Superstitions {Dean Winchester 2}

Chapter 54

Hollywood Babylon

Apparently, when talking to Tara, she had showed Dean a photo of Frank, the man who died. Dean had recognized him instantly, which led us to the not really dead house of a guy who wasn't really Frank Jaffy.

"Gerard St. James?" Dean asked as an older man in a Hawaiian shirt opened the door.

"Yes." He said. 

"You're still alive. And you're not Frank Jaffy." Sam stated. 

"Uh, no."

"You were Desert Soldier #4 in Metalstorm: Destruction of Jared-Syn?" Dean asked, but it sounded more like a statement, and I wondered how he knew that.  

"I was."

"I knew I recognized you." Dean said. "I am a huge fan." He chuckled. "I mean, your turn as a tractor crash victim in Critters 3?"

"Critters 3." Gerard smiled, nodding.

"Wow."

"All right, well, please. Come in." Gerard moved away from the door to let us in.

"Here, hold her." I handed Lady to Dean as I pulled my chapstick from his pocket. "She tried to eat my chapstick."

Dean held her out in front of him as he stepped inside. 

___

"Yeah, it was the producers. I mean, they brought me in for the day to play Frank." Gerard stated as he handed us all a cup of coffee while we sat in his living room. On the wall across from us was rows of photos of himself in each role he played.  

Sam stood by said wall, looking at the photos whereas Dean and I sat on the couch.

"Just to fake your death?" Dean asked. 

"Well, rumors of a haunted film set, free publicity. Especially when you're making a horror movie." Gerard sat down on the other side of the coffee table. "I mean, it's already all over the internet."

"Yeah, we know." Sam nodded, sitting down in the other armchair.

"Well, these days, it's all about new media. Building buzz." Gerard stated. 

Lady jumped onto Dean's arm, chewing on his sleeve and rolling off onto his lap. He sent me a look. I smiled in return. 

"They say...I'm the new Lonleygirl." Gerard continued. 

"Who?" Dean asked.

"And the ghost Tara saw?" Sam prompted. 

"Projected on a screen of diffusion." Gerard answered. 

"Isn't that kind of cruel? Messing with their heads like that?" Dean asked, reluctantly patting Lady on the head. 

That's progress.

"Hey, I just played the part. I don't write the script." Gerard stated. 

"It does seem unnecessarily mean, just for what? Some buzz about a haunted set?" I asked. 

"Speaking of," Gerard continued, "I'm playing Willy in a diner theater production of Salesman at Costa Mesa all next month." He grabbed a paper from the coffee table and handed it to Dean. "You get a free pepper steak with the coupon."

At the word steak, both Dean and Lady perked up quickly. 

Dean laughed a little. "Well, if you're seen in public, won't that ruin the hoax." 

"Please." Gerard laughed. "Frank and Willy totally different characters." 

"You know what?" Sam said. "Thanks very much, Mr. St. James. It was just nagging at us, you know." He set down his coffee cup. "We're very glad that, you know...you're alive and well."