Between a Rock and a Hard Place // c.h.

3 - Countdown

Excitement has a weird way of hindering sleep. Excitement, and anxiety. The night before my concert I tried to push myself to sleep as hard as I could but the most I managed was an hour or two. When my alarm finally went off I leaped out my bed and got to work. I wanted to look as good as I could, especially since I was meeting the boys.

Before I knew it, I was completely ready. I was wearing a 5SOS muscle tank with a black sports bra underneath. My purple and blue hair was curled into loose beach waves. I had put only a small amount of makeup on, but it felt like I was a different person. I studied myself in the mirror. It'd been months since I'd put so much effort into the way I looked. The girl in the mirror looked much different than the normal me, she looked like she should've been happier. I looked as good as I could and ever had, but I felt insecure nonetheless. The only thought that crossed my mind was a horrible one. 'If looking like this wasn't enough to keep Danny then it's definitely not going to impress your idols.' I hated to admit it, but for a second I thought it was true. Danny wasn't someone famous or particularly important and yet I still couldn't look good enough to keep him from looking somewhere else. 'Maybe I shouldn't go to the meet and greet. It might be better that way. Then I won't disappoint Calum, or any of the other boys.'

I shook the thought out of my head. I had to go to this meet and greet. It wasn't even an option. I might've never had another chance to meet them again, and no matter how bad I thought I looked, I couldn't -wouldn't- miss the opportunity. 'Besides,' I thought, 'they're not gonna remember me after this anyway.'

I looked in the mirror one last time, and I felt a sudden pain, like stinging, on my stomach. I pulled up my tank to look, but all I saw was my scars. I'd only cut twice since I started listening to 5SOS, and that had been a while ago. But sometimes even old scars hurt. I shrugged it off and took some aspirin, knowing the pain would be gone within minutes anyway. I couldn't let anyone see the scars, I tried to pretend they didn't exist. Not even Abby and Mads knew. My scars were a secret I had yet to share with anyone, and I didn't plan on sharing them anytime soon.

When Abby finally picked me up and we left to actually go to the concert it felt like I'd been waiting for an eternity. The drive to the venue, which was actually less than an hour long, felt like years. By the time the car was parked and we entered the amphitheater, it was easy to feel the excitement in the air. It almost felt like I could reach out and grab it if I tried. More and more fans piled into the crowded area, filling their seats and waiting, all waiting. We were all waiting for the same thing. The same four people who meant so many different things to us in so many different ways. The concert felt like it wouldn't ever start. Soon the sun went down, turning the sky a deep navy blue. Stars filled the night sky, casting a soft glow over the outdoor amphitheater.

Then, suddenly, the lights on the stage started flashing and a number appeared on a giant screen behind the stage. My heart stopped beating, I knew what was going to happen.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven," a deep voice counted down, and the anticipation built higher and higher, "six, five, four," it was almost happening. It was actually happening. "Three,

Two,

One."