Starstruck

“Shannon!”

“Shannon! Are you aware that Jason was seen last night partying with nineteen year olds in Spain?”

“Ms. Burns!”

“Shannon, do you have anything to say about Tim’s recent antics in Europe?”

Shannon pushed through the crowd of paparazzi and used her hand to shield her eyes from all of the camera flashes. Her bodyguard ushered her through the crowd and into the hotel. She lived her by, but it was easier to get all done up in a hotel. Once inside, she smoothed out her curve hugging black dress and headed towards the elevator.

As soon as she stepped in there was a hotel employee next to her. “Ms. Burns, all of your luggage was moved into your rom this morning, and like you said, Catherine Jones checked in and is waiting for you with her team.” Shannon nodded.

“Thank you.” Shannon said.

“Here is your room key.” The woman handed Shannon a key. “You can call down to the lobby or concierge’s desk for anything else you need.”

“I will, thank you.” With that, Shannon left the elevator and found her suite. She walked in. “Catherine?”

“Shannon!” A sharply dresses woman with red lips and a black ponytail shuffled over in her heels to greet Shannon. Catherine hugged Shannon. “Did you pick this out yourself?” She examined Shannon’s outfit. “Its very chic.”

“You picked the dress, but I chose the necklace and shoes.” Shannon smiled.

“Of course I picked it!” Catherine trilled. “It looks great on you!”

“Why thank you!” Shannon flipped her hair. She walked to put her bag down on the hall table. She was taking off her heels just as someone else knocked on the door. Her bodyguard answered and Chelsea Davis, Shannon’s manager and PR person walked in with Alice Taylor, Shannon’s personal assistant.

“Alright!” Chelsea called. “Lets get to business.” She ushered everyone into the suite. The living room of the hotel room had been cleared of furniture. The furniture had been replaced by table filled with makeup, another one with jewelry, and racks of shoes and bags. “Catherine, you work your magic. Shannon, Alice and I will be down the hall in the office if you need either of us.”

“Alright.” Shannon replied “I’ll see you when I am Oscar ready!” Catherine whisked Shannon into a chair. As she sat down a man walked in.

“Shan, this is Michael. He’ll be doing your hair.” Catherine said. “I love him! You have no idea how hard it was to get my hands on him for tonight.” Shannon shook his hand.

“Its nice to meet you.” She smiled.

“Oh! Nicer to meet you!” Michael said. “What are we doing with these lovely tresses today?”

“I want a curly faux bob and natural makeup.” Catherine stepped in. “It has to match this.” Catherine showed him a picture of Shannon’s dress.

“Oh the platinum blonde and tan skin will look too fab with that!” Michael exclaimed.

“Of course it will.” Catherine pulled up a chair across from Shannon, and michael started brushing and curling Shannon’s hair. Shannon scrolled through her phone.

“Did you see TMZ today?” Shannon sighed.

“No. Why?” Catherine asked. Shannon groaned.

“Let me read this to you.” Shannon started. “Give Me Love’s star and Oscar nominee, Shannon Burns’ ex fiance womanizing in Spain.”

“Oh lord!” Catherine rolled her eyes.

“Shannon Burns’ fiance, Timothy Suarez, who split with her less than a week ago was caught hooking up with and partying with girls aged anywhere from nineteen to twenty-two in Spain. Shannon’s comment on the split was ‘I knew it was coming. Jason had been sneaking around for a while, and I just saw through it.’ No word yet on how she feels about his current situation. Do you think she saw this one coming?”

“Thats ridiculous!” Catherine laughed.

“I just wished they’d get the hell off my back!” She said. “It hard enough that I had to break up with that lying piece of shit! Now I’ve got to hear about it constantly.” Catherine sighed.

“Are you okay though?”

“Yeah, I am.” Shannon replied. “I knew it was coming. I’m over it now.”

“Good.” Catherine smiled. “Maybe Tim will fall off his stupid party yacht and drown.”

“I’m so glad you’re my plus one now and not him!” Shannon laughed.

“Me too!” Catherine stood up. “Wow your hair looks fantastic!”
.............................................................................

Sidney skated across the blue line with the puck, and started a Penguins offensive rush. He looked up the ice for a teammate to pass to. He had just given up the puck when a guy from the other team came out of nowhere and crushed him into the boards. Where he was thrown off the board and onto the ice. Sidney heard the fans beating the glass and praising their player as well as the referee blowing the whistle, but all he could focus on was the pain radiating from his head into his chest. Sidney clutched his left arm with his right and rolled onto his side.

“What is it that hurts, Sidney?” The team’s athletic trainer asked.

“My left arm.” Sidney rocked forward

“Please don’t move. Where?”

“I can’t tell. Its throbbing.”

“No back, neck, or head pain?”

“No.”

“Can you stand up?” He asked.

“Probably.”

“Okay.” The trainer said. “I’ll support under your right arm and help you up.” Sidney shifted his weight and winced when his pads moved over his shoulder. Sidney skated off the ice and went straight down the tunnel and back to the athletic trainer’s room. Sidney sat up on the examination table. “Alright.” The trainer started. “Can you move your arm?”

“I can move my wrist, but nothing else.” Another trainer walked in the room.

“Lets cut the jersey off, get rid of the pads and anything else.” They set to work cutting off Sidney’s jersey and unstrapping his pads. He winced every time someone got near or touched his shoulder. Sidney knew it was bad when all it took to send a jolt of pain up his arm was the trainer barely brushing it. He didn’t like the look he saw on the trainer’s face when he finally got Sidney’s compression shirt.

“Not good?” Sidney asked.

“Well, I can see from this bump of bone,” The trainer started, “that you have a separated shoulder, definately from the impact with the glass, but there’s some odd bruising which makes me think you may have another fracture or something like that.”

“Okay.” Sidney sighed.

“I’ll put you in a sling, then Alex will drive you over for an x-ray. That way the doctor there can see how bad it is.” The trainer grabbed a black sling from a drawer. “This will probably hurt.” The man lifted Sidney’s arm, which did hurt, then placed it into the sling and adjusted it so it had his arm bent at a ninety degree angle.

“Can I wat to go until after the next intermission?” Sidney still wanted to see his team and see how they were doing.

“Yeah.” The trainer replied. “I’ll give you some ice, then you can wait in the locker room.” He filled a clear bag with ice and placed it on his shoulder and collarbone, then wrapped clear tape diagonally under his right arm to hold it in place. The trainer helped Sidney get the rest of his gear off and some sweat pants on. Sidney was thankful that he had gotten the ice, because it numbed the pain in his shoulder.

Sidney sat alone and watched the last few seconds run off the clock as the second period of the game come to an end. The Penguins were down by one. Sidney sat as his team filed into the dressing room.

“Sid.” One of Sidney’s teammates, Kris, said as he sat next to him in his stall. “You’re not coming back”

“Obviously.” He sighed. Kris craned his neck over Sidney’s shoulder.

“Dude!” He exclaimed. “You have a serious bone sticking out of there!”

“Great.” Sidney replied. “I can’t really see from here, but I’m leaving in like two seconds to get an x-ray. When number 28 gets through the blue follow him in, don't stand there, and tell Evgeny to watch number eleven. He sneaks into center ice and screws everything up, by getting open and making a new shooting lane.”

“Got it.”