Welcome To The Media (Dylmas AU)

3. Bets

Thomas' pov

I was prey for the reporters.

Hundreds and hundreds of journalists stretched along the short length of carpet, waving their arms in a vie to talk to anyone semi-famous. While most focused their attention to the actual stars of the movie being showcased, others signaled to the guest celebrities, including myself. I could almost cringe at the desperation evident on their faces as I drew closer, hoping to grab me in their clutches, willing to sink their fangs into my skin, forcing me to dish out venom I would later regret.

I was the prey, and they were the predators.

Cameras flashed, teenage fans screamed. Old castmates laughed together, and after tonight, the cast of the movie would bid each other farewell, perhaps to never work together again.

The media has built up these moments to be the highlight of young actors' careers. It's like they thought being gawked at like a goldfish for several hours was actually a fun form of entertainment for us.

Despite my bitter tone, I usually enjoyed myself at these events. They weren't all bad; in fact, sometimes, I got to meet my fans, which was always my favorite part of being an actor. I was one of the lucky actors in Hollywood too. I didn't receive much more hate than the average actor, even though my fame had skyrocketed way above most within the last 5 years. Most people loved me, especially last week after my apology video to the little girl went viral online. I didn't have to deal with too many negative comments while I walked the red carpet, unlike some actors.

I had grown strangely used to these events after being to so many in the past. At my first movie event, I had been petrified; stuttering my way through questions and giving breathless greetings to the stars of the movie. Now however, I was confident in my stance and felt only a sense of nostalgia every time I was invited as a guest to another night on the 'red' carpet. It was like reading the same book time and time again; the plot and characters always remain the same, but every time you reread you pick up on small details you had missed before. It never grows old, but it never gets new either.

I will admit that sometimes it was a bit overwhelming, hearing so many people chant your name. Some nights, I almost felt the need to crawl into myself under the thousands of eyes watching my every move.

Tonight was one of those nights.

The hair on the back of my neck raised as I made my way down the line of reporters, answering questions mostly about The Maze Runner. I felt a pair of eyes watching me intently, but every time I tried to find who it was, I was blinded by the flashing lights of cameras.

I looked to my left, and low and behold, I made eye contact with an old castmate. We greeted each other, smiling and laughing as we "bro-hugged", and I figured he must have been what had had my senses on high alert.

Yet for some reason, I stayed tense for the duration of my interviews, until finally I ducked into the chilled venue, a breath of relief escaping my chapped lips.

***

I have to pee.

No, you don't understand. I have to fricking piss so bad.

I was fidgeting in my seat, trying with all my might not to piss myself. The others seated around me were enraptured by the movie being screened, but my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of, holy shit I'm going to pee, instead.

I fought internally with myself for a solid half hour, wondering if leaving halfway through the movie would be worth the press and embarassment. Finally, when I knew I couldn't last another minute, I waddled out of my seat, (which was of course in the middle of the row) and out of the theatre.