And It All Happened in Social Media

Pictures of Love by @AnnieTheAuthor

Their eyes were connected, despite the hustle and bustle around them, they still remained at one with each other. Their hearts breaking with every second that passed, hoping that one of them would say the right thing, that this moment right now wasn't going to be all they remembered from the last three years.

He clutched his guitar bag tight to his shoulder as his flight was called, and that was the moment her eyes dropped to the floor. Tears stung both their eyes. It wasn't that they didn't love each other, because they did. He thought their love was something from the movies, something so strong that an ocean wouldn't tear them apart. That right now, this was the best thing to do for them and he had to do it so they could grow.

His dreams were to be a songwriter and performer, and he had been tipped as the next big thing, but to succeed with his dreams, he had to move to LA. They'd fought about it non-stop since he got the offer of a regular slot at one of the biggest nights in Hollywood, but he knew, that in the long run, his success would mould their life too.

He cupped her cheek with his spare hand and pulled her attention back to his.

"This is it." Was all he said before she nodded and both their tears fell. Their tender goodbye could never have expressed what they both felt, but they knew it was enough to know they'd always be in each other's hearts. A soft kiss on her forehead was the last thing he did before he turned and walked away.

"You need to set up an Instagram. All the trendy's love it. A few live shots of you gigging with some nice filters on would send the girls crazy." This was maybe the fourth time Phil, Jake's tour manager, had mentioned social media to him and he knew he'd have to cave sometime soon. He'd pretty much avoided any form of social networking since his break up with Hannah two months after he left the UK. He couldn't bring himself to see her out enjoying herself. He knew if he even attempted to check her facebook and saw that she had a new male friend, he would be on the first flight back to England to tell her how much he did love her, and that wasn't good for anyone.

They promised that at the right time, their love would survive, but right now they needed to live their own lives.

Reluctantly Jake pulled out his phone and downloaded the app. It seemed so simple, and he knew that the exposure was something he would only benefit from. His regular slot at the local club had turned into a support act for a local band as they toured round neighbouring states and now he even had a few fans of his own. Conformity had never been one of Jake's strong points; his long hair and his hats had made him stand out from the rest so signing up to twitter and Instagram definitely wasn't his scene.

He uploaded a few of the photos he had on his phone so far, ones Phil had taken so he could send to his mum on a weekly basis, and he set to making them look even more appealing. He realised how artistic they looked once he'd fiddled about with the features, deciding to go for a black and white theme.

Before the evening was out, he had to amend the settings of his email notifications as he already had close to two hundred followers, the comments and likes were falling in. Making a mental note to himself that he would look at all the comments later, he set his phone aside and headed to his show for the evening.

Seven days later, nine hundred more followers and seventeen more photos Jake was addicted. He never knew communicating with his new fans could be this fun, and when he'd succumbed even more and connected the account with a Twitter account he'd set up, he'd become even more addicted.

@JakesHat: @JJMusic I can't get enough of your EP. Love it! When are you back in England?

@ellapearson: @JJMusic you were sick last night! Too good to be a support act!

@maconline: @JJMusic saw your first ever gig at that sleazy pub in York. Well done lad!

He smiled at himself when he saw the tweet from an old school friend and followed him back instantaneously. He hadn't realised until that moment that nine months in LA had made him so homesick - he should have been doing this all along.

As the days passed by he reunited with old friends, learnt of new fans across the ocean and had a follow from Zane Lowe which was completely insane. A twenty four year old lad from Chapletown in Sheffield doesn't have these things happen to him, right now his life was going in a completely crazy direction.

"JJMusic has been tagged in a photo." Clicking on the link of the email, Jake was directed to the Instagram page of 'foreveryoursjj'. He didn't see the usual photos of him with a fan from the previous evening, instead he saw a photo that reminded him of home. A bright summer's day showing the green grass and lake at Endcliffe Park. He instantly liked the photo and commented underneath 'One of my favourite places, how did you know?' The photo made him miss home even more, and instantly sent his mum a text telling her as much.

'Think long enough has passed without seeing your face. Can I come back and see you?'

A text straight back put a smile on his face.

'You don't have to ask. This is your home xxx'

Each day that followed started the same; an email notification from the same account. They never replied to any of his comments, and no one else commented on the photos that made Sheffield look so beautiful. From the photo of the botanical gardens, to the night time shot of the crucible, he was so grateful to person that made the account, even if it had made him think of Hannah more.

His songs had become more filled with love, but there was the lyrics of one song that still remained unfinished, the song he started to write the day he left her at the airport. He knew that only a successful reunion between the two would do the song justice, but he was too afraid to contact her and ask how she was doing. It had been so long since they had spoken that times he found it hard to remember what her laugh sounded like, or even the soft snores she released as she was falling asleep.

He knew by going home for a period of time old wounds would be reopened, but he was willing to take the risk. She had to know how he felt, and he hoped that her feelings hadn't changed, that she hadn't moved on and they could make an attempt at being together again once he was home.

The day his flight was booked, he received his now expected email notification. His chest tightened as he saw the photo of the O2 academy with the caption 'can't wait to see you play here'. Only the previous evening had he received confirmation of the intimate gig he was booked to play and he had only told a handful of people. He was confused how the news had broken so soon, and replied with a simple comment. 'It would be a pleasure to meet you'. The comment was instantly replied to with a smiley face and a kiss.

As he got to the airport he asked Phil to take a photo of him. Wearing his trademark hat, his guitar slung over his shoulder, Phil took a photo of Jake standing looking out over the runway. Uploading it Jake posted the caption 'Moving home. Love you LA but there's someone more special in England.'

Landing back in the UK was always depressing, but not for Jake. The rain against the window as they headed towards baggage claim, the grey skies, the coldness in the air; this was everything he wanted. Pulling out his phone, he checked his Instagram. Another tagged photo grabbed his attention posted only three minutes before. It took forever to load, and he kept refreshing the page hoping it would find a stronger connection. As the image loaded, his breath caught.

Standing at the airport, Hannah had her picture taken at the arrivals board, a smile spread across her face pointing to where the board read 'LAX - landed 16:04'. He didn't even wait to collect his bags, he left Phil, running through the terminal and heading to his exit. As he rushed through the door, he saw her standing, tears streaming down her face, next to his mum and dad.

"I can't grow without you anymore." He said to her, as she tucked his long hair behind his ear and gave him the kiss she'd wanted to since the day he left.

@AnnieTheAuthor is the author of the hilarious book"The Serial First Dater", "A Fresh Start" and "A Letter from the Front Line".