Backstage at the 2015 The Next Big Thing
"Hollyleaf, stop hogging the bathroom!"
"I need to straighten my fur! And fix my hollyleaf ear clips! And use my holly-scented perfume!"
"I need to wash my face and make sure my bowtie is straight!"
"You wanted to tell the Clans who my parents are, so I can hog the bathroom if I want to!"
"Well you killed me, so I can bang on the door if I want to!"
Live on the Green Carpet
"Hello, ClanTV viewers!" a dark cream tortoiseshell meowed, giving the camera a dazzling smile. "Rosepetal here with ClanTV News. I'm here on the Green Carpet at Warriors Fanfiction: The Next Big Thing. Before the show starts, I'm going to interview some of our special guests. Let's see if Sharpclaw will talk to me." She turned from the camera and padded down the carpet, looking for the tom. "Toadstep, follow me!" she yowled as she walked.
Toadstep hurried after his sister, lugging a giant camera with him.
Rosepetal found Sharpclaw talking with a group of deputies about politics. "Sharpclaw, may I interrupt please?" the she-cat asked.
The tom turned to face her, his eyes widening at the sight of Toadstep's camera. "Sure...I guess."
"Excellent! How do you feel about being nominated for Best Up-and-Coming Protagonist?"
Sharpclaw thought for a moment, still eyeing the camera nervously. "Well, I feel proud. I've never been nominated for an award before, so it's pretty cool."
Rosepetal nodded. "How badly do you want to win?"
"Honestly, I'm just happy I was nominated," the tom meowed. "I'm up against some tough competition. I could see Snowfur or Willowbreeze win easily."
"What will you do if you win?" the reporter asked.
Sharpclaw shrugged. "I don't know. I know there's some prize money involved, and I could use a new car. A 1992 beat up pick-up truck is not fit for a Clan deputy."
Rosepetal nodded in agreement. "No, it certainly is not. Are you hoping anybody special is watching tonight?"
"Leafstar," the tom meowed instantly. "I really admire her, and I know she's with Billystorm and has kits, but I really like her."
"Nice to know," the she-cat mewed. "Thank you for talking with me. Can you point me in the direction of Heathertail?"
Sharpclaw nodded. "Sure. She's over by Lionblaze and Cinderheart."
Rosepetal smiled a the tom. "Thank you." Padding away, the reporter hurried over to the WindClan she-cat. "Heathertail! Oh, Heathertail!"
"Yes?" the nominee meowed. "Can I help you?"
"I'm going to ask you some questions, if that's okay," Rosepetal mewed.
Heathertail nodded. "Alright. Go for it."
Rosepetal handed the cat a microphone. "So how are things with Breezepelt?"
"Um...I'm not with Breezepelt," Heathertail mewed.
"Is Breezepelt here to support you tonight?"
"He's not here."
"Well, is he watching at home, cheering you on?"
Heathertail shifted her paws nervously. "He's not my boyfriend!" she hissed.
"So he's tracking the award show on Twitter then?" Rosepetal asked. "How are things between you two?"
"We aren't together!" the WindClan cat repeated. "Stop asking about us!"
Rosepetal smiled, knowing she'd hit a nerve. "So how are things with Lionblaze?"
The golden tom cast her a glance. "I'm not with Heathertail either."
"I don't have a boyfriend, okay?" the she-cat cried. "Lionblaze doesn't like me and Breezepelt is...Breezepelt is..."
"According to a recent PawBook update, your boyfriend," Rosepetal finished.
Heathertail's eyes widened. "You looked up my PawBook account? You aren't my friend! How'd you get access to that? He's not my boyfriend! He doesn't like me like that! He didn't get me a diamond ring for my birthday, so don't look at the ring on my paw!"
Rosepetal turned to smile at the camera. "So there you have it, folks. Breezepelt and Heathertail are official."
"We are not!" Heathertail snarled, looking as if she were preparing to attack the reporter.
"And it's time for a commercial break!" Rosepetal cried as the WindClan cat raised a paw to hit her. "Toadstep, turn that camera off!"