Meet Anna. She is your typical 20 year old college student living in California. All Anna wanted was a little celeb access. Interning at On Air With Ryan Seacrest was a dream but she wanted nothing more than to work in PR. What happens when she mixes a little business with pleasure? Find out in Head Over Heels
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Monday morning came way too early. I awoke startled and already frazzled as I checked the alarm clock and realized I was late…again. Shows how much this internship means to me. No, that’s not fair. This internship is the best thing that’s happened to me in well, in a while. Working in LA for Ryan Seacrest. alright fine I don’t actually work for him. I work at On Air With Ryan Seacrest. I am the lowest of the low. I get coffee for the acts, which actually is a pretty sweet deal seeing as how I get to meet a lot of them. Met Pit Bull last week, touched the bald head. Yeah be jealous. But today was big. Apparently boy bands have totally taken over the United States, something I wasn’t expecting to happen after the breakup of N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys, although I do think they might be making a comeback so wrong again I suppose. One Direction….cool name bro. Yes One Direction was coming to the station and I was suppose to be there bright and early to help set up the many many fruit baskets I’m sure they would receive.
I scrambled out of bed throwing on the first thing I saw. Skinny jeans, a slightly fitted tank with cardigan, and a pair of wedges that I miraculously managed to walk in successfully. This was my life. My name? Anna. Anna Smith. Yes, my name is generic, and no I’m not weirdly related to Anna Nichole Smith so thank you in advance for NOT asking. I don’t know what my parents were thinking, but I suppose that in my little town in North Carolina they weren’t exactly up to date on the haps in Hollywood so how could they really be blamed?
I swung by the Starbucks down the street from the station knowing full well I would return in less than an hour with four no five, there are definitely five of them, drink orders. I smiled at Nick the barista as I walked in. “The usual?” he asked with a smile.
“Please and thank you,” I responded before heading to the bathroom. This was my usual morning. The Starbucks bathroom had become my personal vanity. It had better lighting than my, barely two bedroom, apartment so graciously provided as living space by my university. I patted my face with powder and swiped mascara and eyeliner across my lids before packing my bag back up and swiftly walking back out into the crowded coffee shop. I picked up my black coffee with one splenda off the end of the counter, “Duty calls. I’ll see you in ten when the newest divas grace my presence and demand refreshments. Pay you then?” I asked hopefully.
Nick just chuckled; this was our daily routine. Me promising to pay later, and Nick complying because I think a part of him felt sorry for me that I never seemed to have a handle on my life. 8 out of 10 times I did return and pay for my order. “Who’ve you got to deal with today?” he asked curiously.
“Oh the invasion of the new and improved boy band. I can see the headline now “Englishmen take America by Storm” or some shit like that.” I watched as Nick gave me a confused look, “One Direction Nick. One Direction are coming to the studio. What rock are you living under?”
He just shrugged, “The straight rock. Why would I keep up with a boy band? What part of that sounds enjoyable to you? And by the way you’re due to work in 4 minutes.”
“Right thanks for the time check. To be continued!” I yelled as I sprinted out the door. I had four minutes and the walk to the station took me six on a good day in my comfortable flip flops. These wedges had to go, so much for attempting the poised look. I vowed that this would be the week where everyone didn’t assume my life was a hot mess. Well there’s always next week right? I stalked into the studio out of breath, but directly on time, and took a quick look around smiling at Holly the receptionist. She gave me a knowing look. Just another manic Monday I guess. I sensed she felt my pain. I tried my best to take refuge in the break room, hoping that my boss; Jill hadn’t noticed my lack of earliness. I sunk down into a chair finally ready to inhale the familiar smell of day old hot pocket and crappy coffee. Oh the break room. I heard the door swing open and spun around, Jill.
“Anna good you’re here let’s go we’ve got to get everything settled so you can make a coffee run as soon as the boys arrive. Come let me show you what I need done. And for the love of God please tell me that you remembered your shoes.”
“Good morning to you too sunshine,” I gave her the brightest smile I could muster at 7 in the morning. I glanced quickly down at my bare feet, I had almost forgotten that I had shed the shoes to make up for lost time, “Yes I do have shoes oddly enough,” I laughed at my own joke slipping on my wedges. I stood up and took a spin, “What do ya think?”
“Beautiful honey, beautiful,” Jill answered never looking up from her phone. “We’ve got ten minutes let’s get to work.” I followed her out of the break room and into the band waiting room. The room was complete with plush leather couches and pictures of celebrities; I always envied the bands getting to sit and hangout while I ran around like a mad woman trying to accommodate their every wish.
“Jill where do you want all of this fruit? It’s not like they eat it anyway. Remind me of the point?” I asked holding up a bunch of bananas and a grabbing a few loose grapes before they rolled onto the ground. “They don’t even have time to eat before their interview starts. Don’t you think that maybe there are better things that this money could be going towards….like paying your interns,” I glanced over at her to see if she was paying attention.
She glanced up from her phone, “Very funny Ann. You knew when you applied that this was unpaid.”
“First of all we have talked about calling me Ann. Anna, Jill. My name is Anna it’s only one more syllable and yes I do remember discussing the unpaid aspect of the job and although I still think it sucks I love this so who am I even kidding you couldn’t pay to get rid of me,” I laughed. “Well maybe you could but I don’t see anyone breaking down doors to steal me.” This banter was typical of Jill and I. She terrified me in an authoritative way as in she controls whether I come back to work or not, but she is also an older sister type figure. Although she instills fear in me it’s a respectful kind of fear, almost as if I don’t want to disappoint her. Very complex, in a way that I don’t even understand. Jill was one of the first people that I met in LA, not surprising since she was my boss, but she had kind of taken me under her wing since clearly a small town girl had no clue what she was in for in California.
“Oh you know I do this out of love Annie,” Jill teased. These moments were the kind that I enjoyed. At all other times of the day Jill was stressed to the max and avoidance was key, but before the guests arrived she showed her more relaxed side, one that didn’t mind a sarcastic joke or two.
I scoffed, “well thanks Jilly,” I laughed, “see that doesn’t even sound right. No fair that I don’t even have any good nicknames for you.”
“Good. I’m in charge. You don’t need nicknames. And as for the fruit it’s just a nice decoration. Makes the room seem more inviting somehow or something. I don’t know I just follow orders believe it or not.”
“You mean that even Jill has a boss?!”
“Ha. Ha,” Jill retorted, “Hey I meant to tell you that I actually need you on you’re a-game today. We have a few phone interviews that we have to get through before the boys go in to talk with Ryan so you are the entertainment.”
I looked at Jill in shock. It was 7 in the morning how in the world did she expect me to be awake enough to entertain 5 boys. “Jill I don’t know anything about them what the hell are we supposed to talk about?”
“I’m thinking maybe your lack of sleep or how awful being awake this early is? Otherwise I would suggest cyber stalking on your walk to and from Starbucks.”
I knew she was kidding but I figured I would probably work it into the conversation somehow. “Fair enough. Fair enough. Maybe I’ll do a dance routine try to get hired as a backup dancer.” I attempted a pirouette successfully tripping over my shoe and toppling onto the couch somehow managing to shield my coffee from spilling. I laid back on the couch fully taking in how comfortable it was as I curled up laughing. Through my fit of laughter I vaguely heard the door creak. I wiped my eyes from the stray tears only to find myself no longer alone in the room with Jill, but instead 5 extra pairs of eyes were on me. Curly, blondie, puppy, bad boy, and new Bieber, and I could only assume that THEY were One Direction
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Head Over Heels (One Direction Fic)
FanfictionMeet Anna. She is your typical 20 year old college student living in California. All Anna wanted was a little celeb access. Working at On Air With Ryan Seascrest was a dream but she wanted nothing more than to work in PR. What happens when she mixes...
