Anything But That

Chapter 7

Just as the group were finishing a pleasant dinner full of playful banter, Reece's phone started buzzing off the hook.

"Ooh, someone's Mr Popular," Lydia teased, nudging him with her shoulder.

He nudged back, rolling his eyes, before lifting his phone to read the notifications. As his eyes moved down the screen, his face lost all colour, jaw dropping, and his eyes widened. He looked terrified.

"What is it, Reece?" George demanded in concern, "what happened?"

The green-eyed boy looked up around the table at his bandmates. "Check Twitter. Now."

Up until that point, George and Blake's phones had been on silent, so they hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, but as soon as they turned their screens on, their faces were mirror images of their older bandmate.

"No way." Blake breathed.

"Yes way." Reece replied.

"What the heck is going on?" Lydia yelled, having waited long enough for an explanation.

In silence, George slid his phone across the table.

Immediately, her eyes were drawn to the bright colours of the profile icon of the Vamps on Twitter. She frowned, confused, then she saw what had happened.

@theVampsband
Give these guys a listen, they're great! @NewHopeClub

Lydia let out an audible gasp. "That's bloody brilliant!" She exclaimed, eyeing the boys like a proud mother even though she had only met them yesterday.

"That's not the only thing though." Reece leaned in and whispered in a low, almost conspiratorial voice. He turned his phone to see him logged into the band Twitter account, on the DMs, where one message stayed unopened.

A message from the Vamps.

And then Blake's phone was pointed in her direction, showing the rising number of views on their most recent cover  on YouTube. It was edging towards 6 figures.

All throughout this exchange, a low squeal had been rising in George's throat, almost inaudible at first, but by now it had reached a high pitched frequency that had begun to get on the nerves of the other Nando's patrons.

"George, shut up," his blonde band mate muttered worriedly, shooting apologetic looks around the restaurant.

"We've literally just been seen. By legends. Legends!" George hissed, staring around the table with a mad look in his eyes.

Lydia stood up quickly, waving for Lilly's attention to get the bill as she spoke. "Maybe we should go now." she suggested, trying to convey to the boys that she was actually, in fact, begging to avoid attention. Reece and Blake rose immediately, dragging George along behind them. Lydia quickly paid, much to the dismay of Reece, who had insisted earlier in the meal that he would pay, but the girl shot the green-eyed boy a reassuring look, squeezing his hand as he went passed to the car.

"It's fine." she mouthed.

As soon as they reached the car, the yelling started. Insane, excited, overwhelmed yelling.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my GOD!" Blake was repeating over and over.

Reece's hands were shaking as he turned the key in the ignition and started the car, and he was muttering under his breath inaudibly. George, in contrast to his behaviour in public, was now sat in silence, except for his heavy breathing.

"Um," the girl said finally, breaking the tension as the car exited the carpark of the shopping centre and was driven onto the highway , "What did the DM from the Vamps say?"