Right Now **EDITING**

My Voice

How do you know when a day will change the rest of your life? They all start the same way, but without even knowing it, it was the last day of the life as I knew it.

Virginie's Point Of View

September 5th

I wake up to the sunlight peeking through my bedroom window.  My alarm is buzzing, so I turn it off.  At least, the presence of the Sun in my room makes waking up this early a little more barable. Although I'm feeling comfortable in the warmth of my bed, I must get up. I have to go to work, it's Saturday.

What really makes me want to get out of bed is my excitement for the One Direction show tonight.  Last night, I couldn't get to sleep so I've watched their DVD This Is Us and fell in love with them all over again.

I got the tickets for their show a long while ago with my best friend Heidi.  We've been fans of the group since the beginning but not enough to buy expansive tickets like we've done this year.  We've really gone crazy.  We've bought the tickets the day of the sale, maybe a year ago. I can't believe the day has finally come.

I get up and get ready for work.  I eat breakfast, brush my teeth, braid my hair and I drive to the grocery store where I work part time.  It's actually my last weekend at work since I travel to London next week for my student exchange program at King's College.

Since I've woken up, I haven't really had the chance to speak to anyone, my parents and sister were still sleeping, but when I get to work, my boss greets me. "Good morning, Virginie!  How are you today?"

"Gr..." I try to answer, but I have no voice.  In panic, not feeling ill or anything, I immediately touch my throat.

What is happening?  I have no voice!?

At first, I find it kind of funny and my boss seems to think so as well. Throuhout the day, everybody at work is conspiring about my missing voice; university's initiations, sleeping naked the windows open, the flu, name it...  They said it all, but I really have no idea why my voice is missing. 

My boss is really excited for me to go to the show tonight and that surprises me a lot.

"You're never going out!  You always work, study or do some sort of nerdy things...  I'll let you leave early, so go out in the big city and have some fun. Go crazy!" He takes me by surprise and it makes me happy that he cares that much.

That's really nice of him, but I think he's a bit annoyed that I don't entertain him without my voice like I usually do.  So I don't complain, because I can't... He won't hear me.  But before I leave my shift to go join my best friend, I help an old woman with her groceries.  Poor her, she is asking me all of these questions that I can't answer.  I keep smiling at her and nodding without saying anything, until something in her eyes changes.

"Are you mute?" She asks me gracefully.  I shake my head and try my best to pronounce perfectly with my lips.  She smiles at me again with great respect.

"You remind me of my son when he was young...  He is deaf, but he always had a big smile on his face so nobody could tell that he couldn't hear a word..."  Her words simply warm my heart and bring a great deal of joy on my way back home.

I shower and get ready to go pick up my friend at her apartment.

On the road, I prepare myself with the tracks of One Direction blowing loudly the speakers in my car.  I get my friend and drive to the big city.  She is as excited as I am and we talk about our favourites out of the five, now four boys.  She is definitely a big Harry fan and she has pictures of him everywhere.  I, on the other hand, am more of a Liam fan.  On the X Factor, he was more of a leader, the responsible one in the group and I always liked his maturity.  He has grown into a handsome man and I love that the others recognise him as the father of the group.  I find it really appealing. 

When we arrive, we are guided to a waiting line for the meet and greet special for the VIP tickets.  We wait with a bunch of fans and share our love for the boys as well as our own personal stories.  I mostly listen to what the girls around me are saying because I can't speak a word.  My friend Heidi speaks shyly to some of the fans while I take out a small notebook from my purse.  I write down my name and some quick questions and answers to the boys in case we get to chat. 

I realise at that moment what a terrible timing this is.  I won't be able to talk to them, let alone say my name. As the line is getting shorter, I'm getting more anxious.  I want to make a good impression.  I'm starting to wonder if I'm dressed okay and if I smell good until I get into the waiting room next to the meet and greet room.  My friend goes in first and I'm left alone, by myself, besides big English security guards, without my voice and about to meet my favourite band.

I'm asked to go in the room on the other side of the big curtain separating us from them and adrenaline kicks in.  I feel great and I can't stop smiling.  I can feel my teeth getting dry by the second and I see my friend leaving the room. 

Then, all eyes are on me.