She could feel her heart flutter as the man grew closer, their lips touching softly.  She felt comfortable, safe. She never wanted to leave.

Izzy could hear voices talking all around her and she knew that what she’d just been experiencing was only a dream.  She desperately tried to block out the voices so she could return to the dream she was having but every time she tried to recall the man in her dream her head started to hurt. So instead, she concentrated on the voices around her.  None of them sounded familiar but she could feel someone next to her so she was sure Megan was sitting close.

“I don’t know how it happened,” a male voice was saying.

Izzy didn’t hear a reply so she was pretty sure the man was speaking to someone on a phone.

“She got in line, shook his hand and passed out.” The man continued.

Izzy wished she could hear what was being said on the other side of the conversation. Somewhere in the back of her head a voice was screaming that she needed to wake up and get out of there, that she needed to run.  Izzy pushed the voice away and blinked her eyes open.   

“Izzy, are you okay?” Megan’s asked as soon as she opened her eyes.  “I was so worried, you just passed out.  Are you sure you are feeling okay?”

Izzy put her hand to her head as she stood up, the headache was still there but she felt fine.  She accepted the water that another woman handed her and sipped it as she got her bearings. The room was not large and it seemed that the cot she was on had been brought in for her.  She looked around and could see the stage and several people walking around it below.  It seemed they had set her up in one of the club level boxes.   There were only three other people in the room besides herself, Megan, the man she assumed she heard on the phone and a woman wearing a bright orange jacket that had the name of a security company splashed across the back.  She found herself sizing up the people in the room and scanning for exits, though she wasn’t sure why.

“How are you feeling?” The man asked.

“Fine,” Izzy replied as she took another drink of water.

“I think it might be best if you and your friend left, you obviously aren’t feeling up to being around for another two or three hours.” The man’s voice was kind but there was something in his eyes that Izzy found disturbing.

Izzy’s eyes fell on Megan’s face.  Her friend was disappointed.  If they left now she wouldn’t get to see the concert she had been so eager to see.  Izzy turned back to the man.  “No, I’m fine.  I am feeling much better.”    It wasn’t an all out lie.  Her head was still pounding but she didn’t feel faint or that she needed to vomit like she had felt earlier. 

“I still think it would be best if you left.”  The man said as he looked down at his phone. He must have gotten a text with upsetting news as the man’s face scrunched up before turning to them again.  “I have other things to attend to; this woman will help you exit the venue.” She indicated the woman with the security jacket as he left the room.

“Yes Mr. Wright,” The woman muttered and looked back at Izzy and Megan.  “If you will follow me please?”  The woman opened the door and held it waiting for the two to follow her.

“Listen…” Izzy spoke to the woman, pausing to get her name.

“Annie” She supplied.

“Listen, Annie.  We’ve come all the way from Nebraska to see this show.  My friend over here,” Izzy pointed to Megan.  “She’s been dying to see them in concert and drug me all the way here so that she wouldn’t be alone.   Please let us go to our seats so we can watch the show.”

Annie looked back and forth between the two girls and eventually broke into an understanding smile.  “Well I can’t let your trip go to waste.  Just promise me that if you start feeling light headed or that you are going to pass out…”

“Annie, I promise I will not pass out again.”  Izzy winked at the other woman and grabbed Megan’s hand in order to headed to their seats.  They missed the opening act but Izzy and Megan really didn’t care about that. 

Megan was excited to be only five rows away from the stage but Izzy had her qualms.   She felt that it was meeting Brian, she finally remembered his name, was a shock to her system.  She couldn’t explain it, but her body and her mind fought against her when she saw him.  She needed to see him again to find out what it was that happened between them.  Why did she remember shaking his hand one minute then wake to find herself removed and on a cot because she fainted?

Izzy wouldn’t be able to think about it any longer as the music started and the group made their appearance on the stage.  The sounds of the girls screaming around here almost drowned out the sound of the guys starting to sing on the stage.  She imagined that because she was so close she was able to hear, if she was just a bit further back she was sure all she would hear were the screaming cries of undying love from the fans in the rows in front of her. 

Brian moved around on the stage, the screams of the girls were giving him a headache tonight. Or was it that he had a headache before and they were just amplifying it?  He danced around trying to remember the steps he was supposed to be doing.  He almost missed his cue to sing and he was lucky he remembered the words.  He was off tonight and he hoped that the fans wouldn’t notice.  For one horrible moment he thought his heart was bothering him, the feeling was similar to what he remembered but he put his mind at ease, his heart hadn’t felt that way in many years.

There was a small break after the first set of songs and he knew he should be welcoming the crowd to their show but the words did not want to come out of his mouth.  Instead, he sat there looking out at the crowd, letting the others talk.   

He almost fell off his chair when a flash of sunshine blinded him.  There was no sunshine in the arena, where did that come from?  He glanced around but no longer saw the stage or the fans.  He was in a field running after a woman in front of him.  Her dress blowing in the wind she was creating.  When she turned his heart jumped in his chest.  He knew she wasn’t Leighanne when the memory started since the woman he’d followed had brown hair but he was shocked to see the fan who had collapsed standing in front of him.

“Rok…” He heard a voice call him.  “Yo Brian!”

Brian shook his head and opened his eyes to find himself back on stage.  Kevin and Howie were looking at him strangely while Nick and AJ were entertaining the crowd.

“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked him making sure to cover the microphone. 

Brian shook his head.  He had no idea what he just saw or why he saw it.  “I’m fine.” He lied.  “Let’s get on with this.”   He smiled and stood.  He didn’t have to worry about addressing the crowd since as soon as the others saw he was okay they started the next song on their set list. 

When the set of songs ended they ran to the backstage area to get changed for the next set of songs.  Brian moved slower than usual.  Nick and Kevin were the first changed and headed back onto the stage to delay so the others could finish up. 

“Hey Brian, here, drink this.” Howie handed him a bottle of water.  He cracked the lid open and chugged the water.  “What happened earlier is still affecting you isn’t it?” 

Brian sighed and nodded.  “My head hurts.” He admitted to his long time friend.

Howie moved to his area and searched through his bag pulling out a bottle of Tylenol.  “Here.” He gave Brian a couple of pills and Brian threw his head back as he swallowed the pills with a gulp of water.  

“Thanks man.” Brian said has he patted Howie’s back.  The duo headed back on the stage where the others were waiting.   The Tylenol worked wonders for Brian.  His head stopped hurting and he was able to continue with the show without a hitch for the rest of the night.   Finally, they made it to their encore performance.  They were saying their good-byes before they completed the song when Brian’s eyes found her again.

Izzy gasped as the man she’d been hoping would look her way all night finally found her.  Neither one passed out this time, but it was as if time stood still.  The world around them melted and they stood across from each other speaking vows.  It felt so real that it scared Izzy and she looked away quickly.  When she tried to look back at him, the group was waving as they exited the stage and Megan was still jumping up and down screaming for them to come back.  Izzy knew they wouldn’t, they would be long gone before the music stopped playing most likely.  She took her seat and waited for her friend. As she waited she tried to pull the image she saw when Brian and her eyes connected.  What the hell had she seen?