February — The Dunphy Living Room
The Dunphys, Jay, and Cindy are gathered around the coffee table.
Claire has her binder out— all the private school brochures sprayed on the table. Phil with snacks nervously stress-eating, and Jay slouched with arms crossed, radiating grumpiness.
Neil is on the couch, swinging his legs like a kid, his eyes observing everyone; ready to interrupt if the conversation went out of his control.
Cindy chuckles as she watches the nervousness on Neil's face; she remembered her own first time going to school.
Claire (flipping through the brochures): "So the question is school. Neil's studies are well past Grade 1, even Grade 2; but he can't be homeschooling anymore. He needs to interact and make friends with children his age."
Neil wanted to shout 'I don't need to make friends with kids'; but stopped. 'I shouldn't steal the joy parents get in planning their children's future from them. Only if it goes complete opposite to the plans I have; should I say something.'
Phil(interview): "Yes, the school will teach Neil to ... think outside the box. and I will teach him how to think Inside. Why Inside? Because when everybody is chasing the Out, the In will be empty and ripe for the taking."
Jay: "Well, wherever he goes must have a good swimming facility. He has been neglecting his training since the Christmas dinner."
Claire: "Dad, how can you say that. He has been busy running around the country past one and a half month. Also, how can he have time to swim in the chilling New York winter anyway?"
Jay: "Humph! Excuses. He is a genius in swimming; there is no point in doing all this showbiz stuff. They will only distract his true genius"
Neil tilts his head, watching Jay's jaw tighten. Probably reluctant, keeping a lot of his true feelings bottled down.
Inside, he can feel the hollowness behind Jay's words — the loneliness of a man whose house is quieter now that Mitchell's moved out and Dede is being bitter every day. The bluster is just a cover.
Neil (inner):Grandpa doesn't need me just for swimming. He needs someone to sit at the dinner table. Someone to fill the silence.
Neil clears his throat, solemn.
Neil: "I'll stay with Grandpa then. Also, I think I'll start Grade 2 directly; I have already finished half of the curriculum that the tutor tested me for. At least until the shooting starts; I'll stay with grandpa. It'll be good for my training and tuition; I can also complete my Grade 2 studies there."
Jay tries not to react, but his gruff expression falters for half a second — just enough to betray the relief.
Cindy (smoothing her blazer, leaning in): "I have a recommendation"
All eyes moved to her. If there was anyone who had planned more future than the children they had in the family, it was Cindy.
She was startled by the intense stare; but her professional side took over and like a speech she said her piece.
Cindy: "Campbell High—one of the top private schools in LA. Great teaches, athletic programs, and a place where many of Child actors' study. Dakota fanning will be moving to Grade 1 this year. Since she is also signed by our agency and Neil and her might work on projects together, it will be great friend for Neil to have—someone he can talk about cinema with."
Claire's eyes sparkled with stars. Oh, that's a great school. I hear a lot of past Hollywood stars from LA, studied in that school. This is a good option. Also, it will be good for Neil to have friends who are also in the same line of work. But Grade 1? Will he get too bored and not focus on school?
Claire: "It might not work. It is not helpful for him to join Grade 1 in Fall. When he is already close to Grade 2 completion in his studies."
The room fell quiet. Neil felt the urge to break silence but remained quiet. It didn't matter Grade 1 or Grade 2; everything was the same for his level.
Cindy: "I have a recommendation for that, but I'm not sure whether you'll like it"
Claire: "Don't worry Cindy, we are discussion. You are his agent, and the person directly attached to his wellbeing in work and personal life. We also trust you, so go ahead."
Cindy: "... Then I'll say it. More than the studies, there is a problem with Neil's acting. I think that should be our priority right now."
Neil was surprised, let alone other people. But then it struck him. She is right.
"... What I mean is that he possesses a strong stage presence, but his emotional range feels narrow and shallow. He has mastered how to be the focus—he dominates the frame—but he hasn't learned the crucial skill of an ensemble player: the ability to modulate his energy, to serve the scene by knowing when to vanish and when to ignite. He still lacks the essential nuance that elevates attention into depth."
Silence. It was brutally honest, but Neil liked that. I didn't make mistake in choosing her as my agent. Even though I'm paying an extra 5% and special bonuses as per income; just for exclusivity.
In his last life, he only worked theater for couple years in college. Where he did learn to embody the character, but acting was different. He didn't have the spatial awareness and technical knowledge of working on a set.
I realized this when the Conan episode came out. Throughout the show, I was mostly looking forward towards the audience because of my theater-training. Although, it worked good for Conan and movie audition. Acting has much higher requirement for understanding of space: to not block the view of the camera for the co-star, path to take, directions to face, voice over, etc.
Cindy (ignoring Phil's joke with professional grace): "With Neil's advanced studies and requirement for acting classes, we can place him directly into Grade 2 next fall. No kindergarten, no Grade 1. Campbell has the facilities, and I have connections. I recommend that he focus on acting right now and join Grade 2 directly next year with Dakota. They can also meet this Christmas during Agency party; and he will already have a friend in school."
Claire (worriedly): "That…."
Cindy: "Now, we can get Hailey enrolled into Grade 1 and I'm sure she will love to have Dakota as her friend. She is such a lively girl. Of course—we can't stop Neil's tuition, and we will have monthly tests to make sure that he doesn't forget anything that he has studied so far. How does that sound? Anyway, the tuition during the shoot and promotion will be paid by the producers, we should take full advantage of it."
Jay (gruff again): "As long as they don't turn him into some Hollywood puppet. I'm okay with the school."
Cindy: "Jay, Campbell is where child actors thrive while still getting an education. Theater, sports, academics. It balances him. Exactly what he needs."
Neil smirks faintly.
Neil: "Sounds like the best upgrade package available."
Claire (tentative): "Then that sounds like a plan. But I… I do have one worry. Bruce Willis." She looked at Cindy, almost pleading.
"...He's only doing this movie because of some fight with Disney, right? If he doesn't want to be there, is it safe for Neil? I don't want him on a set with someone unstable. I only found out about this when I read an article after we came back that day from audition."
Cindy's expression softens; she leans forward.
Cindy: "Bruce is a professional. Yes, he's at odds with Disney right now, but his reputation in the industry is solid. He doesn't lash out at costars, and certainly not at children. If anything, he'll be protective. You can trust him."
Phil exhales in relief.
Phil: "Okay, that's good, because I don't think I could survive Bruce giving Neil the Die-Hard stare."
Cindy gathers her things, her phone buzzing faintly.
Cindy: "By the way. Now that we are done here. I'll be going on leave for a while — need to handle company affairs and visit Lloyd in London. Star Wars prequels are about to roll cameras, and I have a few clients circling roles. But before Christmas, I'll arrange for Neil to meet some of his future co-stars in Los Angeles. Think of it as… networking before the storm. I'll also arrange for the acting classes. You can find a tuition and keep on using the same one, as you prefer."
Neil nods, already aware from his past life how big those connections will be. He hides the knowledge behind a child's casual shrug. Although, clearly not liking the sound of tuitions.
Neil: "Sounds like fun... As long as they don't make me dress like a clown. I hate clowns."
Phil gives a sympathetic glare.
---
Interviews
Claire (wringing hands):
"Campbell Hall. It's… it's expensive. But if Cindy's right, it could be the perfect place for Neil. Smart, safe, balanced. And honestly, if Dakota Fanning's mom can do it, then so can I. Probably. Anyway, I still have so many shares from Cisco. They are just giving shares for free for some reason. Maybe I should think about cashing out when the Iron is hot."
Phil (dreamy):
"Campbell Hall! Imagine the yearbook. Neil's picture right next to Hollywood's future stars. That's history. Maybe I can take autographs during parent teacher meetings? How cool would that be."
Jay (interview, arms crossed):
"School's fine, whatever. But the kid's not forgetting his swimming. He stays at my place a week, maybe two. We'll see if Hollywood's got a pool big enough for me and him both. Now, I need to make some calls. This Cisco windfall came like hellfire; I didn't expect for me to earn a $100k from this investment."
---
March — Jay's House
Neil's month with Jay began with swimming drills but somehow turned into golf lessons.
Jay insisted "a real man should know the difference between a driver and a pitching wedge," and Neil, barely tall enough to swing, gamely followed along.
At the club, Jay's old friends couldn't stop laughing at the sight of a four-year-old lining up putts with deadly concentration. They loved him. Jay, who usually grumbled his way through social events, couldn't stop smiling the whole time.
---
Back at home, Claire found herself provoked into a battle.
Neil had tossed a Wired magazine onto the kitchen counter with all the smugness a prodigy could muster. "They said you'd be good at computers because you know math," he said with a sly grin, "It says in three months you can build a website, but looking at you, I find it hard to believe. We got the computer last year and you still get confused between landscape and portrait; and dad thinks the pipes screen saver are actual pipes with internet flowing through them."
Claire bristled. growling. "I could if I wanted to."
"A hundred dollars says you can't. I already started learning; It is so hard to follow. HTML4, CSS2, and Javascript1.0. One month for each—I might create a website before the Fall. But you can't."
She had no choice—her pride was at stake.
Claire dove into HTML tutorials late at night, building a rudimentary site from scratch, muttering about missing headings, misaligned texts and war on tables.
She couldn't afford to lose face in front of Neil, not after years of projecting "capable mom."
To Neil. Whether she won or lost the bet didn't matter as much as the fact that, for the first time in years, she was looking motivated. He thought, it was better use of her time than fighting strangers on random forums on the Internet. I know how that ends; with years wasted and being disappointed.
Since March, Claire was coding into the early hours, swearing like a teenager with a term paper.
Claire's big website idea: A website to rate different TV show episodes and compare the best show of the season across the various channels.
---
April — Pre-Production & Secrets
April brought structure.
Neil's acting classes became routine—vocal warmups, scene breakdowns, learning how to cry on command. Cindy had lined up the best tutors in Los Angeles, and Neil absorbed the lessons like a sponge.
The Sixth Sense moved into full pre-production. Sets were being finalized, props tested, soundscapes brainstormed. Neil's shooting schedule arrived: his very first scene would be in August. He pinned the paper above his desk like a talisman.
But at home, another milestone unfolded—Alex took her first step. Claire wept, Phil grabbed the camcorder, and Haley threw a cookie on the floor in celebration. The Dunphy household had its own small miracle.
Neil, however, sensed something else. His parents were hiding something. Phil tiptoed around Claire with the grace of a man on a minefield, and Claire avoided certain questions entirely.
Neil wasn't sure if it was financial strain, relationship trouble, or simply parental paranoia, but the air had changed. His instincts told him to wait—it would come out eventually.
May — Cindy Returns
By May, Cindy was back from London, fresh off client negotiations for Star Wars. She swept into Neil's life with a stack of questions about acting classes, his progress, and whether he was ready to handle long days on set.
Neil listened, but he had something else in mind. Over lemonade in the backyard, he pitched her an idea. "A website," he said, "where people log every movie they watch. Not just reviews—personal lists, watch diaries, ratings. A digital film journal that anyone can share."
Cindy blinked. "So… like a public notebook?"
"Exactly. A Letter Box. And we can seed it with critic reviews that are already public. Trademark first, then scale."
The more Neil explained—profiles, curated watchlists, rewatch counters—the more Cindy's eyebrows arched. It was deceptively simple, the kind of idea you only realized you wanted after someone said it aloud.
Neil got the idea after Claire's started creating a website of hers for reviewing TV Shows. He remembered similar websites from the past: The Rotten Tomatoes launched in 1998 with Rush Hour, and LetterBox that came decade later with many directors and big artists in the scene sharing their personal favourites.
Neil didn't tell Cindy, but he decided to create the website first to avoid Big Media houses from taking control over public perception. He remembered that after few takeovers, Rotten Tomatoes was finally taken over by Amazon.
He was a big proponent of Opensource Movement in his last life, and he decided after being reminded that he needs to set the right precedents if he didn't want to Tech Monopolies to take control of the world in the future, topple governments, and influence elections.
Neil had found his ambition. He felt this is why he was reborn into the world. To use is wealth to create an equal world. How far he can go, he didn't know, but he had already decided when he was born again. I will do whatever my heart wants. Even if it is to burn the world down or create a new empire. Once I've decided, I must give it my all. I don't want to live in the limbo and let world pass me by. Not Again, Not in this life.
---
Cindy who was by his side, didn't know that a very important decision that would affect the future of the world has been taken at this moment. Even years later, when Neil told her that it was on this couch that he decided to change the faith of billions, she didn't believe it.
---
Cindy (2035): "What nonsense. No four-year-old can think of destroying tech monopolies and creating an equal world when tech monopolies hadn't even been formed then."
---
Finally, she laughed, shaking her head. "I swear, instead of making money with you, I'm losing money. But fine. I'll be your first seed investor in this website. $50,000 for a third of the company. How's that sound?"
Neil only smiled. He knew it was worth far more, but letting Cindy in as a partner wasn't about money—it was about trust.
By the end of spring 1998, the Dunphy household had become a paradox: sitcom chaos at the surface, destiny moving beneath. Parents careful to trip and toddlers waging war.
Jay found joy again, Claire discovered coding, Alex toddled into her first steps, and Cindy quietly helped plant the seed for what might one day become the next great (film) community online.
And Neil? He balanced it all with the patience of someone who knew—absolutely knew—that bigger storms and brighter lights were waiting. For now, he had to finish his acting class homework: "Play the thirsty crow."
---
AN: 2800 words. I wanted to split into two chapters but couldn't find a good way to split and I don't want to miss my flight.
AN: I might not be posting for few days as I'm travelling back home for holidays. In the same spirit. Happy Navaratri & Dusshera to all the Desi(s) fans who are reading this.