A Defining Mistake

Chapter 1 - That Lip Ring

'Here's a DM you might want to check out'

The text, from Javi, her manager, came through with a screenshot. Ada squealed, almost dropping her phone in excitement.

"What is it?" her best friend Sabrina said from the makeup chair, her mouth moving stiffly from having her makeup artist, Steph, dab vigorously at her face with an egg-shaped sponge.

"The Heap have DM'd me on Insta," Ada was shaking now. "They must have seen my story!"

The duo was in the middle of an amateur modelling shoot with a company called In Bed With Babes. Despite the cringey name, they had developed a close friendship with the photographer and collaborated frequently. The photographer, Logan was helping Ada promote a bed linen company that had offered her a brand deal. Working with her favourite photographer had been a given, it just so happened his company had a bed themed name as well. The first portion of the morning was always leant to checking lighting, spacing, makeup and item placement, taking test shots and it was in this section that a now evidently seriously important photo had been born. It was the photo that had been added to Ada's Instagram story, showing her in a pair of bottle-green lacy underwear wearing her favourite band, The Heap's latest t-shirt accompanied with the text: "Can't wait to see @theheapband tonight!"

"Saying what?" Sabrina batted Steph away. This was a big deal, and her contouring could wait.

"They've asked me to – oh my god I can't believe it – they've asked me to come and hang out on their tour bus before the show tonight!" Ada's lip wobbled as tears threatened to spring from her eyes. Her makeup artist, Alf, darted towards her, makeup wipe in hand and a look of impatient disgust on his face. Ada laughed at him and he rolled his eyes, tidying her brown curls that had come loose.

"You're obviously going right?" Sabrina asked. "This is exactly what you need. Oh my god, you should ask if you can sing 77 States with them? Imagine! Talk about a career boost."

"WE are 100% going, hun!" Ada rocked her entire body, unable to contain the excitement. She leant over to high five Sabrina before settling back in her makeup chair so Alf could continue her retouch. As she sat, pretending she couldn't hear Alf's mutterings, she replied to Javi. 'Tell them we can be there by 2 and we'll bring some bevs.'

-x-

"Don't you think this is a bit overkill?" Sabrina was staggering down the street carrying one side of a large cooler laden with alcohol.

"I don't want to hear any negativity thank you!" Ada replied, throwing a cheeky smile over her shoulder. She was dressed back in the band shirt she was wearing first thing this morning, only this time with a black pair of skintight jeans, black and white high tops, and a cropped black bomber jacket. Her brown hair had been delicately straightened to curve inwards at the ends, sitting just above her shoulders.

"Besides, they like a drink, even you know that."

"Don't 'real fan' me, not tonight," Sabrina tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "You don't want to look like a crazy fan girl."

Before Ada could think of a witty response, they rounded a corner and spotted the tour bus.

"Oh my god! There it is!" Ada let out a series of squeaks and squeals.

"Stop!" Sabrina nudged her with the cooler, almost toppling the shorter girl to the floor. "You need to calm down. Seriously."

"I've lov-"

"Yes, I know, you've loved this band since you were 16, have seen them live like 5 times, they were your teenage crushes, yeah yeah yeah I know all that! But they don't want to meet another fan girl. You are a mature woman of 25 who is capable of meeting her favourite band and acting cool," Sabrina gave her another nudge with the cooler. "You never know they might be big fans of yours!"