58 (2) : Redoing my Life, The Cameo

Mitchell adjusted his jacket, ready for the day ahead. His sister had left a few moments ago with Lily; he was glad she agreed to babysit her while they went to the studio for Cam's voice recording session. Just as he was smoothing out the fabric, the doorbell chimed. Opening the door, he was greeted by Gloria's beaming face.

"Hola, Mitchell!" Gloria exclaimed, her enthusiasm palpable as she stepped inside, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor.

Mitchell returned her greeting with a warm smile. "Gloria, so glad you could make it. Come on in!"

"Hi, Mitchell," Gloria greeted in her heavy accent, then looked around. "Where's Cam? Where's the movie star?" she inquired, her gaze flitting towards the hallway.

Mitchell sighed, a slight frown forming as he glanced towards the bathroom door. "He’s been a bit...nervous. He’s been locked in there for quite a while now," he explained.

“I’ll go see what he is doing,” Mitchell said, walking over to the bathroom. He then gently knocked on it. "Cam, you ready in there?"

"Just a minute!" came the muffled reply.

Time seemed to drag until the bathroom door finally swung open, and out stepped Cam—not as himself, but as Fizbo. "Fizbo is ready for his film debut!" he announced dramatically, spreading his arms wide in presentation.

Mitchell facepalmed at the sight, while Gloria clapped her hands delightedly. "Ay, Cam! I’m so happy for you!" she exclaimed.

Cam bowed theatrically. "Thank you, Gloria. Thank you, everyone." His voice carried a mix of pride and a touch of nerves as he adjusted his clown wig.

Mitchell just shook his head. “Come on, we are going to be late,” he said.

As they drove toward the studio, Cam rehearsed his lines, each rendition of "Look here, kids, it's Fizbo the clown!" more animated than the last. He tested different voices, trying to find the perfect tone for his on-screen debut.

Mitchell, who had been supportive at first, eventually reached his limit. "Cam, can you please stop for a while?" he asked.

Gloria, sitting in the back seat, immediately came to Cam's defense. "Let him practice, Mitchell. He's preparing for his big moment," she chided.

"Thank you, Gloria," Cam said, sending a quick glare Mitchell's way before resuming his practice with slightly subdued enthusiasm.

Mitchell, catching the glare, finally decided to confront him about his attire. "Did you really have to wear the costume now? What will Daniel think? You’re going to embarrass him," he said.

Cam, unfazed, chuckled. "Oh please, Daniel won’t mind. He’ll probably find it funny. I think you're the one who's embarrassed, not him," he retorted.

"Yes, Cam is right," Gloria added, nodding in agreement from the back seat. "Daniel is going to love it. He is a good boy."

"I am not embarrassed," Mitchell protested weakly, his argument falling flat against the united front of Cam and Gloria.

The rest of the ride passed with Cam intermittently whispering his lines under his breath, with Gloria cheering Cam on from the back seat, while Mitchell drove on, resigning himself to the inevitable spectacle that awaited them at the studio.

As they arrived at the studio, Mitchell couldn't help but notice the curious stares directed their way. Despite his discomfort, Cam marched forward with Gloria by his side, both seemingly unfazed by the attention.

At the entrance, they saw Daniel waiting for them. He was surprised to see Cam in his costume. His initial expression of surprise quickly turned into a broad smile as he took in Cam's full Fizbo attire. "Wow, Cam, you came dressed as Fizbo!" he exclaimed, his tone a mix of amusement and approval.

Mitchell, feeling a need to explain, interjected, "I told him not to do it..."

But Daniel waved off his concerns, chuckling. "No, no, it's cool. I like it. You look in character. It's like you're method acting!"

Cam had a smug smile on his face, which he directed at Mitchell, clearly pleased with Daniel's approval.

Daniel gestured for them to follow him. "Let me give you a tour of the studio first," he said, leading them deeper into the complex.

Daniel gave them a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the studio, showing them the sets for their upcoming projects. By the end of the tour, Daniel led them into a room filled with concept art and character models.

“I have something to show you,” Daniel said as he brought them an artwork. "Check this out," he said as he unveiled Fizbo drawn in the Toy Story art style.

Cam gasped, taking the artwork from Daniel's hands.

He was visibly moved, his eyes wide as he took in the artwork. “You did this for me?" Cam asked, his voice thick with emotion.

"Yep, after you were cast, we decided to tailor the character more in line with Fizbo," Daniel explained with a proud smile.

As Cam and Gloria admired the artwork, Mitchell pulled Daniel aside. "Thank you for doing this," he said sincerely.

"It’s nothing," Daniel replied, dismissing the thanks with a casual wave. Just then, the door swung open, and Dave entered the room. He looked surprised to see Cam in full Fizbo attire, but his expression turned to one of delight. He then looked at Daniel. "This is perfect," he exclaimed before darting out of the room.

"Who was that?" Mitchell asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"That’s Dave, one of our screenwriters," Daniel answered.

“Why did he run away?” Cam asked.

“Oh..ohh,” Daniel said, as if he had realized something.

“Cam, do me a favor and hide behind those boards,” Daniel said, pointing to the boards which had artwork pinned on them.

“Why?” Gloria asked.

“Trust me,” Daniel said. Cam did as he was asked and hid behind the board. Just as he hid, Dave returned, this time accompanied by a confused Sam.

"What’s going on?" Sam asked, his eyes scanning the room and landing on the group.

"Come out, Cam," Daniel called, prompting Cam to step out from behind the board.

Sam's reaction was immediate and dramatic. Upon seeing Cam in his clown makeup, he stumbled backward, stammering, "Clown... clown..." before turning and running out of the room.

Laughter erupted from Daniel and Dave, with Dave even collapsing to the ground in amusement. "This is great," Dave managed to say through his laughter.

"Why did he run?" Cam asked, both shocked and a bit concerned by Sam’s reaction.

"He’s afraid of clowns," Daniel explained, still chuckling.

"Well, that wasn't very nice," Cam remarked, his tone serious.

"Sorry, Cam, if that offended you," Daniel apologized, realizing his prank might have gone a bit too far.

“Now, come on, time to make your film debut,” Daniel said, leading them to the recording studio.

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Next chapter Tomorrow.