Tangerine

Chapter 11

Soundtrack: Ramones - Pinhead (1977)

Dedication: Ilya — It makes me so happy that you're such a fan of Tangerine. Thank you for commenting all the time, I absolutely love what you have to say! All the happiness to you :) — Jen

·

The thick buzz of the arena dulls as we round the first corner.

Mitch guides us through the backstage corridors, mere seconds after we've run off stage. "Are there any words to describe the feeling of getting out there and playing for thousands in a sold-out arena?"

I scoff, hardly able to believe that's really what just happened. "I don't think so."

"Other than-" Keith chuckles, cutting himself off. "Nevermind, you'll badger me for cursin'."

"Other than what?" asks Mitch.

"Fuck," says Keith.

We all break out laughing in agreement.

"I won't badger you for that, lad," our manager grins, proud as ever.

"Really, though... we've just finished playing a half-hour opening set at London's O2 arena," Pete reminds us, probably just to hear it out loud. "Fuck is right. It was unbelievable."

"Unbelievable is a fitting word," Mitch suggests.

"So is fuck," I share a smirk with Keith and Pete.

"Surreal," Elijah mentions.

"That's the one," I must agree.

Mitch smiles down at me as the lads walk ahead of us, filing into our dressing room. "Weren't too nervous, were you?"

"Maybe a little at the beginning," I reason, entranced by spectacular flashes of memories from the past half hour. "I may have missed a few words halfway in, but no one seemed to really notice."

"It couldn't have gone any better," Elijah gives his head a dazed shake. "I'm vibrating."

"Literally, the adrenaline flowing through my body is unlike any drug I could take, ever," Pete emphasises, in complete agreement, "and then some."

"Any afterparties, then?" Mitch questions the lot of us. "Post-show plans?"

"I dunno what the lads' plans are, but after intermission I'm gonna go see my first boyband, live in concert!" I head over to a vanity mirror, mocking the fact just as much as I'm relishing in it.

"Then the afterparty," Keith reminds me with a wink.

"Then the afterparty to the afterparty," Elijah flat out giggles.

Mitch chuckles, watching me glance over my reflection. "Well, there's something to look forward to."

"I'm just looking forward to getting back out there again tomorrow," I take a towel to my face, dabbing off some sweat beading over my stage make-up. "I want to feel that rush every night for the rest of my life," I turn around with a grin, tossing the towel aside, "and I plan to."

·

I raise the can to my lips, smooth beer flowing over my talkative tongue. A warmth settles in my stomach as I gaze around the tour bus full of familiar faces. We're all here to celebrate a successful opening night for our world tour: myself and my backup band, One Direction and theirs. We'll be off to the formal celebration party in less than an hour — we're just getting a little buzz first.