"Oh my God, I just forgot Jefferson among the four faces on Mount Rushmore, and Miss Green made me sing a song in front of the class for it. It's so unfair! The others couldn't even name one." Sitting in the back row of the school bus, Catherine complained to Jessica.
"That's because you stand out and attract attention," Jessica said with a laugh.
"Jessie! Are you comforting me or mocking me!" Catherine pretended to be angry and waved her little fist.
Jessica immediately put on a pained expression and said, "I'm telling the truth, Your Highness. If you didn't stand out, how would your prince ever find you?"
"You're still acting! I'll make you act!" Catherine playfully reached out to pinch Jessica's cheeks, while Jessica giggled and dodged, and the two girls started laughing and playing together again.
After a while, they stopped, and Catherine suddenly sighed, looking at Jessica with a hint of sadness. Jessica, feeling a bit puzzled, waved her hand in front of Catherine's face and asked, "Hey, Cathy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Catherine shook her head, her tone tinged with sadness. "It's just that I'll be graduating this year, and you'll be going to drama school next year. We might not have the chance to ride the school bus together anymore."
"Oh my gosh, you're thinking way too far ahead. I'm not moving away. Even if we don't see each other during the week, we can still hang out on weekends," Jessica said, puzzled. She didn't understand the sentimental feelings of someone "forty" years old.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this," Catherine shrugged and changed the subject. She held her hand like a microphone and moved it towards Jessica. "So, Miss Jessica Alba, how do you feel about winning the Oscar for Best Actress this time?"
Whenever it came to acting, Jessica always had a lot to say, which gave Catherine time to be sentimental. The reason Catherine felt this way was not just because of age but also because Jessica was her only close friend of the same age. After years of being inseparable, Catherine felt that if she didn't see Jessica for a day, her life would feel incomplete. Of course, her fondness for Jessica Alba from her past life also played a role in their close friendship. She didn't have to worry about certain things, as she lacked the necessary "equipment."
"Hey, Cathy! You're daydreaming again!" Jessica waved her hand in front of Catherine's face, complaining.
"What? Oh, sorry," Catherine snapped back to reality and quickly apologized, "So, Miss Alba, please continue your acceptance speech."
"Were you listening at all just now?" Jessica crossed her arms and tilted her head at Catherine.
"Oh, don't be like that, dear. You know I get distracted easily sometimes," Catherine stuck out her tongue.
Jessica sighed, rested her arms on the seat in front, and tilted her head back, saying softly, "You know, Cathy, I don't really have any high hopes for winning awards. I just want to act, whether it's TV shows, movies, or stage plays. As long as I have a platform to showcase myself and let my dreams blossom, I'll be very content."
Catherine looked at her cute profile, feeling a surge of emotions. She knew Jessica's future accomplishments well. Even though critics often focused on her looks, no one could deny her efforts towards her dreams. Hearing Jessica talk about her dreams and seeing the determination in her eyes gave Catherine a sudden impulse, like an electric current coursing through her body, making her both restless and excited.
"Tell you what, Jessica, when you become famous, I'll write a script just for you!" Catherine said earnestly, leaning close to Jessica.
Jessica was slightly startled and then said with a grin, "Are you planning to go to film school?"
"I'm serious!" Catherine was a bit annoyed and lowered her voice. "You know, yesterday, Disney's Touchstone Pictures sent someone to my house. They said they were interested in buying one of my animation scripts and a movie script."
"What?" Jessica looked at her in surprise, her eyes wide and her mouth forming an O shape. "Really?!"
"If you don't believe me, you'll see when the movie and animation come out." Catherine, displeased with Jessica's skepticism, puffed out her chest like a proud little peacock.
At that moment, the school bus turned a corner and reached Blenkert Street. Catherine quickly grabbed her backpack and ran to the bus door, not forgetting to make a face at Jessica before leaving.
"Hey, Cathy, were you serious about what you said?" Jessica leaned out of the bus window and shouted to Catherine, who had gotten off the bus.
"I told you already! Believe it or not, it's up to you!" Catherine made another face and ran several meters before stopping. When she looked back, the school bus was already driving away.
"Darn Jessie, she actually doesn't believe me!" Catherine muttered, feeling annoyed as she walked home. She had completely forgotten her parents' disbelief from the previous day.
At the front door, Jennifer greeted her with a glass of milk as usual.
"Hey, little one, how was school today?" the housekeeper asked with a smile.
"It was terrible. I forgot Jefferson on Mount Rushmore," Catherine said, drinking the milk in one go and shrugging.
"That's actually good. At least you didn't call him Mr. Rushmore," Jennifer joked, then added seriously, "Catherine, Mrs. Myers is here to see you."
"Mrs. Myers? How long has she been here?" Catherine's eyes lit up, and she asked quickly.
"About... half an hour, maybe?" Jennifer thought for a moment and replied.
"Does she need something?" Catherine pondered, "If it's about buying my scripts, she should talk to my parents about the price. Why is she looking for me?"
"You'll find out when you go inside," Jennifer said with a smile.
"Oh my God, there you go again, knowing but not telling me," Catherine rolled her eyes and walked inside, feeling a bit frustrated.
Just like yesterday, her mom Susan and Nancy were sitting on the sofa in the living room, but the atmosphere between them seemed a bit strange.
"Hi, Mom, I'm back," Catherine greeted politely despite her curiosity. "Hello, Mrs. Myers."
"Hello, Catherine. It's nice to see you again. You can call me Nancy," Nancy replied with a smile.
"Catherine, put down your backpack and come to the living room. Nancy has something to discuss with you privately," Susan said, glancing at Nancy. The strange atmosphere became even more apparent.
Although Catherine didn't understand what was going on, it didn't stop her from playing a little trick. She scratched her head and then smiled at her mom, saying, "If it's a private conversation, we can talk in my room."
Susan frowned slightly, then smiled and nodded, "Alright, that's fine."
Catherine stuck out her tongue and, carrying her backpack, motioned for Nancy to follow her. Nancy smiled and followed her upstairs to her bedroom. As soon as they entered, Catherine let out a sigh of relief, occasionally glancing back at the hallway, looking very cute.
"It seems you're afraid of your mother," Nancy teased.
"It's not fear, it's love," Catherine said seriously. "There's a Chinese saying: 'Yin ai er ju,' which means loving and fearing at the same time. Because I love her, I'm afraid of making her angry or causing her trouble, even though this phrase is usually used between lovers. But I think it can also describe the relationship between children and parents."
"'Yin ai er ju?'" Nancy struggled with the pronunciation, then asked in surprise, "You speak Chinese too?"
"Oh, I speak English, Chinese, French, and a little bit of Swedish and Greek," Catherine replied with a smile, then remembered something and hurried to move a chair from her dressing table. "I'm sorry, please sit down."
As soon as Nancy sat down, Catherine excused herself and ran out of the room, leaving Nancy smiling and shaking her head. She liked this little girl even more. She hadn't expected this talented girl to also have a knack for languages. Nancy looked around Catherine's bedroom. It was spacious but tidy, indicating regular cleaning. The arrangement of small items showed that Catherine herself did the tidying up—of course, Nancy didn't know that Catherine had been forced by her mother to clean her own room from a young age. As someone who had once been a messy and careless homebody, this was a torturous ordeal for Catherine, but she eventually adapted.
Nancy's eyes then fell on the piano by the balcony, surrounded by various musical instruments: a violin, a guitar, flutes of different sizes, and many others she couldn't name. Opposite the piano was a drawing table, neatly arranged with paper and many drawing tools—not just crayons for kids' doodles but real sketching pencils, inking pens, and more. She believed those concept drawings for *The Lion King* were created right there!
All of this made Nancy even more astonished. If Catherine was indeed so talented, what other surprises could she bring?
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Catherine returned with a tray, carrying a teapot and cups, along with her own juice.
"Thank you very much," Nancy said, taking a cup and pointing at the instruments. "It seems you really love music."
"Yes, but learning instruments was actually a coincidence," the little girl replied with a smile. "When I was young, the doctor said I had ADHD, so I had to do something to focus my attention. I chose to learn drawing and musical instruments. At first, I didn't feel much, but later I became more and more fascinated, and eventually, it attracted the attention of the National Children's Association."
"Why?" Nancy asked, puzzled.
"Because I practiced all day long, and someone thought my parents were abusing me, so they called the association," Catherine shrugged.
Nancy couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You're really adorable, Catherine."
"Thank you for the compliment," Catherine rolled her eyes discreetly. Every time a stranger praised her for being cute, she felt a bit creepy. It seemed she still hadn't fully adapted to being a girl.
"Oh no," she suddenly slapped her forehead. "I got sidetracked again. So, Nancy, what brings you here?"
Nancy put away her smile and looked intently at Catherine. After a moment, she solemnly said, "Catherine, may I invite you to star in *The Parent Trap*?"