Upside Down

Chapter 4: It Wasn't Me

        We arrived at the venue several minutes late because Georgia insisted on getting coffees from Starbucks. She doesn’t even drink coffee. She just wanted to look cool. So we bought hot chocolate, two for us, four for the boys. We drove to Hyde Park and followed the loud music to a large platform under a tree. The boys had set up fairy lights above them and it was beautiful. There was at least several hundred girls standing around. Brad saw me in the back and waved over his head and pointed as he was singing.

                “-And you’ll be mi-i-i-i-i-ine. We won’t look back, take my hand and we will shi-i-i-i-i-i-i-ne. Oh, oh, oh. She needs a wild heart, she needs a wild heart. I got a wild heart,” Brad sang, “And I know it’s late, and I know it’s cold, but come right here, I swear I’ll never let you go. The way you move, is wonderful. Let’s do it now, someday we’ll both be old, oh whoa-oh-oh!”

                James and Connor took the mic and sang the same lyrics again, then the song ended. Georgia and I saw beside a tree and watched from further away for the next hour or so. Despite the cold, Tristan and Connor were in tanks, and Brad and James were in plain tees. I wouldn’t blame them; they were jumping and dancing like idiots. So were Georgia and I. They sand such upbeat songs, I couldn’t resist.

                “Right, that’s the end of the show, everyone. Thanks for coming out!” Brad said, “Careful getting home, okay?”

                The boys headed to a fenced off area and the mass of people rushed over. A meet and greet. That would take hours. Georgie and I rushed over to the sides and waved. Tristan caught sight of us first, and jogged over.

                “Climb on over,” He said. I jumped over the fence, then pulled Georgia up behind me. I walked over to Brad, while Georgia stayed to chat up Tristan, who seemed quite interested. Brad looked up at me and smiled as he signed a book.

                “Hi, Brad,” I said.

             “Hello, Andie. Oh is this for me? Thank you,” Brad said, taking a bag that was held out to him.

                “Thanks for sending Connor over to invite me to the gig, you guys were great,” I said.

                “All the way from Liverpool? -Thanks so much!- I didn’t tellConnor out to invite you,” Brad said, confused as he hugged a girl with frizzy brown hair, "I'm glad he did though."

                “What?” I asked, surprised, “He came to the library and told me you asked him to invite me.”

                “Hm,” Brad said, stumped, “Dunno. Maybe one of the boys dared him to ask.”

                Odd, I thought. Who would have dared him? My mind immediately went to James. I didn’t know him that well, but he seemed like that type of guy. I glanced over at him, and he was with several girls who were feeling his arms.

        I stood beside Brad as he met several more girls. I even recognized a few from my university, and they gave me that Please don’t tell anyone that I was here sort of look. I silently agreed. I sat on a nearby bench and watched Brad talking to all the girls. He was so suited for what he did. I’d never seen him as the singer type, but he was great with people. He was a friendly one. The other lads seemed nice as well.

        It was getting later, and the boys were trying to leave. In the spur of the moment, the crowd shouted as they dispersed, the boys making a dash for a nearby van. I received a text.

                Go to my house, see you there xx Brad

                “Let’s go,” I said, now picking up the barely warm hot chocolate. We jumped back into her car and sped off to his house.