SPINNING OUT: A HARRY STYLES FANFICTION

COACHELLA

It was your first big project at work, the upcoming release for Harry Styles' third studio album. You had the pleasure of being invited to a playback a few weeks prior to the launch where you listened to the full album in a conference room filled with your peers. It had been your first playback experience and you were itching with excitement all day patiently waiting for it to be time to attend the playback.

When you entered the conference room, it didn't feel like the dozens of rooms you had meetings in before. All of the chairs and tables were replaced with floor pillows and throw blankets. There were candles spread out along the TV where you would be projecting the album from, charcuterie plates and drinks to consume and a box to place your phones in upon entry. You took a seat close enough to the front so you would be able to listen to the album without any distractions. This was one of your most highly anticipated albums of the year which was something you kept to yourself due to the incessant teasing you would definitely receive from your coworkers.

You watched as your peers began to funnel into the room and take their seats. Your boss went through the routined speech on how everyone's phones should be placed in the box and there will be zero sharing of anything heard with anyone outside of this room. And just before they hit play on the first song, the door to the room opened one last time. This time it wasn't your notoriously late coworker but none other than the man whose song you were about to listen to, Harry Styles. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards the door and it felt like something of a movie, all eyes were immediately on him. His chestnut hair was grown out and sat on the top of his head with a scrunchie, he had on a black label hoodie and sweats to match. It was definitely the most relaxed you had ever seen an artist rock up to your job but there was something kind of admirable about it. And you thought, maybe the ambiance of the room and the album title was the reason why he dressed so casually. He apologized for being late before taking a seat in the back corner. Something about him just felt so comfortable. You turned your attention back to the TV that was going to start playing the album and tried your hardest to ignore the butterflies in your stomach.

The opening chords of the album began and you immediately wanted to get up and start dancing, something you knew you couldn't do but what you could do was move side to side as inconspicuous as possible. The ad libs, scatting and overall randomness of the track has you feeling good. You weren't sure where the album was going but you were already feeling good about it. The next track felt the same to you. It wasn't until the third track where you actually felt the emotion and weight of the words he was singing back 'there's never been someone whose so perfect for me, but I got over it" was a brutal line and one that stuck out to you enough to write down in your journal when you got back to your desk.

You were feeling the music while trying to keep your outward appearance at bay. Something was telling you to turn back around and look at Harry. You had been pretty good at avoiding the thought of his presence but there was something pulling you in. The opening chords to the next song with the following lyrics "you got a new life, am I bothering you, do you wanna talk" came on and you were taken aback like a punch in the gut. His raw emotion on the track and the desperation in his voice in all of these songs was nothing like you had heard before. You looked behind you and caught the eyes of Harry who had already been looking your way. No, you weren't going to allow yourself to go there.

You let yourself take in the rest of the album. Trying your hardest to repeat lyrics that were standing out to you to remember for later when you'd be hunched over your desk scribbling as many lines as you could remember until your journal eagerly waiting for the day you would be able to listen to the album on loop.

As the playback came to an end the entire room clapped as he shyly bowed his head down. You didn't know him at all but the gesture was enough for you to make your first assumption. His inability to take in too much praise is probably what kept him grounded enough to be an artist at his caliber and attend a playback in tier B level music magazines offices. You had your run ins with a fair share of artists but there was something about him that was different and you could immediately feel it. And as if he could read your mind, right as they opened the door to the conference room to let everyone back to their work, Harry stood in the doorway, shaking the hands of your colleagues and giving them personal thank you's on their way out.