Life on a Bender

Chapter 1: Reality & Milestones

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The alarm was going off right next to my ear because of my late night phone call with one of my brothers. So like any person would do with a blaring alarm in their ear, I jumped awake. I stopped the alarm and sat in my over-sized bed, rubbing my eyes. I hate having 5 AM call times.

I climbed out of the bed and stumbled over to the bathroom. It wasn't a long way to the bathroom, it just seemed that way when your eyes are still practically closed and your walking with your arms out trying to feel around for the bathroom light switch. 

The light turned on and I turned to whoever did that and it was Chuck. He was the head camera guy who recorded all of the moments that happen on my family's TV show Life on a Bender. It was fun to film that show, I guess. It just gets kind of tiring though with a camera just following you around the whole time and then the same thing happening to you when you show at your parent's house.

"Thanks" I tried to sound happy when saying it to him, but it just ended up coming out like a grunt and senseless mumbling with arm movement. I kind of looked like a caveman. I don't know what he did or if he said anything, all I know is that I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. 

I walked out of the bathroom with my robe and felt somewhat more alive than I did fifteen minutes ago. I threw on some athletic clothes because they were going to do everything on set to make me look like my character. 

I looked over at chuck who was sitting on his little cot that he asked for. He had a coffee in his hand and looked somewhat more upbeat. His blue eyes looked at me and he smiled holding up his coffee like he was saying cheers. I smiled and I held my hand up to do the same even if I didn't have a drink in my hand.

Chuck had been with me since we started filming this show when I was sixteen. So that means that we have been filming for three years and I had a love-hate relationship with this show. Chuck was a great guy and he was practically my friend when I was on the road filming for either the movie I was in or for the show, the only thing that I didn't like was the constant nagging from my older brother. It was awful.

'This is your father' my dad has this thing for Star Wars and I Was the only one who;d watch it with him. So when he found a ringtone that had Darth Vader and he said his most famous line, he set it as his ringtone in my phone. 

"Dad, do you know what time it is?" I said as I answered the phone.

"It's like two in the morning here in LA" he said. 

I made this weird face like 'what the hell' as he said that. My dad has this this dislike when his kids stay out past three in the morning. He won't even stay up that late unless he was working. He's such a weirdo, but I love him.

"What can I do for you dad?" I asked  as I walked toward the elevator. Chuck followed me with t he camera attached to his body.

"Oh yeah, we got picked up for another season" he said kind of happy.

"Really? I don't mean to sound rude, but this couldn't have waited until later? And why are you even up?" I asked as the elevator dinged open on the main floor.

"I had an emergency at work so I had to go in and when I was done, your mom said that I should call you to tell you before I forget because you know how I feel about these shows?" he said.

"I know dad" I quieted down because deep down,  the last thing I wanted to do is film another season of me being bashed about my sexuality. I am openly gay and that hasn't stopped me from getting work like most people think. It has actually opened more doors for me as an actor.