Chapter 320

This is the ash flower volatile fertilizer,

Skipping chapters is prevented from being fattened. This article is first published in Jinjiang.

Please support the original version. They opened the door of the freight elevator. Audrey looked at the graffiti and posters on both sides of the corridor with interest,

And the worn cement floor.

"Don't be afraid,

It's very safe around here. Leto and the others repainted the walls, and then they sprayed new graffiti. "

"Do you see Jared often?"

"Often? How could that be? But he did call a few times to ask about you. He's too cute. " She pinched Audrey's little face. "Speaking of which, I recently met a beautiful young man, but his temperament is not as cute as Jared's."

Audrey smiled. Hollywood never lacked beautiful young men,

This was not unusual.

The door of the warehouse was closed,

The sound of a guitar that was not too loud could be heard. Charize opened the door,

The men in the room looked over.

Jared was overjoyed and immediately put down the guitar. "Audrey."

He rushed to her. "You... have you been well these past few days?" Most foster homes had harsh environments,

Usually, people did it for the sake of government subsidies. He was worried that she would be wronged.

"There's nothing bad. I have food to eat and a bed to sleep in. Mrs. Abel treats me well. There aren't many children at home. "

Jared seemed to be relieved. "That's good. I... I don't think it's appropriate for me to visit you. "

"You mean,

Because I'm still underage? "

Jared was a little embarrassed,

"I think so. But that doesn't mean that I don't care about you. "

"I know." Audrey smiled sweetly. She wouldn't blame Jared for that.

After all, they had never confirmed their relationship. Especially now that he knew that she was still underage.

After hesitating for a moment,

Jared lowered his head and kissed her lips lightly,

Then he whispered in her ear, "I'll wait for you to grow up."

Audrey didn't take Jared's words to heart. She still had 19 months before she turned 18,

A lot of things could happen in more than a year,

It was enough to give birth to a child. She would not take a man's promise seriously.

The final exam passed quickly. Other than English composition, she got an A or A + in all her other subjects.

Alice found her a job at a coffee shop near Abel's house. The pay was six dollars an hour, and she had to work six hours a day. She had a California driver's license, but she rode her bike to work every day.

Ma Wen Belz's shooting trial began one after another. First, the Children's Court held a trial for Ma Wen's domestic violence and abuse case against Audrey. Ma Wen Bairz was found guilty of domestic violence, child abuse, and home invasion. The judge sentenced Ma Wen Bairz to three years in prison, six years in prison, and one year in prison. The California state government ruled that Ma Wen Bates' guardianship over Audrey Bates was revoked. Audrey Bates' guardianship would remain with the California state government until she turned 18 or was adopted.

Ma Wen Bates' lawyer filed an appeal.

Next, the Criminal Court held a preliminary hearing for Charlize Theron's shooting of Ma Wen Bates. The judge found that Charize's shooting was justified self-defense (to protect others from harm), so the case was not formally tried and the prosecutor's filing application was rejected. The Civil Court judge also rejected Ma Wen Bates' filing application for civil compensation against Charlize Theron.

After these trivial matters were settled, Alice asked Audrey if she wanted to go back to Dallas to visit her sister. Cynthia King Bates had been in Sequoia Psychiatric Hospital for almost a year. Ma Wen had only paid for one year's hospitalization.

Audrey was a little overwhelmed. She stuttered and asked what she could do.

"Do you have any relatives at home? You're still underage. Even if you take her home, you can't be her guardian. "

"I don't remember. What about Ma Wen? He should know if I have any relatives. "

"You have a distant relative in Boston."

That was obviously too far away. And even a very close relative would not be willing to take care of a mental patient. She couldn't bring herself to leave the biological sister of this body alone in the hospital.

"I have to make money. Make a lot of money," she said to herself.

Her meager income from the coffee shop was not enough.

Kevin Potasky had always thought that he had good taste. The Corner Management Company that he was in was a medium-sized management company. There were some famous actors and writers under it, and they had some resources. It was not easy to make a living in the cracks of several big management companies, but the business was developing well.

He now had several actors under him. He was very busy every day, constantly on the phone, and running around. Such a person did not have his own private life. He was 33 years old, still single, and did not have a fixed girlfriend.

He arranged for new actors to learn everything they needed to learn: acting, accents, singing and dancing. He also arranged for them to take on various jobs, introduce them to industry insiders, arrange auditions, and so on. It was always difficult to promote a newcomer at the beginning, but it was much easier after the situation had developed.

One weekend in July, he went to a club in Hollywood to see a show. "Pearl and Lobster" had a new lead singer. Her first performance on stage on Monday was very well received. Some talent scouts and agents were already asking each other where the new lead singer came from.

When the Pearls and Lobsters appeared on stage, Kevin didn't recognize that the girl with the smoky eyeshadow, pink lipstick, and short silver hair was the Audrey he had seen before.

She sang four songs, all of which were covers. One of them was Mariah Carey's hit single "Hero," which was on the album "Music," released in 1993.

In "Box." Mariah Carey had a unique voice and a wide vocal range. Audrey imitated her perfectly.

When Audrey returned backstage, someone was already waiting in the dressing room. The club's manager gave the band two extra nights of performance, which was divided into two parts, each lasting an hour.

Jared Leto was very happy. "Baby, I told you you could do it!" He gave her a warm hug.

"Pearl and Lobster" used to have four members: Jared, the lead singer and guitarist; Shannon, the drummer; kk, the bass player; and Rudy, the keyboard player. After Audrey joined, she was also the lead singer and guitarist. Jared also did harmonies when he sang.

Not long ago, Jared accidentally found out that Audrey could sing, and she sang very well, so he asked her if she wanted to join the band. Shannon was not very willing at first, but later for some reason, she agreed.

They practiced together for a little more than a week and decided to let Audrey sing on stage. As a result, as Jared said, Audrey was very popular. She could sing pop, rock & roll, and country music.

She could imitate it very well, and she could also perform it in her own style.

The band, which was almost unknown before, suddenly became popular in a small circle. Shannon Leto was both happy and worried. On the one hand, Audrey, the blonde beauty, did bring changes to the band. On the other hand, he thought that she would not stay in the band for long. Her singing style was very good, but it was not very compatible with "Pearl and Lobster". The band was more like her "band" than a partner.

Kevin Potasky did not immediately go backstage to find her. He exchanged opinions with a familiar record talent scout at the next table. They agreed that although the lead singer's voice was very good, her shortcomings were also very obvious: she had not received very deep vocal training, and her stage presence was not very good. At first glance, it was obvious that she was a newcomer. But because of this, she had a shy temperament of a young girl, which was very cute.

The record talent scout smiled and said, "Maybe a little too cute. You know, we have been looking for a 16 or 17 year old girl singer. She has to be sweet and a little sexy. It's best if she can write her own songs. "

"Your requirements are really high!"

"Actually, you know, writing is not a requirement. But if she can write songs, or just casually write a little girl's moaning, that's even better. Teenagers are very receptive to this. "

Kevin Potasky hesitated and asked, "Will you continue to pay attention to her? Or the band? "

"Band? No, no, there's nothing to say about the band. It's very ordinary. I will consider signing her as a solo singer, but first she has to take a few vocal lessons. "

Kevin picked up the bourbon on the table and drank it in one gulp. Then he went backstage.

Audrey had just signed the agent contract when Charlize Theron came forward and hugged her. "I'm so happy! Kevin is very good. He will take good care of you. Do you know my previous agent? When I first came to Los Angeles, Mr. Potasky was not my agent. "

"What happened to him?"

"Once, he arranged for me to meet a producer. In the end, that producer actually tried to get physical with me! At that time, I was so angry and scared! Later, I found out that the guy was famous for sleeping with actresses. "Charize's face showed a disgusted expression." But my agent didn't tell me that at all. He even sent me to meet him! "

"And then?"

"My mother — I was still living with my mother at the time — said that I had to change the agent. I didn't come to the United States to sleep with a fat wretched man! "

Kevin Potasky smiled helplessly and said to Audrey, "Don't worry, I'm not that kind of agent! Although some people in our industry are like that, there are such people everywhere. They betray others and sell their own souls. I may not be a very good agent, but I still have professional integrity. As long as you work hard and pay me a worthy commission, I will protect you well. "

Every few years, there would be a few scandals in Hollywood, but there would always be some people who were working properly. The bigger the agency, the more legitimate it was. Therefore, they would always be able to sign big stars, which complemented each other. It was not a good thing to rely on the bodies of contracted actors to get acting opportunities. They were just sex workers under the banner of "actors."

Audrey was a little hesitant. "To be honest, I'm a little worried. No, I'm not worried about that kind of thing. I'm worried that I might fail. Many people tell me that the entertainment industry is very complicated and it's very difficult to get ahead. There are too many people who want to be famous, and I — "

"You should have some confidence!"

"I have confidence. My confidence is that if I want to do something, I must succeed. But I'm not very interested in entering the entertainment industry, so — "

"Oh, dear!" Charize laughed. "You were born to be a star! At least, you should believe in Kevin's judgment. He won't sign a newcomer casually. "

Kevin was very proud. "Yes, just like how I signed you. I have confidence in you — in all of you — as long as you believe in me. "

Audrey no longer worked at the coffee shop. Instead, she accepted a series of arrangements that Kevin made for her. She went to vocal classes, acting classes, dance classes, and guitar classes. She used her savings to pay for the classes. Soon, she found that she was almost penniless.

Her foster family didn't have much of a problem with her schedule. They just asked her to be home by 10 p.m. every day. Alice from the children's service center sometimes picked her up after class. Alice liked her very much. She thought that she didn't cause trouble, didn't take drugs or drink, was well-behaved, had her own ideas, and could deal well with Abel and his wife. She followed the rules of the foster family and didn't conflict with the other children. (In fact, Audrey hardly saw them except for breakfast time.)

Abel's family also had two foster children. A 15-year-old white boy, Jimmy, and a 4-year-old black girl, Mimi. Jimmy was in the rebellious phase of his teenage years. He was difficult to discipline and had a bad temper. He often came home with a bruised face. When he occasionally saw Audrey, he would always mock and ridicule her. No one knew what he didn't like about her. Audrey, on the other hand, thought that she was an adult (at least mentally) and didn't stoop to his level. She usually pretended not to hear him.

The children's service center found a volunteer child psychologist for Audrey. She went to see the psychologist once a week. The psychologist diagnosed her with dissociative fugue.

Fugue, caused by her mother's suicide, and believed that she also suffered from disassociation disorder (disassociation, disassociation)

identity

Disorder. The psychologist was very keen to notice that her descriptions of the same things or events were obviously different. Sometimes, it was as if she was there, and sometimes, it was as if she was speaking in a different tone. Audrey couldn't hide the difference between "herself" and "herself," but the psychologist interpreted it as a psychological disorder caused by "childhood abuse."

Sometimes, Audrey did suspect that she had dissociative identity disorder, or dissociative identity disorder.

Audrey didn't hesitate and immediately agreed. No one could really refuse a beautiful girl, and this girl had a sweet and lovely smile. Audrey liked all beautiful things.

Charize seemed to be a very picky tenant. She replaced almost all the furniture provided by the landlord. Jack and Harry moved the old furniture away. No one cared about the old furniture.

She moved in a very wide bed, several sets of Turkish-style cabinets, a stack of Persian tapestries and carpets, a few simple modern-style vases, and a few very comfortable sofas and chairs.

There were also a few fully opened photos of Charlize Theron.

"Are you a model?"

"Yes. How did you know? "Charize was a little surprised.

Audrey covered her mouth and smiled. People in the entertainment industry were more or less narcissistic, especially those who were good-looking.

"I don't remember saying that."

"You didn't. But it's not hard to guess. "

"Is it because of the photos?"

"No." Audrey immediately corrected herself, "You can say that. It's common for young and beautiful girls to find professional photographers to take photos, but professional models have a special temperament. "

"Tell me, what is it?"

"That's hard to say."

"What about you? What do you do? By the way, how old are you? I'm 18, what about you? "

Audrey hesitated, "I'm 16."

"Then you're underage —" American law required that minors must live with their guardians, and she waited until she was 18 to live out on her own.

"I have a court permit." Audrey made up a random story. Charize wasn't an American, so she didn't know much about American law.

Charize nodded in relief, "That's good."

They spent more time decorating the room than expected, so Charize didn't take Audrey to the furniture store. Charize made a simple ham sandwich for afternoon tea. When they finally finished decorating the room, both of them were hungry.

"What do you like to eat? I'll treat you to dinner."

"I'm not familiar with this area, which restaurant do you think is good?"

"It's okay, I'm quite familiar with this area. My agency is not far from here, and I've been here many times. "

"Agency? Oh yes, you're a model. "

"Mr. Potaski — my agent — wants me to go to acting school. Modeling isn't a long-term career. I think he's right. "Charize shrugged," What about you? Are you still in school? "

"I just transferred from Sacramento, and I'm going to school next week. It's at Pasadena High School. "She didn't want to relive her high school days at all. (Huh? Did I go to high school?) But a young girl shouldn't do nothing every day.

When the two of them appeared at Kelly Restaurant together, they were quite eye-catching. Both of them had blonde hair and big eyes. Although they were different in height — Charize was half a head taller than Audrey — they were both youthful girls with short hair, round faces, cute baby fat, delicate and beautiful. They looked like sisters.

Audrey acted like a girl who was new to the world, a little shy, and followed Charize closely.

"Relax, we're just here for dinner, not for an audition." Charize found it funny and thought she was cute.

"Audition?"

"Yes. Audition, read a few lines according to the other party's request, and look for a chance to act. TV, movies. Of course, mainly movies. Mr. Potaski wants me to try my best to act in movies. If there's no good opportunity, I'd rather wait. "

"Because the pay for acting in movies is higher, right?"

"Yes. Partly. "

"I heard that movie actors are better than TV actors — the level is higher."

"You're right."

The two of them had a sumptuous meal. When it was time to pay the bill, Charize insisted that she pay. She said that Audrey was underage and couldn't afford it.

On the way home, Charize took the initiative to say, "You can sleep with me tonight. As you can see, I have such a big bed. "Charlize had a childish look on his face as he gestured exaggeratedly with his arms. "You don't mind sleeping in the same bed with me, right? I can also sleep on the sofa. "

"I don't mind. Do you mind? "Audrey asked.

Charize giggled. "I'm an only child and I'm not used to being close to others. But you're different. You're beautiful and cute. I think we'll be good friends. "

The next morning, when Audrey woke up, Charize had already gone out.

She opened her eyes in a daze. For a few seconds, she felt lost and didn't know where she was. The cotton sheets under her were finely textured. After a night's sleep, there were only faint marks left on them.

The pillow was a fluffy down pillow. It was very comfortable. Audrey almost didn't want to get up.

After spacing out on the bed for a while, she got out of bed. She spent two to three minutes tidying up the sheets and pillows and thinking about last night. After dinner, they went home and opened a bottle of red wine. They didn't drink much, only two glasses. Audrey didn't ask her where the wine came from. She didn't know much about red wine, but she could taste that it tasted good.

It tasted good to drink a little wine. It was nice to be tipsy. Her head was a little floaty, as if she was riding on clouds. It was no wonder that the United States was a big drinker and there were many alcoholics.

What about after drinking?

Oh, they could be considered "sleeping in the same bed."

Audrey smiled.

Charize slept very well. She slept on the inside with one hand as a pillow and the other hand close to her body. After going to bed, they talked for a long time until they were too sleepy to sleep. Audrey didn't know where she got so much to talk to, nor did she remember what they talked about.

She just felt that it was good to have someone to talk to.

Charize left her a note and a key on the table at the door. "Baby, I'm going to class. I made you a sandwich. It's in the fridge. Take my key. "

Audrey put away the key, opened the fridge, and took the sandwich to eat. It was smoked ham with two pieces of tender lettuce.

After eating the sandwich, she opened Charize's closet and found a floral georgette halter dress with a velvet blouse. Then, she used Charize's cosmetics to do her makeup. She used a turquoise eye shadow and red lipstick. This way, she looked as much like an adult as possible, not a teenager.

Then, she picked a shoulder bag. Because her shoe size was smaller, she still wore the same pair of boots.

When she returned to her apartment, she took out all the money that she had hidden everywhere and put it in the shoulder bag. Then, she went downstairs, called a taxi, and went to the nearest Citibank. She opened an account at Citibank and deposited most of the cash — 15,000 yuan — in it. The bank manager asked her if she needed a cash checkbook and explained to her the use of cash checkbooks. Audrey, who was used to electronic payment, felt that it was really troublesome.

But she still ordered a checkbook and made an appointment to pick it up the next Monday.

In the afternoon, Charize took Audrey to buy furniture. She helped her bargain and got a very good price.

Audrey also gave her a key to her apartment.

"Honey, you still need clothes. Lots and lots of beautiful clothes." Charize was surprised to find that Audrey only had one luggage bag with only two sets of clothes and a pair of boots. "A beautiful girl should dress herself up beautifully. We should go shopping for clothes. "She immediately made a decision.

The two of them sat in the living room of Audrey's apartment. They bought a second-hand sheepskin sofa and it was very comfortable to sit on. Jack said that the armrests on both sides of the sofa were scratched by the previous owner's cat. Jack's brother only spent 10% of the original price to bring the sofa back. He repaired the armrests with very good sheepskin material and renovated the cushions. Then, he sold it to Audrey for three times the original price.

Jack said that his brother almost made no money at this price and urged them to buy it. Audrey didn't mind buying a second-hand sofa. Secondly, the sofa was really good. Jack's brother was very good at it. She didn't lack money, so she bought it without hesitation.

Charize had already planned where to go shopping, and Audrey didn't have any objections. Her clothes were indeed ridiculously little. Even her toothbrush and toothpaste were disposable items casually taken from a street hotel. She was unbelievably shabby.

They spent several afternoons shopping, from generic T-shirts and jeans to Chanel knee-length gowns, from schoolboy sneakers to nine-centimeter stilettos, from half-cup lace underwear to silk spaghetti straps. New clothes hung in the wardrobe, shoes in the shoe cabinet, toiletries on the shelf in the bathroom, fluffy and soft bath towels and cut towels for all kinds of purposes were hanging in the bathroom.

After shopping, Audrey calculated the bill. Except for the two dresses, the rest of the clothes and supplies cost less than 2,000 yuan. This was half of her original budget — US dollars were really valuable at this time. Audrey was very satisfied.

Counting the 1,000 yuan for the furniture, the 1,000 yuan for the rent and the deposit, she had spent nearly 5,000 yuan in the past few days, which was equivalent to a mid-level white-collar worker's monthly salary. It wasn't much.

There was a place to live, food, clothes, and hot water to take a bath.

Someone knew her.

Only then did Audrey feel a little safer.

Toby laughed, "Don't worry about that. Audrey, I prepared some non-alcoholic drinks for you. Don't drink the same thing as us. You go find Charley. Where's Charley? Has anyone seen Charley? " He looked around for a while, then approached Audrey, "I know you can't be found drinking. Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

"Thank you, Toby."

Toby pointed at Leonardo, "Bro, I'm doing this for your own good."

Leonardo smiled and said, "Okay, I know." Soon he realized, "You already knew she was living in foster care?"

"Yes — not very long ago. Charley just told me today."

They found Charlize Theron near the outdoor swimming pool. Jared Leto was also there.

"Hi, Jared." Although she had quit the band, she still performed at the same club, so they still saw each other often.

Charize and Jared both noticed that Leonardo was holding Audrey's hand.

"Toby said you have a drink for Audrey."

"Oh, yes. I'll get it. "Charize glanced at Jared, a little worried.

Jared felt a little uneasy. Compared to Leonardo, who was more direct, he didn't seem bold enough. Would age be an obstacle between them? He was very uncertain. Would Audrey prefer Leonardo, who was close to her age? He suddenly realized that he didn't know her at all. What did she like? What did she hate? Did she talk about herself? Had she ever dissected him? Did he know her troubles and worries? What did he know about her?

He suddenly realized how ridiculous he was. He said that he liked her, but he didn't spend any effort on her.

Leonardo said something, and Audrey laughed heartily.

She was very beautiful when she smiled. Although she was still young and didn't look like a girl, she already showed an unforgettable charm.

Jared sighed inwardly. Was it just because she was beautiful and cute? But there were many beautiful and cute girls in Hollywood.

Charize soon returned. She brought a coke for Audrey and champagne for Leonardo, Jared and herself.

"Sorry, honey, you can only drink coke."

Audrey didn't think there was anything wrong with them treating her like a child, even though she often forgot that she was still a minor. Most minors always tried their best to appear more mature and wanted others to treat them like adults, so they didn't hesitate to do a lot of stupid things.

"The song you wrote for me last time, I showed it to Mr. Wayne today. He's my producer. He said it was very suitable for me and he was going to put it in my album. Did he contact you? "

"Yes, he contacted me. He asked me to write a few more songs for him to see. "

"That's great!" Audrey said sincerely. When many big stars first started out, they also wrote songs for others. Creative singers always had an advantage. Jared helped her at the beginning, and now she was willing to help him.

And Jared was not like those overly sensitive people who thought that she shouldn't have asked the producer and thought that she was meddlesome. She felt comfortable with Jared because she didn't have to worry about his ridiculous excessive self-esteem of male chauvinism. There was a pleasant tacit understanding between them. Many times, she didn't have to say anything and he knew what she wanted.

In addition to his band's performance, he also accompanied Audrey. When necessary, he was also her backup singer. Audrey played the guitar very well now. They studied it and thought that she might have learned it before, but she didn't remember it now.

Jared was the man Audrey spent the most time with outside of school. He was also responsible for driving her home after the performance. Because of this, Leonardo felt that he was just a partner and a driver. Audrey wouldn't treat him as a boyfriend.

Before 12 o 'clock, Leonardo drove Audrey home. The party was still going on, and most people were already drunk.

Leonardo drank a little, not much.

On the porch of Abel's house, he kissed Audrey. Carefully and tentatively.

Audrey was very calm. She didn't seem particularly excited, but she wasn't cold either.

Leonardo was a little nervous. "Next Friday, 6 p.m., I'll pick you up. Don't agree to other people's dates. "

"Okay." Audrey smiled faintly.

She didn't enter the house, and Leonardo didn't leave either.

After a while, she looked up and smiled. "Leo, do you really not hate me for slapping you?"

He touched his left cheek where she had slapped him. "Fortunately, you slapped me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have remembered you. I like you, so I forgive you. "

"I like you too, Leo." She tiptoed slightly and kissed him lightly on the lips.

But the next weekend, when Leonardo came to pick up Audrey, she wasn't at home.

"She went to Dallas." Mr. Abel stood at the door and didn't intend to invite him in.

Leonardo couldn't believe it. Audrey had mentioned that she was from Dallas, Texas, and he had said that she didn't have a Texas accent at all. Why did she go back? He easily found out about her mother's suicide and her father's imprisonment.

"She went back to see her sister. I thought you knew about this. "

"Oh, yes, she did. But I thought she wouldn't be back until a few days later. "He would rather die than admit that Audrey hadn't said a word.

Audrey took a plane to Dallas alone. A staff member of the local children's service center picked her up and sent her back to her home.

It was an ordinary white community for some years. The neighbors took good care of the front yard, mowed the grass on time, put up some decorations, or planted flowers and trees neatly.

The lawn in the Belz's front yard was also mowed. Audrey found it strange. "Isn't my house empty now?"

The staff member of the children's service center replied, "I visited some neighbors last month, and there's a boy who weeds your house every month." It was probably because of the court hearing in Los Angeles and needed to know about her family's situation.

"Who is it?" She was really learning from Lei Feng.

"Jensen. He lives across the street from your house. "The staff member pointed out to Audrey.

Audrey stood on the porch for a while, then walked a few steps to the window. She felt for the spare key on the upper edge of the window and opened the door.

The room was damp, as if no one had lived there for a long time. The living room was messy and dirty as a single man's life. There were takeout boxes, piles of newspapers, dirty clothes, and beer bottles.

A large rat hurried away from Audrey's foot.

The staff member of the children's service center didn't enter the house. "Are you sure you want to stay here? I can arrange a hotel for you. "

"No, I'm not staying here. I'll pack my things and call you in the afternoon. "

The staff member left her a business card. "Call me immediately if you need anything. Or 911. "

Audrey opened all the windows in the living room, then returned to the porch. She looked at the house the staff had pointed out to her for a few minutes and decided to pay it a visit.

The newspaper on the side of the road read: Ackles.

Audrey knocked on the door. After a while, a middle-aged woman opened the door. She was obviously stunned for a moment. "Oh, Audrey!" She hugged Audrey warmly.

"Um … Hello, Mrs. Akers."

Mrs. Akers smiled. "What, you've only been away for a few months, and you've already forgotten my name?"

Audrey was a little embarrassed. "Well, yes, there are a lot of things that I don't remember. The doctor said that … My psychiatrist said that I'm a sociopath.

I don't know when I'll regain my memory. "

Mrs. Akers was a little surprised. "Oh!"

She warmly served Audrey tea and snacks and insisted that Audrey stay at her house for a few days. She also called a pest control company and the cleaners. The cleaners arrived in the afternoon. Audrey asked them to clean all the piles in the living room, dust the upper and lower rooms, and ventilate them.

The cleaners worked all afternoon. They finished at six o 'clock and left. Audrey paid them in cash. When she looked up, she saw a handsome young man standing outside the door, looking a little nervous.

Audrey tilted her head slightly and looked at him.

"Jensen?" She said uncertainly.

The young man seemed relieved and smiled. "I thought you didn't remember me either."

"Thank you for weeding my house. Shouldn't I pay you? "

Jensen smiled shyly and happily. "You're welcome. I … I was worried that you would never come back. Well, mom asked you to come to my house for dinner. "

"Okay. Wait a minute, I'll change. "

Audrey changed into a light blue floral skirt. She looked pretty and lively, and she was wearing canvas sneakers.

Jensen looked at her for a while. "You're different from before."

"Really? What's different? "

"You're prettier. And you've grown up. "Jensen took her right hand naturally." I heard that you're living in Los Angeles now. After you left, I was very worried about you. "

"Do you know what happened to my family?"

"Yes." Jensen stopped and looked down at her. "You should have told me. You didn't tell me anything and just left. I was scared. "

"I'm sorry." She blurted out an apology. "But … Jensen, are you my boyfriend?"

Jason Akers looked at her nervously. "Of course."

Audrey frowned. "But I don't remember."

"It's okay." He said gently, "It's fine as long as I remember."

Although he was almost a stranger, it was very pleasant to hear a cute young man say cute things.

At eight o 'clock the next morning, the staff of the children's service center came to Akers's house to pick up Audrey. They went to Sequoia Psychiatric Hospital. In the afternoon, Audrey stayed at her house for a long time after returning.

Akers's wife asked Jensen to pick up Audrey for dinner.

Jensen found Cynthia in her room.

Audrey was lying on the bed, taking off her shoes and barefoot. He knocked on the door. "Audrey."

"Hi, Jensen," she said in a low voice.

"Why don't you turn on the lights?" He pressed the switch on the wall.

Audrey covered her eyes with her hands. "Oh!"

"Come, come to my house for dinner."

"No, I don't want to go today."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, Jensen!" She sighed. "I'm very sad and angry."

She sat up, her eyes red.

"You're crying? What's wrong with you? Did something happen to Cynthia? "Last night, she said that she was going to visit her sister at the psychiatric hospital today.

"Oh, no. But you're right. "

Audrey didn't say what happened. She still went to Akers's house that night. After dinner, she took a shower and went to bed early.

The two of them wrote letters to each other. After she returned from Dallas, Jensen would write her a thick letter every week, and Audrey would reply every time. They talked about work, school, daily life, and trivial things. Jensen had some work as a print model in Dallas. He had been a child model when he was young, and he had grown up into a handsome young man.

Audrey thought that it was probably enviable to have such a handsome, gentle, and cute boyfriend. How did Audrey feel at that time? Her biological mother had committed suicide, her biological father had domestic violence, and her sister had schizophrenia. It was understandable that a fragile girl wanted to escape from this unbearable reality, but if she ran away without telling her boyfriend, did it mean that she didn't love him enough? Did she know what love was?

What about Jensen? Did Jensen love Audrey? He was still so young. Did he know what love was?

What about Jared? He was a few years older than her. Did he really love Audrey?

Audrey knew very well that she had the capital to be proud of now. At least she had an impressive bust and a sweet and lovely appearance. To some extent, it was easy to attract the attention of others and gain their favor. People always had a higher tolerance for beautiful women and were more willing to get close to them. This made everything different.

Her psychiatrist explained to her that people always tended to protect and cherish those who had an innocent temperament, and if that person had a lovely and sweet appearance, it was easier to gain the love of others. This was an instinctive attraction, the so-called protective desire, and also sexual attraction.

As for Leonardo, oh, sometimes, Audrey would forget about him.

Leonardo Dicaprio, who had been forgotten, was not idle.

Several tabloids took pictures of him and the model Bridget Hall together. They said that after the new favorite of Hollywood and the young model met at a party, they quickly ignited the fire of love. Photos of the two of them cuddling intimately appeared in various entertainment newspapers.

"Did you know that Bridget is also from Dallas?" Toby Maguire said vaguely. He had a cigarette in his mouth, but he did not light it.

Toby, Charize, and Audrey were playing poker. The table was full of chips, and Audrey had won almost all the chips.

"Is she also?" Audrey was not very concerned.

"She was a child model in Dallas when she was 10 years old."

"Then maybe Jensen knows her." Charize looked at Audrey. Audrey would tell her almost everything. There were no secrets between the two girls, including her life in Dallas.

"Jensen? Which Jensen? "Toby asked.

"I went to the same high school as Jensen. He was also a child model in Dallas."

"What about you? Were you a model when you were a child? "

"I don't think so. Jensen never mentioned it. "

The three of them did not comment on Leonardo's pursuit of Audrey while dating other girls.

"You should play poker with Ben." Toby changed the subject. "You are the best poker girl I've ever seen."

"Which Ben Affleck?" Audrey asked.

"That's him. Do you know him? "

"No, I don't think I've met him."

"He's very good."

"What about you? I heard that you like to play cards. "

Toby smiled. "Everyone has to have some hobbies. I don't think it's a bad habit. You, on the other hand, I didn't expect you to be so smart. "

Charize looked at him strangely. "What do you mean? Are you saying that Goldilocks are supposed to be stupid? "

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant." Toby quickly explained, "I mean, I thought Audrey doesn't like to play poker."

"She doesn't like it, but it's okay to play occasionally." Ben, Toby, and Leonardo were famous people who had been involved in an underground gambling scandal.

Or rather, in the future.

What Audrey didn't say was that she was good at blackjack, poker, and Texas Hold 'em. The most popular games in the United States were blackjack and Texas Hold 'em. Blackjack was more about cards.

A few days later, Toby asked Audrey to go to a bar.

He led her through the bar and opened a door. There was a small room with a man behind a desk. There was a computer on the desk.

Toby Maguire handed the man a card. The man read the magnetic stripe of the card on the card reader. "Mr. Maguire." He pressed a yellow button on the wall.

A secret door opened.

The room behind the door wasn't big. There was a gambling table, a small bar, and a sofa. A few men at the gambling table were smoking, and the sound of the exhaust fan was heard.

The environment wasn't very good.

The men at the table were Leonardo Dicaprio, and behind him sat a slender and tall young girl with blonde hair. One was Ben Affleck, and behind him was Matt Damon. Audrey didn't know the other two.

Leonardo had stood up, but when he saw that Toby had brought Audrey in, he looked a little embarrassed. Audrey greeted him calmly. "Hi, Leo."

"Hello, Bree." Toby greeted the young girl.

Audrey glanced at Bridget Hall, and then looked at Leonardo.

Toby introduced her. "This is Ben Affleck. I told you about him last time. This is Audrey Phillips. "

The handsome young man with the butt chin raised his eyebrows and glanced at Toby. “hi！ Audrey. "

"This is Ben's best friend.

Matt Damon. " The young man who had just turned 24 was much younger than he looked. He had a pair of surprisingly lively eyes, and he waved at her as a greeting.

He introduced her to the other two people, who were also Hollywood insiders.

Leonardo and Toby whispered a few words. Leonardo nodded and said to Audrey, "Sit here." He gave up his seat.

Ben was surprised. "Toby, aren't you playing today?"

"No."

Ben didn't ask any more questions. He took out a new deck of cards and skillfully shuffled and cut them.

"What are you playing? Blackjack? Texas? "

"Anything is fine. How about 21? It's faster. "

"Did you bring money?"

"Yes. Is it 1,000? "

"Enter 1,000. The minimum bet is 20. "Ben was a little surprised. He thought that Toby was just bringing his new girlfriend to play.

Then he was a little surprised to see that it wasn't Toby sitting behind Audrey, but Leonardo.

"I didn't know you played poker."

"Oh, of course you didn't know." Audrey was expressionless.

Toby had exchanged chips for her and placed them neatly in front of her.

"Toby didn't tell me you were coming to play." He was a bit annoyed. "If you like to play cards, I'll play with you in the future."

"I thought you were busy." Audrey turned to look at Bridget, who was sitting on the sofa.

Leonardo shrugged nonchalantly. "It doesn't mean anything that I date other girls. Do you know that dating doesn't mean love? "

"I know." Audrey glared at him. "You always think I'm a child, but she's not much older than me!"

"Oh, I know." Leonardo glanced at her breasts. They were definitely not small.

Audrey puffed out her chest. "Don't look!" Even an ordinary T-shirt couldn't hide her magnificent breasts.

Ben Affleck knocked on the table. "Go away, Leo."

Leonardo got up and left with a smile.

When Audrey left at 11 pm, she took 6,000 dollars in addition to her own capital. She was very careful and didn't always win. The players at the table changed several times, and the biggest winner was Ben Affleck, who won 10,000 dollars. The game wasn't big, and the total bet was about 30,000 dollars.

Toby lost 2,000 dollars, Leonardo didn't win or lose, and Matt Damon didn't play.

"Here, for you." Audrey counted 2,000 dollars and handed it to Toby.

"I don't want it. You can keep it. Or you can buy a beautiful dress tomorrow. "Toby was very open about money and was generous.

Leonardo was waiting for them outside the bar. "Audrey, I'll take you home."

Audrey looked at Toby. Toby drove her here, so he should drive her home.

Toby shrugged, indicating that it didn't matter. "I might go somewhere else to have fun."

"Where's Bridget?"

"I called a taxi for her. She's already gone. "

Audrey frowned. This guy! He was really quite cold.

"Come on." He reached out to hold Audrey's hand.

Audrey sighed and obediently let him hold her hand.

He ordered flowers at the florist, and when Audrey had a performance, he would send them to the club.

"Is Leo going on a date with you?" Charize fiddled with the yellow tulips Leonardo gave her.

"No way. He didn't say. "

"Do you remember that I told you before that I met a handsome young man with a bad temper?"

"Yes, I remember you said that. What's wrong? Are you talking about Leonardo? "

"That's him. Do you know how I met Leo? He's throwing a tantrum, and I'm not far from him. "

"Why is he throwing a tantrum?"

"Who knows? I don't care about that. I only care about you. What about you? Has Kevin arranged any work for you recently? "

"No. But he sent my videos to some record companies. Recently, record companies have been coming to see us perform. "

"Then someone should sign you soon."

"Oh, yes, but they only want to sign me, not the band."

Charize thought for a bit. "What did Kevin say?"

"He said he's only representing me, not the entire band."

"What about you? What do you think? "

"Jared … Jared convinced others for me, but I signed the contract and left him and the band alone. That's not good."

"Indeed." Charize nodded. "But it's not easy to sign a contract with a record company. I think you should seize the opportunity. "

"The record company said I'm more suitable for solo."

"Oh, they might be more accurate. You should consider signing the contract. Jared … Have you asked Jared? "

"Ask him what?"

"Ask him what he thinks."

"I know what he thinks. He'll definitely persuade me to sign the contract. But it seems like I'm betraying him. I don't want Shannon to have a conflict with him. "

"Oh, baby." Charize pouted and kissed him on the cheek.

Just as Audrey had expected, Jared's reaction to the contract was, "You should have signed the contract."

"But what about the band?"

"Have you forgotten that I'm the lead singer of the band?" Jared smiled and said, "I'm glad that someone wants to sign you so soon. They're right. You're more suitable for solo. "

"Won't Shannon blame you? You were the one who said that you wanted me to join the band, but now I'm quitting, "Audrey said hesitantly.

"What's so strange about that? Look at other bands. Don't the members come and go? Before you, we also found another girl to be the lead singer, but she quit later. "

"Why did she quit?"

"She has a new boyfriend, so she went to form a band with her new boyfriend. This is very common. Don't feel burdened. "

Jared didn't mention that the girl was Shannon's ex-girlfriend.

The Sequoia Psychiatric Hospital in Dallas called Audrey several times to ask when she could visit Cynthia. They also told her that the advance payment had expired. She either had to pay the hospitalization fee or take Cynthia home.

Audrey specifically asked Alice and her lawyer, Walker Campbell, about this. Alice said that she was still a minor, so she couldn't get custody of Cynthia. Under such circumstances, the Texas state government should become Cynthia's guardian. They might transfer Cynthia to a mental hospital under the state government.

Mr. Campbell said that she could first apply to the court to be released from the custody of the California state government, but she had to prove that she was fully competent and had better financial ability. After that, she could get custody of Cynthia and let Cynthia continue to live in the Sequoia Psychiatric Hospital. Alternatively, she could transfer Cynthia to another mental hospital in California.

Audrey sent a $5,000 check to the Sequoia Psychiatric Hospital and wrote a letter to Cynthia. She said that she missed her very much, but she couldn't go back to see her. She said that if she could, she could call her. She gave her Abel's phone number.

One day at the end of August, Kevin Potasky rented a recording studio. Audrey recorded two songs in the studio. One was a cover of Mariah Carey, and the other was an original written for her by Jared Leto. Kevin made demos and sent them to several record companies.

On September 5th, Audrey Phillips enrolled in South Pasadena High School (South Pasadena High School)

pasadena

high

High School, Grade 11.

South Pasadena High School was a public school, just like the Pasadena High School that Audrey attended before. However, South Pasadena High School was located in the San Gabriel Valley, a predominantly Chinese area.

gabriel

However, since the San Francisco Valley was located at the western end of the San Francisco Valley, the conditions were much better than Pasadena High School's. Forty percent of the students were Chinese, and about forty percent of the students were white.

Kevin transferred her to another school, saying that with her current academic level, it was no longer appropriate for her to stay at Pasadena High School.

After the homecoming festival, the managers and producers of the two record companies went to see Pearl and the Lobster perform. A few days later, Kevin Potasky met Kevin Potasky.

Maverick Records met with the owner and producer of the record company. She sang a few songs for one of the owners, Madonna. They wanted her to try out a few different styles of music.

That day, Audrey Phillips signed her first record contract.

Audrey was relatively satisfied with her life so far. She went to school during the day, and after school, she went to vocal and instrumental classes. She performed at the Phoenix Fire Club three nights a week (Alice from Children's Services only allowed her to work three nights). She also went to see a psychiatrist once a week (this was required by Children's Services, and they paid for most of it). Abel's house was more of a place for her to sleep, but because she didn't want to cause trouble for Abel and his wife, they didn't have any objections.

Leonardo Dicaprio knew that Audrey had signed a contract, and suggested, "We should have a party."

"A party? Okay! "Toby was in high spirits.

Audrey smiled. "Whatever. You know I can't go home too late. "

"Let's do it tomorrow, tomorrow night. Is it okay if you go home late on the weekend? "

"Look for Ollie. He always finds interesting bands and beautiful girls."

"No, not Ollie. Look for — look for Cha Cha. Ollie's parties always end up in a mess. "Leonardo looked at Audrey." I remember you used to like parties. "But he was a little confused. She had never mentioned closed hours before. He wondered if he knew too little about her.

"Everyone likes parties."

"What about you? What do you like? I mean, fruit and stuff. What do you like to eat? There's a Chinese restaurant nearby that's not bad. I'll pick you up for dinner tomorrow afternoon. "

"Are you going on a date with me?"

"Kind of." He actually blushed slightly.

Audrey tilted her head and looked at him carefully. He was a boy who was not even 20 years old. He had a clean and beautiful temperament, pure eyes, and soft blonde hair. He was perfect from both the front and the side. He was a 100% handsome boy. It was really enviable to have such a beautiful young man.

Audrey's heart skipped a few beats. Previously, she thought that Leonardo was a well-known supermodel collector, so she had always been uninterested in him. But now, he hadn't started his journey of conquering supermodels yet, had he?

"Okay, come and pick me up. Let's go eat first," she said gently.

Leonardo came to watch her performance once a week and sent her home after the performance. Audrey left the "Pearls and Lobsters" band and performed as a solo singer at the Phoenix Fire Club for three nights a week. Part of the income was used to pay for her classes and lawyer's fees. Kevin didn't collect his agent's commission for the time being.

Maverick Records found a music producer for her, and they had several meetings about what kind of music style was suitable for her. Madonna herself was an outstanding example of a "rebellious goddess," so they didn't want a replica of Little Madonna. In recent years, the popular Mariah Carey was a rhythm and blues singer. Audrey's voice was fine, but they didn't want her to be a copycat. It was easier to imitate, but copycats were always criticized. If you wanted to be remembered by fans who didn't learn much, you had to have your own style.

Audrey's voice was slightly low, but it didn't lose the mellow voice of a young girl. It wasn't very unique, but with her appearance, it was 100 points.

They didn't plan to let her into the recording studio for the time being, nor did they arrange any other performances for her. The reason was probably because she was underage and her job application needed to be approved by the California state government.

Audrey didn't have much expenses now. South Pasadena High School waived her tuition fees, and the California state government gave Abel's family living expenses. Other than the training classes, she didn't need to spend much money.

Leonardo didn't know about any of this. So when he went to pick up Audrey on Friday night, he was surprised to find that her "parents" were Abel, not Phillips.

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