I wake up in bed and groan. I am not a morning person. I stumble into the kitchen and grab a cup of coffee. My mom sits at the table playing Bejeweled- she is addicted to that game- on the computer. "You got home late last night.", she says. It hits me then. Oh my god. I meet Zayn Malik last night. He asked me to open for the band. A scene from last night hits me.

"Well, obviously I can't sign you. It's not up to me. Here is a card. You call this woman, Shelia, and set up an appointment. I don't have any doubt she'll give you the job. Your really good.", he smiles this adorable half smile at me. "This is all going so fast. Thank you so much!", I wish I had put on some makeup but in typical me style I had thought 'who am I trying to impress' and left the house without an ounce. "Why me? I'm sure you have tons of people who would be ecstatic to do this. So why go out looking for someone when all these people are at your finger tips?", I ask. He takes a deep breath and respond, "Everyone I meet is so fake. I am blessed to be living the life I'm living but every person I meet has there own agenda. I walked into the coffee shop and I saw you singing your heart out and it all came back to me, why I'm doing this. It's for the music. I don't want some fame-whore to be on tour with. I want someone real. Someone like you."

I run up stairs in a hurry. "Megan are you all right?", I hear my mom's footsteps pounding up the stairs after me. I don't respond. I pull my jeans out of the hamper and dig in the pockets. Sure enough there is the business card Zayn handed me last night. Proof that it is real. Proof I'm not dreaming.

"Mom, you are never going to believe what happened last night. I got an offer to go on tour with One Direction!", I scream but it cuts off at once when I see that she is staring at me with a blank face. "Megan we need to think about this. What about school? You can't leave school. And what about college, don't you want to go? Plus you are barely 18. That's way to young to go on tour. I'm sorry honey but I'm going to have to say no."

I feel the smile sliding off my face. I was so stupid thinking she actually cares about me. A part of my brain tells me that she has me in her best interest but I'm so angry I'm not even listening to myself. I know she made up her mind and there is no changing it but I can't let this opportunity slip through my fingers without even trying. "But mom, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"No.", she says. I turn but I'm pretty sure that she has already seen the tears slide down face. She quietly slips out of the room and closes the door behind her.

I sit at the dinner table and stare blankly at my mom as she tries to tell me about her day. I don't say anything. I have mostly ignored her since she forbid me from going on tour with One Direction two days ago. "Megan, are you ever going to talk me again?", she sounds frustrated. I don't respond. "No? Well listen up then. I am going out with Dave again." My head snaps up and horror is evident on my face.

I hear screaming and run out of bed. "No!", my mom screams. I'm on the staircase and I know I am to late but that doesn't stop me from lunging at Dave as his fist connects to my mothers face.

"Mom, why can't you press charges. You can put that piece of shit in jail where he belongs.", I can't keep the pleading out of my voice. "I can't- I just want this to be done with.", she says and I don't push her because she has already been through enough. She looks so frail. I never noticed how thin she was until just now. I hate the fact that the man who beat up my mother is walking the streets. Free.

The door bell rings and Dave stands at the door. I hate his cocky attitude. His hair is greased back and his beer belly protrudes out of his shirt. I want to punch him in his slimy face. Do to him what he did to my mother. "I'll be home later. We are just going out for drinks." She walks out the door with the man I hate most in the world.

I stand in the kitchen. I have a speech prepared for my mom to tell her when she gets back. The words I have prepared buzz around my skull like bees. I'll tell her that it is never okay for anyone to lay a hand on her. That she is too good for him. How she can do better. Of course all those words disappear when she stumble through the doors. Her face is streaked with mascara and she is holding her cheek. I can already see a bruise forming.

"Mom! What happened?", I am horrified. "He hit me. He seemed so apologetic afterward. Megan, you have to listen to me. I see myself in you everyday but you have a spark that I never had. Don't become me. Don't make the mistakes that I make. Go on tour with One Direction and get out of this town. Get out before it gets to you like it got to me. Become someone, but whatever you do don't become me. Make something of yourself."

So I do.