Chapter 30: Smile for Me Longer
A year had passed so quickly in the blink of an eye, in the flicker of a birthday candlelight. It was now 2019.
This is the day that truly begins the story.
Ashton was bright and cheery as before, but it was just a facade, like his face was a flower that hides the thorns. Deep down, he still feels lost for not being able to get any auditions he tried in.
Every time, something just goes wrong. And he and Henry had almost bent their backs to death just to pay the rent, damaging livers just to get by.*
Mostly Henry was the one earning the lion's share, because Ashton could still not audition after the major disaster that is Fangs of Eros. All he had were small modeling gigs just around their neighborhood's local businesses, and he eventually had to get part-time jobs in Astrabucks or HacDonald's.
But now he's feeling quite positive. He saw an online open casting for a TV series, just a simple rom-com one, with no stunts involved. His fingers itched to type a message to the casting director, but he had to consult this matter with Henry first. Like all the things he had done this past year of being on a break. Henry has good advice on everything, and you can depend on him to lead you to the right path.
He saw him at the studio again, painting a portrait of him. This one is different from the rest, it was life-size, a 1:1 version of him. All the time he was painting, Henry wore a satisfied smile, and this brought an inexplicable warmth in Ashton's heart.
How can he be so happy with just painting him?
"Will you be putting this painting at the museum?" Ashton asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. The painting is just vague shapes at the moment, but he can tell it was his own figure.
'Henry' shook his head. "No, this one is different."
"How is it different? It's just another Ashton. People may be tired of my face already."
"Those ones, I altered your appearance, rendering them impure. In one, I made you appear like Apollo, the god of the sun and the arts, but even that doesn't accurately represent you." 'Henry' spoke without putting his eyes off his work. "In one, you were an angel, then on another, an abstract being representing love and radiance. But they all feel false."
"This one..... This one may be my best version of you yet." 'Henry' smiled.
(Yes, because this one is exactly what Ashton looks like. The realest version is the best one. How cheesy.) Zhe Chouhen commented in his head about the very same words he spoke.
"The best version....." Ashton trailed off, sitting on the table again. "I don't feel like the best version of myself right now. I feel stagnant, like a hotdog bun left behind in a car and filled with maggots. Haha!"
Ashton laughed at his own analogy, but it was an awkward laugh. It ends up something catching up on his throat and turning into a cough. "Ahem, anyway..... Henry. I was thinking of telling you something."
"Yes?"
"I.... It's been so long since I truly traveled outside West Hollywood, or even just outside our street even, to look for a job."
'Henry' raised an eyebrow at this, slightly frowning. "Yes, because you needed a break. The world is... Not ready for you yet, Ashton. Seeing how your movie turned up."
This lowered Ashton's resolve, and he bowed his head. "I know... I'm too inexperienced, and there are so many problems that can easily happen..."
"Not to mention that it's dangerous." 'Henry' added. "Hollywood is nothing like Kansas. Have you heard the deaths from drug overdose on the news? The rape victims left behind in an alleyway? Ashton, I don't want you to end up like any of this, but I can't accompany you outside because of these things as well. I can't bear the ugliness of other humans, it makes me nauseous to be even around them."
"But..... I'm a man, Henry. I can take care of myself---"
"The rape victims I mentioned were men. They were lured in by someone pretending to be a producer, along with three others holding professional equipment as a 'camera' crew, but end up being..... You know what comes next. The victims are almost half-dead when they were thrown in the dumps or naked in a freezing lake."
Ashton's heart went cold at this. "W-Where did you read such news? It's not happening around our neighborhood, right?"
"No. I'm glad that my intuition is right to pick this street, because it's relatively safe compared to the rest of Hollywood or the whole California itself." 'Henry' pointed to a bundle of newspaper.
"I've read it from there, I sometimes scan them before using them as a protective cover from the paint. But it's already made the headlines. We don't have a TV, but I'm sure it's in there too, just search the net. They said that...."
"All the victims are blond men."
Ashton became even more scared, and shakily took it. It was true. The pictures of twisted bare bodies, beaten up like dogs and lying motionless on the ground...
He almost saw his face in them, and immediately dropped the newspaper.
"That..... The police should be able to catch them soon, right? They made such a buzz, they wouldn't able to take another victim without knowing the risk." Ashton persisted, holding his head.
To his surprise, 'Henry' answered: "I think so too."
This caused Ashton to brighten up. "You do?"
"Yes, what you said was logical. While I don't trust the justice system at all, saying that every blonde man in this area would suffer the same fate is too drastic. And besides, like I said, our street is safe."
"If you just stay near, there's nothing for me to worry about. If you still feel unsettled, I can accompany you outside."
"Oh." Ashton didn't feel fully comforted by this, but he appreciate his friend's compassion for him.
"With those matters aside....." 'Henry' put down his palette board, and faced Ashton. "What did you want to tell me again?"
Ashton was now so unsure. After Henry openly stated his worry for his safety, and reasonably so because of the current situation, how can he bring up about the audition....?
But his heart still won't let go of his passion for acting, no matter the risk. He made up his mind and spoke. "I saw a new rom-com series being made this year by that famous production we liked. It's looking pretty good, and they're willing to cast new actors as leads too."
"Sounds good." 'Henry' adjusted his glasses. "And?"
"I.... I want to audition again." Ashton looked up, meeting him in the eye.
What he did not expect was the look of sadness in Henry's eyes from hearing this. Not even worry or anxiety for his safety, or annoyance for his persistence despite showing the dangers of society to him. But this was unadulterated sadness, like he was grieving....
It's like he's already planning what flowers to pick for his funeral.
Ashton found himself being angered by this, but laughed it off. "Why so serious? This production is famous, it's not some shady no-name. And it's not too far, they travel to different places for the casting and even accept online auditions. Henry, it's already been a year and I don't want to be a burden to you."
"You're not a burden to me. You're my inspiration." 'Henry' took his hands and gently squeezed them.
"And you're mine too. I want to be as hard-working and as passionate as you about my own dream. That's why I wanted to give this a try." Ashton squeezed his hand back. "That's why I want you to trust me on this."
'Henry' brought his hands closed to his lips, then put them back down before he could kiss them, looking very uneasy. "Ashton, I believe in you and that you'll be able to achieve your dream. But a part of me can't..... No, I shouldn't say anything."
"What is it?" Ashton's heart pounded on his chest.
"I really shouldn't...."
"Come on, Henry. You already made me curious, man. There's no point backing out now."
"But I fear this might influence your future decisions." 'Henry' said.
"I'd like to hear it then." Ashton smiled at him, but his palms are sweaty.
"Before that, let me finish my painting first. I just want to tell you, Ash, that you truly are my biggest inspiration. But not in the way you think." 'Henry' went back to his easel. "What you embody is different from mine. I am just the same age as you, yet I had grown scared by the things I've seen and so scared, that I became tired of them."
"You say you're a hotdog bun left in the car and ridden with maggots? I feel like a large oak tree overridden with ants. I age too fast."
Ashton chuckled at the strange things his friend was saying. "You don't look like that at all, Henry."
"But would you have guessed from the way I spoke and the way I carry myself that I am just 25 years old? Only my appearance appears youthful, and appearances fade. No matter how beautiful, it doesn't last forever." He then looked at Ashton with such adoring eyes. "And you, Ash, is the most beautiful person I've ever met. I even believe you're the most beautiful in the world."
"That's.... You flatter me too much, man. I'm not Ryan Gosling or Tom Cruise or....."
"Ashton, believe me. Gosling and Cruise don't have what you have."
Ashton became curious. "And what is it?"
"Youth. You are the pure embodiment of youth. People say that being youthful is being immature, and they have come to educate and educate themselves just to appear better than everyone."
" The more they learn, the more opinions they have, which are not entirely their own. And in learning too much, they argue and argue all night, until they age terribly fast." 'Henry' sighed. "Like me."
"But you should take your time. You should be as happy as you can while you're young. 'You only live once' is such a cheesy thing to say, but it's true. That's why....." 'Henry' painted with much vigor, yet so much sadness in his eyes. "That's why I'm letting you pursue your dreams freely. If you really want to join the audition, who am I to stop you? I'm just your friend."
Ashton's eyes brightened up. "Really?"
He smiled, so happy that it can even radiate its own light. 'Henry' captured that smile in his painting, there was nothing fake about it, it was true happiness. Even Zhe Chouhen felt his heart stirred from such a smile. The walls he set up to avoid the risk of falling in love are crumbling a bit.
It was just one smile. But a smile can make someone move mountains, empty out oceans and seas, and fly too close to the sun. Just so that person can smile longer.
"Really." He said, satisfied.
The face in the portrait is done.
Now's the part that Zhe Chouhen dreaded the most.
------------------------------------------
~BRIBE ME, PLEASE~
Ok, I'm getting desperate and pathetic so now I'm willing to accept bribes. I get jealous easily of other books that have a huge following and get sad everytime, thinking what's the point of writing if I feel like no one's reading/appreciate it.
1 NEW 5 star review with genuine feedback (emojis and just saying compliments doesn't count) - 1 extra chapter
100 comments in a week (only those with TEXT count) - 1 extra chapter
5 NEW people voting for my other books- (so invite your friends haha) -1 extra chapter dedicated to them
100+ votes in a week in any of my books - 1 extra chapter for all of them
Magic Castle and up - Burst update
If you love my stories and would want to read more of them, please show your support through one of these bribes. Thank you!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone