Silver or Gold? - Creative Writing Piece.

It’s that treacherous time of award season, and I love it! So, I retreated to my favourite corner of the internet, Tumblr (don’t try look me up, you will not succeed), and posted this little descriptive creative writing about a meet-cute on the red carpet. I really enjoyed exploring the use of minimal character description- leaving it up for interpretation (as well as insertion of the readers preferred crush/character- I had a sneaky someone in mind, naturally). I will only accept judgement with love, nobody can shame me more than myself, and I have been a writer for the Tumblr masses long enough to be devoid of embarrassment- in fact, I’ve not only come to peace with it, but I’m also proud of the content I’ve created and have received reception for. Again, my fandom nonsense is to be kept hidden, and instead I hope you enjoy this lil’ experimentation.

The flustered flashes of stark, shimmering camera’s coming from left and right, blinding and blurring his vision, eyes darting back and forth as the mass of people in front of him called out in competitive coos for his attention. He worked with desperate determination to remain still, to stick to his poses, tune out the hornet’s nest of leeching photographers, and under no circumstances, should he squint.

Seconds felt like minutes, which might as well have been hours. With each mounting moment, fear riddled its way to the core of his chest, questioning if he looked like a fool, was his hair alright, his outfit properly fitted? And before he was completely swallowed by the tornado of sensory overload, goosebumps pricking up at the back of his neck, he was plucked from natural disaster, ushered further along the carpet, away from the buzzards of cameras, slipping further into the scattered crowd of the elegantly-garbed guests in attendance.

All in their own heads, people scurried amongst one another, ducking, and weaving in attempts to avoid trampling dress-trains, displacing gems, and jewels, keeping their hairdos intact.

He remained glued to his publicist’s side, seeking coherence within this sea of crazed confusion. He was waved forward, trailing along the velveted carpet, joining in the collective of avoidance tactics, almost crashing straight into a short, disheveled man who seemed not to notice, disappearing in an instant. It was only when he was stood directly across from an interviewer- draped in satin blue, extending a microphone his way- that he returned to reality, a camera suddenly coming to focus, and he wondered, had it been there the entire time?

The interviewer was already mid-greeting, and he scolded himself for such distraction, focusing extra hard on the words sent his way, waiting his turn to return the greeting and express thanks for being asked how his evening was going so far. A sudden flash- not that of a camera, but of a silver, shimmering dress- out of the corner of his eye tore his gaze before he could stop himself. The owner of the floor-length gown was bobbing between the wave of tuxedo’s, floating in and out of view as he tried with anxious desperation to bring her into fully fledged focus. From what he could confirm, her eyes flared brighter than the flashes that caused her dress to flicker, and her smile was swallowing her cheeks whole, crinkling at the corners of her crevices.

Like the snap of a finger, another question was sent his way, and he lost her to the tides. When he finally had the chance to redivert his attention to finding her, she was long gone, and he was left to be lured back into the fixated conversations of fashion, music, and the appearances of other stars. Tediousness would best describe the motions moving from one corner of bellowing and bitching to the other, and he longed for the seat decorated with a label of his name, the dimmed lights and clapping of hands, for the proper celebration. 'Last one,' paired with a pat on the back was his saving grace, and a burst of enigmatic energy took him by complete surprise. He answered the questions more animatedly, made more eye contact, and was more than happy to show off his jewelry for the pleasure of the viewers at home.

'Hey, you!' a familiar face greeted as he rewardingly reached the carpet’s finishing line, and he was happy to be warmly wrapped within the bubble of a fellow nominee. It was nearing the time of dropping formalities and moving the party indoors, the slow ushering of guests stirring up nearby. He lingered in conversation, the desire to rush disappearing, and in hindsight, he was more than grateful for that, because like the breech of a blue whale, the owner of the shimmering silver dress- completely preoccupied in conversation with the middle-aged woman walking alongside her- was heading his direction.

His breath became trapped between his chest and throat as she floated by, looking straight ahead. And as her bare back became all of her he could see, the air gushed out from between his lips, a thirsty thump in his head. He felt an odd omen of loss, fearing it would be the last time he saw her face. The so-called departed anxiety had returned tenfold, anchoring its place in his heart, but with what many- including himself- may define as great luck, a slender, sterling bracelet sneakily slipped from her wrist, cascading down her dress before settling on the carpet with satisfaction. A satisfaction he shared as his feet mindlessly moved him forward, a puppy her heels, bending down to grab the bracelet, balanced between his fingers as his free hand reached out and gently tapped her shoulder.

Stopping in her tracks, lips parted and eyed widening as she tilted her neck to acknowledge the stranger. Standing before her, he suddenly felt rather silly. Peering down at her as she turned and looked up at him expectantly. A soft frown settling between his brows, only gesturing her to look down at his still splayed-out palm, her bracelet sitting so sweetly in the center. Her confusion switched to realization, then straight to mortification for managing to misplace her only accessory of importance. Muttering ‘fuck’, she peered up at him, blinking bashfully.

He only smiled down at her goofily, hoping that in some way it would reassure her. And it seemed to, her shoulders sinking back down, devoid of shame, suddenly substituted with curiosity. His eyes reflected the distant flashes, curls perfectly settled, daintily dotted freckles, dimples deep, and surely he could see the blush blotching up at her cheeks. She reached out to receive her retrieved treasure, lashes fanning as her eyes widened when he gently grasped her wrist, mindfully wrapping the bracelet back where it belonged before clipping the clasp into place, his hands lingering atop her skin for as long as she was willing to permit.

And now, seconds felt nothing like hours, they were gone before they came, and he was lettering her arm go. Still looking over at him shyly, she offered a more than grateful thank you, twisting at the bracelet timidly before sounds of excitement struck her senses back to attention, and she slipped back into reality.

So, she sent her curious contemplation his way for a moment longer, her ears tingling at the sight of his cheeks warming under her watch, before softly waving - bracelet on display for all - and turning back to her attendee, who was waiting aside patiently. They re-synced and continued their pursuit of the event’s entrance. But just before being swallowed by the sea of stars once more, she looked back over her shoulder, and he knew now with certainty that they were surely sharing the same air of intrigue.

His hopes for the evening swirled and switched from ending with a shined and polished Gold award, to seeking out the owner of the runaway Silver bracelet.