Choosing America's Next Superstar

by Jeff Erno

“Be here at seven.”

  “I’ll be here at six forty-five.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  COREY woke himself up screaming, or at first he thought he did. The alarm clock was also screaming. It was 6:30 a.m. His entire body was sore, and the lacerations on his back were raw. He felt like he needed another shower, at least to wake himself up, but it would be just too painful, so instead he splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth. Thankfully, Reuben would only be in Hollywood for one day. The judges flew in to attend the plenary session and a few opening-day events. They’d be back in two weeks when the live broadcasts began.

  That would give Corey time to heal. Maybe it would give him time to think, as well. If there were some other way to protect Jimmy and his family—anything—he’d do it. He understood now why Tristan had been so demoralized. Of course the boy would be reluctant to ever testify against Reuben. His natural instinct would be to bury the memories, pretend the abuse had never happened. That is exactly how Corey now felt himself.

  With the water running in the sink, Corey didn’t hear the hotel room door open.

  “Oh my God!” Jimmy gasped, standing in the bathroom doorway. “Corey, your back!”

  Corey bit his lower lip and closed his eyes before turning to face him. “Have you ever heard of knocking?”

  “Baby, what happened to you?” Jimmy asked, gasping. He stepped closer, reaching out with one hand.

  Corey tried to back away, but he was standing against the sink. “You have your secrets. I have mine,” he whispered. He snagged a towel from the rack on the opposite wall and patted it against his wet face.

  “That man—the one who hurt Tristan—he did this to you.” It was not a question.

  “Jimmy, don’t make this worse than it already is. Please.”

  He could see the rage rise in Jimmy’s cheeks. His eyes were fire as he grabbed hold of Corey’s shoulders. “How could you let him do this to you?” He sounded furious.

  If Corey’s emotions were not already so jumbled, he might have been frightened. Instead he was annoyed. “Me? How could I do this? Jimmy, how the fuck do you think I got the photos?”

  Jimmy’s grip on his shoulders tightened as he glared into Corey’s face. “You had sex with him for the pictures?”

  “Do you really think there’d be just one copy of those prints? No, I didn’t have sex with Reuben for those disgusting pictures. I did what Reuben ordered me to do because I had no choice. Just like you sold your body for a thousand bucks because you had no choice.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jimmy screamed.

  “Reuben brought me the fucking pictures! And if I don’t give him what he wants whenever he fucking wants it, he’s going to ruin you. He’ll release the pictures to the media….”

  The grip of Jimmy’s fingers, which had been digging into Corey’s shoulders, suddenly loosened. “He won’t do that,” Jimmy said. “It would be a bigger embarrassment to the show than to me….”

  “In all honesty, I think you’re right,” Corey said, “or at least partially, but only if we make it through these first two weeks. Once they air your audition and reveal the Top Twenty-four to the nation, they won’t want the scandal. Until then….”

  “But, Corey, right now nobody even knows who I am. If he releases those pictures now, nobody will care.”

  “They’ll have to kick you out, though. They’ll send you packing, and your family will find out. And Charlie will be crushed….”

  “No,” Jimmy said, shaking his head, “you should have called his bluff. The worst he could have done was get me kicked off the show. If I go on to compete and get national media attention, he will always have this to hold over my head. He will be able to blackmail me, or you, to do whatever he wants.”

  “Jimmy, you don’t get it.” Frustrated, Corey released a sigh. “We made a deal. Reuben owns the video. He always has. It was his company you were working for. He is going to destroy the video and all the photos once the competition is over. The video was never released, and he owns the original tape.”

  “But if you don’t do what he says…?”

  “Then God knows what he’ll do. He could wait till you’re at the peak of your career and sell the video.”

  “Corey, let him do whatever he chooses to do. I’ll call Daddy tonight and tell him everything. My family would never expect me to let him blackmail us.”

  “It’s too late!” Corey exclaimed. “Why does it matter now? He’s already had his fun with me.”

  “And I’ll be next,” Jimmy said. “This is a game he plays. It’s about power. The only way to stop him is to call his bluff. Let him kick me off the show now, and this whole thing will go away.”

  “No! Jimmy, he’s not even gonna be around after today. The judges are just here for the opening ceremony, then we won’t see him for two weeks. Wait until the live shows begin to air and you’re introduced to the nation as one of the Top Twenty-four. Then call his bluff.”

  “But then we’ll never get the video from him.”

  “Unless….”

  “What?”

  “We’ve got to contact Tristan. We’ve got to get him to testify. Jimmy, I’m an adult, at least legally. Tristan is only seventeen, and if we can prove Reuben’s been doing this all along….”

  “Then what? We trade the evidence we have for the video? He’d be off scot-free, and next year he’d be doing the same thing all over again to another group of boys. We should have stopped him back in New York.”

  “Jimmy, call Tristan. Please. Maybe we can figure out a way to get the video and stop him from hurting anyone else.”

  THEY’D known their day would be busy, but Corey really hadn’t anticipated how exhausting it would be. Throughout the day there were several events where he and Jimmy had to be separated, but Jimmy seemed obsessed with maintaining contact. Corey received multiple texts and phone calls during the times they had to head off in different directions. They did have lunch together, and they both had to attend the press conference and the photo ops that followed.

  It was nine o’clock that night when they were finally done with all the scheduled activities. Jimmy followed Corey to his room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Corey felt Jimmy’s arms around him.

  “How’s your back?” he asked. “Does it hurt?”

  “Stings a little,” Corey lied. The cuts and bruises he’d endured were excruciating, and his back had been on fire the whole day. “Maybe I’ll take a cool shower.”

  “I’ll put some cream on you,” Jimmy offered.

  Corey turned in Jimmy’s arms so they were facing each other. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with emotion. “I thought when you found out what I’d done, you’d never be able to forgive me.”

  “How can you say that?” Jimmy choked, sounding equally emotional. “What did you do other than sacrifice yourself for me? Yeah, it makes me sick thinking about that evil man’s hands on your body, thinking about the awful things he did to you, but you didn’t do anything.”

  “You don’t understand,” Corey said. “Yes, it was awful. It was sick, but a lot of what he did was pleasurable, and then… then I felt guilty.”

  “You became aroused and hated yourself for it.”

  Corey nodded but didn’t speak.

  “You can’t let yourself feel guilty, because none of this is your fault. Anyone can be aroused by stimulation, whether they want it or not. If you can forgive me for making that video, why wouldn’t I be able to forgive—no, ‘forgive’ isn’t even the right word. There is nothing to forgive. Why wouldn’t I be able to accept that what you did was an act of love… for me?”

  How was it that Corey had been so blessed, to have met a man like Jimmy? The floodgates opened, and he buried his face into Jimmy’s hard chest, sobbing. Gently Jimmy’s arms enfolded him, rocking him back and forth as he cried.

  Sniffling, Corey pulled back to again look up into Jimmy’s brown eyes. “I didn’t even know you when you made that video. I d
on’t have anything to forgive either. And to be honest, I’ve been thinking about those pictures. I’d like to try some of those positions.”

  Jimmy laughed.

  “Haven’t we already tried most of them?”

  “It’s so hot the way your rock-hard abs tighten when you’re fucking. The expressions on your face. It’s no wonder they chose you to be a porn star.”

  Jimmy cupped his hands around Corey’s face, leaning in to kiss him. “You’re so cute,” he whispered. “I don’t deserve you.”

  “Come on, let’s go shower.”

  LATER, as Corey lay naked on the bed, on his stomach, Jimmy gently applied salve to his back. It felt good, and Jimmy’s touch was tender and compassionate. Corey moaned and buried his head in the pillow.

  “I’ve been thinkin’ bout something,” Jimmy said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Reuben’s been doing this a long time. There’s no question about that, and so there must be other victims. What if we look on the website for America’s Next Superstar and see who some of the previous contestants were. Maybe we can find some who were also victimized.”

  “Yeah,” Corey said, lifting his head slightly off the pillow. “Remember last year, there was that really young kid. Nate Carter. He was younger than Tristan—fifteen or sixteen.”

  “We should check him out. I bet we’ll find contestants with that same look in every year.”

  “You think that’s why he chose Tristan and me? Because of what we look like?”

  “You’re young-looking, like teen heartthrobs. I bet he likes your innocence.”

  “But I’m not as young-looking as Tristan.”

  “You’re ten times better-looking than Tristan,” Jimmy said as he continued to rub Corey’s back.

  “You’re prejudiced,” Corey complained. “It’s not like you can give an unbiased opinion.”

  “I ain’t prejudiced,” Jimmy said. “I noticed how gorgeous you were the moment I laid eyes on you, long before I ever fell for you.”

  “Make love to me, Jimmy,” Corey whispered.

  Jimmy leaned over him, pressing his lips against the back of Corey’s neck. “We just took a shower.”

  “We can take another one.”

  “I just put the cream on you.”

  “We can get more cream.”

  “Your back is so sore….”

  “Jimmy?”

  “Yes, baby?”

  “Shut up and fuck me!”

  NATE CARTER wasn’t hard to find. He had a fan page on Facebook, and Jimmy sent him a private message. Hopefully he’d respond. They also went through the previous five years of the show, looking for every young, boyish-looking contestant.

  “It won’t hurt to contact them,” Corey said. “Even if they are unwilling to talk, at least we’ll have tried.”

  “Yep,” Jimmy agreed. “How’d everything go with your ma? I mean, back home before you left, did she come around at all?”

  “I haven’t talked to her since I moved out,” Corey said. “I wonder if she’ll even watch the show.”

  “You know, she can come here if you make it into the top ten. They allow you to have one family member.”

  “Is anyone from your family coming?”

  “Charlie wants to, but I think it’ll be my mama. Daddy has to work.”

  “Who’ll stay with Charlie?” Corey asked.

  “We haven’t worked it all out yet. There’s no point worrying about it just yet. We gotta see how I do in the competition. I could be going home in two weeks, ya know.”

  “I doubt that. If you do make it all the way, though, won’t the whole family come out?”

  “I think so. I think the show will pay for their trip.”

  “I’m not sure I’d even ask my mom. Maybe Megan and my sister.”

  THE contestants were instructed to assume that they’d make it all the way to the end of the contest. The two weeks leading up to the live broadcasts were a time of preparation. Corey rehearsed numerous songs. He was given an itinerary that identified the themes of each week in the competition. For one week they would focus on classic rock, and all of the song choices were required to reflect that theme. For another week it would be country western, and they had a week scheduled to honor Michael Jackson, while another week celebrated Elton John.

  Halfway into the second week, Corey was ready with six songs. It was sort of a catch-22. On the one hand, he did not want to be presumptuous. He could not get overconfident and assume that he’d automatically make it through. After all, the American public had not even yet voted a single week. He might not even make it into the Top Ten.

  Contrarily, he had to prepare himself. There had to be a certain level of confidence that fed his drive to go on. He had to be able to envision himself as America’s Next Superstar. It was like Charlie had said. He had to really want it. And he did really want it. He wanted it more than anything, and at times he would find himself so overwhelmed with emotion that he’d start getting choked up for no apparent reason. Being there in Hollywood, preparing for the biggest competition of his life, was the fulfillment of his grandest dream.

  It was Saturday morning, and Corey knew the judges would be returning in two days. He’d likely hear again from Reuben. Jimmy and he had been working on a plan, and they had an appointment to meet with an attorney that morning. It was their only option due to the demands of their schedules. Jimmy had found him on the Internet and had already spoken to him multiple times on the telephone. If he couldn’t put something together fast, they didn’t know what they would do when Reuben returned.

  “Mr. Sawyer and Mr. Dunham?” The man who approached them was in his midthirties, dressed casually. Corey had expected some old stodgy guy in a three-piece suit. “I’m Devin Burbank. We spoke on the phone.”

  “I’m Jimmy, and this here is Corey,” Jimmy said. “Thank you for meeting us.”

  “Not a problem. Thank you for calling me. This is a huge case, and there are a lot of attorneys who’d give their eyeteeth for this kind of opportunity.”

  “So you believe us?” Corey said.

  “Oh, I believe you. I’ve seen the pictures you emailed me, and I’ve read the statements from the other boys who were victimized. Before I turn this over to the prosecuting attorney, though, I have to explain some things to you.” The boys nodded their agreement. “First of all, I think you may have a civil case against Mr. Jameson, but I don’t see where he’s committed any crime against you. In legal terms, it was two consenting adults engaging in sexual activity.”

  “But he forced Corey! He blackmailed him.”

  “Yes, I know, but Corey is nineteen. If the prosecutor takes the case, Jameson will be charged with statutory rape and child molestation, but the charges will be associated with two of the other victims.”

  “That’s fine,” Corey said. “Just so he’s charged and can’t keep doing this.”

  “We have their testimonies, but we don’t have photos like you provided.”

  “So it’ll just be their word against his?”

  “I do think that we may be able to use Corey’s and Tristan’s testimony to corroborate, though. If so, Jameson is in deep shit.”

  “Mr. Burbank,” Jimmy began.

  “Please call me Devin.”

  “Mr. Devin, I have something else I need to tell you.”

  He raised his eyebrows and leaned against the table. “Go ahead.”

  “Reuben has pictures of me… and a video. He was using this to blackmail Corey.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would pictures of you give Jameson any leverage over Corey? Was Corey also in the pictures?”

  “We’re gay,” Corey said, “and Jimmy and I are a couple. We love each other.”

  Devin nodded. “Okay. Well, how did Jameson get this video?”

  “A couple years ago when I was back home in Kentucky, I met a guy on the Internet who said he was looking for models. I talked to him on webcam, and he offered to pay me a thousand dollars to
be in his movie.”

  “An adult movie?”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly know what I was getting into, but my family needed the money. He flew me to Los Angeles, I made the movie and took the money. He paid me cash, and I took it back home to my family.”

  “And Jameson found the video on the Internet?”

  “Reuben apparently owns this adult movie company,” Corey said. “He had the video already, but supposedly it’s never been released. He said if I don’t do everything he says, then he will sell the video, kick Jimmy off of the show, and ruin him forever.”

  Jimmy slid the manila envelope across the table toward Devin. He opened it discreetly and looked inside. “Wow,” he said. Jimmy blushed.

  “I can’t believe you’re just now telling me this. I thought Corey was being blackmailed by Jameson by being threatened to be kicked out of the competition.”

  “We tried to stop Reuben back in New York. He wanted Corey back then, but we threatened to expose him. Tristan was too scared, though.”

  “You said this video was made two years ago?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And you’re nineteen now?” Jimmy nodded. “So this is a huge problem for Jameson. There is a reason he never released this video. All of these porn companies—the ones that are legit—are very fastidious about keeping records. They’re required to have on file a copy of the ID of every model.”

  “Yeah, they asked me for a driver’s license, and I told ’em I ain’t got one. So they made me sign a paper. But I thought the age of consent was seventeen.”

  “The paper doesn’t mean anything. What they probably planned to do was date the affidavit after you turned eighteen and claim that they filmed the video at a later date. If they were audited, they’d have to contact you and get you to send them a copy of your ID. Age-of-consent laws do not apply to pornography. Filming or photographing anyone under the age of eighteen is considered child pornography. It’s a felony.”

  “Really? Well, don’t worry, I’m not sending them anything,” Jimmy said, shaking his head.