Used To Be • Harry Styles

One

Annie's POV

"Thanks James," I smile up at the tall guy before he sits down in the chair I stood up from.

"Thanks for waiting, the trains are trash right now," he began to speak as he added a song to the radio queue. "Delay at 14th St."

"Oh no," I shake my head. "Well, lucky for me, I'm just going up to West 4th."

"Of course you are," my coworker rolls his eyes at me.

"You gotta have faith," I shook his shoulders. "Take care of the station, James."

"Will do," he waves at me without looking over.

I head out the booth and out to the hall of the radio station and say goodbye to some of my other coworkers before running into my boss Danny.

"Annie," he calls my attention. "Good job today, don't forget that we're not doing the Hoboken car dealership ads this week. You played it once-"

"Oh, okay," I nod. "I'm sorry, it slipped my mind."

"That's alright, just don't do it again," the older and much more experienced man told me. "Headed home?"

"Joe's," I clarify.

"Ah," he nods. "Why do I even ask? Have a good night."

"Thanks," I say as he walks past me. "You too!" I add cheerfully hoping to make him turn around and smile.

Instead I got another wave of a hand without a look my way.

I head out into the somewhat chilly weather, five minutes later, after finally getting off the elevator travelling from the 17th floor and walk to the Canal Street station.

I wait patiently for the train to arrive to take it just two stops uptown and then walk through Washington Square Park to get to Joe's Pub.

Once I arrive, I head on over to the bar and greet the bartender I've come to know so well.

"Ethan," I almost cheer his name. "How's it going?"

"Good, good," he smiles as he wipes down the bar. "How was your day?"

"It was fine," I shrug. "Tell me it's about to get better," I offer him a wide smile and get a chuckle from him.

"The line-up's been alright," he admits. "Nothing special."

"Don't say that," I frown.

"The usual?"

"Yes, please," I nod before turning around in my stool to face the stage in the corner of the pub.

A guy with tall black hair was singing into the mic while he strummed his fingers on his guitar and his friend was behind him on the drum set banging his head away along with his set of sticks on the percussion.

The guy had an okay voice, it was nice but not the best I've heard. He was quite good looking, and the guitar only added to the beauty but the song he was singing sounded like something generic. Not the sound I was looking for.

Find anything?

My phone lit up and I read the text from James.

Not yet :)

I add a smiley face emoji at the end of my text, to let him know he can't bring my hopes down.

You found a band once and now they're famous in the tri-state area, will you relax?
The chances of that happening again are slim, no offense

Tons taken!

What makes tonight any different?

Every night is different James, duh
I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow, the stage needs my attention

Good luck
Honestly

Thank you :)

I add another smiley face before turning my phone around to have the case face me, not the screen.

"Your water," Ethan spoke over the music as he placed the glass behind me on the bar. "Aka what is used to wash the dishes."

"Thanks, love," I give him a grin before I turn around halfway and take the glass in hand.

"I should get mighty tips from you just for making me serve you water at a bar."

I chuckle before taking out a five dollar bill and stuffing it in the jar behind the bar.

"I love you," Ethan jokes as the next act gets on stage.

The girl says something into the microphone I could barely understand before strumming her guitar and making the worst high pitched noises.

"It's gonna be a long night tonight," I turn in my stool to face Ethan.

"It's been a long night for a while now, sweetie."

"God help me," I lower my head into my arms on the bar as I await for the girl to get off stage.

Three acts and two more cups of water later and I head to the bathroom after leaving my stuff behind the bar with Ethan.

I finish up in the restroom and head to the door after having washed my hands before I take a step back and look at myself in the mirror above the sink.

"You," I begin to talk to myself. "Have an ear, in fact you have two ears, for real music. Don't you forget it. You were raised to do this," I begin nodding at my reflection. "If you don't find any band or anyone tonight, you'll find someone tomorrow. You can do this. You can have Danny's position at the station if you wanted to. You're a boss ass-"

A girl came into the red colored bathroom and gave me a grimace before I took my hands off the sink and cleared my throat.

Once I was back in my seat, another act just got on the stage.

The brown haired boy began to play on his keyboard a cover to a 90s song. His voice wasn't bad, but the song was an easy sing. A typical karaoke song to choose if you want to impress your friends, which seemed like what he was doing since a group of people up front were cheering him on.

Two minutes later he thanked the crowd and I clapped along with everyone else before pushing some hair back and letting out a sigh.

I looked at the time on my phone and told myself that I should head home after two more acts.

"Hello, everyone," the next act spoke into the microphone. "How are we all doing tonight?"

I looked up from my phone, interested in his accent.

"Here's a little song I wrote about this girl I met a couple of weeks back," he spoke before sitting down on the stool behind him and bringing the mic stand closer to him.