown hair with a rubber band on the nape of her neck, an eyebrow arched in question.

Jay stood up from his place, his hands in front of him. Lily raised both of her brown brows as Jay bowed. "I'm sorry that I tried to set you up with someone nice. I should have asked."

"Jay!"

“What? I apologized?” he argued back.

"Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath. Lily shook her head almost laughing at his absurd actions. Though, to be honest, she wasn’t even that surprised. "I feel sorry for Joy and Julie. They deserve better."

Nith agreed. "I told Julie she can find someone better."

"You should have made her listen." Lily glanced at Joy in the living room, running behind Happy’s toy mouse, squealing. "Poor Joy, she got stuck with such crappy genes.”

"It was my fault," Nith agreed in a somber tone. He sighed, dumping the pizza dough on the counter.

Jay slumped back on the stool. "You guys are the worst." His hand on his chest to emphasize his words, "I’m hurt." Both Nith and Lily ignored his words. "I’m being serious. I will cry."

Lily scoffed, with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, I got the draft script." She placed a folder on the counter. "CE really wants to start as soon as they can." Nith wiped his flour-caked hands clean before touching. His hands shook a bit. He was nervous, but a tiny part of him was just as thrilled. Jay ran from his stool to stand behind him, peeking over his back to see. "Utsan Neel wrote it. Mr. Hued wants to know what you think."

"Utsan Neel? Seriously?" Jay gave Nith a loud pat on the shoulder as Nith slowly opened the first page. "Dude! It's like a full circle moment!"

Nith gingerly nodded. His heart was beating loud in his chest. He felt the same way when he got the first copy of Maybe Someday in his hand.

"Why?" Lily poured herself a glass of water.

"Mr. Neel … um," Nith smiled, reminded of the memory. "He came to our college as a guest professor in the first week. He was the guy who told me to write. That I need to write … if I want to move on." It wasn’t those exact words, but it meant the same.

~~~I~~~

October 24th, 2019

The trailer's door opened with a slam. "Kate! I have been looking for you everywhere!"

The blonde smiled at her through the vanity mirror. "What are you doing here, Viv?"

Viv grinned back. Her dyed ash-blonde hair was a mess on top of her head. "Got something for you. Got time?" She sounded winded.

Kate moved, causing the makeup artist to frown. "Babe, can you stay still for a sec?" he said, going back to creating his perfect messy bun on the wig.

"Yes," Kate mumbled, motioning Viv to get inside. "I got time. Get in."

Viv took the chair next to her, a wide grin splitting her face in half. Kate smiled too. "We have an offer."

"And?"

Viv folded her sleeves - a gesture she always did whenever she had good news to share. Her ebony skin shone under the vanity lights. "I told Niko that I wanted to speak to you first before he said yes to them." Kate raised an eyebrow. The girl smirked. "He got a call from Colored Entertainment. They want you for their new project."

The makeup artist gasped.

Viv eyed the man working on Kate's hair. "This is confidential. You can't tell this to anyone Marco."

"Darling, have you ever seen me spilling tea to others?" he said with a hand on his heart, "I am wounded at the thought that you would think of me like this."

Kate waved her hand. "Marco won't tell anyone. So, what's the deal?"

Viv's smile brightened. Her excitement radiated as she edged closer to the blonde. "It's based on a book. Don't know if you heard of it or not. It's called Maybe Someday." Marco gasped again, this time even louder. "It was out almost eight years ago, but it's still on Troy's Top100 list."

"So?"

"The book never left the list, babe!" Marco injected, excited to share his knowledge as an avid reader of the book. "That's like when your Black Widow movie was sold out for the first six months. But make it bigger!"

"Exactly!" Viv continued, "Like it's big big. It has a huge fan base. And the author is a cutie! He has a fanbase of his own. And he never said yes to any production house that wanted to adapt the book."

"Until now."

"Okay, I get it. It's big." Kate shrugged. "If you think it's that great, then say yes. I trust you guys. If you are good, then I am good too."

"Good." Viv stood up from the chair. "Cause Niko wanted to say yes right there on the phone." She rolled her eyes.

Niko had been trying to reach out to Colored Entertainment for a long time. But they only made one or two movies a year and it was always them who approached the actors they wanted.
So, CE calling Niko meant they wanted Kate to play that role. They needed her.

"But this will be good. To star as the lead in a Colored Entertainment movie means we won't have to think about projects anymore. Producers will line up for you!"

"They want her as Lizzy?" Marco asked, his jaws parted.

Viv smirked, twirling a loose strand of her ash hair with her dark finger. "Yup!"

"Ohmygod! Babe!!" Marco exclaimed. He clasped his hands together, his eyes going big. "Kate, darling, you have to take me as your MUA!"

Kate furrowed her brows as she laughed. "I will. But what type of story is it?" She looked between them.

"Romance," both Marco and Viv said at the same time. This was the first time Kate had ever seen these two being so civil with each other. It made her excited. "The leads are Lizzy and Fitz."

"Fitz?"

"The fans will love it. You have been doing Indie films and action movies for far too long. And haven't done a romance movie in 6 years! They are gonna love seeing you on a romance screen," she gushed. "To make up for the lack of it in reality." Added the last part in a mumble.

This time, Kate rolled her eyes.

"I have read the book. And you will be perfect for Lizzy! She has the same energy as you!" Marco shook his head vigorously.

A girl poked her head inside the trailer's door. Her ID card dangling by her neck. "Miss Aurum, the shot is ready. We start in five."

Kate nodded, looking at the mirror one more time. The dark wig made her look paler, just the way they wanted. She stood up. "Sure," she said to them both. "Let's do it."