### Chapter 102: A Promising Future

Hope is something elusive and often feels like a myth until you see it and experience it firsthand—only then can you truly believe it.

Just like now.

Looking at Anson, then at James, Chris and Hayden exchanged a glance. Hope quietly rose within them, and when they looked back at the long wait they had endured, their mindset subtly changed. It seemed they could hang on a little longer.

Then, Chris and Hayden, following Anson's lead, each high-fived James in celebration, bright smiles spreading across their faces, feeling a surge of excitement.

It seemed like they needed to throw a party to let off some steam.

Without warning, Chris suddenly leaped up, letting out a Bruce Lee-style yell. His trapezius muscles bulged like the Hulk's transformation as he flexed his biceps, storming around the room like a wild beast.

At the same time, he kept shouting, "Roar! Roar, roar, roar!"

His deafening shouts shook the whole house, making it sound like a demolition crew was tearing the place apart. Anson looked at James with a worried expression.

"Where's Brad?"

Normally, Brad's schedule was completely flipped—he'd sleep during the day and party at night. Even when he was home, they might not see much of him.

"He went out," James gestured. "Not sure if it's for an audition." Then he added, "As long as we don't forget to invite him to the party tonight, it'll be fine."

Alcohol.

At eighteen, too young to legally enter bars or drink alcohol in the U.S., but old enough to be full of energy and eager for parties—the allure of doing forbidden things is strong during adolescence.

In some ways, high school parties are even crazier than college ones. After all, college students can openly try many things, and the thrill of alcohol quickly gets overshadowed by other new experiences.

Anson was full of questions. "A party? When did we plan that?"

"Just now," James said, then burst into unrestrained laughter.

Meanwhile, Chris was jumping around so much that Anson and James had to shout to talk to each other. But suddenly, Chris went silent. Without warning, he lay down on the floor, face down, with his arms neatly placed by his sides, completely still.

The sudden silence was jarring, and everyone's attention turned to Chris.

Anson felt a bit worried, thinking Chris might have slipped. "Chris?"

Chris flopped around like a dead fish—literally flopping—leaving everyone exchanging puzzled glances, unsure how to react.

Then Chris turned his head, his cheek pressed against the floor, and mumbled, "Ah, I'm so jealous."

Everyone: "..."

Chris sighed deeply. "I'm really jealous, so jealous it hurts my stomach. What should I do? I can't even look you in the eyes anymore."

Though he was admitting his jealousy, he said it with such honesty and openness that it was hard not to laugh. Anson's lips curled into a smile.

"Chris," Anson said with a warm smile, "the moment you realize it and bravely admit it, jealousy stops being jealousy. It becomes admiration and aspiration, a motivation to push yourself forward."

The air grew quiet for a moment.

Hayden was slightly taken aback.

Actually, he had felt a bit jealous just now, too.

He was genuinely happy for Anson and James—the joy was real. But after the excitement faded, when he thought about his own situation, he couldn't help feeling a little down.

When he realized this, he felt ashamed and swallowed all his words, covering up that fleeting emotion with cheers and applause.

He didn't expect Chris to admit it so openly and without reservation.

Nor did he expect Anson's response to give "jealousy" a new meaning.

Unconsciously, Hayden looked at Anson.

Anson noticed Hayden's gaze and looked back. Those eyes were clear, with nothing to hide. Compared to Anson, who had been through the ups and downs of life and only decided to let go of his burdens after getting a second chance, these young people couldn't hide their feelings.

"Heh." Anson chuckled softly. "Are you jealous too?"

Hayden felt a bit embarrassed but didn't deny it.

Anson nodded generously, "No worries, being jealous is great—it burns calories and helps you lose weight. Maybe after a while, James and I will be the ones jealous of you. The wheel of fortune keeps turning, and you never know when it'll be your turn, right?"

Wait... it can be like this?

Pfft.

Hayden couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Chris quickly sat up, "Yes, I'm just full of admiration. Admiration!" Then he let out a long breath, "When will it be my turn to catch a break, Anson? I'm about to miss my rent payment."

Anson patted Chris on the shoulder, "No problem, even if you're late a few months, it's not an issue. We'll just drag you out to the streets to earn some cash."

Chris's eyes widened, "You…" The first part left him teary-eyed from the support, but the second part? How did that escalate so quickly? "I never thought you were that kind of Anson!"

"Ha-ha," the others around them couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Even Chris couldn't resist a smile creeping onto his face, "I think I should keep auditioning, I can't just stay at home all the time."

Hayden seemed thoughtful. He didn't even have time to think deeply before the words spilled out of his mouth, "Yeah, me too."

It wasn't until he said it that he realized how genuine his feelings were. Immediately, he firmed up his resolve, "That audition I'm waiting for requires patience, but waiting doesn't mean doing nothing. Even if I pass that audition, it doesn't mean everything is set in stone. After all, I still don't know what the project is. So, I should get out there and try other auditions too."

Since returning from New York, Hayden had been staying home almost all the time, except for the occasional trips to the supermarket or out for meals. Otherwise, he was a true homebody.

The group had noticed something was off with Hayden, but they didn't know how to address it. Those inner struggles were something Hayden needed to work through himself. They didn't expect today to bring such a positive turn.

Hayden noticed his friends' gazes and felt a bit uncomfortable, "There's no need to look at me like that. It's not like I've been home the whole time."

James was the first to tease him, "Oh, really?"

Hayden, "Of course!"

Chris chimed in, "Well, that's true. Hayden did go out to take out the trash yesterday."

Anson added, "Yes, he ventured a whole twenty yards and stayed out for seventeen seconds."

Roars of laughter filled the room.

As they teased him, Hayden could barely keep up. After holding back for a while, all he could muster was, "Tomorrow, I'm going to see my agent. I won't be home all day, just watch."

Anson quipped, "Just like those guys during the Great Depression who couldn't find work but didn't want to tell their families, so they wandered around parks with a newspaper pretending they still had jobs?"

Boom!

James and Chris laughed even harder.

Hayden looked at Anson with a pitiful expression, his eyes full of innocent helplessness, silently pleading.

But Anson didn't relent, giving Hayden a light pat, "Just take a quick lap and come back. If you don't want to be seen, just squat in a corner of the garden. No need to wander around aimlessly. It'd be bad if the paparazzi spotted you."

Hayden, "Anson Wood! I'm going to kill you—I'm serious, I'm going to kill you!"

End of Chapter 3.