Authors Note: All my works can be found at illumegeoff.tumblr.com. That is where I update everything first and have all my works as I do not post all of them here on Wattpad. So if you really like my stuff check there.
"You'll be on in ten." A guy with a headset said quickly before poking his head back out the door.
My manager looked at me and smiled getting up from his seat. "You ready?" He asked.
I looked in the dressing mirror and look over myself sitting in the chair. My hair was in fluffy curls, makeup simple for daytime television. I had a nice blue tartan top on with a matte black skirt. I felt really good and was excited.
"Yeah. I'm good. Excited actually." I smiled back grabbing my phone from my lap.
My manager went through tips for the interview. We had not given any specific limitations on questions as we didn't have scandals or secrets the public was aware of. But regardless he went over them.
"It will probably be similar to last time. Maybe a little more different. You've gained a lot more popularity since the last time on the show. You know how she likes to blindside you with questions you'd have to be careful answering."
I nodded but felt prepared. I scrolled through my phone waiting for them to call me to stage.
The guy with the headset turned up a few minutes later. "Alright, they are ready for you. If you'll follow me."
We got up from our seats and exited my dressing room. The guy in the headset began prepping me. "So you'll wait at the steps and head down after Ellen introduces you. You'll have the first part of the interview for about 5 minutes. She will cut to break. The second part of the interview will be a game, I believe you agreed to 'Who'd You Rather?' correct?"
I agreed. As we began to enter behind the set, I could hear Ellen talking to her other guest, who I believe was Tom Holland. The guy prepping me began to speak quieter.
"After the game, she will cut to commercial and then reintroduce you for the third segment of the interview that will take about three minutes."
We reached behind the set and I could hear clapping as Ellen spoke saying they would be right back and be talking with me. I began to suddenly get nervous. This always happened.
"Alright." He spoke once the clapping was done. "Wait here. I'll be back to give you the signal to walk out." As I stood waiting at the top of the curved stairs behind the set I began to feel nervous. I knew I shouldn't but I could help it, my heart was beating strong in my chest as I tried to control my breathing.
I could hear the crew moving around the set. Then I heard people walking behind me. I turned to look and saw Tom walking back towards the dressing rooms. He saw me and smiled. I waved. He smiled and cut away from his team, and introduced himself. He quickly chatted with me which help me forget the nervousness surrounding my body. After making quick small talk he wished me luck and joined back to his team.
Now that my distraction was gone I felt the nerves all again. Why couldn't I had been as calm as I was in the dressing room?
I noticed the guy in the headset come and stand by me. My heart started pounding and felt like I was about to start a race. He made eye contact indicating I would be on soon, he then held up his hand to me wanting me to stay. The set got quite and then Ellen began to speak introducing my limited list of accomplishments and my latest movie.
His fingers began to count down to one. I took a deep breath bouncing on my toes. "Go." He said dropping his hand.
I began my walk down as I heard Ellen say my name. Moments later 'Rockin'' by the Weeknd began to boom over the set and I could hear cheers from the crowd. I grinned liking the song choice for my entrance. Turning the corner I made my way down. Looking up I smiled seeing the crowd emerged while trying to not fall down in my heels.
Once reaching the last step I looked up and saw the crowd. Catching onto the beat, I smiled again to the crowd and waved, right before I began to shimmy my shoulders. Making it look as if I was enjoying the pressure of all eyes on me.
I walked across the floor and took the steps up to the set. Ellen was standing up from her chair. Going with my nerves I slowed down after the last step up and dance my way over to her. She laughed at me. Once close enough I normalised myself and greeted her and gave her a quick hug.
"Great moves." She chuckled into my ear. We disconnected and she motioned for me to sit down. I followed her instructions and crossed my ankles. The music and clapping slowly dissipated.
I looked to Ellen and she was smiling back.
"Wow. That's some great moves you have going."
I began to laugh, probably from the nerves. "Oh good, because I did not practice that at all." I said dragging the last word. The audience laughed seeming to like my joke.
Ellen looked to audience and back to me before she leant back in her chair sitting more comfortably, raising her hand to me. "Well thank you for being on the show again. It's been a while, a lot has happened since I last saw you."
I pulled at my skirt. "Yes, it has. Been crazy since I was last here. Thank you so much for having me again, by the way. I honestly love coming here. I wish I could be here all the time."
"Oh. Really?" Ellen smiled. "You looking for a job?" I think we have some openings? Have any special talents?"
I leant back in the chair. "Oh yeah. Apparently, I'm a really great dancer." I said pointing my thumb back to the entrance I came from.
The audience laughed, and Ellen flashed them an impressed look. They seemed to like my humour. Which I was a relief because I had no idea where it was coming from.
Ellen then turned back to me and reached out touching the arm of my chair warmly. "No speaking of dancing. You've had to do a lot of that for your next moving coming out. The remake of 'Dancin' in the Rain' which you star as Kathy Selden! Which is incredible by the way!" The audience clapped and I nodded to them in thanks.
"Oh thank you." I spoke to Ellen. I pushed back my hair behind my ears nervous. "Yes, It's been absolutely insane. I wasn't really prepared for everything that was required to take on Kathy. The dance numbers were so intense on their own, and then to add I needed to sing on top of it was a lot of work. But I absolutely love the original picture growing up, so obviously I just had to do it." I finished smiling to the crowd.
Ellen watch me intently, her blue eyes so bright in the lighting and the nerves from before began to fade away. "Yes." She began again. "And my god. You have such an incredible voice!"
The audience quickly cheered and I blushed shyly.
"Like I did not know the last time you were here that you also sang. You're absolutely incredible. I was blown away by the trailer that just came out."
I smiled trying to hold back how pleased I was to hear Ellen complimenting me. "Aw. Thank you, that's so nice." I paused shifting a little and resting my hand on my armrest. "Yeah. I don't know the whole singing thing was just something that came up. I didn't really come into this thinking I'd ever really get to use it because honestly, I didn't think I was that good of a singer." I shyly looked to the audience. " But the opportunity came up and I was like 'Well why not?' I shrugged my shoulders.
"Well, I think we can all agree your singing is beautiful." She looked to the audience for their approval which they gave in cheers. She then looked back to me "I think that's amazing you've been able to expand so much this past year it's probably been crazy for you!"
"Yeah, it has. It's been so much. I've just been taking it in and just trying to sometimes step back and humble myself because it's been so amazing. Sometimes it becomes a lot and you forget all the amazing accomplishments and people you got to meet and work with, so I just try and remind myself of what I've made for myself."
"Yeah, speaking of co-workers," Ellen said coyly. A picture of myself, Taron Egerton and Eddie Redmayne came up on the screen behind the set. It was a picture of us on the 'Singin' in the Rain' set as we were shooting the iconic scene for the movie. A couple of whistles came from the audience.
I smiled looking up, an 'aw' escaped my lips. "Look at us." Looking back to Ellen I answered her. "Yeah. I mean it was clearly a hard time working with those two." I peeked back up to the picture before it disappeared.
Gentle laughter came from the audience, and I continued. "No, but really, they were amazing to work with. They really became my good friends. I was so lucky to no only get to play in this movie but to get them alongside me. They helped me so much. This is my first 'big' movie." I said raising my fingers around the word big in quotations. "So having them alongside me makes everything just so much easier."
Ellen shuffled forward in her chair. "Yeah, it must have been pretty easy to kiss Taron, huh?" A grin appeared on her face. As the picture from set of me and Taron kissing for the movie came up on the monitor. The stand gave a few whistles "So the real question is have you been kissing off the set?"
I began to laugh, trying to play this off cool. "Oh, Ellen you're bad."
"Yeah, I know." She paused creating tension, and looking to the audience casually. "But are you?"
I laughed again. "No. I've been good. No kissing any boys for me. Especially my co-workers."
"Oh no kissing any boys? I'm going to take that as you're still single?"
I began to laugh deeply trying to speak. "Very, very single."
She reached out touching my knee with a smile. "Well, I'll set you up. Anyone in mind?"
"Actually, no." I laughed to the crowd. " But you know what Ellen. I fully trust your taste in men. So I'll leave that up to you." I gave with a wink. The audience laughed at my banter and underlying joke. Ellen smiled at me and patted my knee again, before turning to the camera. "Alright, well we are going have a quick break, so I can find her next boyfriend." Ellen went on to say we would be right back to play a game with me and the On-Air light went out at the back of the room.
Both Ellen and I turned away from smiling to the camera.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're here again. I just love having you on." She spoke to me her hand reaching for mine. I thanked her. She went on to talk about the movie asking me about it as the crew prepared for the next portion of the show. Ellen genuinely was so kind to me I answered all her questions and I told her how nervous I had been, but told her that she was my favourite show to be on. She seemed to be genuinely flattered.
Within no time the crew was directing that we would be back on air soon. We all took our positions and a blonde woman behind the camera began to count down with her fingers. The On-Air light flashed on and Ellen began speaking to the camera introducing myself again followed by the game we were playing. She asked if I knew how to play which I did.
"Alright. Well since I couldn't find you a boyfriend during the break let's just find you one this way." Ellen looked at the camera and mouthed the word "picky". I scoffed at her joke towards me, but it was very obvious she was joking to the audience.
"Alright." She began. "Let's see who we have."
I looked up to the screen behind us and two men came up. Ooh's came from the audience.
"Theo James or Zac?" Ellen informed me.
I smiled. "Oh man. I'm going to have to go with Theo."
The next one came up and it was Niall Horan. The audience cheered a little louder.
"Ellen." I leant back in my chair I covered my mouth as I laughed hard. "We found him."
Ellen turned to me smiling. "Oh, you're a Niall girl?"
"HUGE. Niall girl." I giggled.
She turned her head and raised her brow to me. "Well, you know who looks like Niall?" She waited a moment before pointing to her chest and mouthing the word 'Me'.
I began to chuckle. "Yes. You know I think I've heard that before."
She smiled back to me, as the next male came up. There were more ooh and whistles as I looked up.
It was Shawn Mendes, shirtless no less.
My heart dropped. "Shit." I said out loud. I began to cover my face. There was more laughter. "Ellen!" I yelled again. "You just created my worst nightmare!" I removed my hands from my face. "Why would you do this to me?"
She chuckled and turned her head to me. "No one ever said love comes easy."
I looked up to the display behind us. "Nooo. This is actually so hard. I don't think you understand."
I went on to tell Ellen how much of a fan I was of Niall and One Direction. Telling them of the things I did back when I was a young fan. She and the audience found this really amusing.
"But oh my god this tears me apart. Because Shawn is... well. I mean..." I said looking to the audience referencing the picture. "He also seems so sweet. I've never had the chance to meet him but honestly he seems so genuine, and talented oh my god. I've listened to his newest album so many time. I waited at home that night for the release." I looked to the audience and back to Ellen. "I truly don't think you understand what you're doing to me right now. This is so hard."
"So which one?"
I looked up completely torn. Just trying to pick. I took a deep breath looking between the two. But nothing was coming out. I just couldn't decide. I opened my mouth again and a muffled noise came out but no answer. The audience laughed again at my struggle. I fell back into my chair shaking my head.
"Can't I have both?" I chuckled.
"I don't know you'll have to ask them?" Ellen smiled mischievously. She liked seeing me distraught. There was a pause waiting for me to answer. I sat up again and looked at the pictures and thought more.
"Okay okay. Well, Niall, I've loved since I was fifteen. So I mean I've been wanting this for a long, long time. Not to mention he's Irish." Someone cheered from the audience. I smiled at them before looking back. "But Shawn." I trailed off. "Oh, Shawn. He's just so cute. And I mean he just seems like the sweetest most genuine guy ever, and he's Canadian too." I said struggling. A few more cheers came from the audience.
"Oh god. Okay." I paused one more time, the audience found something funny from my displeasure before I shyly looked to Ellen. "I'm going to have to go with... Shawn." I perked up in my chair. The audience cheered as Ellen made a joke.
"You know you'd think we're trying to find you your next husband or something with the amount of thought you put into that."
We all laughed as the next pictures came on. Before really checking I answered Shawn again. The next picture came up and I answered Shawn again with no thought. Everyone including Ellen laughed. Numerous attractive men kept coming up onto the screen but Shawn never disappeared. I answered his name repeatedly at rapid speed. The audience found how dedicated I was to Shawn hilarious.
After the last one, there was a ding and Shawn was left on the screen.
Ellen turned to the audience and pointed to me. "I told you she was picky."
I smiled to her giving a soundless laugh as the audience laughed and cheered. After the laughs subsided Ellen turned back to me. "Well I've got Shawns number, he's been on the show a few times. So I think we should send him a painted portrait of yourself along with your marriage proposal." She tapped her hand into her chair.
"I think that's a great idea, You'd know I was cool with just a boyfriend. But I managed to get Shawn Mendes as my husband so I'd say I'm pretty satisfied with your service Ellen."
Ellen let out a laugh before turning to the camera. She transitioned into an exit to a commercial. During the quick break, she quickly chatted with me some more about work and if I was going to award shows. That was the great thing about her. She genuinely liked to find more about you. Not needing as much time to transition to the next section. We began shooting right away.
The rest of the final segment was mainly about things in my personal life. She asked me about back home which I told her about. This led into a project that I was working on. I told her and the audience what I was doing by partnering with the City of Vancouver to help create funds and new solutions to lessen the severity of homelessness in the downtown region. Ellen and the audience genuinely appreciated the work I was doing, giving me big applause throughout. The final segment finished much faster and Ellen finished by thanking me for the work I was doing to help others. She thanked me one last time before exiting the segment the audience cheered for me and I waved back to them in a goodbye.
The On-Air sign went dim and people began to swarm around the set. Ellen and I both stood up, she gave me one last hug thanking me again for coming to the show, and said she would see me at an award show soon. I thanked her again before I was whisked away by her teams to off stage.
Nothing came from the show other than more interest and popularity for myself within the days after. After the show aired I did notice however the public took a great liking towards the idea of Shawn and myself. My managers overjoyed at one point because we were trending online for a while. He kept going on about how great it was to gain the attention right before we began promotion for the movie. While I understood the benefits the hype had created I couldn't help but wonder if Shawn had seen the show and maybe knew who I possibly was now. I only hoped he did.