Cereal Commercial
I was once in a cereal commercial.
Holy shit, did I feel important.
I was the one who took a bite and gave the camera a big thumbs up.
Rylie got the lines. Cameron and Luke did the acting. Lorna did the part at the end where the famous person comes on and promotes the product - what was it, a testimonial?
The point is, I got the smallest part.
But of course I didn't complain. Mom said I was lucky to be in the commercial at all.
So for a year or two, it was my biggest accomplishment. Something normal rich kids brag about.
Compared to my colleagues, I was about as important as a winter coat in Arizona.
A new movie was released yesterday, the third one starring Lorna. People like a recognizable face. Her beautiful Korean complexion is captivating, I won't pretend it's not, but she's not even that good of an actress. She's just pretty and good at following directions.
Luke is internet famous for his gaming channel. His merch sold out in three days last time he released new designs. I still beat him at almost every fighting game he owns, and I'm convinced people only watch him because he almost has a sense of humor.
Cameron busies himself with boxing, and the media likes to hover awkwardly outside his studio. He's rather lowkey about his fame. He's a really good fighter though, and he somehow got a contract from some boxing association already.
Rylie wrote a mediocre book about astronauts or something, but her dad used his influence to make it sell. She gets called in to read in libraries and speak on talk shows about her "amazing young mind."
As for me?
I was once in that cereal commercial. Isn't that wild.
Maybe it's because my mother can only control plants. Maybe it's because compared to Rylie's dad, she's completely insignificant. After all, he can pick up a tree with his mind while all my mom can do is make one grow slightly faster.
Cameron's mom is also pretty highly respected. People pay good money to watch a necromancer work her magic. But like her son, she doesn't care for all the fame. It must be draining to receive thousands of letters each day begging her to bring back a dead grandparent or dog.
Luke's father is a very laid-back guy, very... chill, if you would. Bad joke. Sorry. He's frozen plenty of criminals in their tracks, earning him multiple awards for peaceful justice. If I had to pick one of the other parents to be mine, I'd definitely choose him.
And finally, Lorna's mom. Mrs. Yu. The single most terrifying woman I've ever met. Though Rylie's dad is objectively the most powerful, Mrs. Yu is the most respected. A fan favorite. Firegirl.
And then there's my mom. A lovely woman, but completely underrated. When they were a team, she was always the sidekick to the sidekick's sidekick. Since her break from constant crime fighting, she's taken up gardening and hard alcoholism. Fun times in the Gonzalez household.
"Mama?" My voice echoes through the empty house. I wait a long moment before trying again. "Mom, are you aw-"
"What do you want?" Her snappy growl resonates from the kitchen. I run down the stairs and turn the corner into the room she's in. She's sprawled out on the tile floor, an empty beer bottle clutched in her right hand. Her eyes follow a vine as it snakes across the ceiling, like she's drawing it with an invisible paintbrush attached to her irises. I swallow hard before kneeling next to her.
"Mama, it's nine in the morning. You shouldn't be drinking." She allows the bottle to roll out of her hand, turning her bloodshot eyes to me. I feel the vine come to a stop three feet above my head.
"I can do whatever the fuck I want," she snarls, turning her attention away from me again. "What do you want, Lucie?"
"I was just... wondering if I could go to Luke's house."
"I'm not driving you."
"I know you're not. I can drive myself. I just need to let you know I'm leaving."
"I thought you were asking my permission?" A frown pulls at the corner of her mouth.
"I'd still go if you said no. It's just common courtesy to pretend you have a choice."
She flips me off before reaching for another bottle. "Have fun, use a condom."
"My God, mom." Her dry laugh follows me out the door.
At least their parents haven't lost their minds.
