"We should try a few more houses. This is just too much fun." Leonardo's hearty laughter echoed emptily through the streets, startling the jack-o'-lanterns into flickering in the wind.
"Yes, you should." Hugo's voice was also laced with laughter, soaring freely through the night air. "Then you got caught by the house owner and had to flee awkwardly between the Jack lanterns."
The biggest taboo in pranks is greed. If Hugo and the others hit too many houses carrying rolls of toilet paper, they were very likely to get caught.
Leonardo refused to be outdone, "Then you got lost while running away, and tomorrow the media will report, 'Hugo Is Missing'."
Even Leonardo couldn't straighten up from laughing after saying that, leaving Hugo helpless.
After finally calming down from his laughter, Leonardo said, "The movie was a success this time. I haven't congratulated you yet."
"Aren't you disappointed?" Hugo and Leonardo had met during the audition for Scent of a Woman. Seeing the movie succeed, the actors who didn't make the cut would naturally feel some regret.
"For what?" Leonardo replied without a moment's hesitation, directly throwing the question back. "You performed excellently and got the role through your own ability. Although I'm confident I'm just as good as you, the production team chose you. That's it."
Leonardo's words made Hugo chuckle. His upbeat, positive attitude clearly amused Hugo.
"Besides, I've got a new job now. I'm not jealous of you at all."
"What kind of job?" Hugo asked curiously.
"Don't be jealous when I tell you," Leonardo said, and the excitement between his brows was almost uncontrollable, as if just thinking about it made him overjoyed. This made Hugo all the more curious.
"I've done scenes with Al Pacino and even worked with Jack Nicholson. Trust me, I'm absolutely not jealous of you," Hugo said.
Leonardo remained unfazed. "Believe me, Al and Jack are great, but…"
Leonardo was already waving his hands excitedly. Hugo vaguely sensed something and a name was just about to leap from his mind.
Leonardo finally stopped keeping it a secret and blurted out, "Robert De Niro!"
No wonder Leonardo wasn't envious of Hugo at all Robert De Niro was the answer. That was the exact name that had just flashed through Hugo's mind!
Alongside Al and Jack, Robert was one of the most iconic figures an idol to countless teenagers.
Most of Robert's classic roles were gangsters Mean Streets, The Godfather Part II, Once Upon a Time in America, Goodfellas—and nearly every teenage boy harbored a dream of being a gangster hero.
To them, the brotherhood, the wild indulgence of eating meat and drinking wine in the mob life was intoxicating. Robert embodied that fantasy.
Of course, more importantly, Robert was one of the most successful actors in American film history and an idol to countless professionals in the industry. His talent, his hard work, and his dedication became a benchmark for aspiring actors.
To be able to work with Robert, especially for an eighteen-year-old like Leonardo, his excitement was easy to understand.
Even if Hugo had already worked with Al and Jack, Leonardo would still have no reason to be jealous.
"Wow…" Hugo couldn't help but exclaim. But even then, he felt that his inner excitement hadn't been fully released, so he shouted again, "Wow."
Besides interjections, Hugo didn't know what else he could say to express his astonishment.
"What's the project?" Hugo instinctively asked.
"This Boy's Life," Leonardo replied lightly. "Produced by Warner Bros., and the female lead is Ellen Barkin. She and Robert play my parents."
Hugo raised his brows. "Oh, Ellen!" Ellen was the female lead of Hugo's debut film Diner.
Most of Hugo's past memories were now clear, but the details of his interactions with co-stars remained fuzzy, so he just sighed without saying more.
Still, Ellen had been in the spotlight these past two years.
Last year, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical for Switch. Earlier this year, she worked with Jack Nicholson on Man Trouble.
Her career was definitely on the rise.
So, Hugo also sighed, "That's a powerful lineup. But that means the pressure is on you."
Leonardo shrugged. "You won't know until you try, right?"
There was a boldness to him, like a newborn calf not fearing the tiger.
"And you? What are your plans next?"
"Nothing at all." Hugo spread his hands and looked toward Burbank High School in the distance.
Even though it was near midnight, the noise hadn't diminished at all in fact, it was getting louder. The crowd seemed even bigger. The orange-red glow was growing larger, devouring vast swathes of the black night sky.
"For now, I still have to focus on the movie's promotion."
"A Few Good Men" was about to be released next, so Hugo still couldn't take it easy.
"Don't be too greedy. First Al, then Jack. I bet a lot of actors are already jealous of you," Leonardo said, patting Hugo on the shoulder with a mock-serious tone that made Hugo shake his head in amusement.
"Of course, I'll never admit that I'm one of them."
"Sure, sure, you've got Robert now," Hugo said with feigned resignation.
Leonardo cooperatively struck a proud pose, which was irresistibly funny.
Near the front gate of Burbank High, they saw two figures entangled in a scuffle.
The shorter figure on the left kept extending their right hand, trying to keep distance.
The taller and bulkier figure on the right didn't make any violent moves but kept advancing, urgently saying something.
As they got closer, Hugo saw a blurry figure of a nun under the light, and called out, "Charlize, is that you?"
Leonardo, who had been chatting with Hugo, also looked over at Hugo's expression.
"Hugo!" Charlize's voice responded immediately.
At the same time, the figure on the right raised his hand, trying to grab Charlize's shoulder and shouted, "It's just one drink, just one!"
"Hey, the lady already said 'no.' Don't make her say it a second time." Hugo raised his voice and shouted, then ran straight over. As soon as he got there, Charlize immediately stood beside Hugo, with Leonardo following closely behind, standing on Hugo's other side.
The man in front of them was at least three inches taller than Hugo and built like Joseph practically a walking mountain. He gave Hugo a once-over with disdain written all over his face and sneered, "You really think you're the Flash or something?"
That's when Hugo realized he was still wearing that ridiculous costume, which didn't quite match the righteous tone he was using. But he wasn't about to back down. His tone stiffened as he shot back, "So what? Do you think you're Captain America or something?"
In truth, the man wasn't dressed as a superhero, but the tight blue outfit he had on really didn't look good. Hugo's jab hit the mark, and the man flushed with embarrassment. "You don't know anything, this is—"
"The Smurfs?" Hugo cut him off instantly, throwing out the comeback before the man could finish, which made Leonardo burst out laughing, unable to hold it in, and even Charlize couldn't help but giggle.
The man glared fiercely at Hugo, but it was clearly just for show. Seeing Hugo holding his ground and staring right back, not to mention Leonardo beside him watching like a hawk, the man finally raised his hands to show he meant no harm. "I really just wanted to buy her a drink. Since she's not interested, fine." Then he started backing away with exaggerated nonchalance, trying to make a suave exit. But he stepped on a rock, stumbled, and barely managed to keep from falling. Still, the awkward movement was anything but cool, and he had to retreat under the sound of laughter from Hugo and the others.
"Are you okay?" Hugo finally turned to look at Charlize after the man left.
Charlize let out a breath of relief. "I'm fine. He did ask me to have a drink, but I refused. He just wouldn't take no for an answer and kept pestering. Nothing else happened." She looked up at Hugo, but seeing him all red-faced in that comical costume was just too much she burst out laughing. "You look absolutely ridiculous. Aren't superheroes in comics supposed to be cool and handsome?" That's when the importance of a good costume really showed. It's like no one wants to see Superman wearing his red underwear on the outside.
Hugo didn't mind at all. He even put his hands on his hips and shrugged dramatically. "At least I didn't make a mess of things this time." He was referring to the awkward misunderstanding when he and Charlize first met, which instantly made her eyes twinkle with laughter.
Their gazes met, glimmering with light in the hazy night, and in those clear eyes, subtle emotions began to stir. The surrounding noise seemed to quiet down in that moment. A memory of the A Few Good Men premiere suddenly flashed through Hugo's mind, and he hesitated slightly before carefully speaking, "Hey, so, um, about that…"
But before Hugo could go on, he felt a weight on his shoulder, followed by Leonardo's ill-timed voice breaking the mood. "Uh… I was thinking of quietly slipping away, but, Hugo…" Leonardo's tone was helpless; he wasn't completely oblivious to the situation, but things were what they were. "I think someone's looking for you."
Hugo didn't turn around, still looking at Charlize's eyes. But Charlize gently lowered her gaze, blocking Hugo's line of sight. When she looked up again, it was in the direction Leonardo had pointed. Even though Hugo's eyes remained fixed on her face, Charlize calmly composed herself and showed no trace of panic. Then, through the glow of the lights, she saw the valiant figure of Wonder Woman—"Uma."
.....
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