Disclaimer: I only own the plot.
The cast of So Random was very surprised when Mr. Condor agreed to meet them almost right away. Usually he didn't accept appointments. He made the appointments, and then usually only when you were about to get fired. So it was with definite apprehension that they approached Mr. Condor's door.
"You know what, kids? I really don't think involving Mr. Condor was the right idea," their director, Marshall, said.
"You know he's the only one that could get Chad to apologize," Zora said, exasperated. They'd had this conversation at least six times in the last half-hour.
"Yeah, ok," Marshall said, turning around, "You kids let me know how it went ok?" Nico and Grady were ready for this though, and they stood behind him with their arms firmly crossed.
"You said you'd come and back us up," Nico said, "And we're going to make sure you do just that." Marshall turned back around looking especially dejected.
"Can we just get this over with?" Tawni asked. "I'd like to know if I still have a job. Not that it would be hard to find another, with how pretty I look, but still." Everyone else rolled their eyes.
Nico, Grady and Zora herded Marshall into Mr. Condor's office and then closed the door firmly behind them. Mr. Condor was sitting behind a large desk talking into an earpiece.
"No, I don't care what they want! If they won't do it my way, then they won't have my funding. It's as simple as that," he shouted into the phone as they walked in. He waved them into the room.
"Listen, my next appointment's here. Just take care of it, ok?" he said, hanging up the phone. He then turned to face them from behind the desk. "I think we both know why you're here."
It was a terrifying thing, being under the full attention of Mr. Condor. One wrong move and he could cut the show, not just threaten.
"Really?" Zora said, showing her usual disdain for fear, "So you've noticed our ratings are… shall we say, less than optimal?"
"Zora!" the others exclaimed.
"No, no, it's ok," Mr. Condor said, "It's nice to talk to someone who isn't scared out of their wits once in a while." He looked pointedly at Marshall, who squirmed like he wished he could hide.
"To answer your question, Miss Lancaster, yes, I have noticed that your ratings are less than optimal, though usually I am the one to call this meeting. What do you have to say about this?"
"We believe that the drop in ratings is entirely due to the absence of our cast member Sonny Munroe," Zora whipped out a sheaf of papers from the briefcase she had been carrying and set them on Mr. Condor's desk. "You will notice a trend of rising ratings starting in September, the same month that Sonny joined us. The ratings continue to rise, even, dare I say it, surpassing Mackenzie Falls midway through last month. Then, approximately a month ago, Sonny left the cast without a word to any of us," Marshall looked like he wanted to say something at this point but Zora kept going. "In the four weeks since she left the show our ratings have gone from topping Mackenzie Falls to being your lowest rated show – lower even than Hoosier Girl," Zora paused for a moment to see how Mr. Condor was reacting. He looked thoughtful. This might actually work. Tawni, on the other hand, looked absolutely mutinous. She was furious that the ratings were so dependent on Sonny – why couldn't their viewers appreciate her instead. Still, the evidence was right there, and if she wanted to keep her show, she'd have to keep her mouth shut.
"Go on," Mr. Condor told Zora.
"Right. So in the month since Sonny left, we have had contact with her twice. From this contact we have been led to believe that her departure was due to an incident involving Chad Dylan Cooper, and possibly Tawni, here," Zora said. Tawni's jaw dropped open and her look of anger turned to one of contempt.
"Me?! I didn't do-"
"Sit down, Miss Hart," Mr. Condor thundered. Tawni quickly sat and looked down at the floor. "Continue, Zora"
"It is my firm belief that if we were able to get Chad, and possibly Tawni to apologize-"
"What?" Tawni yelled, standing again, "I'm not apologizing to her! I didn't do anything."
"You see the problem," Zora said.
"Yes, quite. Miss Hart, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Mr. Condor told her, "You are disrupting an important meeting. Go on, go!" Tawni looked upset, but didn't dare contradict Mr. Condor.
"Now," he said, turning back to Zora, "I see your point, but what do you think I can do about it?"
"Well, sir," Zora said, "I don't think any of us could get Chad to apologize. However, if you were to order him to, he'd have to do it."
"I see. And, out of curiosity, why would I order him to do that?" Mr. Condor asked.
"Well," Zora was momentarily at a loss for words. Hadn't she just explained that with Sonny they were better than even Mackenzie Falls? "Uh, like I just showed you, sir. With Sonny we're more valuable than Mackenzie Falls. Without her…" she trailed off, letting him come up with his own alternative. She didn't want to give him the one she was thinking – that he might as well cut the show entirely. Mr. Condor leaned back in his chair and picked up the ratings graph that Zora had brought. There were a few tense moments before he leaned over to the intercom sitting on his desk.
"Miss Landingham?" he asked.
"Yes, Mr. Condor?" his secretary replied.
"Get me Chad Dylan Cooper," he ordered.
"On the phone, sir?" she asked.
"Better make it in person, and ASAP."
"Right away, sir." He turned back to Zora and the others.
"Alright, you've convinced me," he said. Nico and Grady let out simultaneous cries of triumph, while Marshall sagged in his chair like he'd been holding his breath.
"But," he held up a hand and the room was immediately on edge again, "This had better work. For your sakes. I will not look like a fool."
***
Chad was in the middle of a massage when his phone rang. He jumped a little, hoping for a brief second that it was Sonny. It'd been far too long since he'd talked to her and he was starting to admit to himself that he missed her (though he'd never admit it to anyone else). And really, he only missed her because she was the only one who could actually take his taunting. Yeah. Yeah, that sounded good, that was the real reason. Not because she was cute or funny or just nice to be around. No, because she took his taunting. Yeah. Yeah right.
A second ring startled him out of his thoughts and he sat up reaching for his phone. He didn't recognize the number and was a little disappointed (not really, that pain in his stomach must have been some badly cooked chicken from lunch – he'd have to have a word with the cooks). He flipped the phone open and brought it to his ear.
"CDC, what's up?" he said.
"Mr. Cooper, this is Miss Landingham, Mr. Condor's secretary," a female voice on the other end said, "Mr. Condor would like to see you in his office."
"Uh, yes ma'am," Chad stammered. He'd almost dropped the phone when he heard Mr. Condor's name. Mr. Condor couldn't want to fire him, could he? He'd done enough kiss-ass to last him for the next twenty years right? "When?" he asked.
"Approximately five minutes ago. I'd hurry if I were you," she answered sweetly, probably knowing the exact effect those words would have on him. Chad started to run, pulling on his suit coat and straightening his tie as he went.
"Yes ma'am, I'll be there right away."
***
"Well," Marshall said, speaking for the first time in the whole interview, "Fun as this has been maybe we should go. Don't want to disturb your meeting with the studio star." He stood as he said this and made a break for the door.
"Sit down, Marshall. I think it best if you and your cast stay for this meeting, just to show that it is a legitimate request." Marshall sat, looking more and more like someone headed for the executioner's block.
A few moments later Chad burst in.
"Mr. Condor, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize we had a meeting or I would have been here ten minutes ago!" he said, sounding a little out of breath.
"It's a good thing we didn't have a meeting, then. I'd ask you to sit, but it seems the chairs are full." Mr. Condor said with his usual coldness. Chad looked around, realizing for the first time that he wasn't the only one in the room.
"Is this a bad time?" Chad asked, "Cause, you know, I can always come back later."
"Why would I have paged you at a time that is bad for me?"
"Good point, as always, sir. So what can do for you?" Chad tried a little brown-nosing. After all, it couldn't hurt.
"Actually, today it's what you can do for them," Mr. Condor replied, nodding towards Nico, Grady and Zora, "It has come to my attention that one Sonny Munroe has left the cast of So Random. The blame has fallen squarely at your feet, though we're still not quite sure what happened. So, I want you to go and apologize to the girl, then get her to come back. The show has taken a drastic hit without her."
Chad looked a little like a fish, the way his mouth opened and closed throughout Mr. Condor's speech. Finally he said, "You want me to do, what?"
"Apologize. In person, preferably. Here is her current address." Chad took the slip of paper and read it quickly, his eyebrows jumping nearly to his hairline.
"You want me to go all the way to Wisconsin just to apologize?"
"Will that be a problem?" Mr. Condor asked in his most dangerous voice.
"No, no problem at all," Chad said remembering who he was talking to.
"Good. I suggest you do all in your power to bring her back. If she doesn't come back… well, maybe you shouldn't come back either. Dismissed." Chad left the room in a bit of a daze. He couldn't believe Mr. Condor had just threatened to fire him. Still what Mr. Condor said went, and less than 24 hours later, Chad was on a plane to Wisconsin.
A/N: Wow, two updates in one day. Trust me, it will probably never happen again. I think it's just because originally this was going to be one long chapter with the one before it, and then it just worked better to divide it up. Anywhoo, please review. Was Mr. Condor ok? I'm not all that happy with him, but I was having so much fun with Zora that I had a hard time cutting him out. And for those of you Channy fans out there, don't worry, Chad's just in denial.
Ok, I think that's it for a bit. Have a nice day, and please review on your way out.
Oh, and 10 brownie points to anyone who spots the outside reference =P