Tangerine

Chapter 87

Soundtrack: One Direction - No Control

Dedication: (darlingeffect) you read all of this book in practically one go, and i think that's so cool. thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions in the comments, i hope you enjoy the little bouts of your favourite pal in this chapter ;) also, thank you very, very much for being involved with the watty awards and voting for tangerine! that meant a lot :)

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"You have been amazing! I can't wait to see you again. Utah, I love you!"

I kick the microphone stand away, letting it fall to the stage floor. My band and I go on a series of ending chords, ringing it out for the whole audience and even others outside the arena to hear.

On our final note, the venue is plunged into blackness and we are hurried offstage. Our instruments are taken from us and our monitors are navigated through our clothing and off our bodies.

"Good one tonight," Keith tells the lot of us as we're guided through the backstage corridors, "comin' in the bus for a brew?"

"Actually, I kinda wanna watch the boys," I smile. The volume back here is considerably lower, but I know that arena is gonna blow its top off once One Direction comes out in less than thirty minutes. I can't wait. I haven't stayed out to watch the boys on stage for the past number of gigs.

"The boys," Elijah chuckles. "You sound like a regular fan of theirs, Scar."

"I'm a fan," I nod, throwing my head back theatrically. "I am a massive fan."

"Someone got laid last night," Pete smirks, earning a cheeky nod from Elijah.

"Close, but no cigar," I insist. "I'm maturing."

"Like a fine wine, eh?" Keith laughs and that's it for the lads; they all crack up as we round into our dressing room.

Keith and Elijah go around grabbing what they need before rounding back to our tour bus. Pete and I hang back, simply grabbing a bottle of water each.

"Staying with me?" I smile at Pete.

"I wanna see them, too," Pete shrugs, wringing his hand around his bottle.

"Hey- wait..." I stall my drummer and guitarist, just as they're about to exit the room. "Do you think we can grab some beers, too? Pour them in, like, a travel bottle or something and go out to the show?"

"Getting drunk while watching a boyband," Elijah voices considerably, "I like it."

"Yeh, you can do that," Keith shrugs, agreeing with us casually. "I'm not comin' back for ye's, though."

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Pete, Elijah and I follow Keith out to our tour bus. We're barely twenty feet from reaching the entrance door, when we come into view with a long strip of barriers and something I had practically forgotten about until now: fans.

I expect the group to break out screaming as usual, but they're a surprisingly polite bunch.

"Are they on yet?" one boy asks excitedly once I near them.

"One Direction?" I smile. "Soon. We just finished."

"Are you leaving already?" another girl asks, eyeing my band stalling behind me. She has long black hair and she's dressed in a shirt with -- oh my god, my face is on her shirt. "Can I have a picture?"