PART 1 (CLICK HERE)
“But really, though, am I just supposed to demand $500? Magazines don’t have it like that.”
”Well, Penny, I love you, but you are going to have to start demanding what you are worth. What are you worth?”
Click.
Gouda then texted me, "Wish I can help but I'm booked all week and my Mac is down." So I call Jake back.
“Do it!”
“Yeah, but I don’t know how to edit a lick.”
”Do it. Do it. Do it. Listen, Penny, here’s a thought. How many times have you had this opportunity in your lifetime?”
”Twice.”
“No. Once. How many times have you had this opportunity in your life time. Think of the logistics of the matter.”
”Well, for making a living off of my writing, once.”
“A missed opportunity is a good opportunity missed. You’ll get that on the bus ride home. Sometimes you need to say yes first, and learn later. Listen, I’ll teach you everything you need to know. You don’t even have to pay me. That’s how good of a friend I am.”
”You sound like you’re fishing for a thank you, Jake. You’re amazing, you’re the don. Fat Joe even.”
“I’m not even going to ask how you know of that reference.”
“What’s love? It should be about us, it should be about trust, yeah….”
“Never mind that. We can do this over the weekend. I have a few shindigs to attend.”
“How industry.”
”So that’s why you like me. Later, gator.”
I email Jackie back “Sure.” I guess we’ll be talking about logistics later, then.
When I walked in to do the interview, something stopped me about asking for what I really wanted to ask for...so I touched upon it in hopes the conversation with Jackie would turn towards what I really had on my mind.
"So what is the whole way of me getting paid that is going to happen?"
Smooth.
"Well, when you are done with sending in the interview, you hand in an invoice, takes about 30 days to get your payment, and you are basically finished."
"Oh, okay, so you guys will send an invoice form to me?"
"Yep."
"Okay...so....um....I guess that's all."
"Great! Have a seat. Would you like water?"
"Yes, please."
Boo.
After the interview. I walked out, and felt, kind of relieved. That kind of relief that you give to yourself when you know the worst part is yet to come. I call Jake.
No answer.
I leave a message.
“Jakey. It’s your BFF—we need to meet up and do this. So call me when you get this. Later!”
Time passes. I hear the clock ticking. My anxiety rises. And four hours later I call Jake again.
“Sup Jake. Party time….excellent…call me when it’s over.”
Time passes. I hear the clock ticking. And Sunday is on the way. Past time to pray.
It is Sunday night, and I call Jake.
Jake picks up.
“Where have you been all my life Jake?”
“Blowing in the wind. Miss me?”
”This is no time for jokes, Jake.”
“We have a bit of a problem.”
”Oh no, here we go.”
”Due to a dramatic turn of events, I have to hand in my notes for work by 12AM. I have to work on them tonight.”
“Well...”
“There is absolutely no way I can help you with your project. I am so sorry, Penny.”
”One more time. It’s not real to me.”
”I can’t help you because I have to finish my notes. But I can be a doll and drop over a editing CD for your computer that my dad uses for his photos.
“Jake. How long did you know you had to do your notes? How long have you had your job? How many times have you done notes to know that notes would have to be done so that you could do them in advance?”
”Uh…”
”How many times last week did you call me itching about how you had nothing to do…do you want to play Nintendo with me Penny? Do you want to play fricken Nintendo??????”
"Hey, notes have to be handed in at the end of the week for the previous week that just passed. The week wasn't over yet."
"How many parties did you go to this weekend?"
"Um..."
"You're party hopping like friggin Bugs Bunny and sipping on illegals..."
"I didn't know the fruit punch was spiked in my defense...."
"You probably slept all day today. Tell me you didn't sleep all day today."
"You are giving me the third degree for a problem that wasn't mine to begin with."
"I am not your problem but you acted like you were my solution. You suck for that. I trusted you. What a farce that turned out to be. Oh just leave all your worries behind Penny, lay your head on my shoulder Penny, lean on me when you're not strong I'll be your friend Penny...I'LL HELP YOU CARRY ON...."
“Penny! Okay. Okay. I got to go. But I feel really bad, I really do. I’ll drop off the CD tonight. Man. You’ve shrunken me.”
"So your Joe is even smaller? Woe is you! Hit puberty, Jake.”
Click.
My mom comes into my room.
“Aren’t you going to eat the sea bass your dad caught? We’ve already taken pictures of it cooked on the table.”
”I’m not hungry.”
“What’s going on, Penny? You look a bit flushed.”
”Jake was supposed to help me edit this video I have. He dropped out. I have no other options and the deadline is tomorrow.”
“How long is the video?”
“20 minutes.”
”I’m not sure about editing and all, but that sounds long. Do you know how to edit video at all?”
”MOM.”
”Ok, silly question. What’s next?”
”What do you mean?”
”What is your plan of action?”
”My plan of action is to go to sleep until this is over.”
”Sleeping, running, either or would be fine for you.”
”What am I supposed to do?”
“It’s not over yet. Create something.”
This is an exercise my mom does when she wants me to think of a solution to a problem.
“So I get editing software and I stay up all night and try to edit the video myself…and whatever happens happens.”
“Is that all?”
"And even if it all fails somehow it will all work out for the best. Alright, mother. That is the capacity of my brain right there.”
“It's a slow start. Ok, let’s go to Staples, it closes in a half hour.”
Jake dropped off the CD. I don't believe words were exchanged at all. The CD, however, was for photos, and not for video, so I didn't use it. In other news, me and Mom must have gotten the most dingiest editing software for my slowtarded computer. It’s getting an F from me. It is not even installing correctly. I keep calling the company, Sadobe and they keep hanging up on me after waiting for 30 minutes. It’s midnight, and their Customer Service line is closed until morning.
Yawn.
“Penny, go to sleep.”
”The ID number wont register in my computer.”
“Penny, take off from school and figure it out in the morning. I’ll write you a note.”
”I’m not sick.”
”Well, how do you feel?”
”Nauseous.”
“Great! Go to sleep, Penny. I’ll write you a note tomorrow.”
Missing school is usually a big fat Greek wedding, but my distress takes the cake. When I wake up on Monday, deadline day, at 8AM, I call Sadobe and finally get the registration to, uh, register. Now I have to get this program to not even run. Walk faster than a tortoise.
It’s 10AM. I can cut the video in half, but I can’t join chunks together.
It’s 1030AM. My computer freezes.
It’s 11AM I can’t open the software.
It’s 12PM. The video, I learn, can’t be rendered.
It’s 1230PM. The sound and the picture don’t play at the same time.
It’s 2PM. The application will open for 5 minutes, get an error message, and close.
Oh Holy Grail. Mom’s at work. I’m the only one in the house. And I literally throw my hands up in the air. I’s done. I is done. I am done. Done. Finished. Finuto. Done trying.
I call Jackie. She picks up, first shot. Uh…hmm?
“Hi Jackie.”
”Hi Penny, how is it going?”
”I just wanted to give you the status of where I am at right now with the video. As of right now it is not completed editing. I am having problems editing it on my computer. I would like to know if you would just like me to hand in the video and the write-up and you can get someone else to edit the video.”
“Oh.”
“I have editing software that is not working well for me, and I do not have any help available with it. I am sorry.”
“Well, is there a possibility you would like an extension?”
”The thing is, I don’t have any other options, and have called everyone I know, so if I can just hand in the video, that would be great.”
“Sure, hand in the video, we’ll find someone to edit it.”
”Another thing I wanted to mention, was, when we talked last week about methods of payment, and you said that I had to hand in an invoice, I just wanted to know if Bee-Magazine offered contracts at all.”
”No we don’t actually.”
”IS there any way there can be some type of written agreement from this point to know exactly what will be going on with the payment? I do expect to not be paid for the editing if that is your wish of course, but I would like the whole thing on paper, just for my sake.”
”Well, I’ll see if I can write one up for that purpose.”
”Expect the video in your inbox by tomorrow morning.”
”Sure thing, Penny.”
”Thank you.”
”Bye.”
Now I feel relieved and stupid. Calm and disarrayed. But the panic has subsided. Really, I wonder if I should even send in….I gotta call someone who finally knows what they are doing.
I call Red Pepper.
“I have an issue."
"You--an issue?"
"Ha ha. I did a gig with Bee Magazine, and I was supposed to shoot and edit the video. I cannot edit the video, and I discussed it with her and she said that I can hand in the video without editing it. But if I hand in the video, they might not pay me. At all. I just have a feeling I shouldn’t even hand in the video.”
“Wowzer."
"Thanks."
"Sorry. Did you talk about getting paid by them? Did you both say that if you turn in the video then you will get payment?"
"Yes."
"Did you fill out a W-9 form?"
"What's that?"
"Oh....."
"Oh what? Oh no? Oh Yes? Oh My Bejeezus? Oh Happy Day...right?"
"Oh brother. You really are take a chance when you send in the video because they may use it, but they may end up stiffing you.”
“Hmmm. For some reason, just for me integrity wise, which has already taken a blow, it would probably be best for me to send it in. Conscience wise...I wouldn't feel amazing if I didn’t.”
Red Pepper giggles. "Penny, I'm not sure why you said you would be able to do it, but that may have not been the best choice. You are in horse dook right now."
"Tell me about it."
"Video editing is a plus for any writer. I can only assume if you turn it in unedited they won't pay you for it because they will have to get someone else to edit it.""
”You know what the real reason I didn’t ask her was? It was that dang magazine I was a teen trendspotter for. They chopped my paycheck without telling me, and I requested contracts and never heard from BB again. You know what that subconsciously teaches me…”
”Contracts are bad and wrong? Like Religion and Politics at the dinner table.”
“You’re being sarcastic.”'
"I am and I’m not. I write for 5 other outlets and every time, before I take a job, they have my W-9 form. I don’t do a job if they don’t offer contracts. Don’t listen to that crap. Don’t think of it as 'you’re bitter and you don’t want to impose on a perfect situation with your contract bitterness.' It’s not bitterness. It’s money. Do what feels right, but at least now you know.”
“I've won half the battle! No indication of winning the war but....”
“Anytime. Hopefully the next time you call it will be to share good news."
"I think I can manage that. Goodbye."
"Later."
Hey readers, thanks for following the Penny stories. Feel free to comment what you think below. What should Penny do next? Do you agree with Penny? Any spontaneous ending suggestions? Who is your favorite character in the Penny stories? Forum=open.
