Chapter 214: Nomination II

"I already have four, including mom. Two more tickets available," I murmured.

"Congratulations, Jake," Pippa said with a sweet smile, though there was still astonishment on her face.

"Thanks, Pips."

---

During the break, I saw the messages lighting up on my phone:

Laura: Oscar??! Wooow

Scarlett: Oscar!! Congrats!!

Britney: Oscar, let's go! I got an invitation too, I’ll root for you o/

Yeah, Scarlett didn’t get in. Being nominated for Best Actress at her age would be really difficult (though her performance was heavily praised).

After some time, and after replying to their messages, I spoke to Cher and Regina.

"Paige won’t go. Missy also said she would feel too out of place, even though she wanted to. Laura said she’d prefer to go in the future, she said she would be too starstruck right now.

Brit already has an invitation. My male friends from the football team are out of the question."

"So for now it’s me, Cher, Carly, and your mother," Regina summed up.

"Dad was mildly offended when I told him, but he thought about it and realized he could embarrass himself on national TV, so he agreed not to go. Uncle Charlie wasn’t bothered," I added.

"Scarlett got an invitation from the Academy, so she didn’t need mine," I continued. Maybe it was because she had done so well, or maybe a slight compensation for not being nominated.

Should I call Rach or Monica? Who is Joey gonna take?

Then Cher pulled me from my thoughts. "So, who’s gonna be your partner, Jake?" she asked, eyes glinting.

"I think Scarlett would be the best choice, since Laura isn’t going," Regina suggested. "Unless you want to find someone else."

"Maybe not at the Oscars, even Jake’s charm would be lacking there…" Cher teased.

"Heyy, my charm would never be lacking," I complained. "It’s just some people there thinking too high of themselves."

"Congratulations, Jake," Cara said as she came over, holding Freddie's hand.

"Thanks."

"Oscar, really?? Jake," Lauren chimed in, joining the group. "Always the overachiever of the class."

"Thanks, Lauren."

"But really, I imagined seeing you at an award show like this, but it would be the Grammys, not the Oscars," she joked.

I could practically hear everyone thinking out loud.

"It’s basically happening in two weeks," Cher pointed out about Grammy ceremony

"Yes, we’ll see how many awards Marshmello wins," Lauren added cheerfully. She is a fangirl of Marshmello…

---

At home, I was lying down reading a book while Loki rested on my stomach.

My phone rang.

"Hello, Aunt Monica, how are you doing?" I answered.

"Jake, we need your help. And you need to pick me—" Monica began, but she was quickly interrupted.

"Jakey, choose me, your favorite aunt!" Rachel's voice cut in.

"No, choose me, choose me!" Chandler started yelling in the background.

"Okay, what is happening?" I asked, confused.

"Hey, man," another voice jumped in—Joey.

"Hey, Joey. Congrats on your nomination!" I congratulated him.

"Thanks," he replied enthusiastically, but it seemed someone took the phone away from him again.

"It’s about exactly that, Jake," Monica explained. "Joey was nominated for Best Actor and has the right to bring a guest. He chose Chandler, but we think it would be better if he went to the Oscars with a beautiful woman, like me."

"Monica, you already have a fiancé. Let me go," Rachel argued.

"Okay, I get it. So I can choose who will go?" I asked.

"Yes, you are the most neutral, and Joey said you helped him by warning about the role. That is fair," Monica replied, then added, "I have a second cousin, her name is Paris Geller..."

"Don’t listen to her. She's below the girls we saw with you," Chandler interrupted.

"Chandler!" Monica snapped.

"Hey, how about I go so you three don't fight?" I proposed

"Jake!" they all snapped in unison.

"I'm kidding. And I have an incredible solution. Each of you tells me your most embarrassing story, and the one I find the funniest wins," I made another proposal

"Jake!" they shouted again.

"I think that’s a wonderful idea!" A new voice appeared—Phoebe.

"Oh, why are Phoebe and Ross out of the game?" I asked.

"Phoebe can’t go, and Ross is out of town, so we kicked him out," Monica explained.

"Thank God, because he would easily win this embarrassing story competition," Chandler quipped, making everyone laugh.

They ended up telling their most embarrassing stories one by one.

"So, Jake, who is the winner?" Rachel asked, then snapped, "And stop laughing!" She gritted her teeth.

"But Rach... that... was... puhaa," I couldn’t stop laughing.

"Jake!" Monica warned.

"Okay, okay," I surrendered. "Drumroll, please," I played a drumroll sound effect. "The winneeeer is..." I paused dramatically, "all three of you. Everyone won! Congratulations, my good people!"

"Jake! Be serious," Rachel said, a bit angry now.

"What, Rach? I'm serious. Everyone won. The three of you can come to the Oscars," I announced.

"Jake, we only have one ticket," Chandler pointed out.

"Correction. Joey has only one guest pass. I was nominated too. I can bring another, and I have an extra ticket. So I can bring the other two," I explained.

"Whaaat??" They all exclaimed.

"Where?" I heard Rachel flipping through something.

"Original screenplay."

"David H., Jacob David Harper!" she shouted.

"That is me, baby!"

"Whoa, man, we both got nominated? Cool!" Joey said, thrilled.

Everyone else congratulated me excitedly.

"Wait a minute, young man! If you already had the invitations, why did we tell you our most embarrassing stories?!" Rachel demanded, probably narrowing her eyes.

"I need to go, love you guys!" I said quickly before hanging up.