an: your reviews make me happy, thanks for them. :)

disclaimer: don't own mcfly.

EIGHT - CLEAN POLOS AND KATE

Do you like my stupid hair?
Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear?
I'm too scared of what you think
You make me nervous so I really can't eat

"You never told me," Lauren began as we dug into our Chinese the following Monday night, "who's your next article about?"

"Umm…." I was hesitating, withholding the information from her, knowing how she'd react. "Well, it's McFly."

At that, her jaw dropped to the floor. Literally. Okay, maybe not literally, but it was pretty close to hitting the floor. She reacted in a similar fashion when I told her about Sasha Starr, too, seeing as she just loved everyone and was amazed by any musicians and entertainers. As well as when I told her that I was talking with Sidney before telling her about plans for our night out with the band.

Which reminded me: Our night out with Sasha Starr had been a lot of fun, lasting a lot longer than Sidney's mandatory hour. It was a bit of a haze, having drunk a bit too much, but it had been fun just to let loose. Sidney seemed to get a kick out of the fact that I liked doing dares, and seeing as she was celebrating, and I was kind of drunk, I was more willing than usual to do some dares that I might not have normally found worthwhile. Dares that aren't even worth mentioning. It wasn't that I didn't like the dares she was giving me – it was just that, for most of them anyways – I had been there and done that a few too many times when I was younger.

And as for Lauren? She was the one that ran around, trying to keep me from making the biggest fool of myself yet – failing all the same, but still trying.

Once she recovered, she started squealing like the little girl I knew she was, but always tried to keep hidden. "OMIGOSH, ADARA! YOU'RE SO TOTALLY LUCKY!"

My only reaction to this was to laugh. So, I did. Soon, Lauren had joined in, too.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked, composing herself.

"You didn't ask."

"Oh, don't use the 'Stephanie Tanner' trick on me." She swatted at my arm.

"Well, it's true! You didn't ask."

"Right. But you could have told me."

"Hmm, I like seeing your reaction like this."

She glared at me for a second and then smiled again. Her smile usually always made me smile, too, and that's what it did now.

"Do you get to meet them?"

I nodded.

"When?"

"Wednesday evening."

"But…but…but…."

"They have a concert?"

This time, she nodded.

"I know. I'm reviewing it."

"OMIGOSH! PIXIE YOU ARE ONE LUCKY GIRL!" Lo squealed at me.

"So I've heard," I laughed.

"No, seriously. You are!"

I tried ignoring her, turning back to the television show and the carton of Chinese food in my hand.

But I failed.

"…lucky girl that Pixie is!"

"Okay, Dixie, enough, please!"

She looked at me, her face changing from one with a smile spread from ear-to-ear to a smirk, realising she had caught a nerve with me.

"Fine, whatever." And then she dug into her Chinese.

"Lauren!" I opened my bedroom door, only wearing my light-blue, straight-leg jeans and a bra, and poked my head into the hallway. "Have you seen the polo I was planning on wearing!?"

I was already running late, and not being able to find my shirt would make me even later.

"No, I haven't." She appeared in the hall just in front of me. "Which one were you planning on wearing again?"

I looked blankly at her. "That one." She was wearing the yellow polo I had washed just for the occasion.

"Oh, I didn't realise." Her expression showed that she was truly sorry. "It was just sitting there…and I needed a clean shirt for my showcase…."

"Yes, I washed it so I could wear it tonight."

"I'm sorry. I'll take it off…."

She was just about the pull the yellow thing over her head, but I stopped her. "Don't worry about it, Dix, I'll find another. I'm sure there's another clean shirt I can wear…somewhere around here…." I walked away from my door as I spoke, going to my closet and digging through the clothes hanging in there, and also the one in the shelves just below. And the ones that were on the floor.

"I'll help you!" She bounded into the room. "You seem to have got that. I'll check my room!"

"Great; thanks!"

After searching through all my clothes, clean and not, Lauren sprung back into my room, carrying a light purple polo with her.

"It's the last one!" she exclaimed as she tossed it over.

It was always a good thing that Lauren and I were almost the same size—I mean, she was almost a whole head taller than me, but other than that we were almost the same size—or else we wouldn't be the perfect flatmates.

"Thanks!" I smiled as I pulled a pair of ankle socks on and then grabbed my purple low-top Converses, heading for the lounge to put them on.

"No problem; I owed you." She took one of the shoes from me, untying it as I untied the other, sitting down on the sofa. "Foot."

I gave her a confused look as I slipped the shoe that I had on my foot.

"Give me your other foot!"

I obliged, not wanted to upset my best friend, and gave her my left foot.

Once she had access to it, she put the shoe on and tied it up.

I laughed, tying on the right one.

"There. Off you go!"

"My sweater!" I exclaimed as I stopped at the door, about to go get it.

"The navy one?"

"The beige one."

"On your bed?"

"Yeah."

Lauren ran to my room, retrieving it, and gave it to me. I pulled it on before grabbing my handbag—which had seven things in it: my mobile, my keys, my ID, my All-Access Pass, my pen and notepad and voice recorder, and my cash—and opened the door.

"I'll try to bring you back something," I told her as I headed for the stairs.

"You better," she replied with a small smile.

"Got to go! I'll see you later!"

"Have fun!"

I raced down the stairs and out the door, stopping only when I reached Starbucks, to grab a coffee and muffin for a snack, as I hadn't eaten much since lunch.

With my coffee, muffin, and handbag in hand, I quickly headed for the tube.

It was a good thing that my whole plan was to leave round 6 pm, and get to the concert hall for about 7 pm, so I'd still be early.

When I got home from work, albeit early, I was still running later than I'd initially planned. After showering, and straightening my hair, I was running even later, realising those things had taken longer than I'd wanted them to—really, it was the shower, it just felt so nice.

So, it was a good thing, then, that I was in time for the 6.45 train and was at the location round 7.30—seeing as the trains were running quite early—so I wasn't even later for the 8 pm start time.

"Are you Adara Palmer?" a voice asked as I walked in after showing the guard outside the door my pass.

I turned to see a girl, probably a few years older than I, walking over to me.

"I am indeed."

"Right, follow me," she instructed. "I'm Kate."

Her copper hair reached down past her shoulder blades, and to the center of her back, looking gorgeous. I could tell, just by looking at her, she was naturally thin. As well as beautiful—anyone's dream girl.

Kate showed me around the place, showing me where I could go and where I couldn't, and where everything was—like the loo and food that anyone working backstage (apparently, I was included in this group) could eat.

And then, as Kate's tour came to an end, the show began.

song: first date by blink-182