Stage Lights || H.S.

the apology

I walked in to the sound of Nat King Cole playing in the apartment. It didn't smell like cigarettes anymore, maybe because I had been gone for too long, instead a peach scented candle from Bath and Body works burned on the center table. The apartment was small, a two bedroom and one bathroom in a four floored building in downtown. Amy always liked to keep it tidy, all her DVDs were displayed on the long console followed by a decent sized TV, the couch was grey and soft, too comfortable for a couch, and full of pillows that brought color to the room.

I made my way to the left door, it was half closed so I knocked and slowly pushed it open. Nat King Cole's voice for even louder, she was sitting on top of her colorful comforter, her legs crossed and her laptop on top of her lap, the stickers covering the bright Apple brand. Her hair was black and perfectly waved, long and down to her waist.

"Hey."

"Hi." She smiled.

Her smile made me calm myself down. I was completely terrified of Amy, not because she was a scary person - not at all, she was the complete opposite of scary. Her eyes were small and dark, her cheeks got chubby when she smiled and her teeth were small like a child's. I think that's what scared me the most, hurting her. Amy had been my best friend since we met in third grade, she was always there for me and I tried to always be there for her, but I'm a train wreck waiting to happen, ready to destroy everything ahead of me and her friendship was the one thing I valued the most, the one thing I told myself everyday I couldn't destroy.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I overreacted." She closed her laptop and put it down on the comforter, running her fingers through the stickers that tried to come out.

"No. I don't want you to feel like I don't care." I walked in the room and leaned on her small white desk. It was filled with books, different sizes, colors and writers. "I'm sorry I disappeared for a month without letting you know."

"You're an adult. You can do whatever you want."

"I know, but you're my best friend." She nodded. Her agreeing with me took a heavy weight off my shoulders. "Can everything be okay between us? Can I come back home?"

"Of course." She giggled. "Actually, under one condition." I raised an eyebrow. "Harry Styles at The Troubador. Tonight."

"Yeah. Absolutely not." I got up and started making my way out of the room.

Harry Styles. I hadn't seen him since I ran into him at my house. I don't understand why suddenly his name was everywhere: the papers my father left on the counter, the billboard down the highway, the poster on Melrose Ave, the radio that played in the Uber, the movie theater. I hadn't heard his name since One Direction's breakup, the last time I saw Amy cry, ball her eyes out actually.

"C'mon, Luna." I heard her footsteps on the hardwood floor following me. "You know how much I like his band."

"Ex." I corrected her. "They broke up. Not a band anymore."

"They're on a hiatus."

"Well, they're not coming back from it." I walked around the kitchen counter, the cabinets were dark and the top a light shade of grey.

"And how do you know?" She crossed her arms on her chest as I pulled out of the fridge a can of lemon flavored Arizona iced tea. "And you don't need to be so insensitive, don't you feel bad for me already?"

"Haven't you been to their concert already? Why do you wanna see one fifths of the band singing his shitty music?"

"His music is actually good. I really think you'd like it." I laughed. "It's different from One Direction, I swear."

"You swear." I repeated making her roll her eyes.

I was certain I never wanted to see Harry Styles again in my life. Our two encounters were nowhere near pleasant, they were actually awful, made me run my head to the ground. I didn't want to see his green eyes, I didn't want to see his smooth skin and I certainly didn't want to hear his voice echoing in a room full of screaming fan girls boosting his ego. I was also positive he did not want to see my face again.

"I saw Joan Jett with you!" Amy cried.

"That's not the same thing. Joan Jett is good music."

"Maybe Harry's music is good too. You wouldn't know."

"Why do people like him? He sings shitty pop songs and isn't even good looking anyway."

"Um excuse me? Are we talking about the same Harry Styles?" Amy shook her head. "He looks like he was drawn by the gods."

"Well, you don't even know him. Maybe he's an asshole, and you're paying money to see an asshole."

"Oh we're not paying money, you're asking Will to list us." I felt goosebumps form all over my body.

"So not only I have to go see an ex-boybander with you but I also need my dad to do me the favor?"

"You know he will! Plus, the tickets are already sold out." She pouted. "Please, Luna. We haven't hung out in so long and I was worried sick about you. You owe me."

"Fine." I rolled my eyes. I couldn't believe in what I was about to do.

"Can you help me find an outfit? Maybe if Harry Styles..."

"Oh please. What do you even see in that kid?"