Walking in the Wind One Direction EDITING

29. Mr. Popular

I push open the backstage door and step inside. Laelynn is in the process of tying her hair into a ponytail, her movements sharp and practiced, while Zayn sits across from her, sipping from a water bottle with a relaxed grin on his face.

"Hey, you guys were amazing," I say, my voice full of genuine admiration.

Liam follows behind me, flashing a grin that could light up the entire room. "Absolutely incredible!" he adds, his enthusiasm contagious. He moves past me and wraps Laelynn in a tight hug.

Okay that's enough now. Why do I feel slightly jealous looking at them? This whole feeling thing needs to stop.

"Absolutely amazaaayyyn!" Louis suddenly yells as he enters the room, darting toward Zayn like a lightning bolt.

Zayn chuckles as he stands to return the hug. "Thanks, mate," he says, the playful lilt in his voice matching the energy in the room.

Okay, don't freak out now, but did he use amazayn? Was this the first amazayn? I mean apart from me using it at the auditions, that doesn't count that's kind of cheating.

I blink in surprise, unsure if I'm imagining things, but then Liam laughs. "I like the sound of that. Amazaayyynnnn."

"Yeah, it's catchy." I grin. "You should totally put that on a shirt."

Louis bursts into laughter. "Oh, it's definitely a brand waiting to happen!" He gives Zayn a teasing wink.

Before Zayn can respond, the door swings open again, and Daisy rushes in with her usual energy, her eyes wide and sparkling with excitement.

Laelynn and I both swoop in for an immediate hug. "You did amazing," Laelynn tells her, and I plant a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey, you guys!" she grins, barely pausing to catch her breath before turning to the boys. "Did you see our performance?"

She asks the question like she doesn't already know the answer, her tone that of someone fully expecting to gloat.

"We sure did!" Louis says, almost before she finishes her sentence. "You were incredible!" The boys start piling on with praise, all eager to shower her with compliments.

I turn my attention to the back of the room, where Niall is setting his guitar down with a thoughtful look on his face. He seems like he's about to slip out, but I take a step toward him before he can leave. "Hey, you were great too," I say, my smile warm and genuine.

His eyebrows lift, a slight hint of surprise crossing his face. "Really?" he asks, his voice cautious but hopeful.

"Yeah, really." I nod, meeting his eyes. I hear my friends in the background, laughing at some inside joke, no doubt still riffing on the 'amazayn' pun, but my focus is solely on him.

He shrugs, a small, sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks."

I take a few steps closer, feeling the slight hum of tension between us. "You picked a beautiful song, too," I say, trying to bridge the gap. "I'm Amber, by the way." I extend my hand, hoping for a smooth introduction.

He starts to shake my hand, but then his gaze flickers toward the clock hanging above the exit door. "Oh, shit. I'm late for my interview," he mutters, glancing back at me. "Sorry, gotta run." Without waiting for a response, he picks up his guitar and hurries toward the door, his strides long and purposeful.

Well... at least I tried.

As the door slams shut behind him, the others turn their attention to me.

"Where's he running off to?" Louis asks, scanning the schedule on the wall.

"He's got an interview with the camera crew," I explain, trying not to sound too disappointed.

Louis squints at the schedule. "Wait—don't you have one too?"

I blink in surprise, stepping closer. "Wait, I do? I thought mine was scheduled later in the day."

But there it is—my name, right next to the time slot.

Zayn sits back in his chair. "Should we go back up and watch performances while Amber's at her interview?"

Louis nods. "Might as well."

"Good idea!" Laelynn agrees, jumping out of her chair.

"Let's go! I bet Harry and Jade will be on soon." Daisy says, already holding the door open.

"Oh no... I really don't want to miss that," I murmur, my shoulders slumping.

Liam offers a reassuring smile. "Hey, we already caught part of it," he says, trying to lift my spirits. "And don't forget—you'll be able to watch the whole thing on tv later."

Daisy turns back to me. "If you miss it, we'll tell you everything after, don't worry!"

I nod, grateful for her reassurance. "Have fun, you guys."

As they head toward the stairs for the first ring, I linger for a moment, watching them leave before turning in the opposite direction to find my interviewer.