𝕭𝖎𝖌 𝕽𝖊𝖕𝖚𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘

🇨‌🇭‌🇦‌🇵‌🇹‌🇪‌🇷‌ 🇴‌🇳‌🇪‌: ʜᴏʟʟʏᴡᴏᴏᴅ's ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ

My hands start sweating, and I rub them against a handcloth for the tenth time since I've sat in this chair. Florence continues to dazzle my face with highlighter while Phoebe finishes up my hairdo by pinning the half up part of my hair with a gold butterfly pin.

"You really look good in green," Florence says, moving on to lipliner. "It just compliments your sun kissed skin and your hazel eyes. God, Amaris, you're the it girl."

Once she finishes lining my lips, I chuckle at that. "It girl. I couldn't have done it without the two women who always go all out to make me look my best. How do you do it?"

Phoebe runs her fingers through my hair, making the fat curls turn into waves. "We don't fake beauty, we enhance it. You're naturally very pretty. Florence and I just magnify it."

"All right," Florence steps back. "Time to take a look at yourself."

I carefully get up from my chair and walk over to the full body mirror. My dark green ankle strap heels create thuds as I plod on the wooden floor. I gasp at the sight of myself. They've done it once again.

Phoebe's magic is show through the dark waves that stays behind my shoulders to show off the goddess-like dress. Dark green fabric is wrapped around my neck and tightly hugs my chest area with a slit to show off some skin in, and a wide golden band surrounds my waist. From hips down, the fabric turns into a river of green, giving an effect of the skirt flowing graciously with every step you take. Two detachable sleeves are pulled up to my elbow, and the fabric—like the skirt of my dress—flows like a long river. The dress is giving Loki, that's for sure.

"Is she ready?" Louisa, my manager, asks, knocking on the door and letting herself in. She takes one look at me and gasps out loud, her arms stretched to me. "Oh, darling, you look so lovely! You're going to be the main talk of the night tonight. As always."

I beam at her. "Thank you, Louisa. Shall we?"

"I should be asking you that," she sweetly smiles at me, and we both leave the room to go to the limo.

We're only a few yards away, and the flashing lights from the cameras still blind me despite the very dark tint on the windows. I fiddle with my fingers, anticipating the event that's going to happen. The moment I step foot out the car, the moment the cameras turn, it's game on.

It's been two years since my big debut, and I should be used to all this action, but I still get overwhelmed by all of it. This has been the third movie premiere this month, but this time, I'm not just a special guest. I'm here because two singles I have released made it to the movie soundtrack, and there's no way I'm passing this.

Our limo pulls up, and the cameras instantly turn my way. They flash here and there, left and right, and the door opens for me. I immediately hear my name being called from the fans and the paparazzi as I step out. I plaster on a bright smile and take in a deep breath.

"Amaris! Amaris, look here!"

"Looking stunning, Amaris!"

"Look here!"

I walk, pause, smile, and walk again. Fans are roaring and leaning over bodyguards as they shout my name. I amble over to them and smile, taking pictures with them and signing my autograph.

"You look so pretty, Amaris," says a girl as I sign a CD for her.

I press my hands together. "Aww, thank you."

"Amaris, when's the next album coming out?" another girl asks me, handing me a poster of my debut cover on it.

I sign my name with a grin. "Well, I can't say. Just enjoy the music that's out now. You never know when the next surprise is."

"Are you working on anything?" the boy next to her asks, and I notice him wearing the merch my team launched two months ago. He takes the sunglasses off and hands them to me, asking me to sign on the lens.

As I do so, I say, "That's for me to know, and you to find out."

"Any hints?" he asks curiously.

I hand the glasses back to him with a sly smirk. "Have a good day now."

I depart from that side of the carpet and travel to the other side where there were a lot more fans desperately wanting me to sign their merch. With gratitude, I sign my autograph of CDs, vinyl, T-shirts. They ask me questions about my upcoming album and the snippet I posted of a single I'm planning to release soon.

"When are you releasing the new album?"

"That snippet . . . is it in the new album?"

"Who are you collaborating with?"

"Have you met Eziah Kingston yet?"

My head snaps up at the voice. "I—um, say that again, please?'

"Eziah Kingston," the teenage girl says, her eyes glimmering with suspicion. "Are you guys together?"

Everyone who heard that turns their heads at me. I cover up my perplexity with a smile. "I've heard of the name, but I'm not sure where you're getting the idea of us being together."

She opens her mouth, but I feel Louisa's hands sup my arms as she whisks me away from being trapped in a wave of questions. "Amaris, you've got to remember: only answer—"

"—the questions about my music," I finish for her. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just they asked about—"

"EZIAH KINGSTON!"

"Eziah, look here!"

"Looking sharp, Eziah!"

Like an instinct, my eyes catch the onyx pair that's staring straight at me. I'm the first to tear away, but I sneak a glance at him one more time, a ghostly smile starting to appear on my face. He's handsome—strikingly handsome. Black hair styled perfectly, eyes of charcoal, and a figure of a Greek god.

He's like a dream, a dream that everyone falls in love with in an instant.

His talent in acting is phenomenal, and it leaves everyone speechless all the time. He never misses, that's for sure. Five Oscar awards only at the age of twenty. He has a high reputation due to his parents already being Hollywood's king and queen—yes, he is a nepotism baby, but he did work hard to earn the title as Hollywood's prince.

Louisa gently tugs me further inside where there are more reporters than fans. I turn on the red carpet mode, and once I find a suitable spot for the paparazzi, I begin to strike poses for the pictures. I relax my eyelids and look at as many cameras as possible. Look here, look there, look over your shoulder, do a spin. They say so many things, but I block them out just as Louisa has told me. Walk, pause, pose, walk again.

From the corner of my eye, I notice a figure walking towards me. I slightly turn my head to the left side of the cameras in front of me. I see Eziah Kingston smiling at the paparazzi, his hand tuck in one pocket.

"Amaris, come here!"

My attention snaps, and I come to realize where the voice came from. One of the main stars, Lily Callahan, beams and motions me to her. I grin and walk over to join the cast despite me not actually being part of the cast. I feel someone's presence behind me, and an arm sneaking around my waist.

I inhale deeply and plaster on a smile. His hand inches a little to my hip, and he subtly pulls me closer to him. I roll my eyes a little and pretend to adjust the skirt of my dress.

"Stop being silly," I say, patting the fabric.

He chuckles, his hand traveling all the way up to cup my bare shoulder. "What if I just like being a little funny?"

I smile again at the cameras, the flashes blinding here and there. After our group picture, I turn on my heel and begin to walk further. His hand falls from my waist, and his thumb barely grazes my palm as he mutters:

"You look breathtaking, love."

My lips curve at his words, his breath warming my neck. People call out his name here and there, and I try my best not to crane my neck for one last glance at him as I'm escorted into the theater.