For young people, all they need is an excuse to drink—
For example, thirst.
Chattering away, they discussed the choice of a celebration venue. Some wanted to go straight to a bar, while others suggested eating first and then drinking.
It is worth noting that among this group, Seth, Chris, Anson, and others are all under the age of 21 and do not have permission to drink alcohol.
In fact, some bars allow them in but not to drink, while others don't even allow them to cross the threshold; similarly, some bars turn a blind eye and let James, an "adult," buy the drinks, so the bartender won't be rude enough to spoil the fun.
Therefore, the location of the gathering is extremely important.
Then, amidst the commotion, James's nonsensical shouting could be heard.
"Why not go to '1640'? You can eat, drink, and feast your eyes."
"1640," a bar offering special "dance performances," is for adults only.
Literally, "limited to".
Chris couldn't help but roll his eyes. "It's not even six o'clock yet, James, and you're already itching to get going?"
James's eyes widened. "What? It's already five o'clock? And we're not even seated in '1640' yet? No, no, we have to speed things up."
Haha, everyone burst into laughter.
Chris looked at Anson speechlessly, casting a pleading glance his way.
Just as Anson was about to help Chris out of the predicament, the Nokia vibrated again. Anson took out his phone, glanced at the caller ID, and gestured to Chris.
"Hey, this is Anson Wood."
Even Anson himself didn't notice that his anticipation was tinged with a hint of trepidation, which was inadvertently revealed, but Chris caught it immediately.
A thought flashed through Chris's mind, and he silently mouthed, "Audition?"
Anson shrugged slightly, indicating that he was unsure.
That being said, from the very beginning, Anson knew that this was an audition he couldn't fail, but winning such an opportunity on his very first day after transmigrating still made him feel a little emotional.
So, have the doors of Hollywood truly opened?
Chris understood immediately.
Shh, guys, shh!
Chris gestured and moved to quiet everyone down, then mouthed the words softly again.
"Audition".
Suddenly, everyone understood.
Even James, who was halfway through removing his makeup and had a two-toned face, quieted down and stopped fooling around. Instead, he stared at Anson's actions through the reflection in the makeup mirror.
I couldn't help but hold my breath.
The small dressing room was completely silent. Everyone strained their ears, trying to catch any clues from Anson's words and expressions.
"right..."
"yes..."
"Okay, no problem."
"good."
However, information is limited.
In the blink of an eye, the call ended. When Anson turned around, he could see all eyes staring at him like groundhogs, creating a spotlight effect. He could clearly feel the heat of those gazes on his skin. He was undoubtedly the center of attention.
In fact, the words were already on the tip of their tongues, but they were abruptly stopped by these wolfish gazes, one or two of whom were even more agitated than the person in question.
Without realizing it, a smile crept onto my lips.
Then, Anson didn't let the suspense linger.
"I got the role."
Wow!
A cacophony of howls and wailing filled the air, like a volcanic eruption.
Chris was the first to raise his hands high, shout out, and then take a step forward, opening his arms and rushing towards Anson.
Anson was taken aback and waved his hands repeatedly. He was still not used to the American lifestyle and culture, where people would hug each other and say "I love you" as soon as they met. This was not his style.
but!
Before he could even speak, and in the instant he hesitated whether to give Chris an over-the-shoulder throw, Chris had already given Anson a bear hug, leaving Anson looking at James with a look of utter despair—
Is nobody going to take care of this?
Fortunately, Chris immediately let go of Anson's embrace, clenched his fist and punched Anson's shoulder twice, as if he were hitting a sandbag. He was all smiles and beaming with joy, and his feet were already jumping around in place.
"Well done, brother!"
"Haha, congratulations, congratulations!"
"I knew you could do it. See, I told you, the fact that you didn't run into Laura and Natalie is definitely a positive sign."
"Oh, you're about to be on camera!"
Chris couldn't help but rub his hands together in anticipation, and James and Seth also gathered around, as if Anson were the universally loved World Cup trophy, wanting to share in the joy even though it didn't belong to them.
James, with his two-toned face, peered over and asked, "What work?"
Anson, "'Friends'".
The entire room fell silent, with people staring at each other, dumbfounded.
One second, two seconds.
Ah! Ahhh!
Chris clenched his fists and roared at Anson, his expression as if the Los Angeles Lakers had hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Celtics in the NBA Finals to win the championship, his blood rushing to his head and exploding.
Anson fell into deep thought: should he tell them the secret to their successful audition?
James immediately leaned in, "Anson, Anson, can you take a picture with Jennifer? Then tell her that I really like her."
"James, line up, line up," Seth yelled. "You shouldn't have bothered Anson. What if Anson and Jennifer don't have any scenes together? How could you do this?"
As he spoke, Seth squeezed in and immediately put on a fawning smile. "My answer is much simpler. Just give me a call when you're on set, and I'll hear what's going on."
"Anson, then we absolutely have to drink at the celebration party tonight. How can we do without alcohol?" James had only this one simple thought in his mind.
Sam, watching from the sidelines, joined in the cheers, "Party! Party! Party!"
They chattered and chattered, making quite a scene.
Although James and Seth have already taken on regular main roles in the show, the level of "freaks and nerds" is nowhere near that of "Friends," and at this point they are even more excited than Anson, the person involved.
Unconsciously, Anson was also infected by this happy and joyful atmosphere.
So, how should we celebrate turning eighteen? Should we wail and scream like ghosts? Or should we run wild in the streets?
At that moment, as Anson pushed through the crowd, he noticed that Chris, who was jumping and shaking his head vigorously, had also received a phone call and was answering it while still jumping.
Her expression shifted from excitement to astonishment to tension.
Even Captain America's acting wasn't as nuanced or brilliant, yet it was seen on Chris's face.
An idea also flashed through Anson's mind.
Shh! Guys, shh!
This time, it was Anson's turn. He kept pressing his hands down to quiet everyone down, then raised his chin to signal to Chris.
The others were a beat slow to react, their eyes full of question marks as they looked at Anson with bewilderment.
Anson didn't answer, but just stared at Chris with wide eyes.
Anson's own audition was a foregone conclusion, so he wasn't nervous, just looking forward to it; but Chris was different, judging from his reaction, things weren't going well.
The key point is that if the audition fails, the casting company won't even call or email you; it's like throwing a stone into the ocean. And if they do call...
So, was this really a call from the casting company?
Anson was clearly more nervous than before.
Despite not understanding why they were looking at Anson, everyone managed to stop themselves and stare at Chris with a mixture of curiosity and tension.
Could it be... double happiness?