All Of You (Riley McDonough)

Soldier

"Riley!" I hear a call of my name and I turn my head to the growing crowd to see an almost camouflaged Alex in a crowd of photographers surrounding her, finding me as well. Though she was a Liliputian like Christine, you could see her leather jacket glistening with the flashes.

I had met Alexandra Fox back in Florida where she originated as an actress. Crazy how I just meet celebrities out on the street, right? But to be brutally honest, I was intimidated by her, in a good and at the same time bad way. Everyone knew her, she's a veteran at her work but she is barely getting noticed, until her most recent movie and television shows, it's like she's getting popularity all over again.

At first, I really didn't want to talk to her, I just couldn't process that kind of scene in my head, it was impossible. What the hell would she talk about? Will she say my clothes are shit compared to hers?

But in the end, we ended up pretty good friends, we didn't really have to settle our differences because we didn't really have any. I didn't know her as Alexandra Fox anymore, she's Alex Graud, simple and Florida-based, trying to make it to Hollywood, a girl strong enough to handle these pretty huge obstacles in life with her head held high. I admire her so much as a person as she is as my favorite character in her movie.

"I'm here," She mouths as she sasses off the paparazzi, going "Get out of here, you don't deserve being here," and stuff like that. I know what she's saying, that she's here for the music and not for publicity. She's here like any teenager who loves Ed Sheeran's music and the paparazzi being ungrateful people, they'll go everywhere, maybe even to church, just to make all kinds of stories in exchange for money.

She manages to shove them off and from there, they've lost track of her and now leaving, her height could be such an advantage. With that, I grab a hold of her by the shoulders as she conceals herself in a black hoodie she has behind that leather jacket. "You finally made it."

"Wouldn't miss it, don't 'cha know?" She says goofily. She's got a sense of humor she always fails to show to other people. How could she pull out a frown most of the time, must be hard.

"Now, let's get in before we miss out on the show." She rests her head on my chest as she wraps her arms around my waist. We looked quite the commoners in here, no one recognized us but Connor and Christine, a few seats apart from us.

Ed is amazing. I didn't think a person could be this good at something, this dedicated. "You should know, I sleep to this song every night." Ed was playing Kiss Me, and I smiled because I do the same thing.

"I love him so much, it hurts." I joke, clutching my chest emphasizing the statement. She only laughs as she sings in a whisper, she wasn't the singer like me. I like boasting.

For a moment I see everything perfectly. Our career as a band were taking off into greater heights, couldn't be any better. I'm standing here, along with thousands of people, listening to the Ed Sheeran perform -I sound like it's a pretty big deal, and it is- I am so close to tears, I feel so gay, so emotional. Stop it!

But then I look at this girl, a small, fragile bundle of strength, she almost forgets she needs her own source. It pained me to see her but I never really wanted to talk about it to her because I could feel how she didn't want anyone to bring it up. She is living this crazy life she has and she never complained, she plays her part the way everyone told her to, on and off-screen. But she never looked at herself in the mirror and told herself to pause for a moment and think for herself.

I look at her with so much adoration and at the same time I feel for her. Showbiz is hard, whether you're just starting in the business or you've been here long enough, you could never escape it. Giving up so much of your privacy is hard to let go.