Amelie - Gracie Abrams

Chapter 3 - Detective Abrams

After a few restless hours of sleep, Gracie found herself back at her hotel, sprawled across her bed with her phone in hand. The early morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on her screen as she scrolled through photos and videos from the previous night's concert. Even after playing countless shows, she loved seeing her fans' reactions—little clips of the crowd dancing, pictures of their handmade signs, close-ups of her on stage, and the occasional selfie with fans who had somehow managed to catch her in passing.

But today, her heart wasn't in it for the usual reasons. She was searching for one person in particular: Amelie, the mystery girl from the crowd.

Her fingers hesitated over the search bar as she typed: #GracieAbramsLive. Posts flooded her screen instantly, images and videos pouring in from every corner of social media. Gracie scrolled past smiling faces, quick concert videos, and snippets of the audience singing along. Yet, despite the hundreds of posts, Amelie seemed to be nowhere to be found.

A part of her felt silly, almost embarrassed by her own curiosity. How did she expect to find one girl in a sea of strangers? Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that Amelie—whoever she was—had left some mark on the night. There had to be something, some small clue to help her find her.

"Gracie! What are you doing?" Leah's voice broke through her concentration as she appeared in the doorway, holding two coffees.

Gracie barely looked up, giving a vague wave toward the bed next to her. "Hey, just... going through some posts."

Leah set the coffee down and plopped onto the bed beside her. "Right. So, stalking for mystery girl 'Amelie,' then?"

Gracie sighed, both exasperated and amused. "You don't understand, Leah. She just had this... energy. And I can't even explain it. I felt connected to her, like... I don't know. It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

Leah smirked. "A little. But I'll give you a pass since you never crush on anyone. So, tell me what you've found, Miss Social Media Detective."

Gracie turned the screen toward Leah, showing the stream of concert photos and videos. "Nothing. I'm scrolling through all these posts, and she's nowhere."

Leah raised her eyebrows, taking a sip of her coffee. "Wow. You've got it bad."

Gracie rolled her eyes but couldn't deny it. "It's just... I can't let it go. She was different. And you know me—I don't usually get stuck on one person, especially a random person I met at a concert."

Leah laughed. "No kidding. I think the last time you crushed on anyone; we were still in high school. This is big."

Gracie continued scrolling, her heart sinking as she went through dozens of posts, all leading nowhere. She was about to give up when one video caught her attention—a blurry clip of her singing 21, her fans swaying along to the music. She clicked on it, watching herself on stage, barely visible beneath the glow of the stage lights. In the comments, people gushed about the performance, thanking her for an incredible night. But one comment, right in the middle, caught her eye.

evelyn.garcia01: "This show was everything. Thank you, Gracie ❤️"

Gracie's heart skipped a beat. She clicked on the profile, hoping this might be her. The profile picture was tiny, hard to make out, but she could just barely make out the face of a girl with dark hair, a shy smile. Her heart leapt. She clicked on the profile and started scrolling.

Her excitement grew as she looked through Evelyn's posts. There were a few pictures of her with friends, snapshots of coffee shops, late-night study sessions, and finally—photos of last night's concert. One post stood out: a close-up of the stage with the caption, "Best night of my life."

Gracie couldn't help but smile. She felt a little guilty for stalking Evelyn's page, but her curiosity outweighed the hesitation. She wanted to know more. Her thumb hovered over the follow button, her pulse quickening as she debated whether she should press it.

"What are you waiting for?" Leah asked, grinning at her hesitation.

Gracie sighed. "I don't know. I mean, it's probably weird, right? Following some random person I noticed in the crowd?"

Leah gave her a playful shove. "Oh, come on! You're Gracie Abrams. People would die to get a follow from you. Besides, this girl actually caught your attention. That's huge."

With a deep breath, Gracie pressed the follow button, her heart fluttering as she watched the notification pop up. Followed.

Now all she had to do was wait.

---

Meanwhile, miles away, Evelyn sat at her own desk, headphones in, listening to Gracie's music on repeat. She had barely slept, her mind replaying the night over and over. When she thought back to the concert, her heart pounded in her chest. The lights, the music, Gracie's voice filling the air—it had been the most incredible night of her life. And then, of course, there was the moment Gracie had looked at her, actually spoken to her.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her reverie. She glanced down, and her eyes widened. A notification read: Gracie Abrams has followed you.

Evelyn's heart skipped, her fingers fumbling as she opened the app, barely able to believe her eyes. It was real. Gracie Abrams had followed her. Her face flushed as she reread the notification, wondering if it was some kind of glitch. But there it was, plain as day.

Without a second thought, she texted her best friend, Ivy, unable to keep the excitement to herself.

Evelyn: "Oh. My. God. Gracie Abrams followed me!"

Within seconds, her phone buzzed again.

Ivy: "WHAT? Wait, are you serious?! Show me!!"

Evelyn quickly sent a screenshot, her fingers still trembling. She watched the "typing" bubble as Ivy's response came through.

Ivy: "Evelyn, this is huge! She totally noticed you. I mean, she probably saw your comment or something. Or maybe she remembers you from last night. This is insane!"

Evelyn couldn't help but smile, her cheeks warm with excitement. Part of her wanted to believe that Gracie had remembered her, that maybe she had left some kind of impression. But another part of her felt nervous. Gracie Abrams was a world-famous pop star. Following a fan back was probably nothing more than a casual gesture.

Evelyn: "I know, I know. I'm trying not to freak out. It's probably just... a random follow."

Ivy: "Random, my foot! You caught her eye at the concert, Evelyn! She probably remembered you. This is big."

Evelyn leaned back in her chair, trying to take a steadying breath. It felt surreal. It was one thing to go to a concert and experience the magic from a distance, but it was another thing entirely to know that Gracie had seen her, remembered her, and was now following her on social media. She clicked on Gracie's profile, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the little blue checkmark beside her name, the photos of Gracie smiling, performing, hanging out with friends. It felt strangely intimate, like she had been given a glimpse into a part of Gracie's life that she had only dreamed of knowing.

And yet, as the excitement bubbled inside her, Evelyn couldn't help but feel a flicker of anxiety. This was Gracie Abrams. What could she possibly see in someone like her?