A James Franco surprise pops out.

It was the year 2006. The James Dean biopic on TNT had just come out, "Freaks and Geeks" was already a cult favorite, "Tristan and Isolde" was on the immanent horizon, I had just met him in London (which involved me jumping out of a moving cab to chase him down Trafalger and a subsequent butt graze), and my friend Sarah and I were mildly/extremely obsessed with James Franco. Hence, we started this "James Franco surprise" trend in our emails to each other.

It began when I decoupaged a box (the box is awesome, by the way, and still sits in my living room) and just because I loved his face so much, I pasted a picture of James Franco in the bottom of the box, secretly, so no one would know unless they opened it and dug to bottom-- sort of like a secret treasure.

But I would always know he was in there and be comforted by this.

I told Sarah about the box and she about died laughing.

Thus, the James Franco surprise was born.

(Additional information: Sarah and I called each other Wootie. Don't ask why. It's an even longer story.)

Here's a sampling of the ridiculous correspondence:

On 12/11/06, Mel J. wrote: Wootie. You are my Wootie. I wish when I opened my door that a little James Franco surprise jumped out.

Sarah: I wish when I folded back the covers of my bed a little James Franco surprise jumped out.

Mel: I wish when I pulled back the shower curtain in the morning that I little James Franco man was standing there...in the nude. Waiting to wash my hair.

Sarah: Wootie, I wish that when I run downstairs on Christmas morning, there is a little James Franco surprise in my stocking.

Mel: I wish that when I eat my birthday cake, there was a little James Franco surprise in the center.

Sarah: I wish that when I went sweep off my porch, there was a little James Franco surprise out there.

Mel: I wish that when (someone we went to high school with) was eating gel-pens, that it was a little James Franco surprise eating grapes instead.

Sarah: I wish that when I went to open my storage unit, there was a little James Franco surprise in it.

Mel: I wish that when my tenants came in to pay their bills, there was a little James Franco surprise in the envelope.

Sarah: I wish that when I went to open my fridge to make lunch, there was a little James Franco surprise offering me an arsenic bean.

Mel: Sometimes when I am reading the Hollywood Reporter I wish that a little James Franco would not jump out and surprise Lindsay Lohan whilst she is in rehab.

Mel: Sometimes I wish that when I wrote you an email you actually wrote back-- and then a little James Franco surprise popped out of the email.

Look at the little darling...he's just sleeping and stuff.