AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re living everyone’s dream. You’re living my dream. Be grateful,”he’d say.
It turned out, living everyone else’s dreams didn’t make your own come true. It made you an overlooked side character in their life’s story.
My mind was spinning as my stomach rumbled like thunder.
I’d made it to where so many people wished to be.
I was sitting in the front row at the Oscars.
Cue the excitement.
It was hot in that room. It also smelled like overpriced perfumes and uptight egos. A big part of me didn’t feel as if I belonged in that room. Don’t get me wrong, I was glad to be invited. They said, “it’s an honor to be nominated.” Blah, blah, blah.
That summed up exactly how I felt—blah, blah, blah.
Every inch of my body dripped in perspiration.
My stomach rumbled like an old car engine trying to get a jump start.
The person sitting to my left glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow from the wannabe tune-up.
“Bubbly guts,” I murmured, patting my stomach. Right as I gave it a pat-pat, I burped on accident.
For the love of…
My body was shutting down on me as my old-school panics started to resurface.
Nerves.
You have to control your nerves, Aiden.
My parents were upset I didn’t bring one of them as my plus-one. Mostly Dad was upset. Mom was worried. She knew back then I said if I’d ever made it to the Oscars, my plus-one would be Hailee because Mom was my plus-one at the Emmys.
Hailee.
Shit. My fucking nerves.
I smiled brightly and focused my attention on the stage in front of me. Rob Gregory was presenting. He didn’t look nearly as nervous as I’d felt, but then again, Rob had attended these events for over sixty-some years. He was one of the best actors in the industry. Hollywood royalty, if I may say. The guy was pushing mid-eighties but didn’t look a day over sixty. He must’ve had solid genetics. Or an extremely talented personal trainer and cosmetic surgeon.
My stomach howled once more.
Rob held an envelope tight in his hand and said, “And the Oscar for best actor in a leading role goes to…”
Blah, blah, blah…
“Aiden Walters.”
Wait, what?
The crowd burst into a roaring celebration.
Aiden Walters.
That’s me.
I did it.
At the age of twenty-two years old, I’d won my first Academy award.
