Youngblood

Chapter 3: Moving Along

Venus

The following days went by in a blur. Venus put on her sports bra and spandex tights, gave dance lessons all day, got home too tired to do anything but sleep. She barely spoke to Weston, engaging with him in mainstream conversation whenever necessary. But she saw him. He always sneaked peeks through her class window, and she noticed him as she bended over, so frequently that it became embarrassing. It was all about the job, he was checking to see if her class was going well.

One day before the big job, and the concert too, West decided to give her a day off to relax. Relaxing was something she couldn't afford doing, instead she prepared her outfit for the concert, deciding on her comfy black jeans and her newly purchased Youngblood t-shirt. She charged her phone and two extra power banks, packed water and snacks for the long wait she had, recharged her cellular data, and contacted all the online friends she was supposed to meet there. If anyone thought going to a concert was easy, they were hella wrong.

Late into the night, she skipped Kaia and decided her outfit for the concert.

"Oh my god, Vee. Can you believe we're front row?" She bubbled, changing into a white crop top.

"We'll never get used to it. I'm so nervous."

"Do you think he'll recognize you this time?" Kaia didn't need to say his name for Venus to understand who she meant.

"I don't know, Kaia." In reality, Venus had started to lose hope. Year after year, show after show, she never got to speak to him, never got him to see her face. "I feel like I've given up on that relationship." Or lack thereof.

"But he's your first love!" The dark haired girl pressed her face into the camera. "You're his first love."

A tingling sensation rushed through Venus's body as she registered her best friend's words. "Maybe I'll get to meet him this time."

"Well, you don't want to look like crap if you do. I suggest we both go to sleep, we have a long-ass day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Are you coming with me to the club?" She smiled through the screen, responding to a couple of direct messages.

"Do you even need to ask?" Kaia and Venus found assurance in those words, knowing that no matter what they go through, they will always go through with it together.

They said their good nights, and Venus was so close to falling asleep that she fell face first onto her bed, and fir the first night in a long time, didn't dream about anything, or anyone, at all.

When her alarm went off in the morning, Venus was already dressed up and ready. She was so excited for the show, yet nervous at the same time.

She met Kaia at the venue, and the two of them set camp with Andrea and Chris, Venus's internet best friends. They met several of their mutual followers. They were really popular in the 5SOSfam, so it was cool to meet so many people they've made contact with over the years. Especially after having won the MTV award for best fan army previously that year.

It slowly became crowded, until they were finally allowed into the venue. The four of them walked close together until they reached the front row, seated directly next to each other. From her position, Venus could see every angle of the stage perfectly. She tweeted pictures of the venue as it filled up and the stage that seemed so empty at that moment.

"Nervous?" Kaia whispered in her ear.

"I've done this a million times, I'll be fine." Venus waved her off sarcastically. They shared a knowing look before they both burst out laughing, "HELL, YES I'M NERVOUS!"

She hoped this time, he'd meet her eye and recognize her. Her head played out every scenario she'd ever read in fan-fiction; Calum would tell the security guards to take her backstage where he would be oh so handsomely waiting for her after the show, or he'd pull her up onstage in front of everyone, or he'd throw her his t-shirt, scribbling his number to its hem.

The loud bass and countdown shook her out of her reverie. She screamed her throat raw as Ashton appeared onstage behind his drums, beginning the show with the opening riff, slowly fading into Girls Talk Boys as the other three boys appeared onstage. Cheers filled the venue as they saluted the crowd, and Venus's eyes strayed to her right, where Calum stood, less than 5 feet away. She hasn't been that close to him since they were 16. She prayed her eyes would find hers as the band played song after song. She recorded a live stream of Want You Back, and snapped as many pictures as possible. Kaia was losing her shit, as Michael had looked straight into her phone camera and winked.

How long was this going to last?

Venus knew she looked like shit when Luke started singing the introduction to Moving Along. It was her favorite song on the record, and at the rise of Calum's verse, as she swayed her hips to the music, his eyes came in contact with hers.

She froze, but his eyes scanned the crowd again, not resting on her for an extra second. He didn't recognize her, maybe it was her dyed hair?

"'Is it weird that I'm drunk and on my sofa?" he sang softly, his hand pushing his hair out of his face, "Is it weird that I'm naked on my sofa?" The crowd roared.

He let the music play on the second part of his verse, as his eyes quickly snapped back to her. Was this it? She tried smiling but her lips were blocks of cement.

And the moment was gone, she was so confused. If he recognized her, he showed no sign. She had put such high hopes and expectations for that moment, and the very logical reality left her disappointed, when it shouldn't have. What did she expect? She read too many stories, and she was a hopeless romantic. Venus felt like crying, but instead, she joined her three friends as they swayed to the soundtrack of her broken heart.