Skinny Love (One Direction Fanfiction)

Chapter 5

Seven o’clock comes sooner than expected, and before I know it, I’m walking with Danielle along the small clearing between the stage and the actual seats. I look around, amazed at how many people were already pouring in to a concert that probably won’t start for another hour. I tend to forget how big the O2 actually is every single time I come, only to find myself shocked at the amount of seats it contains. That, and the fact that the boys had managed to sell out every single seat in the venue, not to say it was their first time doing so, or the biggest audience they have performed, or will perform, to.

As soon as we make our way out into the open, cell phones and cameras automatically rise up, and girls begin squealing.

“Danielle! Danielle! I love you!” One girl, who can’t be older than eight, calls out from the second row, and Danielle looks in her direction, smiling and giving a small wave.

“You are so sweet, love you too!”

The squeals seem to grow louder, if it’s even possible, and I find it refreshing that even though there are still fans like the ones Louis and I had come across just yesterday, the number had greatly diminished, the true fans of the boys really shining through. We reach the closed off area near the camera-station and I can’t help but laugh at the fact that Louis had completely exaggerated, using his car-salesman type selling points. The seats were wonderful in a sense that they had a perfect view of the stage, even better than the front row due to the fact they were on a slightly elevated platform. However, the stage also had a perfect view of the seats, being that they were not only elevated slightly next to the camera crew, but also blocked off, easily distinguishable from the rest of the crowd. This meant it was almost certain Zayn would see me, something I have prided myself for avoiding the whole night.

Zayn was late coming to the venue, having a doctor’s appointment to take care of before the show. As soon as Liam got the text that he had in fact arrived, the mood of the room changed drastically, almost as if they suddenly I was made of glass and bound to just crack any second. Thankfully, the boys had to go right out to sound check, Zayn not even getting a chance to come back and change, leaving me with a temporary relief, a very hesitant Danielle, and an extremely hyper Nadia, thanks to some weird Japanese candy Louis and Liam thought it’d be fun to introduce her too for ‘experimental purposes’. I really should’ve come to learn by now to never trust two children with experiments, especially ones involving sugar and four year olds. My anxiety was further delayed once again when the Tomlinson sisters and Gemma Pierce (née Styles) arrived. Immediately, the group of teens whisked Nadia off on a glamourous tour of Vienna’s costume closet, much to the delight of Vienna’s stylists, leaving me to catch up with Gemma, who was much more welcoming and pleasant than her brother. Danielle took us to the refreshments, allowing us to just miss the boys as they came off stage, yet another awkward near miss with Zayn. I hoped it would stay that way the whole night, the longer he and Nadia were not exposed to each other the better. However, I knew this hope wasn’t realistic, and was starting to get a sinking feeling knowing what was to come.

We maze our way around the perimeter of the seats along our blocked off path, reaching just right of what would be center stage, and enter our little closed off area, only to be immediately greeted by a woman who looks to be about my age and height, with honey-coloured hair cut into a cute bob. Flashes and clicking go off around us and screams escalate again, this time of “Look, it’s Danielle and Leeza!” I feel myself shrink back against the camera platform a little bit, instantly a little shocked and insecure. Yes, I had experienced plenty of media back when I was with Zayn, but that seems like forever ago, and it was something your body had to adjust to again. Danielle and Leeza don’t even look the least bit bothered, and I wish I could feel the same way instead of like the main attraction at a zoo. What furthers my insecurity is not just the fact that thousands of flashes were going off, or the fact that I remain unrecognized and unknown (honestly I rather it be that way), but that if this was a zoo, Danielle would be a beautiful, elegant gazelle, Leeza would be a brilliant, majestic feline, and I would be the awkward, ugly sloth in the corner. The honey-haired woman stands up and flashes a blinding, toothy grin, hugging Danielle.