Singing those 1D Songs, All Day Long

Louis: You’re scared out of your wits as you step into your first class of the day. It’s never been easy being the new girl. As you walk through the door, the teacher introduces you and places you next to a cute boy with brown hair. You keep your eyes down all through class when a folded piece of paper lands on your desk. You open it up and see this written: hi! look to your right:) You look over to see the boy smiling at you. “Hi! I’m Louis,” he whispers, his blue eyes sparkling. You blush and say hello. He replies with, “Please stop looking down, you have such pretty eyes.”

Harry: You walk into the classroom just before the bell rings and take a seat. The teacher hasn’t arrived yet, so you’re just sitting there reading. A finger taps the desk and a voice says, “Excuse me love, but you’re in my seat.” You look up to see a very tall, very handsome boy with curls. You’re completely flustered as you apologize and arrange your books to move. “I’m sorry,” you say, but he places his hand down on your books so they can’t move. “No, it’s alright. At least now I get to sit behind such a pretty girl.” The teachers walks in as he takes the seat behind you and plays with your hair throughout class.

Liam: You’re lost trying to find your way to your next class, but are too scared to ask anyone for help. “Excuse me, miss, but you look like you’re lost.” You turn around at the voice and see a handsome boy with short brown hair and a kind smile. “Would you like some help?” You nod and wordlessly hand him your schedule. He smiles bigger. “We have next period together.” He leads you there and takes the seat next to you. Halfway through class, he slides you a note politely asking if he could have your number to get to know you better.

Niall: It’s finally lunch, but you haven’t made a single friend. You’re standing in line to get food. You reach for the last bowl of pudding as some consolation for your day, but another hand reaches for it as well. You sigh. “Sorry, you can have it,” you say, reaching for a fruit cup instead. “Hey, thanks. Haven’t seen you around before, you new?” You look over and see the cutest blonde boy ever. You nod, a shy smile on your face. “Made any friends?” “Not really.” He smiles really big and reaches for more food as you two walk down the line. “You can come sit with me, it’s the least I can do for the pudding. I’m Niall, by the way,” he adds as he shakes your hand. You continue to grab food as you two walk down the line. He guides you over to his four friends, and they welcome you with open arms. During conversation, Niall takes a small spoonful of the pudding before sliding the rest over to you. 

Zayn: You’re trying to find your locker at the end of the day, completely exhausted. You’re not really watching where you’re going and end up bumping into a solid figure. “Ah, sorry,” you say as you’re staring at the back of a varsity jacket. He turns around and flashes a small smile. “It’s alright love. You okay?” he asks as he takes in your appearance, and yes, you look tired. You wave a slip of paper in defeat. “Can’t find my locker.” He nods, a small smirk playing his lips as he looks at the paper. “It’s right down the hall,” he points behind him to the end of the hall. “Thanks.” You smile and go down the hall, feeling his eyes on you. You open your locker and peek over the top to see that he’s gone. The next morning when you open your locker, a note falls out. It says: smile, beautiful. today’s another day, another chance to see you again. meet me right here after classes, please? -Zayn. Guess who’s at your locker at the end of the day?

Chapter 7 (all twitter names and mentions mentioned in this are fictional)

There were too many voices and too many options.

“No!”

“Yes!”

“Maybe?”

“Hell no!”

“But—”

“I said no!”

“But—”

“TAMPONS!”

Silence.

I stood in my tank top and light, plaid pj pants in front of my TV with my hands on my hips. All the boys shut their mouths, looking up at me with guilty faces, all of them also in their pajamas. Pillows and blankets were scattered across my living room floor, and the boys were in a pile in front of me, like they were in a game of Twister. The coffee table was moved against the wall, as was the couch to make more room for fun. 

I looked over at Tori awkwardly. “Uhm, thanks for that, Tori.” She gave me an innocent smile. She always believed that to stop fighting (or to just plain make a situation awkward as hell), that you had to yell “TAMPONS!” It worked a few times back home with our friends, but it got kinda…awkward…after a while.

Liam blinked. “Did she really just yell…tampons?”

I sighed. “Yes. Now, onto the problem,” I held up three DVDs in front of all of them. “For movie night! Will we watch Finding Nemo, Howl’s Moving Castle, or Due Date?” 

Tori squealed at the mention of Howl. “Howl! We haven’t watched that in forever.” She started fanning herself with her hand. “And you know you love his gorgeousness, Char.”

I smiled, biting my bottom lip. He may be animated, but Howl was gorgeous. “Yeah, but I’m not sure if the guys would appreciate us fangirling over Howl the entire time.” Tori raised her eyebrows at me. I rolled my eyes. “Okay, mainly me fangirling.”

Louis grabbed the case from my hand and examined it. He nodded in approval. “Well, I got to admit, he is quite good-looking.” 

I laughed. “Okay, I love Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, but I’m not into watching all the raunchy stuff tonight.”

“Finding Nemo it is!” Niall announced as I popped the DVD into the player. Everyone grabbed their respective drinks and Tori grabbed the popcorn from the kitchen. As the previews rolled up, I re-situated the blankets on the floor and everyone grabbed a couple pillows. The menu popped up and I stood in front of the TV, knees bent and hands up. “Everybody ready?”

The scene in front of me was so funny. Seven of us squished on my living room floor in colorful blankets and pillows. It looked like this from left to right: Liam, Zayn, Niall, empty space for me, Tori, Louis, and finally Harry. They looked like packed sardines. Am I even gonna fit…? I thought as I stared at the scene.

“Ready!” Louis announced, tossing both arms up in the air. I pressed the play button and squished into my seat in between Tori and Niall. 

“Hi,” he whispered to me. 

I smiled. “Hey.”

He smiled too as he turned his attention to the movie. Tori wiggled her eyebrows at me and I slapped her thigh. 

It’s been a couple weeks since my song was first aired on the radio, and it’s been played a few more times since then. The people that have seen me in the restaurant and the park before have stopped and congratulated me on being on the radio, and that they love my song. A few young girls even asked for a picture once. 

The boys and I have also gotten closer. We’ve been out to eat more, and they’ve hung out here and Tori and I have hung out at Harry and Louis’s place. But it’s not just that even, it’s the fact that we’ve seemed to grow closer. They are the coolest and craziest people I know, and we always have a wonderful time together. 

I heard a sniffle as Marlin discovered that his wife was…well…y’know. I peeked over next to me and watched a tear roll down Niall’s cheek. 

“Aww!” I squealed.

“Oh, grow a pair,” Harry commented, throwing popcorn at him. I put my arm around Niall and stuck my tongue out at Harry. 

“Oh, shut it Styles.” I pulled Niall into me and he leaned his head down onto me, his arm slipping around my waist. I picked up a piece of tossed popcorn and popped it in my mouth. I rubbed Niall’s back as the movie continued and sighed. 

And then there’s Niall. As I’ve gotten closer to the boys, there’s something…different with Niall. I have no idea what it is, but it’s nice. With the guys, it’s like we’re all buddies (which we are) and we have the best times. They come over and we have movie night and we eat dinner and jump and play around and are just insane. I just can’t explain it, y’know? You just have that feeling like…

“DORY!” Louis screamed, and we all jumped.

…family. 

As the movie went on, there were more random comments that followed the plot, or either completely went off track.

“HE TOUCHED THE BUTT!”

“I think that one turtle is permanently stoned.”

“Noggin!”

“Harry, can we have that one day?”

“What, a kid named Nemo?”

“No, but now that you mention it…actually, I meant talking fish.”

“Fish don’t talk, Lou.” 

“Yes they do. Silly Harry…”

“Charlie, what’s for breakfast tomorrow?”

“Uhm, I have no idea yet. Eggs?”

“I think I want a tattoo of Dory…”

“Beat you to it, Zayn.” 

“Harry, can we get an aquarium?”

“No.”

“Can I get a dolphin?”

“No, Niall.”

“I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry.”

It went on like that for ten more minutes before the big explosion went off in the movie. We stayed silent for the rest of the movie, except for the occasional singing along to “Just Keep Swimming.” As Dory was singing, I caught Louis doing the yawn-and-stretch move on Tori, who tried to hide her smile and discreetly snuggled into his arm. I rolled my eyes at them and put my free hand over my mouth to cover my yawn. It’s been a long day and it was almost 2 AM, and I knew once I put in the movie I might not make it til the end. 

I fell asleep with Niall’s head on my chest and his fingers making little circles on the skin underneath my tank top at my waist.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cold. I was suddenly really cold. And still half-asleep. 

Something wrapped around me and I snuggled closer to it. I was still cold though. There was a click noise and I nuzzled my face into whatever was in front of it. I heard what sounded like soft laughing above me. Something wrapped around my waist and pulled me back, but the source was warm. I was awake, but I was having such a sweet dream…

“Aww,” someone cooed. 

“Get some, Nialler.”

I grunted and then sighed, deciding to open my eyes. My fluffy fleece blanket was spread underneath me and I relished in it. My lighter red fleece blanket was on top of me, my head gently resting on a pillow. Something rubbed into my upper back, and it was warm and hard. 

“Look, he’s got a new teddy.”

I looked up to see Harry and Louis standing over me with huge smiles on their faces, and Harry was holding his iPhone up. 

“They’re so cute Haz,” Louis said, putting a hand over his heart. “We raised him so well, don’t you think?”

I furrowed my brows at them before turning my face back into the pillow. I sighed and turned to lay on my back and saw Niall curled up next to me.

I’m sure the look on my face was amusing because Harry said, “Smile, Charlie.”

I heard the snap of the camera on his phone and I blinked. “That’s precious,” Louis said as they both looked down at the screen. Harry started typing on his phone with a wicked smile on his face as he glanced down at me. Something clicked inside my brain as the morning fog drifted away. 

Wait…

Blink. Blink. Blink.

“Harry!” I shot up and ran after the curly-haired boy. I accidently knocked Niall’s cheek with my elbow in the process and I threw an apology his way before chasing after Harry, who was laughing like a maniac. He ran around the living room a couple times and I ran after him, picking up a pillow and tossing it at Louis, who was laying on the couch laughing at us. It landed right on his face and I hopped over Niall, who was sitting up on the floor, covered in blankets. 

The bathroom door opened and out popped Liam, and Harry ran behind him, using him as a shield. 

“Help me, Liam!” Harry cried, still laughing. He snapped another picture of me over Liam’s shoulder, and I reached for the phone, but Harry was too quick. He smiled cheekily at me (and trust me, when you just woke up and he’s picking fun at you, it’s not cute—okay, it is cute, but it’s also irritating) and I glared at him. 

“What’s going on lads?” Liam asked as he looked between Harry and I.

“Nothing,” Harry said, flashing an innocent smile at him. Liam raised an eyebrow at him.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Gimme the phone, Harry.” I held my hand out, palm up, but Harry shook his head. I scowled at him. “Harry.” He shook his head, that cheeky smile still gracing his lips. “I will smack that smile right off your face Styles if you don’t give me that phone.”

“Oooohh, she used my last name,” he replied, holding his hands up. 

“You’re in trouble now!” Louis shouted from the couch. 

“What happened?” Liam asked. “Charlie, what’s got you so worked up?” He poked my cheek with a finger and I scowled at him. “You’re flushed.” Only once I calmed down did I feel the slight heat in my cheeks.

“Look,” Harry said before I could reply. He turned Liam around and showed him his phone, yet still blocked me from seeing anything. “Isn’t it cute?”

Liam smiled down at the screen, and I struggled to get a look. “That’s precious,” he repeated Louis’s earlier statement. He looked at me. “That’s really adorable, Charlie.” He turned Harry’s phone but I snatched it and ran into the living room, Harry shouting protests behind me. I dashed around the island in the kitchen and felt my cheeks go pink.

It was me and Niall on the screen. We were both asleep, and we were spooning, but the picture was only from the waist up. Niall’s arm was slung around my waist and his head was laying against my back. My hands were outstretched a little in front of me, but I was curled in the fetal position, and even from the picture, you could tell that we were physically close. 

The phone was snatched from my frozen hands as I stood still. Louis munched on a carrot and looked down at Harry’s phone. He made a puppy-dog face. “Awww. That’s adorable.” He looked up at me and smiled. “You’re such a cutie, Charlie.”

I furrowed my eyebrows and, even though I wanted to say something, I couldn’t talk. Niall walked up to us, his hair still messy from sleep. “What’s going on?” he asked, his voice thick and groggy.

Louis showed him the picture and Niall smiled, a small blush creeping on his cheeks. His eyes saw something else on the screen and the smile disappeared. “This is on Twitter?”

“What?” I asked, a little bit of alarm in my voice. 

What?

What??

WHAT???

“No no no,” I said, reaching for the phone. My fingers fumbled and I saw the Twitter icon. Holy shit…

“All right, calm down,” Liam said as he came into the kitchen. He placed his hands on my shoulders from behind and patted them. “It’s just a picture, Charlie. And Harry,” he looked over at the curly-headed boy who was bent over his phone with Louis, “next time, Harry, ask permission first.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yes, daddy.”

“Or don’t take them at all,” I snapped. 

Harry simply smiled cheekily at me. “Love you too, babe.” 

I made that weird grunt/scoff/disgusted noise that girls make when they’re pissed off and turned away from him. I moved to the fridge and got everything out to make breakfast. Everyone left me alone, save the volunteers who offered to help even when I told them no. 

After breakfast was done being made, everyone grabbed a plate and got what they wanted before taking spots on the floor or the couch. Zayn woke up once he smelt the food sizzling (he was in a cocoon of blankets on the floor—I didn’t even notice) and only really woke up once he was passed a plate. Until then, he sat on the couch and mindlessly watched the TV.

It was around noon when we were all settled with our plates, and we were all chatting, the TV just background noise. I was only really listening by ear, but when a female voice said my name, I turned my full attention to her.

“…and while the rising star Charlie Scott is climbing in popularity among the younger generation, is it really because she has talent, or because of who she hangs out with?” The woman was sitting on a single couch, wearing a blue pencil dress and her blond hair curled to perfection. A knowing smile graced her lips as a picture of me and the boys out to eat popped up on the screen next to her. “This young girl was first heard in local parks and restaurants, but only was really noticed when she somehow met the wildly popular boyband One Direction. We don’t know yet just how that happened, but her rising fame started just after these five boys came into the picture. Did it happen just by chance? Fate? Destiny? Or was there something planned ahead of time?” The picture changed from the six of us to just me, sitting with my guitar, a smile on my face. “Questions are swirling about Charlie’s values and what she thinks, and the Directioners seem to be the most concerned. Personally, I think that she has talent, but if too much drama pops up, then she should watch herself. But the question that seems to keep popping up from fans is, ‘What are you really after, Miss Scott?’ ”

I couldn’t feel my throat. Everything was silent, and I guessed that everyone had stopped to watch as well. I tried to swallow, but there was nothing in my throat. 

Oh my God…

Really? Is that what people thought? Okay, so… I guess that meeting them wasn’t at the best possible time, but I didn’t plan it. And I sure as hell wasn’t using them. I wasn’t that kind of person, and they knew that. 

Right…?

I had only a few interviews since my song was on the air, and most of them were only for a small paragraph in a magazine. It was only a couple questions, and maybe a picture or two. They asked me for my story, where I was from, stuff like that. But it was only minor stuff, nothing big. I didn’t think it was a big deal.

I glanced around at everybody. Only Tori was looking at me, concern on her face. 

“You okay?”

I stood up abruptly, almost spilling what was left on my plate. I placed it down on the counter as I rushed to my room. I unplugged my phone from its charger and clicked into Twitter.

I didn’t originally have a Twitter, but soon after I met Alex, he told me it’d be helpful if I got one, to keep fans updated and for stuff like that. I wasn’t really good at tweeting, or whatever it was, and the boys liked to mess around with it. They posted pictures and made weird posts and mentions about me. 

I had completely forgotten about it. 

I opened Twitter and my mentions had exploded. I didn’t even know how many followers I had, but I didn’t really think it mattered; the comments weren’t so nice.

@1Ds_babygurl: @CharlieScott leave @onedirection alone! ur just using them >:(

@mikaylalovesyooouu: @CharlieScott yur such a slut ! y are yu even hanging wit them all yu want is 2 be famous

@i_love_niam1d: @CharlieScott you have no talent & your music sucks :p leave @onedirection alone or we’r coming after yooouuu

@mick3y_bab3_7: @CharlieScott YOU ARENT EVEN FROM THE UK!!! GO AWAY AND LEAVE OUR BOYS ALONE!!! THEY DONT LOVE YOU AND NEVER WILL SO STOP TRYING TO MACK ON THEM B!TCH

There were more like that; those were just a sample. There were the few fans that were defending me and for that I was thankful, but the hate was overwhelming. 

I just kept scrolling and scrolling. I gasped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and there was Niall, his face looking sad. “Charlie…you know not to listen to that.”

I gulped and sat down on the edge of my bed. He saw it. But then again, this isn’t the first time this has happened. It’s never been this bad, but it’s still happened before. 

“I’m okay with it,” I said, looking down at my hands. “Really. When we were younger, Tori told me that there will be people out there who don’t like me, and so I’m okay with all this.” 

He looked down at me and just stared. “Don’t lie to me Charlie, you know I don’t like it.” He sat down next to me, relatively close, and placed a hand on my thigh. “And I can see it in your face.”

I pursed my lips. Damn. Someone always seemed to tell when something was wrong with me, and Niall was getting good at reading me.

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Talk to me.”

I sighed, still refusing to meet his eyes. “It’s just weird, you know? I mean, you guys are so popular and I’m so blegh…and yeah, the timing of us meeting was weird and awkward, but I really genuinely love you guys. You’re all like family, and it hurts to see that people are questioning that along with my values. It hurts a lot.” I looked over at him finally, and he was carefully looking over me. 

“I don’t believe it,” he said after a moment. “And neither should you. Don’t believe anything those people say about you. You are awesome.” He hesitated before brushing his lips against my forehead in a quick kiss. I smiled to myself a little and he pulled away, patting my thigh once. “Now come on then. Let’s go.” He got up from my bed and I followed him out, my phone still in my hand. 

I was met with smiles as I walked back in, and no one mentioned the woman and what she said. I felt like they were avoiding it for me, but I decided to drop it. Conversation started up again and my mind drifted off. 

“…is it really because she has talent…?”

“…her rising fame started just after she met One Direction…”

I bit my lower lip as I continued to think. Someone snapped their fingers in front of my face and I blinked. It was Louis.

“How about we go and play some football, yeah?” His smile was small but kind, and I nodded. 

“Okay.” I headed back to my room and Tori headed to hers; the boys took turns in the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and ran my fingers through my hair after slipping on my jeans and a clean t-shirt. I put on a lighter hoodie since the weather was getting warmer, and laced up my Converse. I grabbed the soccer ball from the floor in my room and went to join everyone else, who were all ready. 

“Oh no,” Louis said as I grabbed my phone and headed towards the door. He plucked the device from my hands and placed it back on the kitchen counter. “No phone for you.”

I pouted. “But—”

“Nope.” He turned me towards the door and gently kicked me forward with his foot. “Come on!” I gave him one final disapproving look before we all piled out into the hallway.

And so we all headed down to the lobby in the elevator, and I wasn’t surprised to see paparazzi outside waiting. But I knew that they really wanted the boys. 

“Just ignore them,” Niall whispered to me before we stepped outside. Even before we exited the doors, the cameras were flashing and questions were being fired at us.

“Charlie, did you see the announcement?”

“Charlie, do you agree with it?”

“Harry, you posted a picture of Charlie and Niall on Twitter. What were you all doing?”

“The fans want to know if you’re all sexually active with each other?”

I heard numerous things as I walked towards Louis’s car and sat in the back. I completely forgot about the picture. 

“Ah, hell.” I said out loud, putting my head in my hands. I rubbed the side of my head and groaned, leaning back in my seat. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

Louis looked back at me from the driver’s seat. “Nonsense! I always have wonderful ideas!” Then there was tons of scoffing and “yeah right”s from the other boys, and Louis interjected, “Okay, well, most of my ideas are wonderful.”

I chuckled lightly to myself and stared out the window as we drove away. I stared at the houses and shops we passed on our way. 

London was really such a beautiful city. It’s just…the architecture and the way everything is built. It’s amazing. And the people and the buses and the cars on the street. I’ve always loved the double buses. My mom showed me pictures of London when she went when I was little, and I always fantasized about what it was like. It was just…so pretty, or at least that’s what I thought. The way that the buildings were made of stone just gave it that wonderful ancient feeling, you know? It seemed so old-fashioned, yet new at the same time. It was really amazing. 

We arrived at the park shortly, and we piled out onto the grass. It was fairly empty, which was a nice surprise. There was a big open space in the middle, and we headed in that direction. 

“Okay,” Liam said, taking in a breath and putting his hands on his hips. “Shall we break up into two teams?”

“Niall and I will be captains!” Louis exclaimed, a mischievous grin on his face. “Line up!” And we did. We stood in a lazy line, shoulder to shoulder. I looked up next to me, and Zayn winked. I gave a weak smile. Meanwhile, Louis was looking over all of us, trying to be dramatic. He was rubbing his chin, as if he were making a life-or-death decision. “Harry.”

Harry pulled his fists into himself, seeming satisfied. He walked up and gave Louis a high-five before standing next to him. “You’re turn,” he said to Niall.

He looked over us all. “Zayn,” he said finally, and then Louis fired off again.

“Liam.”

“Charlie.”

Louis smiled. “Tori.” 

“But the teams are uneven,” Harry stated as he looked at everyone.

“We could have a neutral goalkeeper,” Liam said. 

“Fair enough. Who—”

“ME!” Louis jumped up and raised his hand, an enormous smile on his face. He was already dashing off into the distance to mark the goalposts. He stopped in between two bushes and pointed to them with each finger. “This will be the only goal!” He shouted to us. 

We set up a middle field and placed ourselves at the end of it. Niall was our forward and Harry was theirs, with Liam and Tori behind him, and Zayn and myself behind Niall. 

“Ready?” Harry asked, and we all agreed. He paused for a minute, eyeing the soccer ball in front of him and everyone else. “Go!” And so we were off. 

It was so much fun. Niall was an amazing forward, and Louis was awesome at being a goalie. The boys were all naturals, it was clear, but Louis got excited. And I mean, really excited. Harry was crazy, too; it was clear that putting him and Louis on the same team was a mistake. 

“Alright, next goal wins!” Louis shouted from the invisible goal. “It’s a tie right now; 3 to 3!” Personally, I didn’t think we were playing to win. It was a nice day out, and it was really the first time in days that I had gone out to enjoy the sun. 

I was running down the field when the ball was suddenly in range. “Get it Charlie!” Zayn shouted. I slowed down a bit and got the ball in front of my feet. Tori was trailing at the other end of the field, just jogging. I glanced back and smiled at her.

“Come on Tori!” I shouted. She waved an arm at me. 

“Too much running!” she replied.

I laughed. 

I kept the ball at my feet as I kept going. Louis was crouched in the goal, hands out and ready. A cheeky grin was on his face and I stuck my tongue out at him. I got close enough to the goal and quickly glanced around me and saw that I was unguarded, at least for a few feet. I kept my eyes on one side of the goal and heard someone approaching. I looked; Harry. I dodged ahead and looked to the left side of the goal, prepared myself to smack it to the left…

…and kicked the ball to the opposite side. 

It was a simple trick, really, but it worked. Louis was too edged towards the one side to get to the other, and I was close enough to make it work. He literally dived to get the ball, but it just grazed his fingertips as it flew past them. He landed on the ground with a soft thud and made it very dramatic.

“Noo!” he screamed, and I just laughed at him. He curled up and clutched at his chest. “She’s taking…away…my life…” He gasped and coughed dramatically, like he was dying. I knelt down next to him, playing along. He grasped my hand. “Tell Harry…t-tell Harry…”

“Yes?” I couldn’t keep the amusement from my voice. Louis, however, didn’t break. 

“Tell Harry…that I want another goldfish.” He looked at me straight in the eyes before busting out laughing. He hopped up before reaching a hand down to me, and helping me up. We started walking back to everyone else but then he stopped me by putting his hand on my arm and stepping in front of me. “Uhm, Charlie…is Tori, uh…” He glanced back in everyone else’s direction and when he turned back to me, pink was dusting his cheeks. 

I smiled. “Go.”

He furrowed his brows at me. “What?”

I put my hands on his shoulders. “Go ask her.” He smiled widely and was about to move, but I said, “But I swear to God, if you hurt her, I will not hesitate to murder your sorry ass.” 

His smile only grew. “Got it.” He jogged off to the others, only glancing back at me once. I gave him a thumbs-up and kept the soccer ball at my feet as I followed him. 

We sat down under some trees and talked for another hour before the boys dropped us off at my place. As soon as we stepped through the door, Tori’s phone started ringing. 

“Hello?” she answered quickly, walking into her room. I picked up my phone from the counter and groaned. I had 7 missed calls and 5 new text messages. 

I checked the texts first. One was from my cousin, asking how I was. I typed a quick reply that I was doing well, and I asked how he was. One was from my mom, telling me to call her back. The rest were from my sister telling me to “answer the *bleep* phone.” No lie, she actually texted *bleep* in there. She doesn’t believe in cursing. 

I checked the voicemails next. Five were from my sister, all sounding relatively the same, saying things like “Charlie beeeeaaaaaaarrr, pick up the phooooonnnneee,”; one was from Alex, asking me to call him back ASAP because he had some big news, and then the last and most recent one was from Wyatt: 

“Hey Charlie, call me back, bye.”

I decided to call Alex first. I sat down on the floor (I know, I’m so classy) and listened as it rung in my ear. He picked up after three rings. 

“Hello, Charlie.” 

“Hi Mr. Harvey. I’m sorry, I was out all day with the boys, and Louis wouldn’t let me take my phone.” Alex was well-acquainted with the boys. He obviously knew who they were, and they met him a couple times because he dropped by the apartment a few times to give me some things, like sheet music and such. 

He laughed. “It’s quite alright. But I have news for you, good and bad.”

I groaned. “Can I have the bad news first?”

“Well, I’m sure as you’ve already noticed, there are a few fans who aren’t pleased with your friendship with the boys.” 

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I kinda noticed. Twitter doesn’t exactly censor things.”

He cleared his throat. “Well, I am terribly sorry that people are reacting like this, but it’s to be expected; with the supporters come the opposers.” 

“Yeah, I know.” My eyes went to the window to watch the sunset. I sighed. “But it’s whatever, I guess. I can deal with it. No big deal.”

“That’s the spirit,” he said, sounding happier already. “And to cheer you up, guess who’s going to be opening for The Wanted in two weeks?”

I blinked. “Uhm…One Direction…?”

He laughed. “No Charlie. You are.” 

It took me a second to react. “Wait, what…?” Then his words hit me. “Oh my God! Are you serious?!”

“Yes, I am completely serious,” he said lightly. “The Wanted is doing a concert before heading off to America for a bit, and I pulled some strings, made some arrangements, and you’re the main opening act. A lesser-known act will go before you though, and you’ll have to do some photoshoots and interviews over the next couple of weeks. I’ve got big things planned for you, Charlie.”

I was already standing up and hopping up and down on my feet. I was so ecstatic. “Mr. Harvey, this is amazing! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me. I owe you so much.”

“It’s not a problem Charlie, and you don’t owe me anything. I just love what you do.”

“Mr. Harvey, this is amazing. You’re the absolute best, thank you so much.” We talked for the next few minutes about meeting places and my interviews, and Tori came out of her room within that time span, a mix of emotions on her face. I said my goodbyes to Alex and turned to her. “What’s up?”

She thought for a minute. “You know how I went to audition for that role last Wednesday?”

I nodded. Last week Tori had an audition for a movie, and she had come home extremely confident, but nervous. I knew that she did amazing though, even though she wouldn’t admit it.

“Well, I didn’t get the part, but I did get a smaller role.” She gave me a weak smile and I hugged her. 

“Tori, that’s awesome! Congrats!” She nodded, but still looked upset. “Tori, what’s wrong?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just really wanted that part…” she sighed and I rubbed her arms in comfort. “But oh well. At least I got a part, right?” Her smile was real and genuine now. 

“Exactly! Annnd,” I started, remembering my big news. “Guess who gets to open up for The Wanted in two weeks!”

Her eyes went wide. “Charlie, that’s amazing! That’s like, super big news!!”

“I know!” We both squealed and had a little jump-fest. “This calls for ice cream!” I ran to the fridge and opened the freezer, taking out our favorite containers of ice cream. I grabbed two spoons and plopped down on the couch next to Tori, handing her her treat. I had just cracked open my container (bowls are for suckers) when my phone started buzzing again. I reached over and groaned once I saw the ID.

“Yes,” I answered, my good mood now gone. 

“That’s a nice way to greet your favorite sister,” the voice said from the other line. 

I rolled my eyes. “You’re my only sister, Lil.”

“Whatever.” She yawned, and then made this weird, obnoxious noise in my ear.

“So what did you call for?” I made myself more comfortable on the couch because I knew that whenever my sister called, there was a specific and sometimes stupid reason. She rarely ever called to say “hi, how are you, love you, miss you.” 

“I need a favor.”

“Grounded, missy!”

“But Dad—”

“I said GROUNDED!”

I grunted and stomped upstairs, the heels of my boots digging into my feet. Once I reached my bedroom door, I opened it forcefully, and made sure to slam it. Hard.

I flopped on my bed and screamed into my pillow. I kicked my feet, trying to get out all my frustrations. It didn’t work. I stood up and paced around my room, still fuming.

It was Saturday night, and my father had grounded me because I went out earlier without doing some of my chores. The deal was that I did my chores throughout the weekend, and I would be free to do whatever I wanted—Jess, my best friend since pre-K could drive, and we mostly spent our time together. Plus, she loved driving. But I left this morning without doing the dishes, and when my father came home, he blew his top. Hence the grounding. 

I had made plans to go out with Jess, (I was upset because I wanted to go out with my boyfriend, but he was busy, so it’s understandable), but because of my grounding, I highly doubt—

My phone buzzed in my pocket, signaling that I had a new text message. It was from Jess:

Are you getting ready?? 

I sighed. I typed a quick reply before tossing my phone on my bed carelessly: can’t. dad grounded me :(

Her reply was quick: typical Jess. Noooo !!! D:

I decided not to reply and I flopped back onto my bed. I stared up at my ceiling, my arms sprawled out next to me. I can’t believe I’m grounded for something so stupid. It’s ridiculous, childish, and—

There was a tap on my window. I glanced at it, but there was nothing there. There was another tap, and I glanced over fast enough to see another pebble hit my window before traveling back down to the ground. My phone buzzed; it was Jess again. 

Open the goddamn window !! 

I sighed and got off my bed to open my window. Jess was standing down below, her hand full of pebbles and a smile on her face. “Hi pumpkin!” She waved at me.

I rolled my eyes at her. “What are you doing? I’m grounded tonight.”

She frowned. “But we had plans.”

“Well, plans change, especially when I’m grounded.” I shook my head as I leaned on the window ledge to talk to her. The wind was cool, but other than that, it was a nice night out. Perfect for heading out with your best friend. 

She pouted up at me. “But Alanna…”

I shook my head again. “No buts.”

A mischievous grin made its way to her lips. “Don’t make me come up there and push you out.”

I thought about the last time she threatened me with that. We were just finishing up our sophomore year of high school, and she wanted to go to our friend’s party, but there was something going on with the front door, and she told me to climb down from my window. First of all, the wall leading up to my window was completely flat except for the little landing underneath my window, so I have no idea how she even managed to climb up. But she did, and she climbed down first, but fell, and almost broke something. But she was fine. I climbed down, slipped on the gutter, and fell on my ass. Hard. 

Jess watched me hesitate. “C’mon Alanna! Be adventurous for once in your life! We’re seniors for God’s sake!” She held out her arms wide and smiled up playfully at me. “I’ll catch you.” I hesitated. “I have a surprise for you,” she sang, fidgeting on her Converse-covered feet.

Damnit. She knew how to get me. 

She flicked her hair out of her eyes. “My car is parked around the corner. C’mon!”

I thought for a second. Damn her and her surprises, I thought. “One second.” I caught her smile before I ran to check myself in the mirror that hung on the back of my door. I ran my brush through my light brown hair and redid the purple eyeliner around my green eyes. I adjusted my clothes for a second before I realized that I would be climbing and possibly running to her car. I stuffed my necessities into my purse and crammed some pillows and clothes under my bed to make it look like I was sleeping. I turned off the lights and went back to the window. 

Time for the next obstacle. 

I swung my leg out to straddle the window ledge and slipped my other leg out, so they were both planted firmly on the slanted awning. I shut the window, leaving about two inches for when I came back. I still didn’t know how I was going to climb up, but oh well. 

I walked to the edge of the awning, the heels of my boots making light clicking noises. I sat down and hung my legs off the edge, and breathed out. 

“Come on,” Jess urged me quietly, beckoning me with her hands. “You can do it, just a little more.” 

I turned around and slide myself down so that I was hanging by my hands. I breathed out and let go, just to get it over with. I landed shakily on my feet before Jess was next to me.

“Awesome!” She said, patting my back. “But come on, or we’ll be late.” She grabbed my hand and we dashed through my neighbor’s yard to get to the street. I stumbled a little bit at first, Jess giggling alongside me. I shushed her, unsuccessfully, and we ran down the street away from my house. She unlocked the doors to her old Chevy (her “baby”, as she calls it, and I must admit that it is a pretty car) and we climbed in. I waited until we were further down the street to turn the radio up. Part Of Me by Katy Perry was blasting and we started singing along. 

“Where are we going?” I questioned Jess numerous times throughout the car ride, but every time she just widened her smile and shook her head.

“It’s a surprise,” she sang, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music. I pouted. “But you’ll love it, trust me babe.”

I tried to get a look at where we were out the window, but the only thing I saw were trees and the stars above, lights glowing in the distance. I looked over at Jess to see if she was dressed in any particular way to give any hints; her hoodie with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows so she could drive, her jeans, and her black Converse. As she checked the right side for traffic at a stop sign, I saw midnight blue eyeliner around her brown eyes. Her glasses reflected the lights of cars coming and going, and her dark brown hair was gently curled at the ends. Well, that’s not typical, but everything else…

I watched as Jess’s smile grew as we continued down the street. Before I could ask, she nodded her head at the scene in front of her. “Look.” 

I furrowed my eyebrows at her before turning my head in front of me. I widened my eyes and my mouth dropped open. 

We were in front of a very large under-21 club. It was really exclusive and really popular, which meant that it was hard to get in. But anyone that’s ever been in it says that it’s awesome. Neon signs were flashing and there was a billboard on top announcing what bands were playing and the main DJ. There was a line of people outside in party clothes, and some girls were dressed…well, I can’t really say dressed, because they were hardly wearing any clothes. 

“Aren’t they cold?” I asked out loud, and Jess laughed as we looked for a parking space. We parked right out front, and there was a group of boys a few feet away. When the headlights hit them, they turned around and I nearly screamed as a pair of suspenders caught my eye. 

Actually, I did scream. 

I ran out of the car and jumped into Louis’s awaiting arms. And I literally did jump; he caught me around the waist and stumbled back a bit, but spun me around nonetheless. I tightly hugged his neck and he kissed any part of my body he could reach. 

“Louis!” I squealed as he put me down. I pulled back and jumped a little, but I didn’t let go. “I missed you so much!”

He smiled that gorgeous smile of his and bent down to kiss me. “I missed you too.” He held me tightly against him and rocked back and forth. 

“Hey!” I heard another voice behind Louis. “What about us? Share the ladies!” I looked around Louis to see Harry, a cheeky grin on his face, and Liam and Zayn smiling. Niall was next to Jess, his arm around her waist. 

“Guys!” I squealed as I ran to hug each of them. I went to Harry, Liam, and Zayn, who picked up my tiny frame, and finally Niall. “How’d you guys get here?”

“We told Jess that we were coming back, and she wanted to surprise you because you were so down lately, so we arranged this little thing,” Liam told us, and reached out to pinch one of Jess’s cheeks. “She’s such a sweetheart.”

I turned to Jess, who was smiling widely. I was speechless. “Jess!” I squealed and hugged her. She hugged me tightly. “You are the best friend ever, you know that?”

“I’ve heard,” she laughed as she released me. “Now come on, let’s have fun!” She grabbed my hand and we dashed towards the club, the boys on our tails. 

There were two guys up front, both quite young looking. Jess rushed up to one and greeted him before whispering something in his ear. He nodded and motioned for us to follow him. He led us towards a door on the side of the building, away from the people, and led us through a narrow hallway. It was dark, but we could still see. A hand grabbed my free one and squeezed gently. I looked back to see blue eyes and I smiled. He pecked my cheek before Jess pulled me through a door. We emerged in a hallway, and the music was already blasting in my ears. I smiled.

Everything was in a dim orange light, with colored lights flashing. The music was upbeat and loud, and I could feel the bass in my bones. Bodies were mashed up on the dancefloor, people scattered at tables around the walls. The DJ was up on the stage behind his machinery, bobbing his head to the music. 

“Jess, this is amazing!” I screamed over the music. “How’d you get us in?”

She smiled at me. “Don’t worry about it, just enjoy the night!”

First we headed off to find an empty table, and one was reserved for us. We placed our jackets down and Jess shrugged off her sweatshirt, revealing a loose, black cut-off top with a lace back. I took off my leather jacket and fixed my white cut-off. Harry whistled and Louis smacked him. 

I slapped Jess’s arm. “You could have told me to wear something sexy!” She simply shrugged and I grabbed her wrist, dragging her to the dancefloor. I cut through the crowd so we were in the middle, and the music pulsed through me and matched my heartbeat. It was an amazing feeling. Jess and I jumped and danced to the music, singing along with whatever words we knew. It was awesome, just dancing here with everybody else, not a care in the world, just having fun.

I felt hands on my waist and turned my head, ready to curse out the person who dared to touch me. But instead, I smiled and moved back into Louis, who smirked down and danced with me. 

“Hey,” he whispered in my ear, and it sent shivers down my spine. His hands tightened on my waist.

“Hi,” I whispered back, tossing my hands up as I continued to dance. Jess sent me a sneaky look, and I smiled back at her. Niall came up behind her and soon was in the same position with Jess as I was with Louis. I could already tell that we were going to have a good time.

So we danced and danced with each other, and the other three boys even came and joined us. During one song, Jess and I got caught in between Zayn and Harry, and we were laughing the entire time. Louis pulled me close as the slow songs came on, and we were in our own little world. 

“I really missed you,” he whispered for me alone, tightening his arms around my waist. “I’m so glad you came out tonight.”

I pecked his cheek. “Me too.” He leaned his forehead against mine and we talked a bit more before the faster music came on and we were dancing like crazy again. When each of us got tired, we sat down at the table and sipped our drinks (no alcohol, because no one in this place is legal). When we caught our breath, we filtered out onto the dancefloor again

I had no idea what time it was when people started filtering out. The DJ announced that it was the final song, and the place was already half empty. We stayed until the crew kicked us out so that they could clean the place out. 

We stumbled through the front exit this time, laughing and smiling. Louis’s fingers were interlocked with mine, and I couldn’t keep the smile off of my face. Jess directed me to her car, and I climbed in the back with Louis while she talked with the rest of the boys. She climbed in the front seat with Niall in the passenger beside her. Louis switched my hands and hand one of his resting on my thigh. 

I looked ahead of me, my heart calming down from the beat of the loud music. “Where are we going?”

Louis leaned in close to my ear and kissed it. “Another surprise.” I felt my flushed face get redder from the intimate contact, and Louis just laughed at me.

We ended up at a local park, complete with a playground and a hill that led down to a baseball field. We parked next to the gate for the home-base and piled out. We all started to run for the playground, but Louis stopped me as we reached the bottom.

“I know this isn’t much,” he said, nodding towards the playground above. “But I didn’t want to leave you just yet.”

I smiled and stood on my toes to kiss him. I felt him smile, too. “I love it,” I whispered before pecking his lips again. “Now come on!” I started to dash uphill, dragging Louis by the hand. 

We played in the park for what felt like hours. We played on the playground, the swings, and even rolled down the hill, racing each other. We found a large stick (Harry and Louis made a few raunchy jokes about that, which we all laughed at) and a giant rock, and even played baseball. Of course, it wasn’t really baseball, but it was close. 

“Now hop three times!” Louis yelled as I ran to first base. I did as I was told, and Zayn spun around under Louis’s instructions. Harry ran to left field and tagged Jess, screaming “Moobonga!” and Jess ran up next to me. 

“Quick!” she grabbed my hand and pointed back towards Louis. “Before the evil umpire-man-thing gets us!” she motioned to everybody else. “Run, guys!”

“No!” Louis screamed in fake anguish, falling to his knees. “You ruined my plan! I will have my revenge!” And with that, we were all sent running. 

Louis got to Zayn first, who was standing right next to him, and then dashed after the rest of us. Jess tugged me along, but she fumbled and tripped and fell, but God, it was funny. She flipped over her back and landed on her butt.

“Keep going!” she urged me as I slowed down. Niall ran towards her and bent down to swoop her in his arms. “Keep running girl!”

I kept going, but it was in vain because I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist and pull me to a stop. We fumbled a little bit but managed to stay on our feet. Louis kept his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulder, hugging me tightly from behind. 

“I got you.” He kissed my shoulder all the way up to my neck, and I shivered at his touch. He turned me around to face him, arms still tightly around me. He leaned down and touched our foreheads together, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. We started swaying slowly, side to side. 

I don’t know how long we stayed like that, just staring deeply into each other’s eyes, but I certainly wasn’t complaining. We were in the middle of the field and it was completely open, the moonlight shining down on us, and I couldn’t have been happier. Louis Tomlinson, my loving boyfriend, was holding me close as we danced to music in our heads. We were the only people here right now, and I had no idea where Liam, Harry or Zayn was, but I picture Niall and Jess to be in sort of the same position as Louis and I. 

He leaned down and kissed me softly and sweetly, and I savored every second of it. He held me close, his arms a comforting iron grip around me. 

He pulled away only slightly, still a breath away. “I love you, so unbelievably much,” he whispered against my lips, but his words rang clear in my head.

“I love you too,” I told him, pecking his lips. “So so much.”

He smiled softly and his blue eyes twinkled, full of admiration and love. He held me close as we continued to dance, one of his hands leaving my waist to hold onto mime. We danced slowly around the open field, and he twirled me a few times. He held my body close to his as we swayed side to side, back and forth, soft smiles on both of our faces as the sun peeked out in the horizon and we shared another sweet kiss. 

It had been about two weeks since Niall had come and returned my book. They hadn’t come by my apartment again, and I was busy with work anyway. When Tori got home that night, she barreled me with questions about what happened, excitement gleaming in her green eyes. 

“I meet Harry today, too,” I told her after she finished questioning me, and she nearly spit out her soda at me.

“What?!” She nearly screamed, leaning forward on the table. I raised my eyebrows at her. “How could you not mention that Harry Styles himself was here?!”

I shrugged. “You just kept asking questions, so how could I even get a word in?” I sipped at my lemonade. “And it’s not like the complete One Direction was here, it was just Niall and Harry.” 

“That’s still worth mentioning!” She slapped my arm playfully and we continued on. 

So it had been two weeks since Niall and Harry were in the apartment, and Tori couldn’t believe that I hadn’t at least gotten a picture with them or anything. She thought I’d gone insane.

“They’re just normal people, Tori,” I told her simply, shrugging. She rolled her eyes at me and drank the rest of her soda.

Since they had been here, I’ve performed at David’s a lot, actually, a couple nights a week. I’ve used both my guitar and the small grand piano on the stage, and I was even getting recognized on the streets. It was sort of odd, actually, because I’ve never been noticed before. I was actually performing tonight.

There was a knock at the door—actually, a few knocks. Someone kept banging on the door, and it was really getting on my nerves. 

“I’m coming!” I yelled, dashing for the door. “Geez people, calm down.” I decided not too peek through the hole and just swung the door open, only to be greeted by five very gorgeous boys. 

“Surprise!” Harry shouted, throwing his arms up in the air. He and Niall stood in front, while Liam, Louis and Zayn were behind them. “We came for breakfast.”

I looked at my watch. “Harry, it’s three in the afternoon.”

“So?” A cheeky grin spread on his face.

I raised my eyebrows. “So, shouldn’t you have had breakfast hours ago?”

He shrugged. “That doesn’t really matter. Besides, we wanted Charlie’s cooking!” I shook my head and laughed, letting them in my apartment. I got a quick hug from Harry and Niall before they started introducing me. “Charlie, this is Liam,” the tall boy stepped forward and hugged me, “Louis,” who gave me a big grin and a very big hug, “and Zayn, but you probably already knew that.” Zayn was a bit reserved and shook my hand, but obliged when I reached out for a hug. He was tall and nice and I felt like he would be a good big-brother figure, or a best friend. Liam, too; he seemed so mature and sensible, but no doubt just as crazy as the others. 

Once they were done greeting me, I introduced them all to Tori, who was standing wide-eyed and smiling in front of them. Niall gave her a quick hug and the rest of the boys shook her hand, but something sparkled in her eyes when Louis grabbed her hand. Her cheeks were dusted with pink and Louis smiled widely at her. 

After introductions I went to work making breakfast. Harry and Liam offered to help, but once they started touching stuff and distracting me, I screamed, “Get out of my kitchen!” before shooing them away to the adjoining living room. I kept an eye on the food and made enough for a small army. I finished cutting up some strawberries for myself and slid them into a bowl, added a little sugar, and mixed them up. I placed all the food on the counter, set out plates, and told everyone to dig in. 

I saw Tori stare at Louis’s back as we waited to get to the food and I nudged her with my elbow. “He’s not eye-candy, Tor,” I whispered to her. 

She grinned and bit her bottom lip. “Maybe not to you, but for all the single ladies, he is.”

I laughed as she started singing Beyonce’s hit Single Ladies, and I joined her. Louis started to break out and dance to it, and the rest of the boys joined in. We all were still laughing as we sat down in the living room. 

There was a silence in the room as we started eating before Liam spoke up. “So Charlie, what do you do?”

I finished chewing what was in my mouth before speaking; I was polite, my mother has raised me the right way. “I work mostly, days and nights, but I really love music and I’m trying to pursue a career.”

“Where do you work?” Zayn asked, biting his toast. 

“Antonio’s Flowers down the block, and I waitress at Galileo’s.” I shoved a forkful of hash browns in my mouth. 

“What do you want to do with music?” Louis asked, generally curious. 

I was quiet for a minute, and Tori answered for me. “Charlie’s going to become the next big superstar!” I slapped her arm, but she sent me a glare. “What? Come on Charlie, you’ve got so much talent! Why not show it off?”

“Because that’s untrue and I’m not like that,” I told her, standing up to take my empty plate to the sink. I started washing the dirty dishes to keep me occupied for a little bit of time. I heard someone shuffle in after a few minutes and a plate was placed next to the sink, completely empty. 

“Everything alright?” Niall asked, leaning against the counter. I scrubbed a dirty skillet, trying to get out all my frustration. 

“Tori just,” I started, trying to shake the hair out of my eyes, “she just over-exaggerates everything. She wants so much to happen, and I want a lot of stuff to happen too, but…she’s impatient. She just needs to calm down.” 

He was quiet for a minute before responding. “Are you talented?”

I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess, but Tori makes it seem like I’m the best thing that ever happened. She just needs to calm down.” 

He was about to say something when I heard from behind me, “Charlie! Come here!” I sighed and cleaned off my hands, drying them with a towel. Niall followed me back into the living room and Tori had my guitar in her lap. She held it out for me, along with a pick. “Play something.” 

I sat down on the floor and placed my guitar in my lap, gently picking at the strings. I tuned it up a bit and grabbed the pick from Tori, strumming lightly. “Like what?”

She thought for a minute before a big smile appeared on her face. I was subconsciously playing Good Riddance by Green Day, the first song I ever learned how to play. My fingers were picking at the G chord when Tori mouthed, “One Direction.” I laughed and took the capo from the head of the guitar and placed it on the correct fret. I started strumming and the boys all smiled, exchanging looks. Liam started us off:

“You’re insecure, don’t know what for. You’re turnin’ heads when you walk through the do-o-or. Don’t need make-up, to cover up. Bein’ the way that you are is eno-o-ough.”

“Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but yo-ou,” Harry sang, and then I joined everybody in the chorus, adding a different layer.

“Baby, you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell, you don’t know, oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you’d understand why I want you so desperately. right now I’m lookin’ at you and I can’t believe, you don’t know, oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful. Oh-oh, that’s what makes you beautiful.”

I strummed the next progression and Zayn went to sing his part, everybody smiling at our little “jam session.”

“So c-come on, you got it wrong. To prove I’m right, I put it in a so-o-ong. I don’t know why, you’re being shy, and turn away when I look into your e-e-eyes.”

Harry chimed in again with his part, “Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you.”

“Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip you’re hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell, you don’t know, oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you’d understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I’m lookin’ at you and I can’t believe, you don’t know, oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful. Oh-oh, that’s what makes you beautiful.”

“Na na na na, na na na, na na. Na na na na, na na. Na na na na, na na na, na na. Na na na na, na na,” everybody sang together, clapping in time to the strumming. Then came Harry’s solo and I strummed each prospective chord once. 

“Baby, you light up my world like nobody else. The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground, it ain’t hard to tell, you don’t know, oh-oh…”

And everybody joined in for the last chorus, “You don’t know you’re beautiful. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed. But when you smile at the ground it ain’t hard to tell, you don’t know, oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you’d understand why I want you so desperately. Right now I’m lookin’ at you and I can’t believe, you don’t know, oh-oh, you don’t know you’re beautiful. Oh-oh, that’s what makes you beautiful. Oh oh,”

And Harry finished us off, “That’s what makes you beautiful.” The boys were all hooting and hollering when we finished, and I had a wide smile on my face. 

“That was awesome, Charlie!” Louis exclaimed, reaching out for a high-five. I smacked his hand and thanked him with a grin. 

“What else do you know?” Liam asked, and Niall glanced at me with a shy smile. 

I started rattling off a few names. “Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, All-American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, Michael Buble…” I glanced around for my black book and saw the time. “Holy shit, I’m going to be late!” I jumped up and ran to my room, barely shutting the door on my way in.

“What are you late for?” Harry asked from the living room, and I tossed on a nice white blouse. I pulled on my nice black slacks and my black flats.

“I have to go perform at David’s,” I yelled back, running my fingers through my hair to fix it a little. I ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and rinse my face before gathering the things I needed to go. I tossed my bag with all my needed belongings over my shoulder and buttoned up my blouse as I walked out to everybody. The boys were all standing up, as was Tori. 

“Do you want a ride?” Harry asked.

I was about to protest when I saw the clock again. Shit. If I didn’t hurry, I would be late. I looked to Harry with pleading eyes. “As long as you guys don’t mind.”

He smiled. “Of course not!” I sighed in relief and we all headed out. 

“Have fun!” Tori shouted as I walked out the door last, and I smiled and waved to her before I shut the door. We all ran down the steps and out the door, and the next thing I knew, I was in the front passenger seat in a very big (and probably very expensive) car. 

Louis started the engine and pulled out of his parking space onto the street. The ride there was loud as the radio was turned up and I was giving Louis directions. Harry kept cracking dirty jokes and by the time we were in front of the restaurant, my cheeks were pink and I was a little breathless from laughing. 

“Thank you so so much,” I said as I climbed out of the car. “I owe you guys so much.”

“We’ll hold you to it!” Harry screamed from the open window of the back seat, and I turned my head to smile and wave at them all. I watched them pull away with a sad smile on my face before I walked into David’s. I said hello to the maitre-d as I passed him and quickly made my way to the back room. I put my things down and did a few vocal exercises and stretched out my hands, since I was going to be playing on the piano. I walked onto the small stage and a few people clapped as I sat down, and I smiled out to them. I fixed myself on the bench and shook out my hands.

Okay, here we go, I thought as I ran my fingers lightly over the length of the keys. My plan was to start out with a slowed-down piano version of Poker Face by Lady Gaga. If I played it right, it would sound awesome. Letting out a shaky breath, I put my fingers on the correct keys and started to sing.

“I wanna hold ‘em like they do in Texas, please,” I sang, losing myself in the song. “Fold ‘em, let ‘em hit me raise it, baby stay with me…”

I kept going, letting the music just flow right from me. I felt calm, and almost happy, as I continued with the song. A little later in the next line, I saw out of my peripheral vision a group sitting down at a table in the back corner. It would be rude to turn my head and look, plus I would lose my concentration, so I just kept playing.

“Can’t read my, can’t read my, no he can’t read my poker face. She’s got to love nobody. Can’t read my, can’t read my, no he can’t read my poker face, she’s got to love nobody. P-p-p-poker face p-p-poker face. P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face…”

“I wanna roll with him, a hard pair we will be. A little gamblin’, it’s fun when you’re with me. Russian roulette is not the same without a gun, and baby when it’s love, if it ain’t rough it isn’t fun…”

I kept going, my fingers placing the right notes and chords at the right time. This was the best I was ever playing this song, and I was proud of myself as I finished, holding out all the right notes. 

“She’s got to love nobody.” I placed my hands in my lap as the final note rang out and people started clapping. I smiled out to them and felt happy that people actually liked hearing me perform. I moved on to playing just a few simple melodies without lyrics for a while before diving into a couple more songs. After I was finished completely, I headed back to the small back room to gather up my things. 

There was a knock on the doorframe and I turned my head to see a tall young man with dark hair in the doorway. “Hello, Charlie, is it?”

I nodded, confused. “Hi. Can I help you?” Usually, no one came back to see me. I was in, I performed, and then I left. Nothing really special about it. 

He stuck out his hand and I reluctantly shook it. “My name is Alex Harvey. You’re a wonderful talent, Miss Charlie.” He smiled at me, and now that he was closer, I could see the crease lines beginning in his face. 

“Thank you, Mr. Harvey,” I said. He seemed like a nice enough man, and his handshake was strong. You can tell a lot about a person from their handshake. “Is there something I can help you with, though?”

“I actually think that there’s something I can help you with,” he told me, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. My heart nearly exploded from his next statement.

“I want to make you famous, Charlie. How does that sound?”