I Was Born for This(49)

That’s the common theme, I think. We are all here to be happy.

Well, maybe apart from Juliet.

Juliet has been in a bad mood all day and I don’t know why. Why wouldn’t she be happy today, the day that we’ve been waiting for?

She’s been hanging out with Mac, hasn’t she? The love of her damn life?

What exactly is her problem?

The meet-and-greet area is a huge room with a roped queue and a curtained-off area where we get ten seconds to say hi to the boys and take a photo with them.

I am wearing one of my most edgy and best outfits, which includes a button-up baseball shirt with the word ‘Angels’ on it (an incredible find from my aunt and uncle’s holiday to Los Angeles last year) over a long-sleeved top. While it’s not really making me any less nervous about meeting The Ark, I at least feel like myself, which is the most important thing.

I’ve also rehearsed (in my mind) exactly what I’m going to say to them.

Jimmy/Lister/Rowan:

Hey, how are you?



Angel:

I’m great, thanks! I’m so happy to be meeting you guys! I’ve been listening to your music since I was thirteen.



Hopefully Jimmy:

No way, really!



Angel:

Yeah, you guys have allowed me to make some amazing friends and you’ve shaped all my teenage life with your music. I hope you’ll continue to make music forever!



Hopefully Jimmy:

That’s our plan! Thanks so much for coming!



Then I’ll ask them for a photo in which Jimmy and Rowan are holding my hands and Lister is doing a peace sign behind my head.

And then I can rest in peace.

The room is already half full, despite it being over two hours before the meet-and-greet starts at four o’clock. I spot a couple of people I know from Twitter, and a couple of others who attended Tuesday’s meet-up, but I’m too fidgety to go and say hi. I just keep babbling to Juliet and Mac, even though Juliet isn’t saying much and Mac looks like he’d rather be at the dentist.

Ten minutes into the two hours we have left to wait, Juliet says, ‘I’m going to the bathroom,’ and disappears, leaving me and Mac alone.

I’m not going to let anything get me down.

I’m not going to let Mac wind me up.

I’m going to see The Ark.

And then I can die happy.

‘How long do we have to wait, again?’ he asks.

‘Two hours,’ I say.

He makes a face of disgust. ‘Two hours? We’ve got to wait for two hours?’

I feel my smile twitch.

‘Got a problem?’ I ask him.

He shrugs and looks away. ‘No.’

‘Good.’

We stand in silence for a moment.

‘She doesn’t know yet, then?’ I say.

He looks up at me in alarm. ‘Know what?’

‘Know that you hate The Ark.’

‘I don’t hate The Ark.’

‘That you’re not a true fan.’

He snorts. ‘True fan. You talk about them like they’re a religion, or something.’

‘What are you even going to say to them?’ I ask. ‘Hi, I’m Mac, I’ve never actually listened to your music properly, I’m only here because I lied to get a girl to like me—’

‘Just lay off, this isn’t any of your business—’

‘Juliet is my best friend, so, yeah, I think it’s my business—’

‘Best friend!?’ Mac laughs. ‘Best friend? You only met her this week.’

‘We’ve been talking to each other online for years—’

‘So? That doesn’t mean anything compared to real life.’

‘How are you any different to me?’ I feel myself snapping. I don’t want to, but God I hate this guy. ‘We’re in exactly the same position.’

‘No,’ he says. ‘I wanted to meet Juliet so we could get to know each other better. You wanted to meet her because you have this selfish need to have someone to talk to about the things you care about. Are you even interested in properly being friends with her? Talking to her about anything apart from a fucking boy band?’

He abruptly stops talking and glances behind me, and I turn and see Juliet gloomily making her way back through the room.

I try to think of a clap back, but nothing comes in time.

The queue is almost full now – almost everyone has arrived and the excitement is real.

I wish Juliet would wake up and enjoy this with me.

I wish Mac would stop glaring at me behind her back.

There are only ten minutes before The Ark are supposedly going to appear. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like, seeing them this close for the first time. I don’t know what I’m going to feel.

They will be good feelings. That I know.

I feel like I’ve come to the end of a pilgrimage.

‘What are you gonna say to them?’ I ask Juliet. Maybe we just need to talk about it a bit. Get her hyped up. Then she’ll be more excited about it.

Juliet blinks slowly. ‘Oh, er, I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.’

Oh.

‘Are you gonna get a selfie?’ I ask her.