Paper Mountain Awards (Behind the Scenes)

You come home from work and, flopping down on the couch, flip on your TV. A talk show pops up. It's already about half over. The two interviewees look familiar. You wrack your brain, trying to remember. And then it comes to you. That program you went to see! The Paper Mountain Awards.

The two girls sit on a couch facing the show's host. One is in an all purple shirt and skirt getup. The second is in a grey pantsuit. They're sitting as far apart from each other as they can.

"I've got some questions from your fans in my hand here." The host waves a paper in the air. "How about we answer them?"

Brooklynn sits up straighter and Brooke leans forward eagerly.

"Okay. Michael Offutt asks, 'Who are three of your favorite followers and why? Who do you feel deserves more followers?'"

Both of the girls open their mouths to answer, but the host quickly cuts them off. You can see he's learned from experience how they fight. "Brooke, why don't you answer the first question. And, Brooklynn, you can answer the second."

Brooke's smile nearly splits her face. You can't tell if it's because she's excited about the question, or if she's just happy to get to answer first.

"While we love and appreciate all of our fans, there are a few who stand out. The first that comes to mind is Michael Offutt, who asked this very question. He watches all of our shows, reads all of our interviews, and is always lending us encouragement. Trisha is another great supporter. She's been with us almost since the beginning. And last, but not least, Angelina C. Hansen. She doesn't always send us mail, but she's there when it counts."

Brooklynn jumps in almost before Brooke finishes her sentence. "The following people are just three out of many who I feel deserve more followers. Teralyn Pilgrim's articles are always informative and her writing style is refreshing. Angela Scott is hilarious, but supplies good information at the same time. And you can always trust her to be up-to-date on the latest zombie craze. Lastly, I feel the folks over at NA Alley deserve more followers. They support a great cause and the more people that know about the New Adult genre the better."

The host nods, smiling. Looking toward you, he says, "We'll post information about all of these people on our website after the show." Then he looks down at the paper in his hand again. "We have one more question from Michael. Are you ready?"

Both girls give the affirmative.

"Tell us four little known facts about anything. What other 'smart cookies' do you think would have four facts to share?' Okay, Brooklynn, give us two facts and one person. Then, Brooke, you do the same." The host looks up expectantly.

Brooklynn pushes a strand of hair behind her ear and looks straight ahead as if reciting. "One: Male seahorses carry eggs in a pouch until they hatch. Two: Swear words are stored in the same part of the brain as laughter. The person I choose is Carrie Butler."

There is a smattering of clapping from the audience and Brooklynn beams.

Brooke rolls her eyes. "Anyway. One," she holds up a finger, "I'm scared of waiters. And two," she holds up a second finger, "I love pajama pants. As for my person, I nominate Madeline Bartos." Then she lowers her voice, "And hopefully she'll have more interesting facts than Brooklynn's."

Brooklynn glares and opens her mouth, but the host quickly interrupts. Smart man, you think.

"We have one more question. Anna Waggner and Laura both ask, 'What are ten things about you that you'd like to share and who are six people you'd like to know more about?' Brooke, why don't you do the sharing? Give us eight things since you gave us two already.  And, Brooklynn, you can name the people."

Brooke appears pleased at being given the longer assignment. She sets her elbow on her knee and touches her index finger to her chin. Then she starts talking and it's as if someone hit fast forward, she talks so fast.

"Well, the walls of my room are two different shades of purple, two dark, two light. My closet is color-coordinated according to the order of the rainbow. Cheddar-flavored pretzels are currently my favorite snack. Three most anticipated shows right now are Glee, The Walking Dead, and NCIS. I collect porcelain dolls, of which currently there are thirteen. Thanks to my best friend, I sing my phone number anytime I need to remember it. I still haven't read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE even though I've been watching The Lizzie Bennett Diaries since the beginning. And, my drink of choice is Coke."

She's done in less than a minute and you can tell the host is amazed, his eyes wide and his lips slightly parted. Brooklynn doesn't look the least bit fazed. Instead, she begins naming people.

"Tania Walsh, Tizzy Potts, Kate Coursey, Rachel Morgan, Chantele Sedgwick, and Kaylie Austen. These are all people we've crossed paths with a few times or are fans of ourselves. It would be great to learn more about them."

This has given the host time to recover, to let his eyes shrink back to normal size. He rubs his hands against his knees, looks into the camera again, and says, "That's all we have time for today. Be sure to check out our website after the show to see those facts and to learn more about the people Brooklynn listed. Let's give a round of applause for our two guests!"

There's a shot of the studio audience clapping with the show's theme song playing over it. Then, Brooke and Brooklynn stand on the stage, waving. The credits start on the side of the screen.

You pick up your remote and start searching for another show.