Chapter 6: Childhood Friend: Anne Hathaway

Evan Bell quietly pushed open the wooden door, careful not to make any noise. He tiptoed to his mother's bedside, where her golden curls were spread out on the pillow. He placed the note he had written under the alarm clock, then looked down at her. Caitlin Bell, only 42, had the traces of time etched on her once fair skin. Years of working day and night had quickly marked her cheeks. Even so, her beautiful face still hinted at her youthful elegance.

Today, Evan Bell was heading directly to the university after the Eagle Rock Music Festival. It would be several months before he could see his mother again. He knew that if he woke her up, she wouldn't let him leave after his sleepless night, but he still wanted to say goodbye.

"Mom, I'm leaving for Los Angeles," he whispered, kissing her on the hairline before tiptoeing away.

Downstairs, Teddy Bell had already loaded his luggage into the car. It was an old, second-hand Chevrolet from 1965, a truck that had seen many owners before Catherine Bell bought it to transport goods. Now, it was the brothers' trusty vehicle.

Teddy Bell, standing next to the red truck, gave Evan Bell a big hug. "Be careful on the road. If you're feeling tired, pull over and rest. If you miss the music festival this year, there's always next year."

Evan Bell patted Teddy's back with a smile. "Ted, you're squeezing too tight, I can't breathe. " Teddy Bell, looking sheepish, let go. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. And once mom wakes up, she's your problem," Evan Bell joked, knowing their mother would be upset he left while exhausted.

Teddy just smiled and nodded. "Call me if you need anything." Though cell phones weren't everywhere yet, they were becoming more common. Earlier that year, Evan Bell had bought three Nokia 5110s during a sale, so each family member had one, making it much easier to stay in touch.

Having passed his driving test at sixteen, Evan Bell now had two years of experience. He got into the truck with ease, waved to Teddy one last time, then started the engine and drove away.

Upstairs, Catherine Bell stood by the window, watching the dark red truck fade into the distance. Her eyes held worry, but a smile played on her lips. She had woken up when Evan Bell entered the room, her sleep light from years of night shifts at the dry cleaner. But she hadn't stopped him; she knew her impulsive son wouldn't leave without a plan.

Even so, her heart tightened. She looked down at the note in her hand again. "Dear Mom, I'm leaving. I will take good care of myself. Please rest assured. Los Angeles, here I come. Love you, Evan." Evan Bell's energetic face came to mind, and she felt a bit more at ease.

A few blocks away, Evan Bell stopped the car. Across the street, three boys were surrounding a girl, taunting her. The girl stood her ground but was clearly at a disadvantage.

Evan Bell honked the horn and shouted, "Hey, big guy, leave her alone!" He quickly got out and walked over.

The three boys turned to see who was yelling. One of them, a stranger, stepped forward arrogantly. "Mind your own business," he sneered, rolling up his sleeves. But his friends held him back, one of them, a slimmer boy, calling out, "Evan, it's fine, let's go." They clearly knew Evan Bell.

"Why are you stopping me? I need to teach this pretty boy a lesson," the muscular boy grumbled, unaware of the reputation Evan Bell and his brother had in the neighborhood. When they first moved here, they had fought hard to stand up against local bullies, earning respect through countless scrapes and scuffles.

Evan Bell didn't slow his pace. "Come on, you big idiot, wanna see how my fist tastes?" He was already rubbing his hands together, and the two boys behind the muscular one quickly dragged him away, fleeing in panic.

Watching them go, Evan Bell smiled. In Brooklyn, sometimes fists spoke louder than words. "Annie, are you okay?" he asked the girl, clearly familiar with her.

Anne Hathaway, the future star of "The Princess Diaries," "Brokeback Mountain," and "The Devil Wears Prada," was his neighbor. Evan Bell had known her since they moved to Brooklyn. He didn't expect to become childhood friends with the girl who would one day be compared to Julia Roberts and Audrey Hepburn. Anne, one day younger than him, was lively and cheerful, spending countless hours with him and Teddy.

"I'm fine. That guy was Edward's cousin. He asked me out for coffee, and I said no," Anne said, waving off the incident.

At 18, Anne still had a touch of girlishness, her features not fully mature. The grace and elegance she would later be known for were not yet evident. She was a wild girl, much like her character Mia in "The Princess Diaries."

"Are you heading to Los Angeles today? I thought you were leaving tomorrow," Anne asked, noticing the parked car.

"I need to leave today, or else I'll miss the festival," Evan Bell replied, pointing at the car. "It's only six o'clock, so there's not much traffic. Better to leave early. You know how bad New York traffic can get. By the way, when's your movie interview?"

Anne's mother, Kate McGowan, a singer and actress, had influenced her a lot. Anne had been acting in short plays since last year and was now getting more opportunities thanks to her performance in the TV short play "Reality."

In the US, casting was handled through the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), which had more than 120,000 members. Anne, like Evan Bell, was a member. This upcoming interview was for "The Princess Diaries," the movie that would make her famous.

"Two weeks from now," Anne said, smiling nervously. "But I can already feel the tension." Her wide, unadorned smile was infectious, making Evan laugh.

"Don't worry, just be yourself. That character is a naive, lively, and carefree girl. That's you in a nutshell," Evan Bell reassured her, earning a bright smile in return. "I've got to go now."

"Take care, and watch out for the traffic," Anne said, giving him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek before shouting goodbye and trotting away.