YOUNGBLOOD » HARRY STYLES

1

I spend most of spring at the pebbly beaches of Brighton. Even though the 'sand' is uncomfortable and hot, it's overcrowded and oil drillings in the distance disturb the view, I find myself coming back here whenever I can. My dad took me to go paddle boarding here once when I was little, which led to getting my own paddle board for my eighteenth birthday. On windier days, we'd attempt surfing, but we don't get very good waves here.

I've taken my group of friends here on numerous occasions, too, but they're more the type to sunbathe. Boring. In spring, the temperatures are just about to go up, fluctuating between the warmth that makes you itch to jump in the pool, and the coolness that reminds you winter wasn't too long ago. I stare out across the English Channel, daring the waves to become bigger and invite me to surf. But they don't. So I pack up my stuff and head back to my car.

Just as I sit down behind the steering wheel and close the car door, my phone vibrates in one of the cup holders. I glance at it briefly whilst putting my seatbelt on, seeing that Heather was calling me. She's much more of a texter and only calls in serious cases, so I answered.

"Hello?"

"Rowan, I have a problem." She said in that soft, innocent voice she uses when she wants something from me. I rolled my eyes, although she can't see it, and stopped myself from starting the engine.

"What is it?" I knew she was waiting for me to ask that.

"Alfie just called me saying he's sick." She said, sounding exaggeratedly disappointed. Alfie was her long-term boyfriend. They've been together for two years and they act like they're married and have three kids, but it's whatever floats their boat, I guess.

"Oh... Well then that is your problem and you need to fix it." I teased, finally pressing the ignition button. The engine of my Golf roared to life as I looked behind my headrest to check I wasn't going to hit something. I pulled out of my parallel parking spot and let Heather ramble on about her 'problem' as the beach slowly disappeared in my rearview mirror.

"Rowan? Hello? Were you listening to anything I just said?" She asked.

"You know how much I hate parallel parking," I laughed as an excuse for my concentration on the road rather than her storytelling. "I'm sorry, can you pretty please start over?"

She sighed. "It's just... I bought tickets to a concert for tonight and he was supposed to come with me." She explained briefly.

"So now you want me to come with you?" I could see straight through her, and the corner of my lips turned up into a smirk. Heather was just so predictable.

"Well, yeah. What's better than going to a concert with your best friend?" She tried, sounding hopeful and overly happy.

"And that's why you invited your boyfriend first," I retorted.

"Please, Rowan. I don't know what else I could do, and I don't want to go alone." She was definitely desperate now. "You'll have fun, I promise. I thought you liked going on nights out?"

I sighed, caving a little. Heather was my best friend and I knew I would give in eventually. I couldn't just let poor, innocent little Heather go alone to a concert with thousands of strangers. The mum side of me tells me that's way too dangerous, so I best go with her. "Who's concert is it?" I'm surprised that isn't one of the first questions I had.

"Harry Styles."

I raised a brow at the name. It sounded familiar for some reason, but I couldn't picture him. And then it clicked. "Heather, I'm not sure an ex-boyband concert is something I want in my life." I tried my best not to offend her.

"It is, I swear! You'd be surprised, his solo music is genuinely really good. So is that a yes? Please?" She repeated.

I huffed. I was nearly at home by now. "Fine. Where is it?"

"Uh, well, I was kind of relying on Alfie to drive us there." She said, yet another piece of information I had to pry out of her.

"Well, I can drive, can't I? How far is it?" I pressed on.

"It's at the O2. In London."

"What! Heather, I'm not driving–what, 2 hours?–to go to the fucking O2!"

Except, I did.

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I've had this story in the works for quite a while now, so I might as well publish it and see what happens 🤷🏼‍♀️

Mel