Sour Without You

Spot Light

The fans on his side of the stage were very enthusiastic. He watched as they screamed and jumped and held up signs for him to read. It made him happy, to see them happy. As he spotted someone holding up a meme photo of him, he also saw her for the first time.

She was a little hidden in the crowd, but her face was lit up by the lightsticks of the fans around her. While they all jumped and screamed the lyrics at him, she was standing there calmly. That wasn't to say that she didn't seem to be enjoying herself. He could see her bobbing her head and singing along quietly.

She was appreciating the music in her own way, and as a musician, he respected, even appreciated, her for it. He just felt a little sorry for her when the fans around her screamed their own conversations between each other across the crowd. He could see her wince and frown at the disturbance. It made him wish there was a way every fan could enjoy a concert in whatever way they prefer, but he couldn't do private concerts for every fan so that was something that couldn't be solved.

He wanted his fans to enjoy themselves, to have memories to keep of this night, but he, like many Idols, wished that when he looked out into the crowd he could see the faces of his fans rather than a sea of phones. Maybe that was what drew him to her. She was looking straight at him rather than through a screen. It almost felt weird, as if she could see straight into his soul as if she was seeing him, the person, rather than the performer.

The next time he saw her was during the question and answer session with the VIP ticket holders. He was surprised by the relief he felt when he saw her again. She was standing on her own, in clear view, behind the crowd gathered in front of the stage. Now he could see her properly. Concert culture, he had noticed, was different around the world. She was somewhere between the dressed-up and the casual fans that surround her. He would guess that she had made an effort, but wasn't trying to attract attention.

As their manager picked people to ask questions, he tried to focus on what they were saying and answering their questions. Yet, in the back of his mind, he hoped that she would raise her hand. And she did.

"What about someone from the back?"

He suggested to his manager, not wanting to risk picking her himself.

Her voice was soft but clear. He could tell that she was nervous and naturally quiet. He was also so busy watching you that he didn't register what your question was. Thankfully, his leader repeated it.

"She said: when we are writing songs, do we have a ritual? Or is there a particular place or something that gives us inspiration?"

He didn't even remember what he said, but whatever it was had made her smile and that had been enough to make his heart race. As they went off stage to prepare for the group photos, his heart dropped at the thought that he would only get to see her one more time before she disappeared into the night and moved on to a new country. This was made worse by the fact that he didn't understand why he felt this way. What made her so special?