Ivory stepped out of the car onto the Oscar Champagne Carpet, the Versace suit hugging her curves perfectly. She looked stunning and the cameras immediately started flashing. She turned to her plus one, Sadie, who was wearing a matching dress, and grinned.
"I can't believe we're actually here," Ivory said, her voice shaking with excitement.
"I know, right? This is insane!" Sadie replied, her eyes wide with wonder.
The two of them made their way down the carpet, stopping every so often to pose for pictures and talk to reporters. Lily Singh, the famous comedian and talk show host, was waiting for Ivory at the end of the carpet.
"Hey, Ivory, looking amazing as always! How does it feel to be here tonight?" Lily asked, holding a microphone up to Ivory's face.
Ivory's heart was pounding in her chest. "It feels incredible, Lily. I'm so honored to be nominated and I'm just grateful to be here."
"You look absolutely stunning in that suit. Can you tell us a bit about it?" Lily asked, gesturing to Ivory's outfit.
"It's Versace. I wanted to do something a little bit different, so I went with a suit instead of a dress. And Sadie and I wanted to match, so we chose this deep blue color," Ivory explained.
"That's so cool! And speaking of Sadie, she's your plus one tonight. How does it feel to have her here with you?"
"It feels amazing. Sadie is my best friend and my rock, so having her here with me tonight means the world to me," Ivory replied, smiling at Sadie.
"Aw, that's so sweet. Now, I have to ask - how do you feel about your chances of winning tonight?"
Ivory took a deep breath. "Honestly, I'm just happy to be here. Winning would be incredible, of course, even though the chances of that are very low, but just being nominated is a huge honor."
Lily nodded understandingly. "Well, I wish you the best of luck tonight, Ivory. Have a great time!"
"Thank you, Lily. I will!" Ivory said, before moving on to talk to the next reporter.
As the nominees for Actress in a Supporting Role were announced, Ivory held her breath, her heart beating wildly in her chest. The camera panned to her and Sadie, who was gripping her hand tightly, both of them sitting on the edge of their seats.
"And now, to the equally exceptional women who
captivated us with emotionally searing performances," The voice announced while Troy Kotsur signed the words.
Ivory was sitting in her chair, shifting nervously.
"Here are the nominees for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role."
"Angela Basset, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," the voice from the screen said, as the clips of the nominees began to flash up, earning a round of cheers from the audience.
"I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone!" a clip of Angela's played. "Have I not given everything?"
The cameras cut to Angela, where she sat smiling.
"Hong Chau; The Whale," another round of applause rang through the crowd.
"You listen to me! He doesn't need saving!" the woman's clip played on the screen. "In a few days, he's probably gonna be dead. So what he needs is for you to leave him alone. I am the only one who can help him! You understand me!?"
Once again, the cameras cut to Hong Chau, who blew a kiss and mouthed 'I love you.'
"Jamie Lee Curtis; Everything Everywhere All At Once," a loud round of claps was hear as her name was called.
"Now, you may only see a pile of boring forms and numbers, but I see a story. I can trace the ups and downs of your lives," Jamie's clip played on screen. "And it does not look good. It does not look good."
The cameras cut to Jamie Lee, as she clapped alongside everyone else.
"Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once," Once again, a large round of applause bounded through the room.
"I'm tired. I don't wanna hurt anymore and for some reason, when I'm with you, it just... it just hurts the both of us," Stephanie's clip played on screen "Just let me go!"
The cameras then shown on Stephanie, who smiled brightly, waving at the camera.
"Ivory Parker, The Whale" The crowd cheered loud and Sadie nudged Ivory's shoulder while clapping for her.
"You can't just give her so much money for spending time with you, this is insane. This is such a bad idea Charlie." The clip started playing, where her Character, Kate, was arguing with Charlie.
The cameras cut to the girl who awkwardly held her intertwined hand up to wave, and gave the camera a grin.
As Arianna tore open the envelope the whole hall was quiet. And the nominees were nervously sitting in their chairs.
"And the Oscar goes to..." Arianna announced and opened the card, gasping as she read the name. Then she spoke up. "Ivory Parker, The Whale!"
As the announcer called out her name, Ivory felt like her heart had stopped beating. The people around her were jumping up, pulling her up from her seat. She felt like she was in a dream.
As she made her way up to the stage, Ivory felt like she was walking on air. She couldn't believe that this was really happening, that she was actually holding an Oscar in her hands. She felt tears streaming down her face as she approached the microphone.
"I...I'm not really prepared for this," Ivory began, her voice shaking slightly. "I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am to be here tonight, to be nominated alongside such incredible actresses. I'm really in shock right now."
She looked out into the crowd, scanning the sea of faces for her family, her co-stars, her friends. She saw Sadie's face, beaming with pride, and felt a sense of comfort wash over her. She knew that Sadie had been her rock throughout this whole process, and she couldn't have done it without her.
"I want to thank my fellow nominees, especially Hong Chau. Your performance in The Whale was nothing short of extraordinary, and you deserve this award just as much as I do," Ivory continued. "I also want to thank the producers of The Whale, who took a chance on me and gave me this incredible opportunity. And of course, I want to thank my family, who have always been there for me, through the ups and downs of this crazy industry."
She took a deep breath and looked down at the little golden statue in her hands, feeling a sense of awe and wonder wash over her. She had dreamed of this moment for as long as she could remember, but now that it was actually happening, she didn't quite know how to process it all.
"But most of all, I want to thank my partner in crime, my best friend, my rock. Sadie, you have been my constant throughout this whole journey, and I couldn't have done it without you," Ivory said, her voice cracking with emotion. "You inspire me every day with your talent, your kindness, your unwavering support. I love you more than words can say."
Sadie blew Ivory a kiss from her seat, her eyes shining with pride and joy. Ivory's voice grew stronger as she continued. "I never thought I'd be here tonight, accepting this award. When I first heard I was nominated, I couldn't believe it. And when I found out Sadie wasn't nominated, I didn't understand why. She was amazing in The Whale, and she deserves this just as much as I do."
The audience erupted into applause, and Ivory felt like she was floating on air. She took a deep breath and looked out at the audience again. "Thank you," she said simply
And with that, Ivory stepped away from the microphone and made her way down the stage, her eyes glistening with tears.
As she sat down, she leaned into Sadie, tears streaming down her face. Sadie held her tightly, her eyes shining with pride and love. They sat there together, holding each other close, as the rest of the awards ceremony played out around them. It was a moment they would both remember for the rest of their lives.
As they hugged, Ivory felt a sense of gratitude wash over her. Gratitude for this moment, for this recognition, for the people in her life who had supported her through it all. She knew that this was just the beginning, that there would be many more ups and downs in her career, but for now, she was content to bask in the glow of this one perfect moment.
And as she looked out into the crowd, she saw the faces of her fellow actors, all beaming with pride and joy for her. She knew that this was what it was all about, this