The whole story, the character, lived deep within me. Now, he wants to talk about himself and his feeling. Some similarities are coincidental.

I'm sitting at the kitchen, drinking tea and reading «TIME» magazine at the same time. Bella walks in and says:

‘ Hi, Frankie. ’

I put my mug aside and looked at Bella, she was smiling at me and i squinted my eyes at her. That's what she called me after the production of «One Master and Five Cats». It was the production that Bella came to see. I played a white cat named Frankie, in one little theater. But my name is Jake. I was hesitant whether to play the part and yet i decided to do it.

‘ It was a great role, ’ Bella continued.

‘ Maybe you're right, ’ I say.

‘ So you're famous, ’ Bella said with a slight smile.

‘ Famous, but still not reaching the heights I dream of. ’

Taking a mug of tea I thought again.

I want to tell you a little bit about myself. Ever since I was kid, I've been different from others, like white paint caught in black paint. I am originally from New York City, the fourth child in my family, sometimes with mood swings. And yet there is a sense that I am not where I should be. There are times when I find it hard to communicate with Bella. So she's been talking for over two hours about how to eat right and take care of her skin. But when she gets a text message on her phone, she stops talking.

Bella and I have been friends since the fifth grade, we have common interests, but we are complete opposites in character. She's quiet, smart, dreams of becoming a director, and the kinder person who can make the world a kinder place. And I don't sit still, always try to do something, like talk, and try hard to get into my studies. This is harder for me than immersing myself in a role.

‘ Oh My God, Jake! We need to take pictures! ’ Jenny says. She's standing in the doorway that leads into the kitchen. ‘ And we need to send them to the castings! ’

Jenny is average height, with dark hair, and a beautiful smile. I've known Jenny since she was born, because our moms are best friends and live across the street from each other. Jenny has a great imagination and lots of interesting ideas. But she wants to be a programmer, although she could very well be an incredible screenwriter.

‘ We need to hire a photographer, ’ I say. ‘ The other day I asked an acquaintance to take pictures, but he's busy studyung. ’

‘ You know, my parents gave me a camera for my birthday last year, so I think I can take some pictures, ’ she says.

‘ Wow! Great! Can you give me the camera in five days? ’ Bella asks. ‘ I need to prepare a new project. ’

‘ Do you have a new project? ’ I ask. I try to look surprised to hide my disappointment.

Bella looks at me with a little smile.

‘ Yes, it's a new project, it's not that big, I think I'll finish it quickly. ’

‘ Okay, I got it. ’ I say in a low voice.

Bella winks back.

In fact, I'm sad that I don't support Bella, because she always gives it to me. I'm sure she'll get what she wants, Bella is an incredible person, loves to talk about the meaning of life, but sometimes I just want a break.

‘ Why don't the three of us go out tomorrow and go to a cafe or something? ’ Jenny asks, putting one hand on my shoulder.

‘ That's a good idea! ’ Bella says.

‘ Yeah, I think I need to rest after the audition, ’ I say.

Jenny and Bella looked at each other and then Jenny started asking questions.

‘ Audition? Where? What time? ’

‘ For a role in the movie «The last meeting». It starts at nine in the morning. ’

‘ Wow, that's great, Jake! ’ Bella says with admiration.

Jenny walks over to the refrigerator and peels back the picture that was taped on. She directs it at the same level as me. I know what she wants to do. To compare me to this picture. It shows me a seven-year-old boy who doesn't look like himself. Blond hair, chubby cheeks, and a cute little suit that is now God knows where. Growing up has changed me a lot. There's not a trace of that boy left. I am five feet and eight inches tall. My dark hair is combed back, my face perfectly clean except for a small mole on my cheek.

Fifteen minutes passed, and it was almost midnight. But we didn't notice until Bella turned her attention to the clock that hung above our heads.

‘ My God, it's half past twelve at night! ’ Bella said.

‘ It's time to go home, ’ Jenny said.

Jenny came over and hugged me, Bella wished me good luck on my audition, then they headed for the exit. I went to bed.

The time is eleven in the morning. There is an unpleasant smell coming from the ajar window, which usually happens when a garbage truck passes by with an open garbage can. Once again, I didn't miss a beat. I quickly get out of bed, and see the phone lying on the floor. It was like I was electrocuted. My eyes flew wide open and I say:

‘ Oh my God! I overslept. The phone… I forgot to charge it! ’

My phone was empty. In my haste I put it on the charger and looked at the clock that was hanging in the kitchen, then I knew for sure I was no emotion on my face. I just sat there and waited for the phone to turn on.

Notification sound. Message from Jenny:

‘ So, how did it go? ’

I decided I'd better write to come over to my place tonight with Bella and let her know I overslept my audition.

The time passed unnoticed as the hand on the clock showed six o'clock in the evening. The doorbell rang and it was Jenny and Bella. No sooner had I opened the door than Jenny and Bella pelted me with questions.

‘ So, did they get you? ’ Jenny says.

‘ How many people were there? ’ Bella says.

‘ Don't drag it out, Jake! ’ Jenny says, and rubs a strand of hair.

They sit with a mesmerized look on their faces and wait for me to answer. But my answer was brief.

‘ I overslept my audition, ’ I say with a sad look and lowered my head.

Bella and Jenny's emotions shifted on their faces, and the enthusiastic smiles disappeared abruptly. We sat in silence for about five minutes, and then in a low, steady voice Bella says:

‘ Jake, don't feel bad, it's not your last audition. ’

‘ And I agree with Bella, ’ Jenny says, looking into my eyes with a little smile.

Here somes a text message from a friend of hers. Jenny reaches into her pocket for her phone.

‘ Oh my God! ’ Jenny shouts out in surprise.

‘ What? What is it? ’ Bella says.

‘ Look, look at that! ’

She shows a message with a picture of the book «Love at a Distance». The book was written by one Thomas Phelps. I had previously heard about this book from Jenny, she talked about it night and day. Eventually I got curious, so I googled it on the Internet. The results are impressive: Over two hundred thousand videos on YouTube, hundreds of fan pages on Instagram and countless discussion sites. It's actually a very popular novel that has taken over the world. It's written about a guy and a girl who fall in love after a high school party. Their parents create clothes and are very famous designers who are feuding with each other because of competition. Chad's best friend wants the couple to break up and try to win the girl's heart by any means necessary. Soon Chad moves to another city, where he goes to University but for all that their relationship continues.

‘ It's crazy, there's going to be an audition! ’ Jenny says.

‘ Stop! What audition? ’ Bella asks. ‘ What are you talking about? ’

‘ Well, here it is! ’ Jenny shows Bella the picture on her phone. ‘ For the lead role in the movie. ’

At that moment, something inside me ticked and I looked up and saw Jenny grinning.