Iâm locked in a room with a boy. The room is tiny and it smells like bleach. Tinier even than the room I was in before I fell asleep. I donât remember waking up and being moved, but here I am, and letâs be honestâI donât remember a whole lot lately. Heâs sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, and his knees spread apart. I watch as he tilts his head back and belts out the chorus to Oh Cecelia.
Heâs pretty hot.
âOh my god,â I say. âIf weâre going to be locked in here, can you at least sing something good?â
I donât know where that came from. I donât even know this boy. He finishes, punctuating the last word with a really off-key eh-eh-eh-eh. Itâs then that I realize that I not only recognize the song heâs singing but also know the lyrics. Things change, and suddenly Iâm not the girl anymore. Iâm watching the girl watch the boy.
Iâm dreaming.
âIâm hungry,â she says.
He lifts his hips off the ground and digs around in his pocket. When he pulls out his hand, heâs holding a lifesaver.
âYouâre such a lifesaver,â she says, taking it from him. She kicks his foot, and he grins at her.
âHow come youâre not mad at me?â he asks.
âFor what? Ruining our night by making us miss the concert so you could make out with me in a broom closet? Why the hell would I be mad?â She makes a show of slipping the mint between her lips. âDo you think theyâll hear us in here when the concertâs over?â
âI hope so. Or youâll get really hangry and be mean to me all night.â
She laughs, and then theyâre both smiling at each other like idiots. I can hear the music playing. Itâs something slower this time. They got locked in here making out. Very cute. I feel envious.
She crawls over to him, and he lowers his legs to accommodate her. When sheâs straddling him, he runs his hands up and down her back. Sheâs wearing a purple dress and black boots. A couple of grimy mops and a giant yellow bucket are propped next to them.
âI promise this wonât happen when we see One Direction,â he says seriously.
âYou hate One Direction.â
âYeah, but I guess I have to make this up to you. Be a good boyfriend and such.â His hands tease the exposed skin on her legs. He makes a walking motion up her thigh with his fingers. I can almost feel the goose bumps for her.
She throws back her head this time and starts to sing a One Direction song. It clashes with the music playing behind them, and sheâs a worse singer than he is.
âOh god,â he says, covering her mouth. âI love you, but no.â He pulls his hand away, and she grabs it back to kiss his palm.
âYeah you do. I love you back.â
Itâs when they kiss that I wake up. I feel intense disappointment. I lie very still, hoping to fall asleep again so I can see what happens to them. I need to know if they got out in time to see The Vamps play at least one song. Or if he kept his word and took her to One Direction. Their togetherness has made me feel so incredibly lonely that I bury my face in the pillow and cry. I liked their stuffy little room better than mine. I begin to hum out the tune of the song that was playing, and then I suddenly bolt upright in bed.
They did get out. During intermission. I can hear his laughter and see the confusion on the face of the janitor who opened the door for them. How do I know that? How can I see something that never happened? Unlessâ¦
That wasnât a dream. It happened.
To me.
Oh my god. That girl was me.
I reach up to touch my face, smiling a little. He loved me. He was soâ¦full of life. I lie back down, wondering what happened to him and if heâs the reason Iâm here. Why hasnât he come to find me? Can a person forget that kind of love?
And how exactly did my life go from thatâ¦to this nightmare?