The second half of that summer was truly terrible for Angela. She watched gloomily as the street scenes passed by outside. After dealing with the old man, Michael Mann, she felt dizzy for several days and her mother thought she was sick.
"That was a lesson! I am now a girl, a young girl. I shouldn't have done things that didn't fit my identity. Impulsiveness was of the devil, and I should remember that!" Angela sighed.
Sometimes she identified strongly with her female identity, especially when she was with Jessica, Natalie or Kate. But at other times, her masculine side would emerge unconsciously, like when she was confronted with movies she enjoyed. Most of the time it was a blur, with no conscious leaning toward one side or the other.
In any case, until she became an adult, there were things she had to be aware of. She was still considered a prodigy, but if she went too far, she might end up being considered a weirdo, and that was not something she liked. Angela told herself that in her mind.
But now she had to face another problem. Just one day ago, she suddenly received a call from Mr. Paul Tucker from Warner Bros. saying that someone named Mr. Eric Ross from Paramount wanted to meet with her. Mr. Ross was a screenwriter and through personal connections, he found Paul to discuss something about a script. That script was none other than《Forrest Gump》!
This news left Angela stunned for a long time. After finally resolving the issue with《Heat》she had been relieved and grateful that her story《True Lies》had only provided James with the concept. To be credited as a screenwriter on that film would have been truly terrifying. At the same time, she fervently hoped that《Forrest Gump》which had been dormant for so long, wouldn't unexpectedly resurface like《Heat.》
But as fate would have it, the more she wished for something not to happen, the more it seemed to happen. Angela felt overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.
According to Paul's report, Mr. Ross had praised the opening scene she had written with the floating feather and the part about chocolates, which she had changed from the original text. While Angela found this both amusing and embarrassing, she couldn't help but feel flattered.
Since the man had sought her out, she knew she had to arrange a meeting with him. The prospect weighed heavily on her mind and she felt the pressure building. After all, it was《Forrest Gump》! There was nothing more important than that. So Angela found herself in despair and sought comfort when Jessica called and without hesitation agreed to go out with her. She needed to relax, but it seemed she had forgotten something.
"As usual, Mr. David, if I don't call you before five o'clock, just come and pick me up," Angela instructed the driver as she stepped out of the car and onto the street.
"Sure, Miss. Have fun," the driver nodded with a smile.
After the driver left, Angela straightened her clothes and made her way to Jessica's house. It was a typical two-story American single-family home, with a well-maintained lawn - a popular choice among the middle class.
As Angela approached the door, she rang the doorbell and looked around, expecting to see Mr. Alba tending to the lawn as he usually did at this time of day. But there was no sign of him today.
After waiting at the door for a while with no answer, Angela rang the doorbell again. Just as she was about to press it a third time, she felt two hands unexpectedly reach behind her and playfully pinch her waist.
Startled, Angela jumped and let out a surprised scream. When she turned around, she saw the smiling face of Lindsay Lohan, the red-haired girl. Lindsay appeared full of energy, dressed in denim with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"Lindsay! What brings you here?!" Angela exclaimed as she rubbed her waist.
"Why can't I be here?" Lindsay replied with a playful grin, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Unaware of Lindsay's hidden emotions due to her recent troubles, Angela tilted her head and asked, "How have you been lately?"
"Not good at all. You left me and went to New York. How do you think I should be?" Lindsay pouted.
"I left you and went to New York?" Angela rolled her eyes and was about to reply when she again felt a pair of hands reach behind her and pinch her waist, but this time with more force. The sensation sent a tingling shiver down her body and she quickly jumped away, turning to stare.
The door to the house had silently opened and Jessica was standing in the doorway, playfully sticking out her tongue, smiling and waving her hand.
"Jessica, when did you start sneaking up on people like that?" Angela sighed in annoyance and turned to Jessica.
"What? Did someone just do that?" Jessica pretended to look puzzled, showing off her acting skills even before she started her acting classes. Despite feeling sluggish, Angela decided to ignore Jessica's evasive behavior.
"Oh, come on. Of course it was you," Angela retorted, pulling Lindsay aside.
"Hi, Jessica. How are you?" Lindsay blinked innocently.
"Looks like we're all here now," Jessica exchanged a discreet glance with Lindsay.
"Wait, what do you mean 'we're all here'?" Angela asked hastily.
"I invited Lindsay. You know, since I kicked my parents out, it would be too lonely with just us in the house," Jessica explained.
"Are you not excited to see me?" Lindsay gave a pitiful look.
"No, it's not that, but..." Angela began to sense that something was wrong, but before she could finish her sentence, Lindsay pushed her into the house and said, "Alright, Angela, don't block the door.
The room was empty but tidy. As Jessica had claimed, Mr. and Mrs. Alba had left, leaving the entire house to the three of them.
"This is incredible, Jessica! How did you manage all this?" Angela asked excitedly, forgetting her earlier doubts.
"Are you surprised that my dad gave us this space? Angela, remember, we're all adults now. We've graduated," Jessica shrugged with a hint of pride in her accomplishment.
"Ah, yes, I graduated," Angela cleared her throat, her gaze drifting away, probably recalling some embarrassing incident from that night. Quickly changing the subject, she complimented Jessica, "You look really pretty today, Jessica."
"Thank you," Jessica replied with a smile. She was wearing a white lace blouse, a red and black plaid dress, white stockings, and red leather shoes. Her outfit had a striking effect that might deter potential troublemakers.
Of course, Angela believed that even if she had been a man in her past life, she would never act like a pervert. At most, she'd suppress any urge to drool.
"You look cute with your hair cut short, Angela," Jessica said, leaning in to examine her friend's new hairstyle.
"It's okay, I guess," Angela nodded. Suddenly she noticed something and playfully grabbed Jessica, making her stand up straight, then teasingly said, "You've grown taller, Jessica."
"Really?" Jessica also playfully waved her hand over her head, and indeed she was slightly taller than Angela.
"It seems that my height has basically stopped growing," Angela sighed. Since she was 9 years old, she had reached a height of 4 feet, which was 122 centimeters. After that, however, her height seemed to have stabilized. Well, not completely stopped, to be exact, she only grew 1 centimeter every year for the last three years.
She didn't expect to be as tall as Kate, but she didn't want to be as short as a dwarf either. Now even Jessica was taller than her and Lindsay was almost the same height...
The thought sent a chill down her spine.
When she had gone to England to film《The Parent Trap》she had sworn that she would end up with a flat chest, a bucket waist and a small butt, but she hadn't said anything about becoming a dwarf. On the other hand, if she did end up with a flat chest, a bucket waist, and a small butt...
Well, best not to think about it!
While she was lost in thought, Jessica wrapped her arms around her reassuringly. "Don't worry, Angela, it's only temporary. You're not fully developed yet."
Snapping back to reality, Angela pushed her wayward thoughts away and smiled, "You're right, Jessica. Let's not worry about that right now. What do you have planned for us? Lindsay's getting bored waiting."
"Finally, someone remembers me! I thought you two had completely forgotten about me," Lindsay pretended to pout, sitting on a chair with her hands resting on her cheeks.
"Don't worry, Lindsay. We're all set to make some fancy cookies in the kitchen," Jessica said, rolling up her sleeves and gesturing toward the kitchen.
"Really? Are you sure you want to eat what I make?" Angela asked, also rolling up her sleeves and following Jessica.
"As long as you make it, I'll eat it," Jessica replied confidently.
"Does everything Angela makes turn out to be poisonous?" Lindsay, who was right behind them, asked curiously.
"I barely passed my home economics class with the lowest of grades," Angela shrugged.
"Perfect, now I'm really looking forward to Angela's creations," Lindsay's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Jessica and Angela exchanged amused glances before turning their attention to their culinary adventure in the kitchen.
The second half of that summer was truly terrible for Angela. She watched gloomily as the street scenes passed by outside. After dealing with the old man, Michael Mann, she felt dizzy for several days and her mother thought she was sick.
"That was a lesson! I am now a girl, a young girl. I shouldn't have done things that didn't fit my identity. Impulsiveness was of the devil, and I should remember that!" Angela sighed.
Sometimes she identified strongly with her female identity, especially when she was with Jessica, Natalie or Kate. But at other times, her masculine side would emerge unconsciously, like when she was confronted with movies she enjoyed. Most of the time it was a blur, with no conscious leaning toward one side or the other.
In any case, until she became an adult, there were things she had to be aware of. She was still considered a prodigy, but if she went too far, she might end up being considered a weirdo, and that was not something she liked. Angela told herself that in her mind.
But now she had to face another problem. Just one day ago, she suddenly received a call from Mr. Paul Tucker from Warner Bros. saying that someone named Mr. Eric Ross from Paramount wanted to meet with her. Mr. Ross was a screenwriter and through personal connections, he found Paul to discuss something about a script. That script was none other than《Forrest Gump》!
This news left Angela stunned for a long time. After finally resolving the issue with《Heat》she had been relieved and grateful that her story《True Lies》had only provided James with the concept. To be credited as a screenwriter on that film would have been truly terrifying. At the same time, she fervently hoped that《Forrest Gump》which had been dormant for so long, wouldn't unexpectedly resurface like《Heat.》
But as fate would have it, the more she wished for something not to happen, the more it seemed to happen. Angela felt overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.
According to Paul's report, Mr. Ross had praised the opening scene she had written with the floating feather and the part about chocolates, which she had changed from the original text. While Angela found this both amusing and embarrassing, she couldn't help but feel flattered.
Since the man had sought her out, she knew she had to arrange a meeting with him. The prospect weighed heavily on her mind and she felt the pressure building. After all, it was《Forrest Gump》! There was nothing more important than that. So Angela found herself in despair and sought comfort when Jessica called and without hesitation agreed to go out with her. She needed to relax, but it seemed she had forgotten something.
"As usual, Mr. David, if I don't call you before five o'clock, just come and pick me up," Angela instructed the driver as she stepped out of the car and onto the street.
"Sure, Miss. Have fun," the driver nodded with a smile.
After the driver left, Angela straightened her clothes and made her way to Jessica's house. It was a typical two-story American single-family home, with a well-maintained lawn - a popular choice among the middle class.
As Angela approached the door, she rang the doorbell and looked around, expecting to see Mr. Alba tending to the lawn as he usually did at this time of day. But there was no sign of him today.
After waiting at the door for a while with no answer, Angela rang the doorbell again. Just as she was about to press it a third time, she felt two hands unexpectedly reach behind her and playfully pinch her waist.
Startled, Angela jumped and let out a surprised scream. When she turned around, she saw the smiling face of Lindsay Lohan, the red-haired girl. Lindsay appeared full of energy, dressed in denim with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"Lindsay! What brings you here?!" Angela exclaimed as she rubbed her waist.
"Why can't I be here?" Lindsay replied with a playful grin, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Unaware of Lindsay's hidden emotions due to her recent troubles, Angela tilted her head and asked, "How have you been lately?"
"Not good at all. You left me and went to New York. How do you think I should be?" Lindsay pouted.
"I left you and went to New York?" Angela rolled her eyes and was about to reply when she again felt a pair of hands reach behind her and pinch her waist, but this time with more force. The sensation sent a tingling shiver down her body and she quickly jumped away, turning to stare.
The door to the house had silently opened and Jessica was standing in the doorway, playfully sticking out her tongue, smiling and waving her hand.
"Jessica, when did you start sneaking up on people like that?" Angela sighed in annoyance and turned to Jessica.
"What? Did someone just do that?" Jessica pretended to look puzzled, showing off her acting skills even before she started her acting classes. Despite feeling sluggish, Angela decided to ignore Jessica's evasive behavior.
"Oh, come on. Of course it was you," Angela retorted, pulling Lindsay aside.
"Hi, Jessica. How are you?" Lindsay blinked innocently.
"Looks like we're all here now," Jessica exchanged a discreet glance with Lindsay.
"Wait, what do you mean 'we're all here'?" Angela asked hastily.
"I invited Lindsay. You know, since I kicked my parents out, it would be too lonely with just us in the house," Jessica explained.
"Are you not excited to see me?" Lindsay gave a pitiful look.
"No, it's not that, but..." Angela began to sense that something was wrong, but before she could finish her sentence, Lindsay pushed her into the house and said, "Alright, Angela, don't block the door.
The room was empty but tidy. As Jessica had claimed, Mr. and Mrs. Alba had left, leaving the entire house to the three of them.
"This is incredible, Jessica! How did you manage all this?" Angela asked excitedly, forgetting her earlier doubts.
"Are you surprised that my dad gave us this space? Angela, remember, we're all adults now. We've graduated," Jessica shrugged with a hint of pride in her accomplishment.
"Ah, yes, I graduated," Angela cleared her throat, her gaze drifting away, probably recalling some embarrassing incident from that night. Quickly changing the subject, she complimented Jessica, "You look really pretty today, Jessica."
"Thank you," Jessica replied with a smile. She was wearing a white lace blouse, a red and black plaid dress, white stockings, and red leather shoes. Her outfit had a striking effect that might deter potential troublemakers.
Of course, Angela believed that even if she had been a man in her past life, she would never act like a pervert. At most, she'd suppress any urge to drool.
"You look cute with your hair cut short, Angela," Jessica said, leaning in to examine her friend's new hairstyle.
"It's okay, I guess," Angela nodded. Suddenly she noticed something and playfully grabbed Jessica, making her stand up straight, then teasingly said, "You've grown taller, Jessica."
"Really?" Jessica also playfully waved her hand over her head, and indeed she was slightly taller than Angela.
"It seems that my height has basically stopped growing," Angela sighed. Since she was 9 years old, she had reached a height of 4 feet, which was 122 centimeters. After that, however, her height seemed to have stabilized. Well, not completely stopped, to be exact, she only grew 1 centimeter every year for the last three years.
She didn't expect to be as tall as Kate, but she didn't want to be as short as a dwarf either. Now even Jessica was taller than her and Lindsay was almost the same height...
The thought sent a chill down her spine.
When she had gone to England to film《The Parent Trap》she had sworn that she would end up with a flat chest, a bucket waist and a small butt, but she hadn't said anything about becoming a dwarf. On the other hand, if she did end up with a flat chest, a bucket waist, and a small butt...
Well, best not to think about it!
While she was lost in thought, Jessica wrapped her arms around her reassuringly. "Don't worry, Angela, it's only temporary. You're not fully developed yet."
Snapping back to reality, Angela pushed her wayward thoughts away and smiled, "You're right, Jessica. Let's not worry about that right now. What do you have planned for us? Lindsay's getting bored waiting."
"Finally, someone remembers me! I thought you two had completely forgotten about me," Lindsay pretended to pout, sitting on a chair with her hands resting on her cheeks.
"Don't worry, Lindsay. We're all set to make some fancy cookies in the kitchen," Jessica said, rolling up her sleeves and gesturing toward the kitchen.
"Really? Are you sure you want to eat what I make?" Angela asked, also rolling up her sleeves and following Jessica.
"As long as you make it, I'll eat it," Jessica replied confidently.
"Does everything Angela makes turn out to be poisonous?" Lindsay, who was right behind them, asked curiously.
"I barely passed my home economics class with the lowest of grades," Angela shrugged.
"Perfect, now I'm really looking forward to Angela's creations," Lindsay's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Jessica and Angela exchanged amused glances before turning their attention to their culinary adventure in the kitchen.
