"Stuck In The Friend-Zone Again and Again"

"It Started On A Weekend In May"

(DISCLAIMER FROM LIKE 1.5 YEARS AFTER WRITING THIS CHAPTER! THIS CHAPTER IS REALLY CRINGEY AND SHITTY BUT THE STORY/WRITING IMPROVES SO MUCH SO PLEASE DONT GIVE UP!!!!!)

For most everyone else in the world today, September 14th, was a completely ordinary day, but for me it was going to be the best day of my life.
(Sorry, you don't know me yet, do you? My name's Paris Eve Hadley, how do you do? Canadian, 15 years old, avid music fan and writer)
Today I was incredibly excited because I was about to meet my favourite band 5 Seconds of Summer (favourite being an understatement. Like would sell my soul for a kiss from Luke).
My mum and I had driven down to the Toronto about a 3 hour drive, that morning, and I was thrilled out of my mind. Still, I couldn't shake a slightly sad aura that was surrounding me. I would remember this day forever, but to them I was just another fan in the crowd.
I tried to brush this off as I made my way, followed by my mom, into the big building where everything was being held.
To my frustration, we were late, so I ended up at the Very Back of the Meet and Greet line. I clutched my poster in anticipation, silver Sharpie held tight in the opposite hand, so tight my knuckles were white.
"I'm going to go sit down for a while, okay?" my mom said.
"Yeah, yeah, fine," I said distractedly. She wandered off in search of a chair.
Over the next 2 hours I killed time on Tumblr, WattPad, and Pinterest.
Finally, after standing in line for nearly 2 and half hours, I was at the front of the line.
The crowd had dispersed considerably, so it was basically just me and the boys. I walked up to the table. "Hi," I smiled, laying down my poster and Sharpie on the table.
"Hi," Luke smiled back. (Oh my God, was it possible for him to get any hotter?) "What's your name?"
"Paris," I smiled.
"Have you ever been to Paris?" Calum chimed in.
"Not once," I laughed.
"How long have you been standing in that line?" Michael asked (sporting bright blue hair).
"Almost 2 and a half hours," I responded.
They all visibly cringed. "Ow. How're the old legs?" Ashton asked.
"Now that you mention it-" I replied. "-they feel like they're about to fall off."
"Can we get this poor girl a chair?" Luke called.
A man ran over with a chair for me, and I gratefully sat down. "You didn't have to do that, guys," I sighed.
"Nonsense!" Calum chirped. "You've waited in line forever to see us, the least we can do is be hospitable."
"You're even nicer in person," I giggled.
"So do you want us to sign this?" Ashton asked.
"If you don't mind," I said.
They all passed it around, signing it and probably writing something silly.
As they finished signing, I dug around in my bag (canvas, reading Talk Nerdy To Me) and pulled out a few things. "I almost forgot, I brought you guys presents!" I grinned.
"You didn't have to do that!" Michael mimicked.
I rolled my eyes. "For Ashton, vanilla candles, what else," I said, setting them down in front of him. "For Michael: Pizza Pizza gift cards," I smiled, setting those down in front of Michael. "For Luke, a pink beanie for Wednesdays, with a penguin on it, of course." Luke grinned as I handed the hat to him, pulling it on his head.
"And for Calum, a replica of Dean's Buddha necklace," I said, laying the necklace down. "I heard you like Supernatural," I added, grinning.
"Oh my God, you're like my favourite fan ever!" Calum laughed.
I smiled, but that feeling of sadness was beginning to wash over me again.
Maybe they would remember me... As the fan that brought them cool gifts that one time.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked, concerned.
"It's- it's nothing," I smiled softly.
"Seriously, what?" Ashton asked.
"It's nothing, really! I'm just over-thinking things, like always," I responded.
Michael leaned forward on his elbows, hands cupping his chin. "What are you 'over-thinking like always'?"
"Well, it's just that... Let's just say that when I joined the 5SOS Fam, there were a lot of terms and conditions I didn't know about. I'll remember meeting you guys until even my spirit can't go on, but to you, I'll be a faded memory by next week." All of their faces looked sad. "I know most girls come in here throwing themselves at you, begging you to marry them, or go out with them, or anything of the sort. But I don't know, I think they forget that it'd be just as great to be friends with you guys. Of course, I highly doubt you'd want to be friends with a nerdy 15 year old," I smiled a bit.
"Friends, did she say friends?" Calum said, turned round to Michael.
"I think she did my dear Calum," Michael responded.
"Well that-" Ashton chimed in, "-is an entirely new notion altogether."
"Friends," Luke said. "I like the sound of that. You seem like a pretty cool girl; I think we could give friends a try."
I nearly fell over. "WHAT? REALLY?"
"Did I stutter?" Luke laughed.
"If we're gonna be friends," I said in a warning voice, setting my hands down on the table, looming over Luke. "There is one thing you're going to have to know about me right off: I don't need your sass; I've got my own."
All of the boys besides Luke burst out laughing, and Luke cracked a toothy smile.
"OOOH, LUKE! You picked a feisty one," Michael grinned.
I smiled proudly. "Feisty is my metaphorical middle name."
Everyone laughed and Luke pulled out his phone. "Number?" He asked.
I recited it, and saw the others enter it into their phones as well.
Luke gave me his and I texted it. "Hi."
"Hey," he typed back.
"Is it Hi or Hey?" I joked.
Luke actually laughed out loud. "Clevverrr!"
The rest of the boys gave me their numbers (Luke: 'Penguin🐧!' Calum: 'The Little Puppy'. Michael: 'Cute Baby Kitten'. Ashton: 'The Kangaroo Of Course!') and I couldn't keep the smile from my face now.
"Awww look at that smi-wil," Calum simpered sillily.
I rolled my eyes playfully. "Hey," I grinned. "It's not everyday you become friends with your favourite band."
"I'm still waiting to hear back from Green Day," Michael said fake-thoughtfully.
"Ha-ha," I said, eyes and eyebrows raised in a playful manner.
I turned to my mom, who was tapping her watch in a 'hurry up' way from across the room. "Well I suppose I have to go," I sighed, grabbing my Sharpie and poster. "A word of advice," I added. "Text first. I don't like texting first; I feel like I'm annoying." I turned around and started to walk away.
"Will do!" Luke called back.
I grinned and walked towards my mom, who met up with me at the double doors. I turned around to wave at the boys, and they all smiled widely and waved back enthusiastically. I laughed and continued out the door.
Once out of view of the band I had a fangirling attack and jumped up and down and spun in a circle and squealed (the whole deal). "What?" My mom asked.
"FRIENDS FRIENDS FRIENDS YES YES YES I'M FRIENDS WITH 5SOS!" I screeched.
My mom rolled her eyes. "You're dehydrated."
"It's true!" I insisted.
"Honey, I think you need to see the reality that even if you got their phone numbers, they're very busy pop stars-"
I cut her off. "They're not pop stars. They are a pop punk band with rock influence," I said, annoyed.
She rolled her eyes at me. "Whatever. They're very busy and they might not have time to text you and be proper friends like you want, and I just don't want to you be too disappointed," she persisted.
"If you think that," I said. "Then you don't know them like I do."

A/N MANY LATER:
hi guys!
Welcome back if you're rereading this, which is an honour in itself x
If you're new, welcome to the world of SITFZAAA, where everyone has problems and no one judges you for them.
Votes and Comments are appreciated, and hmu on the dm if you want to, I'm nice I promise :) x