Starstruck
Sweatpants and Shoulders
“‘And the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role goes to’ there was a pause ‘Shannon Burns!’ Shannon jumped up from her seat and hugged Catherine. She walked up to the stage and took her award.
‘Wow.’ Shannon breathed into the microphone. ‘Over the filming of this movie, the cast became my family, and I love every single one of them. I couldn’t have done this without any of them or the directors and fabulous crew of this movie. Thank you to all of you for all your love and support. Goodnight.’”
Shannon watched herself on the tv in a diner at 4 am the morning after the award show. Shannon’s hair was still done, but she had changed from her after party dress into sweatpants and a t shirt. She had gone to some after parties, then had gone to her hotel to change, but she couldn’t sleep so she came down to a diner she found that was still open. No one was out this late so she didn’t have to hide from people. She rested her head in her hands, as someone sat down a few seats over at the bar. Shannon didn’t flinch.
“Long night?” The man asked her. She assumed he was asking because of her shaggy outfit and unkempt hair that was ruined from the long night.
“Yeah. You?” She responded as she looked up at him. He was handsome with messy dark hair and dark eyes. His left arm was in a sling, and he looked kind of familiar.
“Yeah, hurt my shoulder and I can’t really sleep so I found this place.” He said.
“I won an Oscar, couldn’t sleep so I came down here.” Shannon smiled.
“Your night tops mine.” He smiled, but his eyes still looked sad. “Shannon Burns, right?”
“Yeah.” She smiled back.
“Sidney Crosby.” He replied.
“What’d you do to your shoulder?” Shannon slid over a few bar seats so she was next to him.
“Separated shoulder and broken collar bone.” He said.
“Ouch!” Shannon said. “How’d you manage that.”
“I got boarded pretty bad in my hockey game.” He said.
“That's it!” Shannon laughed. “I knew I recognized you too! My dad’s a huge hockey fan.”
“Nice.” Sidney smiled. Sidney ran his hand through his hair. He thought it was funny that Shannon Burns would recognize him. Anyone could recognize her, but he was not as well known. “So how come you’re not out after partying?”
“There’s only so much I can take” She replied. “Love her to death, but I can only listen to Sofia’s accent for so long.”
“Movie star problems?” Shannon laughed. He looked into her eyes. Even with her smeared mascara, and falling apart hair do, she was absolutely beautiful. Even more so in person, than what he’d seen of her in movies or on TV.
“Yeah.” She replied. “So what are you doing here. Don’t you play in Pittsburgh?”
“Yeah.” Sidney frowned. “I got injured tonight. I have to get surgery, and the team doctor knows a good surgeon here so I’ll have the it here because even after it I can’t play for at least four weeks so I’ll go back when I can, but it works out this way. I hate being here when the team’s in Pittsburgh.”
“That really sucks.” Shannon said. She looked down at Sidney’s watch. “What time is it?”
“Four thirty-seven.” Sidney said.
“I’m not even tired!” She laughed.
“Neither am I.” He smiled. “I would usually be wiped after a game.”
“You’re probably so worn out that you don’t feel tired.”
“Is that a real thing?” He laughed.
“I don’t know, but it sounds like it could be.”
“Maybe.” He smiled. They sat and talked until they could see the sun starting to come up between the tall city buildings. Shannon realized she should probably get back to her hotel before Alice and Chelsea came looking.
“I should probably go.” Shannon said.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Sidney smiled. “But hold on one second.” He took a napkin out of the dispenser and asked a waitress for a pen. He scratched his number down on the napkin and handed it to Shannon. “Call me. I’ll be in town for a while.” He smiled.
“I will.” Shannon was being completely sincere. She would definitely call him. She made her way of the diner, just as the morning staff were coming in. She headed down the street to her hotel, where there were no photographers. Thank goodness. She could picture all the headlines. “Shannon Burns Does Walk of Shame at 4 am After Oscar Win!” She groaned at the thought.
She finally got to her bed after nearly killing herself by tripping over the garment carts that were leftover from last night. Too bad all the clothes and jewels, except her dress, had to go back to their designers later today. Shannon snuggled into the covers on her bed and drifted off to sleep almost immediately after her head hit the pillow.
‘Wow.’ Shannon breathed into the microphone. ‘Over the filming of this movie, the cast became my family, and I love every single one of them. I couldn’t have done this without any of them or the directors and fabulous crew of this movie. Thank you to all of you for all your love and support. Goodnight.’”
Shannon watched herself on the tv in a diner at 4 am the morning after the award show. Shannon’s hair was still done, but she had changed from her after party dress into sweatpants and a t shirt. She had gone to some after parties, then had gone to her hotel to change, but she couldn’t sleep so she came down to a diner she found that was still open. No one was out this late so she didn’t have to hide from people. She rested her head in her hands, as someone sat down a few seats over at the bar. Shannon didn’t flinch.
“Long night?” The man asked her. She assumed he was asking because of her shaggy outfit and unkempt hair that was ruined from the long night.
“Yeah. You?” She responded as she looked up at him. He was handsome with messy dark hair and dark eyes. His left arm was in a sling, and he looked kind of familiar.
“Yeah, hurt my shoulder and I can’t really sleep so I found this place.” He said.
“I won an Oscar, couldn’t sleep so I came down here.” Shannon smiled.
“Your night tops mine.” He smiled, but his eyes still looked sad. “Shannon Burns, right?”
“Yeah.” She smiled back.
“Sidney Crosby.” He replied.
“What’d you do to your shoulder?” Shannon slid over a few bar seats so she was next to him.
“Separated shoulder and broken collar bone.” He said.
“Ouch!” Shannon said. “How’d you manage that.”
“I got boarded pretty bad in my hockey game.” He said.
“That's it!” Shannon laughed. “I knew I recognized you too! My dad’s a huge hockey fan.”
“Nice.” Sidney smiled. Sidney ran his hand through his hair. He thought it was funny that Shannon Burns would recognize him. Anyone could recognize her, but he was not as well known. “So how come you’re not out after partying?”
“There’s only so much I can take” She replied. “Love her to death, but I can only listen to Sofia’s accent for so long.”
“Movie star problems?” Shannon laughed. He looked into her eyes. Even with her smeared mascara, and falling apart hair do, she was absolutely beautiful. Even more so in person, than what he’d seen of her in movies or on TV.
“Yeah.” She replied. “So what are you doing here. Don’t you play in Pittsburgh?”
“Yeah.” Sidney frowned. “I got injured tonight. I have to get surgery, and the team doctor knows a good surgeon here so I’ll have the it here because even after it I can’t play for at least four weeks so I’ll go back when I can, but it works out this way. I hate being here when the team’s in Pittsburgh.”
“That really sucks.” Shannon said. She looked down at Sidney’s watch. “What time is it?”
“Four thirty-seven.” Sidney said.
“I’m not even tired!” She laughed.
“Neither am I.” He smiled. “I would usually be wiped after a game.”
“You’re probably so worn out that you don’t feel tired.”
“Is that a real thing?” He laughed.
“I don’t know, but it sounds like it could be.”
“Maybe.” He smiled. They sat and talked until they could see the sun starting to come up between the tall city buildings. Shannon realized she should probably get back to her hotel before Alice and Chelsea came looking.
“I should probably go.” Shannon said.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Sidney smiled. “But hold on one second.” He took a napkin out of the dispenser and asked a waitress for a pen. He scratched his number down on the napkin and handed it to Shannon. “Call me. I’ll be in town for a while.” He smiled.
“I will.” Shannon was being completely sincere. She would definitely call him. She made her way of the diner, just as the morning staff were coming in. She headed down the street to her hotel, where there were no photographers. Thank goodness. She could picture all the headlines. “Shannon Burns Does Walk of Shame at 4 am After Oscar Win!” She groaned at the thought.
She finally got to her bed after nearly killing herself by tripping over the garment carts that were leftover from last night. Too bad all the clothes and jewels, except her dress, had to go back to their designers later today. Shannon snuggled into the covers on her bed and drifted off to sleep almost immediately after her head hit the pillow.