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The red carpet. Tallulah hated it. The constant flashes from camera lights, much like her own, the other stunning celebrities she compared herself with. The velvet plush under her heels made her feel uneasy; the grip of Hugo's arm around her made her feel like she couldn't breathe. The smile she was sporting made her cheeks feel as if they were a plastic grocery bag about to burst — tight and uncomfortable as people shouted her name to try to get her attention. Tallulah wasn't that popular, but her days as a musician made her slightly special. She didn't like the attention.
It felt as though the photo-op lasted hours instead of mere seconds, and when the cameras finally moved to take pictures of the people behind the couple, Tallulah breathed a sigh of relief. The redhead's hands shook as they entered the crowded gala. "Hey, babe, I'm gonna get a drink. See you later," Hugo said, uncoiling his arm from around her waist.
Tallulah merely nodded and moved forward to go to the bathroom. She felt stupid, getting this worked up over nothing. Her breaths were still coming out in uneven gasps. She sat down on the loo and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. There it was again, that sick feeling like she was doing everything wrong.
She worked on slowing down her breathing; her mind was still racing. It was as if every thought she had in her brain was rattling around. It took a couple of minutes, but slowly her brain started to settle down. She moved away from the loo and walked to the sink. She ran her fingers over the cool water coming from the tap. She loved the way the water felt on her skin, making her feel connected, stable, and in one place. It was like it was a tether holding her to the spaceship instead of floating off into the great unknown that is space. She raised the water and splashed it onto her face, cooling it down.
She looked at her reflection; the person who met her eyes didn't look like the way she used to. The memories that had resurfaced hours before now were at the forefront of her mind again. She used to look in the mirror and recognize herself. But now... the dark shadows were still visible under her makeup. The ginger-haired girl looked away from the mirror and stepped out of the bathroom, moving back to take photos of the team with some of the sponsors. She felt disconnected. She remembered bits and pieces of what was happening — saying hi to a couple of people, Rupert showing up, Hugo saying he had to leave early.
