A Moment in the Crowd

Chapter 8: Employees Only

Lily:

When my mom came to pick me up it was already five and I didn't know if I was even going to have time to shower, find something else to wear, and then get back to the venue in time to make the concert. That is if they let you in. The annoying little devil inside my head teases me. 

Somehow, under the dazed state I was still in, I managed to get it all done by six.

On my way back to the venue, the subway is much more crowded than even before. I can barely breathe with all the people being squished in here. Most of them, I notice, are people headed to the concert as well. Some are even holding posters that say things like "Ask me if I give a motherfuck?!!" and "Eating toast in the shower is the ultimate multitask." I laugh at the thought of the boys' mindless tweets, mostly Harry's. I think my first question to him, should I ever actually get the chance to talk to him again, would be what the hell he was thinking when posting that. 

When I finally arrive at the venue, I'm faced with my fear. How the fuck do I get in? I came alone this time because last night my sister escorted me to the concert, and since I told my family I was stalking their hotel again, she decided against coming with me. I'd been hoping she would. 

I stand a little awkwardly outside of the line-up. It's nearly empty by now anyways considering the concert starts at seven and it's already six-thirty. 

This is so awkward. I never should have thought he was being serious. Harry Styles himself would never actually invite me to the concert, and certainly not without giving me some sort of way of getting in. 

I decide to sit on a bench with my phone so that I'm not just standing awkwardly by myself, clinging to some hope that I'm going to get in there. I decide to stay out here. It is a nice night, and if I have any luck I'll still be able to hear the concert at least? I get lost on Twitter on my phone when suddenly I can hear deafening screems from the stadium. They must have showed up finally. I check the time and it's almost eight-thirty. Wow they were late. I laugh to myself while wondering what in the world the boys could have been doing to make them late. 

It's so strange now to think of them as anything but the boy-band that took over the world. I can't help now but wonder what each of them do in their spare time, and what they're thinking before they walk onto that stage. It's more than insane to me to be able to live that lifestyle, but I guess they would have gotten used to it by now. 

My thoughts of the boys are drowned out by the panting of a security guard. I look at the poor man standing in front of me, breathing heavily. 

"Umm, are you alright?" I decide the ask him. He's still breathing like he's run a marathon just seconds ago. 

He puts his hand up to tell me to wait for a second while he catches his breath. 

"Whoo this place is really quite large. You - wouldn't happen to - be Lily Del-something - would you?" He takes a breath between each word it seems. 

"Umm, yeah that's me. Delcourt. Are you sure you're alright?" He looks like he's about to pass out any moment, but my answer to his question seems to light up his face a little. What the hell is going on?

"Oh thank God. I thought I'd asked every person outside of the place. Harry wants to get you into the concert. Would you come with me please?"

I stand there for a moment completely shocked. Harry? As in, Harry Styles right? I know it's ridiculous, of course Harry Styles but the thought still seems like a far-off dream. 

"I - uh, yeah I'll go with you. Wait, like... Harry Styles sent you?" I can't help but say his last name too, just to make sure we're not talking about some other Harry. It seems unlikely but so does some security guard sent by Harry Styles to find me. 

"Yes ma'am." He smiles at me. He's an older looking man, maybe in his fourties? Fifties? I can't really tell, but he seems nice enough. I feel bad that he's had to walk the whole length of the stadium to finally find me but, it's not like I'd made it difficult. I was right outside the front gates. 

I walk silently as the older man takes me inside the venue. He leads me down a few darker corridors and places that read Employees Only until finally we emerge together right next to the stage, behind one of the security gates. Behind the gates are you serious? 

I'm beyond in a state of shock at this point because when I look up to the stage, Harry is smiling at me. His voice booms filling the entire stadium, but there is no doubt in my mind that Harry Styles just fucking smiled at me while singing Story of my Life. 

I can't collect myself fast enough to understand what's going on. I'm in a state of shock yes, but shouldn't I smile back or something? I attempt a weak smile but I'm sure it comes off as pathetic. Why am I so nervous now when just hours ago I was chatting away with him in his car. I don't really know what it is, but the filled stadium makes me snap out of the dream state I think I was in before. At least then I could pretend that he wasn't Harry Styles and he was just a guy I got pulled into a car with? Okay maybe that would have caused me to scream and claim he was kidnapping me, but the point is that I can't quite grasp what's happening all around me. My mind is rushing, and my concert insinct kicks in as I grab my phone and start recording him singing the song. 

I can't help but smile right now because I'm standing, closer than front row, to the stage, listening to my favourite music in the entire world, and slowly falling in love with this boy I met for the first time today. No, I'm not falling in love with him, what the fuck he's just... well who wouldn't fall in love with him though right?

I can't continue my inner debate because the music and the concert and the resonating sound takes me to a completely different world. Instead I let myself dance to the music and have the best time I can remember having in the past year.