Just Sh*t: A New York City Story

Chapter 41: The Art of the Oddball Interview

As Judah prepped for the interview, his phone buzzed with yet another message from Alex: "Dude, you gotta ask Timothée about his daily routine—like, does he brush his teeth before or after breakfast? I need to know." Judah rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. Alex had been bombarding him all day with increasingly ridiculous questions for the interview, but this one took the cake.

The studio lights flickered on as Judah and his cohost, Stephanie, sat across from Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. Both actors were as effortlessly cool as they seemed on screen. Timothée wore a calm, polite expression, while Zendaya leaned back in her chair, grinning at something on her phone.

The interview started normally enough, with Stephanie handling the bulk of the heavy lifting—asking about their upcoming projects, their favorite filming moments. But then it was Judah's turn.

"So, Timothée," Judah began, shifting in his seat and remembering Alex's incessant questions. "This might be kind of random, but do you brush your teeth before or after breakfast?"

Timothée blinked, surprised, but gave a small chuckle. "Uh, before," he said, looking slightly amused. "Why do you ask?"

Zendaya, sitting beside him, raised an eyebrow at Judah, clearly enjoying the weirdness. "That's such a random question, dude," she laughed. "Are you making a list of his habits or something?"

Judah shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, kind of. My friend Alex, he's a huge fan, and he's been dying to know."

Timothée, ever the professional, played along. "Well, tell Alex that I'm a 'before breakfast' kind of guy, and yes, I floss."

Zendaya giggled. "I like this guy," she said, nudging Timothée. "Judah's just full of surprises."

The rest of the interview followed suit, with Judah throwing in more of Alex's bizarre, borderline personal questions. Timothée answered with grace, and Zendaya kept playfully teasing Judah, calling him *"quirky"* and *"unexpected"* at one point.

After the interview wrapped, Stephanie turned to Judah as soon as the cameras were off. "Judah, what the hell was that?" she hissed. "You totally bombed that! Our job is to be professional—this is entertainment media, not some Q&A session with your buddy's favorite actor."

Judah scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I was just trying to keep it light, you know? Alex—"

"I don't care about Alex," Stephanie interrupted. "It's about the show."

Before Judah could respond, Timothée and Zendaya approached them, still laughing.

"Hey," Timothée said, "we're grabbing burgers. You guys want to come? You're cool," he added, looking at Judah with a genuine smile.

Zendaya chimed in, putting on her jacket. "Yeah, you're like... weird, but in a good way. I dig it."

Judah blinked, surprised, while Stephanie was speechless.

"Uh, yeah! We'd love to," Judah finally stammered, trying to play it cool. Stephanie just nodded, looking equal parts relieved and confused.

As they headed out of the studio, Zendaya leaned over to Judah, flashing him a grin. "Next time, ask me about my breakfast routine. I'm feeling left out here."

Judah chuckled, feeling the tension from the interview lift completely. Maybe he hadn't bombed it after all.