In a single glance, Madeleine noticed the girl hurriedly hiding a magazine under her chair. Wasn't that fleeting cover Hugh Jackman?
Her mind latched onto the possibility, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Is that 'GQ'?"
The girl looked up but didn't seem flustered. Her eyes clearly conveyed, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Madeleine quickly recovered and sat down beside the girl, lowering her voice. "I got caught for sneaking a peek at a magazine during class too. The one you have—it's today's issue of 'GQ,' isn't it?"
"Hugh? Or Brad?"
The girl remained cautious, scrutinizing Madeleine for a moment, as if determining whether she was telling the truth. Then she finally spoke, "Neither. They're not my type."
Madeleine: …
If this had been three minutes ago, she might have been too shocked to respond, but now, after a brief moment of surprise, she accepted it calmly.
The girl continued, "Anson. Anson Wood."
Madeleine blinked, "Who?"
The girl didn't explain. Instead, she pulled the magazine back out from under the chair, quickly flipping to a specific page to show Madeleine.
Madeleine instantly covered her mouth with her hand. "It's him!"
It was the same man.
Madeleine couldn't believe her eyes. She gave the girl a shocked glance, then immediately looked back at the magazine. "He's the reason I got caught by the teacher. Who is he?"
"Anson." The girl's voice held a trace of pride and delight. Even in those two simple syllables, you could feel the melody dancing on her lips.
Madeleine repeated after her, "Anson…"
Her eyes greedily took in the sight before her.
Besides the photo she'd just seen, Anson occupied a full four pages in the magazine, on par with Brad Pitt, and only two pages fewer than the cover star, Hugh Jackman. Such prominent coverage was rare.
Then Madeleine saw another photo.
Anson was still in that same suit, but now he was barefoot, sitting on the ground, with his skateboard tossed aside. He propped himself up with his hands on the floor, looking straight at the camera, laughing openly. The sunlight enveloped him without hindrance, delicately and lightly highlighting the vibrant and untamed energy breaking free from his body.
Again and again, breaking the rules and defying expectations.
People often cling to what they know—whether in music or fashion, they gravitate towards what they're familiar with. So when confronted with something new, the first reaction is often hesitation, if not outright rejection. This is normal.
But this was different.
Everything felt so natural, so beautiful. The way this man shattered conventional boundaries only served to unleash the full spectrum of his soul, revealing sharp edges and vibrant colors. He wasn't just handsome; he was alive, so stunning that it made her knees tremble, every cell in her body silently screaming.
Four pages, four photos.
Two with the skateboard, one playing basketball, and one running.
Freedom. Exuberance.
Even the hems of his clothes and his shoelaces seemed to dance with life under the sun.
Her knees trembled slightly.
Finally, Madeleine saw the interview.
"Anson: Wood. Anson Wood."
---
A strange title forms a subtle intertextuality and response, where even without reading the text below, an image begins to take shape in the mind, gradually becoming more vivid, adding wings to those photos.
Madeleine finally looked up. "So, his name is Anson?"
The girl also looked over, her eyes filled with excitement and joy. "He's special. If you see him in person, you'll feel even more deeply; he's even better-looking than in the photos."
Madeleine's eyes widened. "You've met him?"
The girl nodded vigorously. "Yes, at the filming set of 'Friends.'"
Madeleine: ...
Her open mouth could fit an egg.
The girl laughed. "Didn't you know? His first role was a cameo in 'Friends.' I was the one who created his IMDb page."
"Oh, by the way, I'm Gloria."
Although Gloria knew that Anson was a star bound to shine brightly and that there would eventually be countless fans calling his name, she had always played a solo game. She longed to meet fellow fans outside of the online world, but she never imagined it would happen in such a setting.
"GQ" was indeed bold—
They gave Anson four full pages.
This treatment was top-tier; if it had been in the summer blockbuster June issue, it would have been even more incredible and could be considered borderline insane.
However, "GQ" had confidence.
Because Bruce Douglas's photos were indeed outstanding, undoubtedly his best work in the past two years.
And because of Anson's fashion styling, which appeared ordinary but broke the mold, revolutionizing the suit theme with a wild and uninhibited approach.
Madeleine couldn't control herself—
Even after being scolded harshly by the principal in his office, her good mood remained undiminished, and she felt as if she could fly while walking.
And.
It wasn't over yet.
After class, when Madeleine returned to the math classroom, she found Ms. Bloomberg flipping through "GQ." Madeleine, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed the page featuring Anson!
Madeleine couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
Ms. Bloomberg glanced at Madeleine and gave a helpless smile. "Madeleine, you're about to graduate; you should focus on your future. You can read the magazine, but at least wait until class is over."
Madeleine nodded repeatedly. "It's just that the magazine came out today, and the other girls are waiting to borrow it, so I couldn't resist."
"Ms. Bloomberg, do you like it too?"
Ms. Bloomberg shrugged lightly. "Of course, we shouldn't reject beautiful things. So, who do you like?"
Madeleine didn't say anything, just pointed directly at the magazine on the desk. "Him."
Ms. Bloomberg laughed out loud.
Encouraged, Madeleine asked, "So, who do you like? Brad?"
Ms. Bloomberg thought seriously for a moment. "I like Hugh, but I must admit, these photos of Anson are indeed very attractive. I like him too."
She paused, then closed the magazine and handed it back to Madeleine. "You'd better remind the other girls, if I confiscate it again, I won't return it."
Madeleine nodded repeatedly, making another round of promises, carefully taking the magazine, and then quickly rushing out.
At the door, Gloria looked up as Madeleine showed her the magazine, and the two of them silently screamed with joy.
Ms. Bloomberg shook her head gently, watching the two girls at the door, and couldn't help but recall her own high school days. She opened a drawer, took out another copy of "GQ," and leisurely began to read it with her coffee—
Because of Hugh Jackman and Brad Pitt, this issue of the magazine had already garnered a lot of attention, but now it seemed that they would be outshone by someone else.
And indeed, that was the case.
This was just the tip of the iceberg. The release of "GQ" became one of the most talked-about and lively events in the North American entertainment industry today.
No one had expected it.
---