Our Messed Up Thing

chapter 12

A crew, all dressed in black with Late Late Show with James Corden written on their shirts direct me outside Target and want to take me to see James.

They are still filming us but it seems Harry doesn't mind. "James said he wants to see you because after all the creepy things he forced me to do, you were still very nice. I'm wearing this ear plug where James contacts me through and tells me what to say and do. So I'm so sorry about all of this," He explains while laughing.

I can't believe I am having a conversation with the one and only Harry Styles.

"Nice Girl, we need you in the van!" One crew member screams. I can tell he is quite nervous that it's going to take us long to get to the studio.

"Well, they need you there. I hope you aren't scared of attention, I'll see you there though, okay?" Harry says.
I am terrified of an audience. I don't want any attention at all. He seems to notice this because instead of rushing to his own transport, he puts his hand on my shoulder and kneels down a little to look at my face. "You don't like to be in front of an audience, do you?" He gives me a sympathetic smile.

I'm shaking.

He is touching me; Harry Styles.

It takes me a while to process everything and finally speak up. "I- uh- No, not really..." I answer.

"Well, um, I don't know what we can do about that. I'll be up there with you, Gigi. It'll be alright." His eyes are glowing, much more than any eyes should. He remembered my name. He fudging remembered.

"Harry Styles!!!" A crew member shouts, as if their lungs were about to pop out from the anxiousness.

"Well, see you in a couple of minutes." And before I can respond, he rushes to a black car and I am dragged to a van by the crew.

***
"Okay, you are on in five." A kind woman notifies me. I have to walk past a curtain onto the stage. With James Corden. Live, and on YouTube.

How did this happen so quickly?

In the background I hear James's voice. Whenever I was bored, I would watch some of his videos with Archie or alone at night. He would always amuse me. I loved the Carpool Karaoke he did with Harry. I did expect a bit more from Ed Sheeran's one though.

"The reaction was incredible, she hung on and tried to be as nice as possible to a mentally ill worker at Target. However, what she didn't know was that that worker was Harry Styles in a costume; by our amazing make up and costume crew, who managed to disguise his appearance. His amazing acting skills were also enough to confuse this innocent girl. I was communicating with Harry through an ear pad and he had to say and do everything I told him to. Here, take a look." I recognize James's voice.

I hear laughs from the audience, possibly showing them the embarrassing video clip of me trying to be nice to Bernard- Harry. They seem like two completely different people.

"Okay sweetheart, you have to go out there now." The kind woman from before tells me.

I nod nervously and my legs shake as I take in every piece of oxygen my lungs can handle, to only let it all out with the objective of relaxing my body.

I take a first step. That's progress. I take another. Progressing slowly. Eventually I start walking. OK, I'm doing pretty well.

"Here she is!" James and Harry present simultaneously. And before I realize it, I find myself walking towards those two celebrities to greet them.

"Hi," I find myself saying. James gives me two kisses, making my cheeks numb. When I approach Harry he gives me a kiss and pulls me in for a hug.

So, I'm dead.

"Gigi?" James calls. I turn to him and he notices how nervous I am so he gives me a warm handshake. "Please take a seat." James sits behind his desk, as usual, as Harry and I seat ourselves on a long couch.

We are sharing the same couch. A James Corden couch. Wow.

"Thank you," I say out of instinct.

"Ooh, the 'niceness' has started." Harry teases and I find myself laughing along with James and the rest of the audience.

Once I am comfortably sat on my side of this sacred object, I find James and Harry directly staring at me with really serious faces. I hear a couple of giggles from the audience and I can't tell if his is some sort of joke or something.

"Did I do something wrong?" I ask innocently.

"Oh no, Missy. We ask the questions here." James answers, a poker face still being his expression. Although, Harry does slip a little laugh out before returning to his serious face.

"You just have to answer," Harry adds, so slowly that the audience bursts out laughing and I let out a giggle. So does James.

This is going to be fun.