OMG I haven't written a fanfic in so long. I used to be Oreo Cookie Monster 678! I wrote some Faya stories and started a Joshaya one but never finished.
I gotta be honest, I really don't ship the same ships I used to. I've moved onto Lucaya. And Shaty. I still kinda like Faya though.
Anywaaaay, on with the story! I don't own GMW. I made up the festival
The New Artists festival was bustling with sounds, sights, and smells.
Sounds of under-practiced teenage bands playing out of sync on stage.
The pasty smell of clearance-priced acrylic paint on a cheap canvas.
Sights of people young and old showing their talent (or lack thereof) hoping to earn something, whether it be a plastic trophy or cash to pay their rent.
The sound of cameras clicking, reporters reporting.
Amid the commotion, finding the perfect headline picture for the New York Times was like finding a needle in a haystack. Shawn Hunter sat on a park bench as close to the center of the event as possible.
The atrocious gang of high school freshmen finally abandoned their gig, taking their instruments off of the stage. Shawn's attention wandered. When he returned it to the stage, a young woman was at the microphones, a small girl beside her.
"-and we'll be reenacting the 'Never Let Go' scene from Titanic." The woman stepped away from the microphone. She climbed onto a low table, lying on her stomach.
The little girl stood at the end of the table and rested her elbows on it, grabbing her mother's hands. The audience laughed when her little feet dangled above the stage floor.
Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, the woman started. "I'm so cold," she whimpered.
The little girl spoke, "You're gonna get outta this. You're gonna go on and make babies and... and be an old lady. Then you're gonna die."
Her loose quoting of the original line made everyone laugh. Interested, Shawn raised his camera.
"I can't feel my body," the woman spoke into the microphone.
"You listen to me," the little girl continued. "Winning the ticket was... uh, good. And I'm thankful. Never let go?"
"I promise." The woman shivered convincingly. Even in her role, even from where he stood, Shawn could see a look of love in the woman's eyes as she focused on the little girl in front of her.
It was... cute. Nice. Warm.
"Never let go!" the little girl said forcefully.
"I promise. I will never let go, Jack. I'll never let go."
Shawn quickly snapped a picture before the audience stood up and clapped. He clapped as well and chided himself for missing their names.
"And that was our final act in this exhibit for the day," the announcer declared. "Our judges have tallied the votes. Third place goes to... X-Ray Doritos for their cover of Teenagers!"
The teenage band rushed onstage to claim their individual ribbons and ten dollar gift cards to Burger King.
"Second place goes to..." The announcer opened the second envelope. "Isadora Smackle for her original quadratic formula song!"
A dark haired little girl climbed onto the stage to claim her trophy and fifty dollar bill. The audience clapped as she bowed and left the stage.
From where he was as he approached the stage, Shawn could see the young woman from the Titanic act. Her face fell as she listened to the announcer. She gently steered her daughter away from the stage.
She didn't think her act was good enough, Shawn realized. She didn't think she had even a shot to win. He didn't even know her and the realization was disheartening.
"Our first prize winner goes to..." The announcer slowly opened the envelope. "Katy Hart and her adorable costar, Maya!"
The blond woman froze, her eyes widening as her daughter grabbed her hand and tugged her back toward the stage.
"I... I can't believe this," she said as she accepted $200 and a trophy, which she handed to Maya. "Thank you much."
Shawn's heart stuttered at the grin that spread across her face as she shook the announcer's hand and left the stage. He made his way toward the stage stairs.
"We won, Mommy!"
"We did, baby girl. Because you did such a good job!"
The little girl's eyes lit up. "But you were the best."
"Oh, that was you. Because-" She paused when they reached Shawn. "Oh. Hi."
He remembered his words. "Uh... hi. My name's Shawn Hunter. I'm a writer for the New York Times. Do you have a minute? I'd like to get this in the paper. Katy, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Katy. I'd love to."
"Great." Shawn led them to a bench, where he took a picture of them. "So what got you into acting?"
Katy smiled shyly and twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "It's just always been my dream. I know it's cliché. But I loved drama club in high school. I just love being on stage."
Shawn jotted that down. "And what made you pick that scene to perform today?"
Katy grinned. "Oh, I just really love Titanic. It's one of my favorites. I was watching it with Maya last week and she actually picked out that scene for us to do." The more she spoke, the more enthusiastic she became.
It was adorable.
Shawn looked down at Maya, who pulled her mother's hand across her face. "Do you always act with your mom?"
"No. I gotta go to school most of the time and learn," she huffed, uttering the last word as if it tasted rotten on her tongue.
"We don't get to do it a lot," Katy admitted. "I work most of the time, but today's my night shift."
"Where do you usually work?"
"The Nighthawk Diner. It's a good little place to eat, but my shifts are long and sometimes it's still hard to get enough to keep food on the table and a roof over this one's head." Katy playfully nudged Maya.
Shawn nodded. "Thanks. This should make a good cover story."
"You stopped writing two minutes ago."
"I did?" Shawn looked down at his notepad. "Oops. I'll work everything in. Keep an eye out for the paper?"
Katy smiled. "Okay. Thanks." She took her daughter's hand and Shawn watched as they walked away.
That night, Shawn was typing the interview for the paper when he glanced at the time on his laptop. 6:54 P.M.
He saved the document and closed the laptop. His car keys were on the counter and he grabbed them and his phone.
"Siri, take me to the Nighthawk Diner."
What'dya think? Let me know in the reviews! It means a lot!