Imagine

Fame - Chapter Three

This was a bond you had never seen before. It was similar to that of acting friends but it was ten notches above.
You sat on a couch with your freshly packed suitcase beside you. You had just met Tristan, Connor and James and now had the pleasure of watching their dynamic.
            "Brad, we literally leave in a few hours did it not occur to you to pack yesterday?" James rolled his eyes in pretend anguish but his lips curved in a smile so you knew that this was expected of Brad.
           "I was a little preoccupied yesterday," Brad replied and his eyes met yours for a moment. You blushed and glanced at the floor biting your lip as you tried so hard not to look back at him.             "So, Y/N, tell us what you do?" Dean, the band photographer asked as he stood one eye behind the sense.
           "Dean!" All four boys cried.
You laughed because it was humbling for him to not know who you are.
           "I just act in a few things here and there," you replied looking at Dean who had now removed his camera from his eye.
           "How do you not know who she Is! I showed you that Nicholas sparks movie the other day!" Brad shook his head at his friend.
You quirked your eyebrow at the mention of Brad watching one of your romance movies. It was funny to picture, this pop star watching some cheesy movie where the guy falls at her feet.
            "Wait you're Y/N?!" Dean's eyes widen and you shrug as if it's not a big deal.
            "I didn't know that you were the girl that Brad watches all those silly movies for! I can't believe he even got you here! Some kind of magic, I say."
Your eyes popped and you glanced at Brad whose head seemed to be ducked down as he quickly packed clothes into his suitcase. You didn't know him enough to tease him. But when you did. Assuming you would. Then you would remember this day and tease him for sure.
Joe, the band's manager, walked into the room.
            "Just letting you know that we leave in 10 minutes, the bus is here and our flight is in 3 hours." Brad nodded and zipped up his suitcase. 

It was all starting to hit you then that you were leaving the country. All on your own. Not that you hadn't before. But this time it was different. There weren't a million different people keeping you on schedule. There weren't plans and events that you had to keep. This was a purely spontaneous trip. Something that young people do all the time. But something you never had.

Your breathing became shallow and everything seemed to move a little slower.
          "Y/N?" Brads voice was concerned.
But what you noticed the most was how slow it sounded. You put your hand on your chest and sucked down the air that didn't seem to reach your lungs. Why was it so hard to be spontaneous. Why was it so hard to do nothing. Cool fingers were on your cheeks and you realised that Brad had come closer and now was peering at your face trying to figure out what was wrong.
           "Hey. I'm here," your eyes couldn't focus as everyone buzzed around you making your heart pound even harder.
            "Look at me," his fingers rested on your chin and he directed your gaze to him, "It's going to be okay, I'll get you through this panic attack." It took a good half an hour for you to calm down. In the meantime the rest of the boys had taken the bus to the airport and Joe has arranged a taxi for you and Brad to get there. You gulped down the glass of water that Brad had found for you as he kept his gaze on you as if at any moment you might just break.
            "Are you sure you want to come?" He asked quietly, almost as if he didn't want to ask it at all.
           Your heart picked up a beat but you ignored It, "Of course I do."
He smiled and squeezed your hand that you only know realised he was holding.

             "Wow!" Your mouth hung open as you gazed at the shining blue water. The sky was blue and it was a contrast to the stigma of England being overcast.
             "I thought you said you had been to England?" Bradley asked as he placed the bag of food down on a flat rock.
            "I have but I've never seen this part. Only the insides of buildings," you took the time to spin around letting every different view burn into your retinas.
           "Its gorgeous," you smiled and felt a lift in your spirit.
Splash! Your gazed whipped around to where Tristan had been pushed into the water, he came up bobbing with a grin on his face. Brad whipped his shirt over his head and made a leap off the rocks into the water. You watched on as they each made their way into the crystal clear water. You were wearing your swimming suit but you had a light dress over top. You didn't intend on swimming. You found a spot near the edge on the rocks and dangled your feet in the water. You popped your sunglasses over your eyes and let the sun warm you. The guys joked around and splashed each other just like small children. It was enlightening. You were almost dazing off in the sun when a splash of cold water flew your way. You flinched and found the guilty subject. Brad was grinning as he approached you in the water.
            "Aren't you going to come in?" He asked.
            You shook your head, "I'm fine where I am thank You."
            Brad's eyebrows pulled together, "You have to let yourself have fun. Don't let it weigh you down."
            You flicked your foot and sent water flying in his direction, "I am having fun!"
 It was clear you were deflecting the question and he knew it. You wondered why he was so inclined to get to the bottom of all your problems. He smiled and it was the sort of smile that said I am letting this go for now but not forever. He pulled himself onto the rocks and sat, dripping, next to you.
            "Tell me about your work. What about it do you love?" Brad was close enough to you that his wet hair dripped on your shoulder.
            "That's a hard question," you pondered aloud.
            "Is it?" He responded and you realised that it really shouldn't have been.

You hated the PR, the paparazzi, the endless appearances, and the politics of the industry. But the acting that is where you had belonged.
         "Through high school, I was always the first person to put my hand up for a play. It used to surprise people at first because I was the bright, shy girl. The girl they deemed was made for an academic job. A lawyer, a doctor or an accountant," you looked up at the blue sky and took a deep breath, "I could have been any of those things, but I couldn't just choose one. Acting allowed me to be all of them. I've been a florist, an investment banker and I've lived a thousand different lives. That's why I love it, I can be so many different people."
He was silent as your words floated in the air.
             "That's beautiful," he said softly as he watched you intently.
             "You seem so adamant on figuring me out," you wondered aloud, setting your gaze on him.
He chuckled at that and your fingers brushed when he shifted his hand.
           "Guilty as charged," he laughed again.
            You cocked your head, your fingers still tingling from the sensation, "why?" You genuinely wanted to know why he saw a benefit in uncovering all your secrets.
           "You seem like someone worth knowing. Someone who has something to say. Someone who is screaming it out but no one can hear her over the chatter of the world. I'm just choosing to listen," he turns his head and watches you take in his words.
You have no words because it seems like he sees someone completely different. You aren't drowning in your own words, why would he think that. Unless he isn't the one that is lying. You tore your hand away from his that was creeping closer and you jumped up. You slipped your dress off and gave him a collected smile.
           "Maybe I would like a swim!" You dove into the clear water and let the coldness encapsulate you. When you reached the surface again and peered over at Brad on the rock you noticed his frown, though it didn't last for long before it was covered with a grin. He cannonballed in after you, sending water everywhere. But you can't help but wonder if maybe he's right.