Ok so I have debated posting this for a while but yea. I wrote this for my creative writing class. It's an exact recount of what happened when I met Ashton this past summer. It's laid out like a play script and how society and people around me usually react to this story. Um so yea I hope you guys like it and comment if you've met any or all of the boys I'd love to hear other stories!! xo -Rachel
Society vs. Fangirls
Setting: St. Paul, MN. The night of July 17th. 2013
Characters:
Zoe: My best friend.
Ashton: Drummer from 5 Seconds of Summer
Society: General population
Description: My best friend and I have been driving around for a few hours trying to find the hotel our favorite band is staying at. It’s the night before their concert and we are determined to meet them. Upon finding the right hotel, we walk in and instantly spot the drummer.
Working an eight-hour shift was torture, and I couldn’t concentrate. My favorite band, 5 Seconds of Summer, is in town for a show the next night. After being on my feet all day I was exhausted, but determined to go through with my plans for the night. I hop into the shower and get clean in record time. Zoe picks me up around seven and we drive towards downtown.
Society: Ew. Why do you like them? Their music isn’t even good!
Me: I think their music is amazing.
Society: I bet you only like them because they’re attractive.
Me: Right, because I bought their album to listen to their faces.
Me: Let’s just go in so we can use the bathroom, and if it’s not right we’ll leave.
Zoe: Alright. (We walk into the large, modern hotel) (uses bathroom) I’m going over here to buy a water.
Me: Zoe! (Shakes her arm aggressively) It’s Ashton! Look, over at the bar! (Points to a boy wearing a white Beatles shirt)
Zoe: Oh my gosh!
Society: That’s so creepy. Why are you stalking them? You’re 19 years old! Why aren’t you out with friends? Enjoying summer vacation? Doing normal things?
We sit on a couch waiting with about ten other girls gathered in the lobby. No one approaches him, and I’m grateful. He’s in a conversation with friends. We all sit and wait. I tug at the end of my teal skirt, panicking on how it looks. The sticky heat that’s set in the last few days is making me sweat through the new Beatles tank top I’m wearing despite the slits in the back. Over the next hour thoughts race through my mind of how meeting him will go. I want him to see how much we have in common; our taste in music, our personalities, down to the instrument we play. I want him to know I value him as a human being, not some band member. I’m sure my nerves are readily apparent.
Me: It’s 11:30pm should we wait? Or go?
Zoe: Maybe just a little longer?
Me: Ok.
Ashton gets up from the bar and makes his way to the bathrooms behind us. The majority of the girls waiting make a mad dash over, standing outside. We stay seated. Though I did track down their hotel, I refuse to chase them.
Society: It’s still creepy.
Zoe: *Looks at empty water bottle in her hand* But I do actually have to pee again…
Me: We’ll slowly go over and if it’s too crazy, we’ll dart into the bathroom.
We stay towards the back, watching girls take selfies with Ashton. They’re pretty, gorgeous actually. My worry about my appearance grows. In the back of my mind I resolve not to leave until I meet him. When there is a pause and no one makes a move I step forward, my legs almost betraying my confident act and narrowly miss sending me to the floor. I stand there in awe of the 6-foot boy who is towering over my 5’2 frame. I try to keep calm, but I can’t. The first thought that comes to my mind is ‘he’s not as scrawny as he looks in pictures.’ He is sweet, with nothing but charm and manners. I pray that he can’t feel my body shaking like a leaf. My social anxiety mixed with the fact that he is an attractive male paralyzes me and I can’t bring myself to look him in the eyes.
Ashton: How are you guys? (Puts his arms around our shoulders as we smile for a picture)
Me: (Barley audible) Good. Thanks, Ashton. (We start to walk away in the opposite direction of the bathrooms) Wait, Zoe. Didn’t you have to pee?
Zoe: Oh, yea. (Awkwardly turns away from Ashton and bolts to the bathroom)
In the bathroom I can barely control my shaking hands. I try to not panic in front of the other girl at the sink. Back outside the bathroom I was expecting to bump into him again and redeem myself from before. To get the chance to say more than a few shaky words to him, to make a funny comment about our matching Beatles themed shirts, to make eye contact, but he’s gone. That’s that last time I saw him in person until the next night on stage, but then he was merely a dot behind a drum kit.
Me: Zoe, oh my god. That really just happened.(I stop outside of the car to hug my friend.) I was hoping to meet the rest of the guys too, but I am so happy we at least met Ashton.
Zoe: Yea, I really wanted to meet Michael, but at least Ashton was there.
I never thought that this would happen when he lives 9,405 miles away. This is the statement I use to tell myself that finding his hotel is ok, that it’s not creepy.
Society: But it is creepy. You basically stalked him. You’re crazy.
Me: No, just listen! I’m not crazy! Their music inspires me. It can brighten my day! It makes me really happy!
Society: But you went to his hotel. That’s stalking.
As the moment gets farther away, even to me it starts to seem like a stalker encounter. I want to scream, to yell, and to make people understand why; why this Australian boy means the world to me. Being a girl who loves a famous singer, not solely for his looks, but because I truly believe he is talented and devoted is the hardest part. No matter how intelligently and fully I express this; people will still assume I’m just a silly teenager who thinks a famous guy is cute.
Society: You’re still weird.
Me: Yea, I guess I am. But I’m happy.
