
The Star
When the world started to end, you were ashamed of yourself for weeping bitterly in your bedroom for an entire day. You saw the president crying and begging on TV and it sent you into a panic. You lay in bed with the blankets pulled up to your nose, crying, refusing to answer the door when the maid, your manager, your assistant, and finally your parents begged you to come out.
After twenty-four hours, your father took the door off its hinges and dragged you down the stairs into your sunken living room with the white carpet and leather couches. You kicked and screamed until he had to pick you up and carry you over his shoulder. You called him a motherfucker and threatened to take back the Mercedes you'd purchased for him last Christmas.
Your mother sat solemnly on the couch, her hands clenched into fists on top of the newspaper in her lap. She said it was all over.
You glowered and glared; you asked what the hell is happening, and will you still be on the talk show circuit next month?
The television stations are all color bars and static. Your father says that the talk shows are all gone, and not to worry. He tells you that there are far more important things happening right now. How can you not worry? You were supposed to debut your new fragrance next month to coincide with the release of your latest album.
Your mother tells you that the album isn't going to happen, and she clenches her fists even tighter than before. You can't believe what she's saying. How can she say that? There will always be an album, and there will always be television. You tell your parents they're idiots, and that this will all blow over in a few days, as soon as they replace that pussy of a president.
Your mother says that the world is ending. They dropped bombs, she says darkly.
There are diseases and radiation poisoning spreading all over the country, your father says.
Not in LA you shout defiantly.
Your mother holds up the newspapers one at a time. WAR is on the cover of each one, along with speculations on the doomed fate of the country, including LA. You feel sick, you're dizzy. You want to know what you did to deserve this, and how anyone could possibly do such a thing before you had a chance to accomplish the things that mean so much to you.
*
Two days later, your mother and father are discussing survival, and filling jugs with water from the tap just in case. Your father is worried about the electricity holding out. You sit in the living room wondering why all the servants quit the day before, and if your assistant is ever going to call you back. The only connection to the outside world is the radio, and it's hard to get real information between the crying and praying on almost every channel. On the pop station, the dj says over and over that it's only a matter of time. Your father tells you to switch to the AM band because they have more sense on AM, goddammit.
You hear reports of death and destruction all over the country, and all you can think is that you hope LA is okay. Even after reports of people dead in their cars, you imagine Rodeo Drive the same as it ever was, untouched by nasty things like war, sickness and death. How could a place a beautiful as Hollywood ever be destroyed? No one messes with LA, you say, and your father won't look you in the eye.
When the electricity goes out that night, your eyes fill with frustrated tears, and you light the scented candles you'd been saving for a special occasion. The radio runs on batteries, but they won't last long. Your father tells you to conserve them, and stop leaving the radio on so much. You tell him to shut up, and that you can afford thousands of batteries. The man on the radio says that much of the east coast is destroyed, along with Detroit and Chicago. He says that the radiation is coming west at an alarming rate, and you wish you had a map so you'd know what that meant. Instead of worrying, you get out that limited edition pink nail polish and give yourself a pedicure. It isn't until you spill the bottle, and nail polish gets all over the carpet that you realize you can't stop crying.
In the morning, your dad tells you that your mother is very sick, and he doesn't feel so well himself. You roll your eyes and tell them to take some pepto, but on the inside, you can't deal with the possibility of them dying and leaving you alone, so you go back to your room and sit in front of the window. Your yard looks the same. There is no death and destruction on your property, but you wonder what's changed outside of your front gates.
In the afternoon, you bring your four gold records and three Grammy awards up to your room so you can look at them. Your finger traces your name on the awards over and over, and you can't comprehend how someone who has accomplished so much in such a short time should be allowed to go through something as horrible as this. You're a star, for God's sake, you deserve better than this.
Your father is calling your name in the hall. He sounds sick. His voice breaks repeatedly, and he's gagging between words. You don't want him to throw up on the carpet in the hall, but you keep your mouth shut. If he does, the cleaning woman will take care of it tomorrow. You pull the blankets up to your chin and close your eyes. Your father's voice sounds farther and farther away now as you clutch the Grammy close to your chest and squeeze your eyes shut.
Tomorrow you'll wake up and things will be better. Tomorrow you'll be on the Tonight Show, and be as charming as ever. Tomorrow your agent will apologize for not calling. Tomorrow you'll still be a star.
Comments
What will happen tomorrow? Treasure whatever is..
What will happen tomorrow?
Treasure whatever is valuable,
enjoy every moment of your life,
dont leave any regrets,
course no one knows what will happen tomorrow...
WOW!!!!
WOW!!!!
It is a great story%
It is a great story%
I picked this story because it was easy reading and very..
I picked this story because it was easy reading and very up-to-date appropriate give the fact that fame is seen as an end all be all in todays age. I enjoyed the final words. Basically, in the end, we are ALL we have. And for all their fame and glamour, money as well, nothing can save them from the downfalls of humanity, even something as humdrum as a pimple. We all succumb to the same ending.
Although narrating in the second person and the future..
Although narrating in the second person and the future setting was creative, I cant say I enjoyed reading this story. The narrator as a character is flat; at the beginning we see an impossibly self-absorbed star that is delusioned in her stubborn refusal to accept reality. At the end, we see that nothing has changed. This made the ending especially dull as I was expecting something a little more. Or maybe something a little less ridiculous than the star watching her father die and hoping that tomorrow shell be a celebrity.
This was amazing. I love it.
This was amazing. I love it.
Is this a satire? It seems the author is trying to convey..
Is this a satire? It seems the author is trying to convey the spoiled narcicism of some celebrities/people... especially those with weatlh, fame and power. I have no sympathy for the main character, "the star", who behaves like a snotty six year old. Its a shame that she even gets to last as long as she does and that her familys last days with her were suffered by her indifference.
Nicely written.
I really enjoyed reading this story. In todays..
I really enjoyed reading this story. In todays celebrity-crazed society I found it very appropriate. The way "the star" uses denial to solve her problems is something people seem to be doing more and more nowadays.
Very well written, good job!
very good
very good
This was wonderful and probably very true to the Hollywood..
This was wonderful and probably very true to the Hollywood scene. They feel since they are popular starts, they are above it all; even death.
Id like to disagree with a couple of the above commenters..
Id like to disagree with a couple of the above commenters and say I liked it very much. For me it well illustrates our societys obsession with consumerism and the blind worship we have for capitilism and celebrity. When the world ends how much of our lives will we have wasted on these things?
Good story! You really have a good future in writting..
Good story! You really have a good future in writting stories! JUST LEAVE OUT THE BAD WORDS! JK
I think its wonderful, why is everyone so obsessed with..
I think its wonderful, why is everyone so obsessed with celebritneys??? Its rediculous, I hope this opens one set of eyes. Great message, not so good writing.
Kind of strange.
Kind of strange.
Very evocative. I love the stunted sentences, the jarring..
Very evocative. I love the stunted sentences, the jarring of them, it adds to the panicked feelings that are lying just beneath the surface. And it was exactly the right length!
Extremely well done, especially in this era of spoiled..
Extremely well done, especially in this era of spoiled stars and global wars. Im going to share this with my grade 11 English class.
Nicely written, but, please, keep out the bad words, I use..
Nicely written, but, please, keep out the bad words, I use this for students. Anyway, they are needless.
yaaaawwwwn....
yaaaawwwwn....
VERY VERY BUT VERY ?!?!?CONFUSING?!?!?! IT HAS..
VERY VERY BUT VERY ?!?!?CONFUSING?!?!?!
IT HAS NOT GOOD DETAILS
AND WHY DOES THE WORLD "END"
THE GIRL IN THIS STORY IS SOOO CONCIDED!!!
WELL SHES "LOCO FOR HOT COCO"
I dont think the bad words are necessarily "needless". ..
I dont think the bad words are necessarily "needless". They give more insight into the main character.
What sentence has more impact?
"You called him a motherfucker and threatened to take back the Mercedes youd purchased for him last Christmas."
OR
"You called him names and threatened to take back the Mercedes youd purchased for him last Christmas."
Personally, it adds something, something that I feel is needed. It makes the star seem way more spoiled and nasty.
The writers on this website dont write lessons. They write stories that they want to write. We read the ones we want to read. If you feel something is innapropriate, dont share it with your class. Choose something else, instead. I think its disrespectful to the writers to expect them to censor everything and dumb things down just so someone can read it to their students. Maybe you could just give them a sample to read (one containing no curse words), or censor it yourself so they can still read the whole thing (but make sure you tell them you replaced some of the bad words with more appropriate ones so theyre not ingorant of this womans true literary work.)
And if were talking high school kids, then its really no big deal. They talk worse than that all the time, and the fowl language might even help them to connect to the story better, its something they can relate to. (And theyll probably respect the teacher more for not treating them like litle kids who cant handle that kinda thing.)
Anyway, sorry for the diatribe. I commented before, but Ill say it again, well-done!
Wow, i must say that this is a very powerful story. I love..
Wow, i must say that this is a very powerful story. I love that you touched on something that is on the mind of many teens. Fame and fortune,but we find out that even that cant keep you safe, and that in the end you "the star" are just like everyone else.You cry, you laugh, you love...and than you die. Not all the money in the world can change you from being human, so just learn to deal with it!
Wonderfully done =)
yeah i deff. think that you should edit this story so there..
yeah i deff. think that you should edit this story so there are no bad words in it...
=]
rather than complain about the presence of bad words,..
rather than complain about the presence of bad words, wouldnt it be more useful to talk to your students about why theyre there? You surely dont think theyve never heard these words before?
Its a good work work by the authore. In India the youth..
Its a good work work by the authore. In India the youth always face the hurdle from family. its a nice attempt in the progress of youth. i feel if you write more in this issue problem can be sort out and they can be star of future.
amazing
amazing
this is a very powerful piece. Im at a young age of eleven..
this is a very powerful piece. Im at a young age of eleven and i think that this one was very well written. It had a powerful ending. I love stories like this.
Wow!!!! Powerful dude really powerful Sometimes what you..
Wow!!!! Powerful dude really powerful
Sometimes what you wanna say doesnt come out so you say something else. We are mean to the ones we love the most.
It is a nice story. but some people prefer "no name- no..
It is a nice story. but some people prefer "no name- no fame". Who are they? ss
IT IS VERY GOOD!(IM IRANIAN)
IT IS VERY GOOD!(IM IRANIAN)
Inspiring! Great second-person perspective.
Inspiring! Great second-person perspective.
What a horrible narrator.
What a horrible narrator.
i was just wondering......would it be more interesting if..
i was just wondering......would it be more interesting if tis story was written in first person and not as a second person.....mmmmmm...but well done!!
Neat Story though i wish it had a real ending like telling..
Neat Story though i wish it had a real ending like telling what happened to the spoiled loser.
It is good. The way its put in second person, saying you..
It is good. The way its put in second person, saying you all the time, is trying to make you feel the same way the star does but because its lack of descriptive words and the way it is actually written, the story would have sounded a lot better in first person because then you could actually believe that it was the star saying it. The ending i must say was very good, it does tie in very well with the personality of it all. The star hoping its all a dream and hoping she will wake up and everything is ok while everything is dying around her, is brilliant, i think it shows who the girl actually is. Good story, but needs some work
An entertaining and thoroughly relevant read in this day..
An entertaining and thoroughly relevant read in this day and age of WMDs and SSDs (Stars of Self-Destruction).
I love the use of Second Person! It brings a vehemence to the narrator. Harsh but fair.
Despite others suggestions here, this story would be far less interesting written in first person. Its strength lies in its narrators tone.
And for what its worth, I agree with the positive comments on the choice of language. The "bad words" help create the character and are effective in obtaining the writer;s aims. If you are showing this stuff to pupils, most of them will have heard far worse from their peers. If not, you probably shouldnt be using this stuff with a Year 7 class :)
Excellent prose. Keep on writing!
the tune of narrator was so simple(realistic though) and..
the tune of narrator was so simple(realistic though) and the stars sayings are so vivid that i feel as if they are not living in the same world, narrator is a kind of ghost around her or may be a inner voice or an angel etc. star is like a deaf and also selfish and i think that makes the story even successful and interesting
Cool but suggesting maby a destructive future for us is not..
Cool but suggesting maby a destructive future for us is not cool. At first i felt the second person was weird but dicovered that it flowed as it went along. Good read but not to entertaining just kind of a scary representaion of stars. It would of been cool to try and go mind of that star through second person. Now thats a challenge!
good story! great job!! ü
good story! great job!! ü
Boring and predictable, story lacks imagination and imagery..
Boring and predictable, story lacks imagination and imagery - too much narrative and not enough depth
sweet story!! very unique!! I would hate to think of what..
sweet story!! very unique!! I would hate to think of what would happen if the US was plunged into turmoil, but I couldnt stop reading this story!!!
Sorry, but the crude language does not enhance the story.
Sorry, but the crude language does not enhance the
story.
I LOVE YOUR STORY.. the use of the second person is very..
I LOVE YOUR STORY..
the use of the second person is very unique and wonderful.
KEEP IT UP!!
thought it isnt that deep but still i LUV YOUR STORY!!
its a bit strange.
its a bit strange.
Any matter has the possibility occurrence, but you may..
Any matter has the possibility occurrence, but you may avoid the matter which as far as possible some do not want to occur.
Could not stop reading and now I wonder why?...
Could not stop reading and now I wonder why?...
as a chinese reader with a bit poor english skill, i really..
as a chinese reader with a bit poor english skill, i really appreciate it. i think its language is melodious and after all i feel undoutfully very good about it.
I thought it was written very well and articulately...
I thought it was written very well and articulately. Cursing did not help though.
It was easy to understand but not simple. It was also unique.
I find this very interesting story I leave a great..
I find this very interesting story I leave a great enseñansa: that the values of the family has to be based on respect, the union, solidarity, and many drivers do not make an effort to know thats happening to our loved ones.natiszea.blogspot.com
Yah the others are right about the cruel future for US but..
Yah the others are right about the cruel future for US but the story was very nice:) I just didnt like the bad language used because it was to mean to her parents...
Well, I guess I flip-flopped a bit here, because after..
Well, I guess I flip-flopped a bit here, because after thinking about it (after I argued--somewhat arrogantly--that the curse words were somehow relevant to the story), I have to admit that what the others say is true. While the writers here shouldnt particularly focus on writing for the classroom, they should think about who their intended audience is and how they can most effectively connect with them through their writing.
The profanity is not only unnecessary, it devalues the story. This story, in my opinion, works better for youths--the starry-eyed, celebrity-obsessed generation who grew up with celebrities who were celebrated and respected for their mistakes and bad behavior. This story is for them and them in particular, since its really sort of a juvenile topic. The curse words imply that this is a story intended for adults or young-adults, but the content just wouldnt be satisfactory for most people in that age-range.
With the profanity left in, the story sucks because it doesnt speak to its readers on their level, and it basically neglects the only age group that would find it relevent.
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