Right Place, Right Time

You And I

"Well?" said Gemma, leaning forward and yelling so that I could hear her over 50,000 screaming girls. "What do you think?"

We were only a handful of songs into the concert, and I couldn't stop smiling. I'd repeatedly heard that One Direction were great live but nothing could prepare me for how fantastic the performance was. Their singing was incredible, and the atmosphere was electric. I'd vowed, when I sat down next to Gemma and Sophia before the concert began, that I would try to play it cool and not get overexcited, but my good intentions went out the window from the moment the boys stepped on stage. I leapt to my feet, and couldn't help jumping up and down and singing along at the top of my voice. I was grinning from sheer joy. They were amazing.

I say "they" but in fact I wasn't really paying a lot of attention towards Liam, Louis, Zayn or Niall. I couldn't take my eyes off Harry. His energy was astounding, and the delight I'd seen on his face when I'd stood up there with him a few hours earlier was evident again as he bounded around the stage, singing his heart out. He was in his element, I could tell, and that stage presence I'd noticed at the sound check was multiplied 100 times.

I turned to Gemma and bent my head until my mouth was close to her ear. "They're incredible!" I yelled. "I love it! And Harry is amazing."

"I know!" she shouted back, her voice a little hoarse. "I'm so proud of my little brother!"

I knew how she felt, I was proud of him too and I'd only known him a few hours. Although it felt like much longer than that. 

The easy rapport we seemed to have developed so quickly after meeting had continued after we'd finished eating our dinner earlier on. Everyone had headed to the green room for the party for Dave, who was a member of the lighting crew. He was fanatical about Star Wars, and Eleanor and Sophia had done a brilliant job of finding Star Wars party supplies, including Storm Trooper bunting and a life-sized cardboard Darth Vader.

Somebody had produced a cake and we all sang happy birthday to Dave. Everyone stood around and chatted for a while until a lot of crew members dispersed to get on with their work, while the 1D guys and the rest of their team hung out in the green room watching music videos on TV.

Harry and I sat next to each other on the sofa, watching the videos and talking about music we liked, and after a while it felt so natural to be with him that I pretty much forgot who he was. It just felt like I was hanging out with a really cool guy I'd just happened to click with. So when their tour manager Sam came out and said they needed to do a meet and greet with some of their fans it gave me a little jolt. That's right, they had fans. They were One Direction.

While they were gone Gemma, Lottie, Lou, Sophia, Eleanor and I watched E! Online and rated celebrity frocks. They discussed how Liam was going to get through the concert that night - he had hurt his back while training at the gym earlier that day - and who Harry was likely to pull up on stage during the concert.

"He's done it at four out of the last five shows," explained Gemma. "He's got this thing about getting people up on stage and singing to them - God only knows why."

"I think it's kind of cute," said Eleanor, "especially when it is kids."

"The girl he got up at the last show looked like she was going to pass out," said Sophia. "I think she was just a bit overwhelmed."

I could relate to that - before today, if I'd gone to a One Direction concert and been pulled up on stage by Harry Styles, I'd have probably collapsed into a heap. Yet somehow, I'd just spent hours with him without turning into a quivering wreck. I was quite proud of myself for remaining so calm, although I felt my pulse quicken when the lads came back from the meet and greet, and Harry nudged Gemma out of the way so he could sit next to me on the sofa again.