Jas Franco, with a scruffy beard and disheveled hair, looked like a holess man. His simple shirt and jeans, with the wrinkled shirt seemingly unchanged for days, gave off a "visual" sll of sweat. For a mont, Chris thought a stranger had broken into the house.
However, the "holess man" himself seed completely unaware. He walked right up to Chris and gave him a big hug.
Chris turned his head to look at Anson for help, only to find that Anson had put so distance between them, as if to draw a clear line. Chris's face was full of confusion: ???
"Congratulations, congratulations, congrats!" Jas was unusually cheerful. After releasing the hug, he turned to Anson. "You heard, right? Chris got the role."
Anson raised his beer in acknowledgnt. "Just now."
Chris punched Jas in the chest. "I thought you went to Johnny's party."
Jas waved his hand dismissively. "Seth and the others went. When I heard you got the role, I had to be here. Johnny's parties happen all the ti. Trust , they're more frequent than you think. But you landing the lead in a new project isn't."
"Wait a minute." Anson raised his hand. "Chris, you told Jas and invited him to the party, but you didn't call ? I'm hurt."
Chris couldn't believe his ears. "Anson, I called you three tis, all went to voicemail. I thought this big superstar had abandoned us for the upper class."
Anson clutched his chest as if he'd been shot in the heart. "Oh no, I've been found out."
His overly dramatic expression made Jas shake his head in disdain. "And everyone raves about this acting. I keep telling people I'm more suited to play Peter Parker."
Unexpectedly, Chris seriously sized Jas up and down. "No, I still think Anson is better."
"Chris Evans, I'm coming for you!" Jas lunged, not to wrestle with Chris, but to grab a can of beer, open it, and chug it down in one smooth motion.
Chris wasn't about to back down and tipped his own beer back, finishing it all in one go.
Then, Chris and Jas exchanged a knowing glance and both looked at Anson.
"Hey, what about you?"
"Don't you know anything about parties? Standing there like a dummy."
Anson: ???
Relaxed, natural, cheerful, and easygoing—
They could still joke and tease each other; nothing had really changed.
At least for now, what Lucas feared hadn't happened.
But maybe that's exactly why creating so distance before those worries beca reality might be the right thing to do.
"Oh, right, right!"
Chris cheered, clearly in high spirits.
"Scarlett, this ti I'm paired with Scarlett. She said she knows you."
Anson wiped the beer from the corner of his mouth. "Looks like I should visit the set. Did you say you start filming in Vancouver?"
Chris nodded. "Yes, next month."
Anson wore a mysterious expression. "I'll check my schedule, you know, being a Hollywood superstar always ans a packed agenda."
"Busy with parties, more like," Jas snarked.
Unperturbed, Anson nodded. "Correct answer. Soon, I'll only be dining with Leonardo and Tom."
Chris burst into laughter.
Seeing Jas was ready to continue his assault, Anson beat him to it. "That Leonardo from the next street over, and Tom from the corner coffee shop."
"Haha," Jas couldn't hold back, clutching his stomach and laughing uncontrollably, unable to say another word. He just gave Anson a thumbs-up.
Putting down his beer, Anson didn't hesitate to speak up. "I'm planning to move out, probably next week if nothing unexpected happens."
The air stilled for a mont.
"Phew…" Jas let out a long breath. "I was going to bring that up too. I didn't expect you to say it first. Actually, I'm looking for a new place myself. I feel like this place isn't suitable for living anymore. You know how the paparazzi are always trying to sneak photos of and dig through my trash. It's really annoying. My agent also suggested I move to a neighborhood with more privacy. After all, everyone wants a piece of ."
Chris: Jas, are you sure the paparazzi want a piece of you?
Jas glared at Chris. "Shh!"
Chris couldn't help but laugh.
Despite Jas' teasing, Anson still looked at his two friends. "I'm sorry."
This ti, there were no jokes, just a hint of sincerity.
Chris looked at Anson. "Actually, I've been expecting this day for a while. Although it's co a bit sooner than I thought, that's probably a good thing because it ans we're all capable of surviving in Los Angeles on our own now."
"When we were younger, we fantasized that when we got old, a group of good friends would live together, like a retirent ho, but it'd be all our friends. We'd have our own space but play cards, drink, and watch movies together. If soone's heart suddenly stopped, we could all call 911."
As he spoke, Chris fell into thought.
After a short while, Chris snapped out of it and smiled.
"But as I grew a bit older, I realized how absurd that was. I need my own personal space. I'm not going to grow old with you guys. I'll live with my partner in Sicily. You guys can all scram; once a year is enough."
Jas and Anson both laughed.
"I was thinking about it too. This trip to Vancouver might take three to four weeks. When I co back, I should think about how to bring it up. Maybe I need my own space too."
"Now that you've ntioned it first, I'm relieved."
"I was worried you'd think I was like Hayden or Brad…"
Halfway through the sentence, Chris suddenly shut his mouth, his expression turning awkward.
Jas also looked embarrassed.
Instead, Anson was the calst. "Those two nas aren't Voldemort. Relax, you can talk about them. Honestly, I don't think we're enemies. We've just… chosen different paths forward."
Jas couldn't believe his ears. "What? You're too kind, Anson. They are enemies, enemies! I still can't believe what they did. I can't accept it."
Anson grinned—
In his previous life, when he was young, he was the sa way—loving fiercely, hating fiercely, experiencing extre highs and lows, pouring all his energy into his emotions, burning all his life force.
But later, he slowly cald down. It wasn't because of hardship or disillusionnt; it was simply that, as he grew older, life filled up with more and more mundane things that drained him. There was no longer enough passion and energy to love and hate. Intense emotions require effort, so he gradually beca more peaceful. Instead of spending ti worrying about others, he chose to focus on himself.
Looking at the indignant Jas and the worried Chris, Anson couldn't help but sigh. They were still so young. Even though his current body was young, his mindset could never return to his twenties.
But Anson didn't argue with Jas and naturally changed the topic. "Looks like the timing is right. You're ready too."
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