Tour Life ||n.h|| [au]

Chapter 1 ||ERICA||

~~~

"Simon. You are kidding. Right?" I asked, nervous. He flew me out to London for a 'very important conversation.'

"Erica, you haven't made an album in four years. You have to make some sort of a comeback. And the majority of your fans have disappeared, why not just go on tour with someone?"

"Who?" I wanted to go on tour or meet Hunter Hayes, but that probably won't happen. He's a country singer, I'm a pop singer. Nice to dream though...

"Well, it would be easier if you just met them, right? Boys! Come on in!" He yelled towards the door.

I turned to face the door. One Direction comes strolling in. Wonderful. Just a *minor* fangirl moment. "Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know. "

"Hi Uncle Si!" They shouted as they came in.

"Boys, this is Erica Jenkins. She won X- Factor in 2008. I had a crazy thought a few weeks ago, and thought of all of you, and figured, 'what if they all went on tour together?' Then, it hit me! My boys are going on tour in about a month.-"

"Get to the point, Si," I told him.

"You guys are going on tour with Erica!" He finished.

I looked at the *fine* boys of One Direction and they all looked at each other, then at Simon, then at me. "Okay!"

Breathe Erica, breathe. I told myself. I smiled.

"Why don't you all go talk and do some songs? It'll be good for all of you," Simon told all of us. I looked at Niall, and he looked back. We both rolled our eyes at Simon.

So, the boys of 1D and I walked down to Studio 7A.

"So, Erica what's new with you?" Louis asked me, like we've been friends for years.

"Uh, well. I've tried writing a few songs. But, it hasn't worked very well," I shrugged my shoulders.

"Shouldn't we be singing songs or something... Like Simon told us to?" Liam asked.

"Well, I want to get to know Erica more, otherwise, we would be touring with a complete stranger," Louis stated, matter- of- factly.

"Whatever," I could tell Liam just gave up on getting Louis to do anything.

"Do you want my life story?" They all nodded.

"Okay. So, I was born in September. The thirteenth, in 1993. Um, I was born in Dublin," I could see all of them look at Niall, chuckle, then payed attention to me again.

I told them about my parents, the move to the US. My grandparents. The orphanage, Daisy, Travis. Daisy's parents adopting me. And I told them how I thought I had no hope about actually winning the X- Factor. I said that i wanted to go on, just so that I could say I did. "I won, made a few albums that all hit #1. My second album went platinum in the UK and US. It was amazing, really. After my third album release, several rumors went around about me stealing music from other people. Simon almost dropped me from the record deal. Don't tell anyone that, please. I wasn't even supposed to know about that."

"I know I won't tell anyone," Liam said, looking at the others.

"Sworn to secrecy," they all said.

I laughed. "Anything else you want to know?"

"What's your favorite... Color?" Zayn asked.

"Green."

"Favorite... Food?" Niall wondered.

"Oh my god. Um... Anything edible."

"She is just as bad as you, Niall," Harry told him. Niall shrugged.

"Do you guys want to sing something? Since Simon forced us down here and clearly said 'it would be good for all of us,'" I said, mocking his tone.

"Yeah, what do want to sing?" Harry asked, while trying not to laugh.

"Don't Forget Where You Belong."

"Are you saying that because we're here-" Zayn started.

"No. I'm not saying that because you are here, I'm saying that because it's a good song," I snapped.

"What's with the attitude?" Niall asked, laughing.

"It just happens. Just like Harry's tattoos."

They couldn't help themselves at this point. They were all dying of laughter.

I headed into the recording booth, and waited for someone to recover to come sing with me. After about five minutes, Niall came in the booth and put on a pair of headphones. I already had mine on.

The music started. Niall sang first.

Been a lot of places.
I've been all around the world.
Seen a lot of faces.
Never knowing where I was.

On the horizon.
Oh, well, I know, I know, I know, I know the sun will be rising
Back home.

Living out of cases,
Packing up and taking off.
Made a lot of changes
But not forgetting who I was.

On the horizon.
Oh, well, I know, I know, I know, I know the moon will be rising
Back home.

He stopped singing, and I sang the chorus. After that, we sang the rest of the song.  I wanted to ask Louis if he could sing his solo, but I didn't. Even though I would love to hear his angelic voice singing his solo in this song.

Niall and I walked out of the booth and grabbed a water.

"You have a really unique voice, Erica. No wonder you won," Louis told me.

"Thanks."

"Suck- up," Niall said through fake coughs. I chuckled to myself.

"Didn't you guys release your fourth album a couple months ago?"

"Yeah. November. Why?" Harry asked.

"Just wondering. Who came up with the name 'FOUR' anyways?"

"I did," Niall said. "Do you have a problem with it?" He laughed.

"I didn't say that I did, now did I?"

"No."

"Exactly. I have no problem with it."

"Hey guys, I know you're all having fun, but it's getting late. And I'm tired," Zayn said.

"Says the one that stays up all night," Niall said. Such a carrot moment, but I can't help myself.

"Does he sing Katy Perry?" I asked him. Niall caught on to what I was doing.

"Oh, yeah. She's on replay," he smiled.

"Too bad you don't have a DJ, he'd get the floor to shake."

"Yeah, but he shakes it off quite easily," he said, changing it up.

"Are you two quite finished?" Liam asked us.

Niall and I looked at each other. "Yeah," we both said.

"I don't know about you g-" Harry started.

"Are you feeling 22, Harry?" I asked.

"I'm not even 22."

"21?"

"Nope."

"There is no reference to 'nope'."

"Too bad. Anyways, as I was saying, I'm hungry, so we should all go home, and come back in the morning or something."

"Yeah, I have to get home and call my friends and make sure that they are still breathing, because, and I quote, 'Harry Styles!'" I said, imitating my friends.

"Sounds interesting. What would they do if they met us?" Niall asked me.

"Die, hyperventilate. Have a literal heart attack."

"That sounds good," Liam said.

"Yeah, well, see you guys later!" I said as I walked out the studio door.

"BYE!" They yelled.