The Big Break by: Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: All characters in this story and have been created for use within the context of this story. Additionally characters are portrayed as underage and are purely fictional. Any resemblance to real life persons is purely coincidental. Furthermore there is a prominent micro/macro theme presented within this story. You have been warned.
The Hollywood life is a fickle mistress especially for those involved. The spot light of fame often does precarious things to those not used to it's focus. Many are corrupted by it's decadence and become overly wasteful with their desire for material goods. This obsession by many is further worsened by the search for vanity. But while many are tainted by the often tantalizing offers that the lime light offers, many others are left to wallow and find their own way.
Much can be said of those stars who find their way into fame at a young age. Whether through Broadway, on the stage, or through cinema, on the screen child actors and actresses are often most at risk of being left to their own devices. Our tale brings us to the episode of Dale Spulza. A cub of merely 11 years old, the squirrel was no foreigner to the attraction that came with being famous. The child was a prodigy, one who excelled in extreme sports though especially in skateboarding.
Even to the undiscerning eye the boy was fairly athletic. His chest while not tone by any means, he had a fairly well developed and strong chest and abdomen. A cocoa colored fur adorned his figure which was of slightly above average. You could generally find the boy in typical skater garb fixated with his typical jet black beanie, short sleeved shirt, ripped jean shorts, and van shoes. He very much your stereotypical “skater-boy” vibe.
Already the boy had his own line of knit caps, more conventionally known as beanies. His logo was quite stylized with his signature curved tail wrapping around his head sort of like a squirrel version of the Firefox logo. Many kids his age sought them out and even colloquialized them as “Dale's”, they were quite the trend with tweens and teens alike. But like most child prodigies he saw very little of the fruits of his labor.
He was very much the product of his agent who took advantage of his youth and was very much enfranchising him for all he was worth. But it didn't bother Dale so much as the boy was simply enjoying the attention he otherwise was not getting at home. Since being essentially adopted by a talent agency the child had been ostracized by his own family. Both the mother and father felt threatened by their child's success. Instead they opted to support the girl who was taking a much more conservative approach to life in pursuing a career as a teacher.
The boy didn't seem to mind much. In fact he rather enjoyed the freedom this life was providing him. The lavish lifestyle of the famous had long ago grown on him. He was able to pretty much get whatever he wanted with little to no effort. The cub was provided his every want and need no matter how silly with very little protest. He even had an assistant to manages his finances who offered very little insight other than he was “doing well.”
But like most kids the prospect of doing well and the realities of the real world never set in until much later. One day the very same adviser approached Dale while he was relaxing on the couch playing some random video games. It wasn't normal for this to happen so the boy assumed something must had been up for him to approach the star in such a manner. The older male sat down next to the boy on the couch which was easily large enough to support both of them.
“We need to talk, Dale.” The adviser remained calm in a rather serious yet stern tone.
“About what?” The cub didn't seem much interested in what the other had to say.
“Your financial situation.” The adviser went about his way as if he were talking to an adult.
“Yeah? So what about it?” The squirrels attention was not deferred from his playtime.
“Maybe you could turn that off so we can focus on the issue at hand?” The man suggested trying to not sound commanding.
“Nope.” The cub wasn't interested in a “serious” conversation currently.
The adviser got up from the couch clearly frustrated. Fortunately for him the boy was much too involved in his game to realize what the older male was doing. The human made his way over to the console before taking it upon himself to turn it off. Dale couldn't help but huff in frustration, clearly upset at the man's action. The older male had a stern look on his face, it didn't seem he was any mood to play games with the cub.
Now that his focus was finally achieved, the man rejoined the younger boy on the couch. The twos gazes finally met.
“Your money situation is a bit...concerning.” The man crossed his arms a bit defensively.
“How so?” The cub wasn't sure how it was possible.
“Well your spending everything your taking in and then some...” The human tried to explain it in the simplest way possible.
“Right well why is that a problem?” The squirrel failed to realize the severity of the situation.
“You can't go on like this. You'll go broke kiddo.” The adviser continued to be as upfront as he could.
“What about my parents. Won't they help?” The boy expected his parents to bail him out...again.
“They want nothing to do with this. After last time it's not really surprising.” The man held out a piece of paper that looked to be a balance sheet.
In truth the boy had been through this situation before in the past. Thinking his coffers were endless he went about trying to buy an arcade. The only thing saving him from bankruptcy was that the bank had denied his loan because he had no credit. The seller felt belt and refunded some of his money. Such was the fault with the naivety of his youth.
“Lucky for you, I think your agent has a promising lead for you.” The man calmly suggested in order to alleviate some of the tensity of the situation.
“Oh yeah? Doing what?” The boy asked curiously.
“I'm not sure. You'll have to ask her yourself. I made an appointment for you at your leisure.” The man clearly had planned this out already.
“Great. I guess I'll go ahead and meet with her then. Can you take me” The squirrel picked himself up, expecting the request to be granted.
“Sure. We can go now. It's better that it's resolved sooner rather than later.” The adviser led the boy to his vehicle to drive over to the agents office. The agent was but a short trip away and it didn't take long for the pair to arrive. Once they did the older male parked out front and led the cub inside the building.
The building never ceased to amaze the boy no matter how many times he saw it. A fountain and various shrubberies decorated the lobby. Some hopeful aspirants lined the reception with hopes of being heard by someone in the talent agency. Dale didn't have to bother with such propriety since he had been a client for some time and was one of there more reliable sources of income especially among the younger crowd.
The adviser led the boy down the hall to the end where a large set of double doors led into the office. This was the main agent who oversaw all the accounts and it wasn't often that Dale was seen by her. She was no push over and only made her presence apparent when the need was dire. Apparently this was one of the situations. Inside of the office Dale couldn't help but feel alienated especially after his adviser sat himself to the side.
“Sit down, boy.” The woman commanded with her swivel chair turned in the opposite direction.
The raccoon did as he was told, careful to not pinch his tail behind him as he did so.
“Frank tells me you've been spending rather freely.” The woman commented rather sternly.
“I suppose so, yes mam.” Dale tried to remain on her good said.
“Aren't you aware that money doesn't grow on trees and eventually you will run out?” The agent continued to barrage the boy with questions.
“Yes, mam.” The cub continued to be as cooperative and respectful as possible.
“Lucky for you, I like you boy.” Secretly the woman felt belt for the boys lack of parental support.
“You do?” Dale was flattered that she was being so open and up front with him considering all the negative rumors he'd heard about her.
“Yes, son. Now...getting to the point of why I called you here, I got you a lead and your in no position to decline it.” The woman finally turned around in her swivel chair.
The cub had heard stories of her visage. But once she had turned around the boy could make out her true figure. Rather than the terrible and vindictive views that rumors provided, Dale could see that she was just like any other typical professional woman in the work place. The woman had her arms folded in her lap calmly placed gripping each other as if deep in contemplation.
“Well...what is it?” The squirrel flitted his tail behind him a bit curious as to the prospect she had in mind.
“It's a commercial for a new sports drink. They figured you'd be prefect for their target audience.” The woman passed over a smile flier which was an ad for the product.
The boy collected the piece and looked it over. It was easily visible what the product was and it didn't seem like a hard gig to pull off.
“That's all? That doesn't seem unreasonable.” The child found the proposition to be too easy to be true.
“On top of that they will sponsor you if you do a good job.” The woman showed off one of the cubs beanie with the logo fixed to the side as sort of a prototype.
“That sounds fantastic. You can count me in for sure.” The cub seemed rather excited at doing a live advertisement as he was more used to more simple promotions.
“There's a catch. They want you to try out their latest body suit. They seem to think it will increase your performance both professionally and casually.” The agent continued to hide one detail she thought the cub would be better off knowing at the site.
“That's fine. I wouldn't mind upping my game a little.” The boy was always keen on improving himself no matter the cost.
“Great, I will call the company. You can start tomorrow. Chuck will pick you up at 7. Wake up early, you can't afford to be late on your first day.” The woman was always about her corporate image and any client who disobeyed her was subjected to possible termination.
“Alright thank you for the opportunity, mam.” The squirrel was truly grateful for the contract.
“One last thing before you go. Going forward, young man, you will heed the Chuck's advise or I will no longer bail you out the future. Is that clear?” The woman wanted to instill both fear and professionalism in the boy as she was essentially his make-shift mentor.
“Yes mam!” The cub reached over to give the woman a a hand shake and instead was greeted with a fist bump.
Dale thought this was strange but played it off as her being friendly to him. He smiled at her and watched as Chuck picked himself off the couch. He hadn't done much to participate in the meeting as he had been the one behind it. Not much was shared between the two as the man took the boy back home. It had been a long day and the boy needed to prepare for his first day. Before departing the vehicle, Chuck provided him with a package.
“This is your body suit for tomorrow. Just wear it under your normal clothes. I will see you at 7. Don't be late.” The man was just as strict as his boss was about punctuality.
The cub nodded confirming that he would comply with the request. He didn't want to lose the opportunity and apparently needed. He made his way indoors. It seemed his parents were occupied doing other things but they didn't pay him much mind as he was far from the favorite child. He made his way into the kitchen where the squirrel found some leftovers he heated up and prepared for dinner. It was rather an unceremonious occasion but it would have to do.
Once he was done dining on his simple meal all that was left was retiring for the night. Dale cleaned up and returned to his room where he kicked off his shoes and proceeded to relax. He had some time to burn before he needed to hit the hay and so the boy decided to partake in some gaming. The squirrel was no professional at gaming but it still offered a an escape from the every day taxing routine that he called life.
Unlike most boys his age he didn't go to private schools and as such he didn't have very many friends. So his social avenue was usually through virtual media where the people had no idea as to his fame or notoriety. The cub spent a good 2 hours playing the latest Pokemon game. Once he tired of that the boy turned off the system and did his usual hygiene routine that led up to his bed time. He was tired from the taxing day and wanted to turn in early.
The cub slipped into his pajamas and made his way onto his mattress. It didn't take long for the boy's body to give way to sleep. His body submitted to slumber after a few moments of tossing and turning. Like many others his age the boy slept rather soundly and free of worries. The next morning came like roaring thunder. Awoken by the sudden eruption of the alarm sounding off with an annoying noise that seldom few could ignore because the machine was designed to go off until it was turned off.
Dale grumbled once the shrill shriek bellowed through the room. It was early in the morning and it was highly likely he was up before his own parents who didn't go into work themselves until later in the afternoon. The squirrel gathered himself out of bed and began to prepare himself to get out of bed. A cold shower proved to be all he needed to wake himself out of his slumber induced stupor. Once he was out of the cold water, the boy eyed the body suit he was supposed to wear.
The item was alien to him. Holding it up the material seemed elastic and quite stretchy. By the looks of it, the suit didn't seem very comfortable either. Even when he tried to see just how flexible it was, the stuff just rubber banded back into it's original form. Dale huffed a bit as hit sat himself down on the toilet lid to make an attempt to put on the latex suit. The bottom of his body fit easily enough but as he tried to fit it over the rest of his form, he couldn't help but feel that it was a bit snug in size.
Once the piece was on, it didn't seem quite so bad even if Dale felt a bit self conscious about wearing it. The cub decided that he would wear normal pants and shirt over it. After getting more dressed and covering the body suit up a bit, the boy didn't feel as awkward about it. The next task was to prepare a bag of his things, which included a change of clothes and some snacks from the kitchen. His stomach grumbled reminding him that he still needed to eat lest he would go hungry all day.
Looking at his digital clock, it seemed he had some time to spend on breakfast. His usual go to dish for the meal was an iced cherry pop-tart with a side of fruit. One of the treats he usually provided himself freshly squeezed orange juice. It was a trick he had learned from surfing the web. After sating his hunger he was all about ready to make his way to his gig. Overhearing a sharp honk proved it was time to get going. Dale rushed to make quick work of his mess, making sure to pick up a snack for later.
Grabbing the bag of his things that he prepared, the cub made his way to the door shuffling his skate shoes onto his feet. He was ready to go, although truthfully he was a bit nervous it was something that he was used to dealing with. Dale swallowed the butterflies in his stomach and shut the door behind him.
“Nerves would have to wait...” He told himself.
Chuck was already waiting out front. The car running and prepared to take the pair to the scene of where the advertisement was being shot.
“Morning, kiddo. Ready for your big day?” The man asked trying to be friendly and sociable.
“Yeah...ready enough I suppose.” The squirrel filed into the vehicle and closed the door behind him.
The trip over to the filming location was short and so they didn't have much of a chance to chat. Though on a normal occasion the two didn't converse much as they didn't have too many things in common with one another. The cub busied himself by looking out the window and gazing at various things as they flashed by during their travel. 15 minutes passed before the pair arrived at the studio. As was expected it was jam packed with a wide variety of activities going about.
Once they parked, the full lot made it even more evident how busy it was. It was obvious that many things were going on that day. A golf cart quickly whisked over to take the two to the specific location where the commercial was being shot. Dale looked around a bit amazed by the sheer number of people, some of whom he recognized but nothing like an A list celebrity that would draw the attention of the paparazzi.
Not long after they were picked up by the cart, they arrived at the location. Camera's and lights adorned various spots on the set despite it being broad daylight out. Some ramps were about which were likely placed so he could do tricks for the camera. A tall rabbit began to approach him in a rather simple get up. But as he neared the boy began to suspect he was the director of the ordeal. Chuck motioned the boy off the vehicle as the cart made it's final stop.
Standing next to the lapin man made the boy feel small. He was a giant compared to both he and his human adviser.
“Nice to meet you kid, I've heard a lot about you. Are you ready to get to work?” The older male didn't waste any time getting right to the point.
“Yes, sir. Thanks for having me on set.” The boy tried to be professional as he was taught in the past the opposite was inadvisable.
“No problem. Let's see if your really as good as they tell me you are.” The rabbit crossed his arms defensively.
“So what exactly is it I'm promoting anyhow?” The cub couldn't help but indulge his curiosity.
“Your promoting two things really. The body suit, which your already wearing and a sports drink which has been chemically engineered to enhance performance.” The man went to a nearby cooler to fetch a small green squirt bottle which was fairly large for a simple beverage.
The colorful logo that Dale had was shown before by his agent adorned the side. It sweated with some perspiration since it was fairly warm outside and already some of the ice in the cooler had already melted. In fact the taller man had already worked up quite the sweat despite only being outside for a few hours. The cub didn't question it since it was rather hot and quickly looked over the bottle before almost trying to snatch it from the older man.
“One word of warning about the drink, sonny.” The rabbit quickly retracted the beverage.
“What's that?” The squirrel couldn't help but wonder why the director was acting so suspiciously.
“Don't drink too much at once. We don't know what the side effects are just yet. So drink in moderation.” The man handed over the beverage to the boy.
“Alright, thanks for the warning.” The boy looked over the bottle as if suspecting that some act of mischief preformed on it.
“Let's get you squared away on set. Come with me.” The lapin led ahead towards the main area of the scene.
The cub followed closely behind but was unable to follow to longer strides of the director and ended up having to speed walk. The main area of the scene wasn't far off and it was already set up with cameras and lighting to fixate over the part where they would be filming. The director showed the boy around the entirety of the set before giving him the direction for the ad itself. It seemed the boy had to preform a number of stunts in front of the camera while wearing the latex suit and the beanie then end the scene by drinking the beverage. It seemed simple enough.
Truthfully the cub was a bit arrogant of his own skill. It was finally time to show if he was as good as he thought he was. A temporary skateboard was provided to him as all of the staff made way to give him space. For good measure he took this opportunity to test out what he was promoting, at least the consumable end of it. Popping off the top and tipping the spout into his mouth he squeezed a small amount into his maw. The taste was sweet and bitter and made his mouth tingle and buzz, likely from the extravagant sugars in the drink.
It wasn't the best testing drink so the boy decided to place it on the side. A runner went about to pick it up and place it at the end of the run where he was supposed to pick it up. It was show time.
“Lights...camera...action.” The director snapped the clapboard loudly.
The cub felt a bit queezy but decided to ignore it knowing now wasn't the time to mess around and began his run around the course. Landing the first trick by grinding on the rail and landing quite elegant at the end. The second challenge was more ornate, rushing up a ramp before attempting a double grab. Though he scored the trick in the air, the landing was far from perfect.
“Cut...” the director snapped the clapboard a second time a bit frustrated that the first shot hadn't quite gone as planned but seldom was the first attempt ever successful.
“Sorry...my stomach is bothering me.” The boy apologized feeling that he had failed the director.
Dale made his way back to the starting point feeling like his shorts were riding up higher on his legs than before. He chalked it up to working up a sweat, even though his shirt felt a bit tight on his form too. It was time for a second attempt as Dale told himself that he had to at least finish the course this time as he headed towards the starting point.
“Action!” The director snapped the clapboard a third time signaling for the cub to begin his route.
The squirrel kicked off as he began his ride again. This time trying a more ornate trick on his grind by flipping a full 360 circle as he landed his first trick. The audience was surprised he managed it especially considering his first gaffe. The boy continued to trail up towards the ramp gaining speed as he did so. Managing to fly off it without a hitch and even landed with only the back half of the wheels hitting the floor before rotating in a circle and coming to a halt. Dale pinned down the ball of his paw as the board flipped upward.
The squirrel bent over and grabbed the bottle before bringing it to his maw. Drinking it before gulping in a cliche show of approval. The strange feeling of warmth returned to him before long albeit a bit stronger than before. The cub couldn't help but burp as the scene was called to an end. Dale didn't find the beverage to be all that unappealing and was going rather accustomed to the strange after taste and tingling that followed. Moment later the boy felt like his clothing was cutting the circulation off to parts of his body. It was overly tight and making him feel quite uneasy.
Another few moments past and the button on his shorts soon popped off, even his shoes were becoming tight now. Was he imagining things or maybe he was dreaming? A pinch verified that this was very real. With the bottle in hand he quickly used it to squirt himself making him wet in the process. Though the coolness was a welcome addition to heat it only further made his body tingle. Seconds later his shirt finally gave way.
“Um...what's happening to me?” Slowly but surely the boy watched as his body crept upward.
The director watched in awe realizing just what was happening. Stepping over to the boy to examine him more closely, the rabbit couldn't help but realize that the cub was now eye to eye with him. The only thing that still clung to the boy was his body suit which strangely stretched and molded with his larger form. Even his feet had torn from their confines. The remains of his tattered clothing remained at the bottom of his paws. It was quite the sight, though for the time being the growth seemed to have stopped.
“Hey, I got bigger. Cool, I guess I had a growth spurt. The boy looked himself over not seeming very concerned about the notion.
The rabbit couldn't help but gawk at the boys sudden fit of ascension. It was a bit unbelievable. Dale felt a bit queasy so much so that he wanted to drown the feeling. He had become quite accustomed to the drink by this point and was rather attached to it's flavor. It resembled a mix between citrus and berry. The boys stomach grumbled a bit and since he didn't have any food this would have to do for now. Bringing the bottle to his maw again he began to drink more heavily than before. With each gulp his body pulsated and throbbed.
Slowly but surely his body expanded outward. The only thing keeping the squirrel from being in the nude was the latex suit which continued to flex and mold against his body as it continued to surge upward. His body showed no signs of slowing down even as he put the container down to burp. Now as tall as the roof of the building the director was barely up to the ankle of the boy whose mostly naked form stood before him.
Dale was quite gawky even more than he was at his normal size. The queezy feeling coming over him and making him stumble over himself. The building behind him catching his fall but caving in under his weight. The panels on the side of the building bellowed with a large crash. The boy rubbed his forehead a bit embarrassed, losing the bottle in the process. Secretly he was beginning to enjoy the new sense of power he was experiencing.
The director rushed to save what equipment he could. Many of the staff had run in fear and he soon followed. The child picked himself up and began to explore. Each of his wide strides bringing unprecedented destruction before him.
“Wow...this is cool!” The cubs louder tone echoed into the distance.
Many onlookers continued to watch at the fury he wrought with each step he took. The pavement cracking and fracturing under his weight. Dale let out a burp before covering his maw. He couldn't help but wonder just how big he had actually gotten. Looking around it was pretty obvious he could easily see over everything.
It didn't take long for his wayward rage to attract the attention of the authorities. Soon enough the cops arrived with many cars surrounding him. This sent the boy into a panic who continued to run about. Flame, smoke, and screams erupted as the boy carried about in an effort to save himself from what he considered to be his end.
Luckily for the city the boy was contained within the perimeter of the studio. Eventually his exertion caught up with him and he was found resting no longer able to trounce about the city. But the damage had already be done and someone had to answer it. The squirrel felt a bit bad and wanted to atone for his sins and began to wallow in his own sorrows. Only time would tell if he would ever be able to make up for his actions.
