I didn't have the words to describe the feeling of winning my sed Oscar before turning 18. On one hand, it felt unimaginably good holding the trophy; oher, I knew I hadn't created these songs on my own. In a way, this Oscar didn't feel like it was fully mine. With these flig emotions swirling in my mind, I waited backstage for the award.

  Usually, winners are ushered off to give interviews, but since I was nominated in another category immediately following this one, I had been told to wait backstage for the annou. A huge psma TV was set up there, showing the live telecast of the show so everyone backstage could follow what was happening on stage. The telecast for home viewers is typically deyed by a few minutes, but this one yed iime.

  On the s, Jamie opehe envelope taining the name of the winner. He exami carefully and then, without revealing the right, shared it with Emma. Ohey both saw it, Emma was the oo read it out loud, "The Oscar for Best inal Scoes to Troy Armitage for [Echoes of You]."

  "e back here, Troy," Jamie called out pyfully.

  I stood frozen in pce for a few moments, stuhis wasn't supposed to happen. All the bets in Las Vegas had been pced against me; I was the least likely to win. Even Dad had told me ht that, because I had already won oonight, I wouldn't win again. The Academy rarely votes for the same person twi one night.

  Before I could tianding there like a statue, someone shook my shoulder.

  "Troy, you have to go on stage."

  I turo see the woman who had apanied me backstage. "Thank you," I whispered, fixing a grin on my face before heading to the stage.

  "This is Troy Armitage's third Oscar, and his sed tonight," a female announcer's voice provided some trivia as I walked. "He is also nominated iing and produg categories. He is the you persoo win more than one Oscar."

  Appuse erupted as soon as I became visible. I walked up to my two friends, Jamie and Emma, and accepted the trophy from them. Since we had already hugged earlier, I decided to skip repeating it.

  "I wasn't expeg this win," I began my speech. "It means so much more to me than the first because the people in this category are all incredible." I paused for a moment before tinuing. "I want to thank my school teacher, Mr. Paul Tanner, who taught me music when I was just a kid and ignited my passion for it. Lastly, thank you to the members of the Academy for this wonderful reition."

  I raised both of my Oscars in the air before stepping back from the mic.

  I didn't want to give a long speech—I had already thanked most of the people I wao. Besides, I hadn't even prepared for this award because it was so ued. I made sure to mention Mr. Tanner because I genuinely believed I owed part of this award to him. Unlike my songs, which wereirely inal, the background score was. I had only started w on posing because Mr. Tanner had taught me the basiusic all those years ago.

  As Jamie, Emma, and I walked backstage together, Jamie immediately stole one of my Oscars from me.

  "Woah," he said, feeling the weight of it in his grip. "I didn't expect it to be this heavy."

  "Why didn't you guys tell me you were doing this?" I asked, handing my sed trophy to Emma so she could get a feel of it as well.

  "And miss your rea?" Emma asked back. "No way. The shooting was halted anyway since Rian is also here. So Warner decided t this up because us giving you the award will be good promotion for the [Harry Potter]."

  I nodded in uanding. Studios love to do that to promote their uping movies, especially those big blockbuster films that were bound to earn hundreds of millions.

  "Troy," the woman from earlier called me out. "Time for your intervielease carry both your Oscars for it."

  Jamie and Emma handed me back my trophies as I was led to the interview room, which acked with reporters sitting everywhere I looked. As soon as I walked in, they all started g. I bowed in gratitude at that rea.

  "Number 51," the media anizer called out when the appuse died down a bit.

  A woman in the middle got up from her seat and said, "grats on the win, Troy."

  "Thank you," I said reflexively. Winning any major award usually results in stant gratutions for a few days, at least. Since I had already kind of wohe nominations were announced, I had gotteo it by now.

  "Did you know Emma and Jamie would be the ones presenting you with this award?" she asked.

  "No," I said holy. "I khey were ionight, but had no idea they would be presenting anything. It always feels good getting an award, but it feels eveer getting it from your friends."

  As the reporter sat down, the number was called. "182."

  I turowards the man who stood up.

  "Troy, I couldn't help but notice that you ged your outfits quite a few times during the show. you tell us about them?"

  So he was one of those. Usually, someone from the fashion police is alresent at these types of events.

  "I went to a local tailor in London to get my suit for the event," I began. "I don't like too fancy clothes if I avoid it. My clothes for the performance were also ade by him. I kept the same denims but ged the top part with a jacket, t-shirt, and a casual shirt to show the three genres of songs."

  "And the Crocs?" He made a slightly disgusted face.

  I shrugged. "I wao stay fortable while perf. I added the Crocs because for me, foot fort is always the number one priority. Even my dress shoes are ized by Crocs for fort with extra padding inside."

  I know it was a shameless plug for my brand, but I didn't care. They asked the question, not me.

  "Number 145," the number was called.

  "Do you think, with these two wins, your ces of winning a Grammy and pleting the EGOT are almost sure?" another woman asked.

  "Why are you talking about the Grammys at the Oscars?" I asked back. "Even if I'm nominated, it won't happen for another year. I like to focus on the present."

  The thought had crossed my mind, obviously, but some things are not meant to be shared with the media. There is this simple unsaid rule of award shows that even if you desperately want an award, don't tell anyone about it or you'll bee a joke of sorts if you lose. It didn't help that the Grammys were the worst sort of awards there ever were, with shady behind-the-ses politics dictating award wins instead of talent. Artists like Eminem were snubbed openly despite releasing some of the best music out there.

  The rest of the questions were quite generid tinued for a couple of more minutes before I was let go. As luck would have it, it was an ad break at the moment, and I was easily able to grab my seat back beside Rihanna.

  "Hi," I said with a smile.

  "Hi," she said bad pecked me on the lips. "I wao kiss you before your win, but you weren't here. So take one now. grats."

  "Thank you," I nodded back before handing orophy to her. "Why don't you hold one for me right now? It's heavy."

  She took it from my hands reverently and held it close to her. Usually, they engrave your name and category on the award afterward. I would have gotten it out of the way right now, but I had things to do. There were two more awards tonight where I was nomihe two awards that were very less likely to go in our favor, but still, I had to be present for them.

  As the awards tihe award for Best Adapted Spy went to [Brokeback Mountain], as expected. A small part of me was hoping that [The Perks of Being a Wallflower] would get it, but it didn't. Simirly, the Oscar for Best inal Spy went to Noah Baumbach for [The Squid and the Whale]. A deserved win for a wonderful movie, but that left Rian Johnsoy-handed for his solo nomination.

  Rachel Weisz wo Supp Actress, while Reese Witherspoon wo Actress and Ang Lee wo Director. Now only two awards remained for the night, both of which I was nominated in.

  To present the award for Best Actor, st year's winner, Hiry Swank, came on stage, holding an envelope closely.

  I kept an easygoing smile on my face, fully assured I wouldn't win this ohe cameraman was close by and ready to foe any moment to get my live rea.

  "The nominees for Best Actor are:

  Philip Seymour Hoffman – [Capote] as Truman Capote

  Terrence Howard – [Hustle & Flow] as DJay

  Heath Ledger – [Brokeback Mountain] as Ennis Del Mar

  Joaquin Phoenix – [Walk the Line] as Johnny Cash

  Troy Armitage – [The Perks of Being a Wallflower] as Charlie Kelmeckis."

  Hiry Swank opehe envelope and without building any suspense, called out the winner. "The oes to Heath Ledger for [Brokeback Mountain]."

  I was fused. Philip Seymour Hoffman domihis year's award seasoh Ledger winning was a major upset, not that he didn't deserve it. He was an excellent actor and his performan [Brokeback Mountain] was out of the world.

  Heath, who was sitting just beside me, kissed his dy love befiving me a brief hug as well. Probably as a way of sotion, although I didn't because I had already gotten two Oscars tonight. heless, I said, "grats, man. You deserve it."

  He smiled at me with a nod before walking up to the stage.

  "This is Heath Ledger's first Osomination and win. At the age of 26, he is the you winner ever of this award," a female voinounced.

  As he began his speech, I couldn't help but feel the weight of my presen this timeline. Heath Ledger never got to give a speech for his win for his most accimed role of the Joker because of his untimely death. And now he got that award a few years early, making him the you Best Actor winner. As a long-time fan of his, I loved the fact that he got to witness his win in perso's just hope that my presence would somehow disrupt his untimely death as well.

  Now only the st award remained—Best Picture. Just like Best Actor, I was fident that we would not win this award. [The Perks of Being a Wallflower] was a good film, but it 't be ighat it was a teen film. Ever sihe iion of the Oscars, not a sieen movie has won an Oscar. So it was highly uhat we will win.

  Jaicholson walked over to the stage with the envelope taining the name of the winner.

  "It all es down to these five movies," he began. "Here are the nominees for Best Picture:

  [Brokeback Mountain] – Diana Ossana and James Schamus, producers

  [Capote] – Caroline Baron, William Vince, and Michael Ohoven, producers

  [Good Night, and Good Luck] – Grant Heslov, producer

  [The Perks of Being a Wallflower] – Steve Kloves and Troy Armitage, producers

  [Munich] – Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, and Barry Mendel, producers."

  Then Nicholson opehe envelope and read out the wio himself for a moment. He looked up, as if fused before saying, "And the oes to [The Perks of Being a Wallflower]."

  I was surprised by the annou, which seemed to be a on theme for me tonight. But apparently, Rihanna wasn't, because immediately she hugged me tightly, all the while screaming at the top of her lungs. She kissed me right then and there, in full view of the cameras.

  That did the job ing me back to the present. I looked around and found my family's seat nearby. I immediately ran over and hugged my mother first, followed by Dad and Evan. Dad walked over with me to the stage, as cast and crew from the film started joining us there one by one. Emma Watson, Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and a few more cast members joined us. Stephen Chbosky was also present there along with all other nominees for the film. Every Best Picture tender gets at least fiftees reserved for the cast and the crew, and all of them joined us onstage.

  Jaicholson handed me and Dad our respective trophies before stepping back. Because it was getting too much to hold all of them, I hawo of my musies to Emma and Jonathan for the moment, who were standing just behind me.

  "Thank you to the academy," Dad began his speech. "We made this film with great love and passion for teenagers who gh difficulties growing up. All credit for this award goes to Stephen Chbosky, who shared such a personal story with us all, and Troy, who put his all in this film. It wouldn't have been nearly as good if he wasn't so itted to his role. All our other cast and crew members, Emma, Jonathan, Lea, and Michael. Our partners at Warner Bros, including Barry Meyer and An Horn. And my wife Kathy for being su awesome woman and the love of my life. Thank you."

  He passed on the mie. I had thanked everyohat I wao already, except one person.

  "Besides everyone Dad thanked, and all those who are standing oage, I want to thank Tobias O'Brien, without whom this project would not have been possible," I said early before turning back to the group where Tobias was standing with the rest of the gang.

  Tobias looked visibly unfortable with all the attention heaped on him. Warner didn't want him to e here tonight. Rather, they wao fill the slots with other cast members. I used one of my own personal slots to have him here tonight because I knew how hard he had worked on this movie. He deserved this praise and more for his dedication.

  I turned back to the audience. "I chose to do this film, because I am very passionate about saving kids from abuse, and this film tells us about the life of someone just like that. For any kids watg this, if you or any of your friends are going through something like that, go to Troy(dot) and you'll find out a lot of free resources about the foundation I have started for children."

  The audience appuded thunderously hearing my words. Hollywood may be full of predators, but they all like to aoble and good on the surface.

  We didn't dawdle any longer, and soon Dad and I were escorted backstage for some questions, while the rest of the group went back to their seats.

  "That's all for the night folks," Jo said while I was exiting. "Let's meet at the Governor's ball."

  And that was it. The 78th Academy Awards were over with astoundis for me. Yesterday, I had just one Oscar, now I had four. This all felt unreal. From our 11 nominations, we won 5, which was a very good haul sideri the top prize as well.

  Now, we had a lot of parties to attend to celebrate tonight. There was just ohing that didn't sit well with me—our win over [Brokeback Mountain]. In the inal timelihere was this huge troversy over [Crash] winni Picture. People said that it happened because the members of the Academy are homophobid didn't vote for the gay ovie despite it being hailed as a groundbreaking piece of ema. Over the years, [Crash] had aged like milk while [Brokeback Mountain] like a fine wine. I just hope [Perks] doesn't bee embroiled in simir troversy in the years to e.

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