"Stuck In The Friend-Zone Again and Again"

"Had a Job Downtown"

It had been 7 months now since I had met the band.
I was happier than I had ever been, just with the knowledge that my favourite band knew who I was.
I texted all of the boys quite regularly, but Luke the most. We just had a special connection; maybe because he was my favourite member before we were friends, maybe because he decided we would be friends, maybe because we both liked Mean Girls, I didn't know.

At the present time, I was at work at the music store downtown, funding my merch obsession.
"Cause I never wanna be that guy, that doesn't even get a taste! You're just a little bit out of my limit! It's been 2 years now, you haven't even seen the best of me! And in my mind now I've been over this a thousand times! It's almost over, let's start over!" I sang as I stacked CDs.
My co-worker, a 16 year old boy named Jake, poked his head around the Rhythm and Blues shelf. "Still hooked on that band, eh?" he asked.
"Still?" I said. "Jake, I'll be hooked on this band until my spirit can't go on!" I said, spinning dreamily around the store. I hadn't told him, of course, that I was friends with the band, because who knows who he would tell? No one knew really knew about our friendship yet. The only people I had told were my best friends: Grace Simmons, Alice Laceling, and Jackie Winston.
Alice liked the band almost as much as I did (I had introduced her to the band's music) but she was an Ashton girl.
"Whatever," he laughed, rolling his eyes playfully.
I put my hand beside my chin in a diva way and and looked up to the side (think 💁)
"I inspire that effect on people," I smiled cheekily. "You're also suuuuper jealous of my magical mermaid quality voice," I added.
"Oh deeeeefinitely," he said sarcastically.
"Shut up," I rolled my eyes.
"In your wildest dreams, maybe," Jake grinned.
"Wiiiiiiildest dreeeeeams, oh oh oh ooh," I sang, as usual finding lyrics in regular conversation.
"You do that scarily often," he commented.
I flipped my hair sassily. "It's a gift!"
My phone started to ring. "Oh hang on, I gotta take this," I said, catching sight of the name. 'Penguin🐧!' my phone read; Luke. "Hello?" I said into the phone.
"Heeyyyy!" Luke's gorgeous accented voice rang back.
"Hi or hey Lucas!" I said. It was kind of our thing that we always said.
"My name isn't Lucas!" He laughed.
"I know that Lucas," I said.
He just chuckled again.
"So what goes on in your busy life?" I said, filing 'Abbey Road' with the other Beatles CDs.
"Oh you know, writing, meet and greets, eating food. What about you?" He replied.
"Well... reading, writing, singing, Tumblr, Netflix, working, aaaaand also eating food," I replied.
"You have a job?" He said, genuinely surprised.
"I need *some* way to fund my merch obsession," I laughed. "I work at a local record shop, stacking CDs like in Pitch Perfect."
"That's so cool!. Listen, I was thinking, we should get together sometime this weekend! We're on our way through your way to another meet and greet destination, and you should come with us! Stay on the tour bus with us for the weekend, we'll totally drop you off on our way back, pleeeeeaaaaaaase! We haven't had a proper chance to hang out and get to know each other in real life!"
"I don't know...."
"Cmon please say yes! Please please please please!"
"I'll have to ask my mom, but I probably can. Good thing I picked up this shift, cause otherwise I'd be working this weekend to get that new shirt," I said.
"Awwwwesome!" Luke cooed.
"Yessssss! I'll call you, okay?"
"Perfect!"
"Okay, bye Lucas!"
"Bye Paris!"
I hung up.
"Who was that?" Jake asked with raised eyebrows.
"A friend," I shrugged, returning to stacking CDs.
"A friend named Lucas with whom you're going away with for the weekend?" He said, his eyebrows climbing higher into his hairline.
"Yeah. Him and his friends invited me to hang out this weekend," I said.
"And you're mom's gonna be okay with that?"
"Well he and one of his other friends are all 19+ They're all legal adults so...." I said, trailing off.
"You surprise me sometimes," he said, turning away.
"What?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. "You don't think that someone like me can befriend 4 older guys?"
"I never said that, it's just... I really don't know, forget I said anything, okay?" He said.
"Whatever," I shrugged.
I checked my watch, "oh! My shift is over! I'll see you next week Jake!" I exclaimed, grabbing my jacket and purse. I headed out the door. "Have a nice weekend!" I shouted over my shoulder.
"You too!" He called back.