Love and Fame (Harry Styles)

Chapter 2

We never really introduced ourselves by name because I knew who they were and they knew who I was, but after hugging it out we sat down to talk business.

It wasn't at all like the business meeting I had pictured though. I could tell from the get-go that the boys were jokers and that they didn't take life too seriously. I liked that.

Lisa impatiently cleared her throat several times to try to get us back to business, but we always seemed to be sidetracked by something.

"I just came across your single when I was sitting up front in the tour bus with Don, the driver, on our last American tour," Harry explained in his slow matter and I tried not to be distracted by his insanely good looks as the story went on and on and on.

"Come on, Harry, not another one of your stories," Louis sighed and the other boys laughed at some inside joke I didn't get.

They must have seen the blank expression on my face because Niall hurried to explain.

I had already noticed that Harry was an exceptionally slow speaker and that it took him forever to get to the point. And by Niall's explanation I could tell that Harry's stories often didn't even have a point.

"When we're in the car, Harry tells us pointless stories that bore us," Liam added when Niall was finished talking in his thick Irish accent, and I laughed.

"He must be a fun guy to be on the road with all day, every day then," I commented and the boys chuckled.

In the end, after almost an hour of chitchatting about other things than the actual reason we were gathered, Lisa managed to capture our attention long enough to start with the official stuff. She showed me sheet after sheet of papers for me to read through and sign.

She handed me a heavy, black pen for me to finish the deal with, and I rested the tip of the pen at the first line I were to sign.

Suddenly I got cold feet. If I signed these papers, I would no longer be independent and I would have people with the power of bossing me around. I would give up a lot, if not all, of my freedom...

But I had already hit it off with the boys and I could tell that they were nice guys and that we would make good friends. And I had always wanted to get somewhere with my music; this was my big break. This was the moment I had been waiting for for seven years.

I hesitated only for one more second before I wrote my name in the childlike handwriting that I hated, but couldn't for anything in the world seem to change or improve.

"It's my honor to officially welcome you to Modest! Management," Lisa said with a bright smile as she collected the signed papers, and I took a deep breath while the mixed feelings of panic, happiness, fear and anticipation consumed me.

"Thank you."

The random chitchatting with the boys resumed and Lisa left us alone to get to know each other a little bit better. Everyone told their stories, families and childhood memories included, and I didn't look forward to telling mine because it was sad and always made people uncomfortable.

But after hearing about five sets of parents, ten different sisters, one brother, numerous pets and a few girlfriends, it was my turn to spill.

"All right," I said to stall time to find a gentle way to tell the sad story to them. "I grew up in Brooklyn, but I moved to West Village when I graduated high school. I have two older brothers, Mike and Jonah, so I've always been kind of a tomboy. My mom's name is Mariah and she's a school teacher..."

"And your dad?" Liam said when I trailed off.

There was no gentle way to say this. So I just took a deep breath and jumped into it.