Exposure • h.s.

CHAPTER14.

Part one of the double update!!  Hope you enjoy! It's gonna be fun!! ;)

Mabel Donovan

It's almost seven p.m., and it's time to enter the scene. Everything is set: I've got the bag that Zayn told me to grab, with strict instructions not to peek inside, and I'll have to take it backstage tonight. After a long, steamy shower that relaxed my body, melting away my worries and tension, I quickly got dressed, trying to make myself look pretty for the occasion. I'm feeling nervous, to say the least: my hands are shaking, the anticipation of the evening is rattling my confidence, and my movements seem gawky.

I spent about fifteen minutes in front of the mirror, rehearsing a few lines and figuring out the best way to handle the conversation with Jim, the host of the Jim's Night Show, until I nailed down a presentation that would come across as decent. After applying some lip gloss and giving myself one last check, I finally feel fully prepared for the night.

Good evening, Jim. I'm Mabel Donovan, Harry Styles' publicist. How are you? Good, I'm happy to hear that. I'm doing well, thanks. I'm bothering you just before the live show because I want to make sure everything goes smoothly. You see, it's been a particularly tough time for Styles, and daring questions might cause him some distress, so...

"Mabel! We need to go, we're already behind schedule!"

A voice yells outside the door, and I recognize an anxious Louis. I quickly glance at my phone and realize that, actually, we're fifteen minutes ahead of schedule.

"Coming!" I reply, slipping on a pair of sparkly Golden Goose sneakers and buttoning up the black blazer I picked out for tonight. I grab everything I need – the bag, a colorful silk scarf to tie up the braid I've made with my hair, my phone, the folder with important documents and deadlines, and the backstage pass. God, this is gonna be exciting.

"C'mon! We'll end up being late if we stay here another five minutes!"

I zoom down the stairs at lightning speed, nearly tripping over my own feet because of this heavy bag I have to carry.

What on earth is in this thing? A pile of bricks?

At the entrance, Louis takes long sips from a glass filled with some coppery liquid, probably whiskey, and signals me to pause for a moment, just to talk to him.

"So, you all set? Got everything you need?" he asks, downing the last drops of the boozy concoction, not leaving a single drop in the fancy crystal glass. I wish I could ask him for a sip to give me a little courage, but I can't find the right words to make such a request.

I nod, flashing a smile, and take a moment to rest the bag on the floor, giving my aching shoulder a much-needed break.

"Don't forget to be fuckin' ready and alert!" he shouts, grabbing my arms with a burst of energy and pulling me out the door. "You're gonna looove this world!"

At the entrance, there are a couple of black-tinted limousines waiting for us, and Louis points me towards the first one.

Inside, a beaming Zayn bumps fists with me as a greeting, while Niall barely acknowledges my presence, engrossed in what seems like an intense text conversation.

"Hey, Mabel," Zayn says after I give a shy "hi" to him.

"How's it going?", he asks.

"I'm kinda jittery. Actually, I've been feeling on edge all day," I confess, shrugging my shoulders as the driver starts the engine. Louis and Harry got in the limo ahead of us, clearing the way through the bustling streets of Los Angeles.