Starstruck
News and A Phone Call
The paparazzi had finally left Shannon and Sidney alone as they walked down the empty beach. Not many people came to this beach. “So now that you apparently know everything about me, I think I should know some more about you.” Sidney smiled.
“That’s fair.” Shannon returned.
“Tell me about your stereotypical home.”
“Well,” she started. “I am from Marble Falls, Texas. Population just over 6,000 people. I was born there and lived there and loved it until I was seven, when I traveled to Atlanta to film Remember the Titans. When I was there I realized that people didn’t live the way I did. Everyone didn’t know everyone, people locked their doors, people didn’t wear overalls in public, people wore shoes.” Sidney laughed. “I drove an old blue pickup truck in high school. I thought living there was boring at times. I graduated high school, moved here at eighteen, and picked up where I left off on acting.”
“You’re the coach’s daughter in Remember the Titans?” Sidney asked. Shannon’s eyes lit up when he recognized it.
“Yeah!” She smiled.
“I can see it.” He said. “You’ve still got the hair.”
“Its a little to light for me right now, but the movie color will fade in a little.”
“I think its pretty.” Sidney smiled.
“Thanks.” Shannon smiled.
...................................................................................
Shannon laid back in her bed and thought about her day with Sidney. She really liked him. He was one of the only people who didn’t care who she was. He didn’t care about the press or stares. He just ignored them and paid all of his attention to her. She closed her eyes when she started thinking about how he with her on a rock, and how when she least expected it, he put his arms around her and kissed her. He had chosen just the right moment. They were laughing as they hid from cameras in the rocks, then it just happened. Their eyes met, and he kissed her. It was great. Shannon felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. It was a TMZ news alert. Shannon liked to be alerted when she was making headlines.
She looked at it and read, “Shannon Out and About on the Beach After Oscar Win...With a Boy!” Shannon frowned at the headline and read through the article that was mostly pictures. They had identified the “mystery man” as Sidney Crosby, and one of the photogs had even snapped a picture of them kissing. “Damn,” she thought they were hidden. Someone knocked on her door before she could finish reading the rest of the article.
“Well you’re cute.” Catherine walked in as Shannon opened the door.
“Come in, Catherine.” Shannon answered.
“Why wasn’t I invited to the beach?” She asked. “I like it there too.”
“You’re crazy.” Shannon laughed. “Now, what is the point of this visit?”
“You and your boy out kissing on the beach!” Catherine replied. “Its all over TMZ.”
“So you get notifications on me too?" Shannon asked as they sat down on the couch.
“Just to keep up on gossip.” She said very matter of factly. “Anyway, how was it?”
“Good.” Shannon sighed. “I just thought we were hidden.”
“Its okay.” Catherine laughed. “I’m no one will care.” With that, Shannon’s phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Shannon!” Shannon was filled with all different emotions when she heard the sweet spanish accent through the phone. “Why you do this to me?”
“Do what to you, Tim?”
“Baby, you already got another boy to replace me.” He slurred.
"You're drunk, Tim."
"I'm fine, baby." He whined.
"I'm not doing this now." Shannon said.
"Bab-" Shannon hung up the phone before he could finish whining.
"Why is he harassing you?" Catherine asked.
"He was drunk." Shannon looked down at her hands as she picked at her nails.
"Are you sure you're okay with all of this?"
"No!" Shannon burst into tears. "I don't know. Tim was such a different person last year. Now, I'm embarrassed to say I was ever in love with or engaged to him."
"I'm sorry." Catherine wrapped her arms around Shannon.
"It just sucks because he never loved me back." Shannon wiped her tears with her hand.
"But what about this new guy?" Catherine said. "He sounds really awesome."
"Yeah." Shannon smiled. She looked down at the time on her phone. "He's going into surgery right now."
"Really?" Shannon nodded. "Then let's go out, get some flowers and be there when he wakes up!" Catherine exclaimed.
"Would that be weird?" Shannon asked.
"Not if you like him and he likes you!" Catherine laughed.
“Okay.” Shannon smiled. “I’ll go.”
“I’m coming!” Catherine stood up.
“Is there anyway I can talk you out of coming?” Shannon asked.
“No!” Catherine replied. “I did the research and you went to the beach without me. I’m coming.”
“I thought so.” Shannon sighed. “You’re driving.”
“Yes!” Catherine pumped her fist.
“That’s fair.” Shannon returned.
“Tell me about your stereotypical home.”
“Well,” she started. “I am from Marble Falls, Texas. Population just over 6,000 people. I was born there and lived there and loved it until I was seven, when I traveled to Atlanta to film Remember the Titans. When I was there I realized that people didn’t live the way I did. Everyone didn’t know everyone, people locked their doors, people didn’t wear overalls in public, people wore shoes.” Sidney laughed. “I drove an old blue pickup truck in high school. I thought living there was boring at times. I graduated high school, moved here at eighteen, and picked up where I left off on acting.”
“You’re the coach’s daughter in Remember the Titans?” Sidney asked. Shannon’s eyes lit up when he recognized it.
“Yeah!” She smiled.
“I can see it.” He said. “You’ve still got the hair.”
“Its a little to light for me right now, but the movie color will fade in a little.”
“I think its pretty.” Sidney smiled.
“Thanks.” Shannon smiled.
...................................................................................
Shannon laid back in her bed and thought about her day with Sidney. She really liked him. He was one of the only people who didn’t care who she was. He didn’t care about the press or stares. He just ignored them and paid all of his attention to her. She closed her eyes when she started thinking about how he with her on a rock, and how when she least expected it, he put his arms around her and kissed her. He had chosen just the right moment. They were laughing as they hid from cameras in the rocks, then it just happened. Their eyes met, and he kissed her. It was great. Shannon felt her phone buzz in her back pocket. It was a TMZ news alert. Shannon liked to be alerted when she was making headlines.
She looked at it and read, “Shannon Out and About on the Beach After Oscar Win...With a Boy!” Shannon frowned at the headline and read through the article that was mostly pictures. They had identified the “mystery man” as Sidney Crosby, and one of the photogs had even snapped a picture of them kissing. “Damn,” she thought they were hidden. Someone knocked on her door before she could finish reading the rest of the article.
“Well you’re cute.” Catherine walked in as Shannon opened the door.
“Come in, Catherine.” Shannon answered.
“Why wasn’t I invited to the beach?” She asked. “I like it there too.”
“You’re crazy.” Shannon laughed. “Now, what is the point of this visit?”
“You and your boy out kissing on the beach!” Catherine replied. “Its all over TMZ.”
“So you get notifications on me too?" Shannon asked as they sat down on the couch.
“Just to keep up on gossip.” She said very matter of factly. “Anyway, how was it?”
“Good.” Shannon sighed. “I just thought we were hidden.”
“Its okay.” Catherine laughed. “I’m no one will care.” With that, Shannon’s phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Shannon!” Shannon was filled with all different emotions when she heard the sweet spanish accent through the phone. “Why you do this to me?”
“Do what to you, Tim?”
“Baby, you already got another boy to replace me.” He slurred.
"You're drunk, Tim."
"I'm fine, baby." He whined.
"I'm not doing this now." Shannon said.
"Bab-" Shannon hung up the phone before he could finish whining.
"Why is he harassing you?" Catherine asked.
"He was drunk." Shannon looked down at her hands as she picked at her nails.
"Are you sure you're okay with all of this?"
"No!" Shannon burst into tears. "I don't know. Tim was such a different person last year. Now, I'm embarrassed to say I was ever in love with or engaged to him."
"I'm sorry." Catherine wrapped her arms around Shannon.
"It just sucks because he never loved me back." Shannon wiped her tears with her hand.
"But what about this new guy?" Catherine said. "He sounds really awesome."
"Yeah." Shannon smiled. She looked down at the time on her phone. "He's going into surgery right now."
"Really?" Shannon nodded. "Then let's go out, get some flowers and be there when he wakes up!" Catherine exclaimed.
"Would that be weird?" Shannon asked.
"Not if you like him and he likes you!" Catherine laughed.
“Okay.” Shannon smiled. “I’ll go.”
“I’m coming!” Catherine stood up.
“Is there anyway I can talk you out of coming?” Shannon asked.
“No!” Catherine replied. “I did the research and you went to the beach without me. I’m coming.”
“I thought so.” Shannon sighed. “You’re driving.”
“Yes!” Catherine pumped her fist.