“No,” I said looking back at him through the mirror.

“You do it every night on tour, why can’t you do it tonight?” He said swivelling my chair around so I was face to face with him.

“This is so different Rob, this is fucking Live 8, which is being broadcast to the entire world, your lucky I’m singing backing vocals to Angels, you have had plenty of time to get someone else, no,” I said again more sternly whilst turning back to the mirror and applying more mascara.

“Ok fine I’ll see if someone else can convince you,” and with that he was out of the dressing room, leaving me to finish getting ready. We had thirty minutes before we were due to go on stage and then we would be flying out to Berlin to continue on with the tour. So far I had avoided meeting Nick, but that was mainly because he had only arrived thirty minutes ago and hopefully he was stuck doing vocal warm-up, to busy to come and look for me and I wasn’t about to go and look for him.

After I applied my lip gloss I blew myself a kiss in the mirror and went in search of my guitar to make sure it was tuned. Our room, or should I say partition was quiet then again I was the only one in it and the paper thin walls didn’t do much to hide any sound so of course I could hear what was going on next door.

“You know what Howie, you do that and I’ll do the bit you’re supposed to do,” I heard Nick moan. Great they had the room next to ours, which made the odds of us bumping into each other more likely. Glancing at my watch I realised I had just enough time to grab a quick drink, maybe a shot for courage before we were due to gather for prayer. Lifting my guitar from my lap I walked towards the door, heading for the bar. The backstage area was huge and I walked through the maze of makeshift dressing rooms ohhing at the different names written on them. Status Quo, Paul McCartney, Madonna, U2, Elton John, Joss Stone and Snoop Dog.

Just as I walked passed the door that had Brad Pitt written in a star it opened and out walked Robbie, a huge smirk crossing his face when he saw me.

“If it isn’t the Lady herself, Brad this is who I was telling you about, and remember no picture or autograph until she says yes.”

He was even more gorgeous in real life. The jeans were just tight enough and he had on a black leather jacket that made him look yummy, was he chucking at me? Ohh maybe because he had his hand held out and I was still staring. I gladly took his hand and it was so smooth.

“Nice to meet you Willow, I am on orders that I have to make you agree to something,” he said looking into my eyes.

“I….nice to meet you, you are so dead,” I said looking to Robbie who just laughed.

“So why won’t you sing, if your singing ability is as good as your writing ability, which I am assured it is, then you have nothing to worry about.” Brad Pitt was standing here complimenting me; I could now die a happy woman.

“You know my songs?” I asked timidly.

“Of course, I love the work you’ve done with this guy here, so why won’t you agree to sing with him?”

“I… uh…I…” I stumbled making them both laugh.

“See no credible reason not to, your doing it,” Robbie said and I had to give in. “Thanks brad I knew you wouldn’t fail me, and I think we better head to it girlie, can’t keep the adoring public waiting can we,” he said steering me towards the stage and I could feel the butterflies starting to flap.

“It was nice meeting you, I’ll be watching,” Brad said, which made the butterflies flap even harder.

“Ok now I might just throw up,” I groaned as I was pulled towards the stage.

I kept seeing something jump up and down at the side of the stage and glanced over to see A.J and Nick. I didn’t have to look to know that he was there; I could feel his eyes on me during “Feel”. I knew he was going to be shocked that I was singing in front of such a massive audience and I was dying to hear what he had to say about it but then again I was also too scared to go and talk to him, to be the first one to make conversation. I turned my head back and gazed out to the thousands of people in the audience and I could feel my butterflies start to flap once again. What the hell was I doing? I must have been crazy to agree to this, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind my voice so it wasn’t too bad.

The song came to an end and Robbie thanked the crowd as we all walked off stage and towards the bar. I was kinda sad that it was one way on and one way off the stage but I was also kinda relieved as that meant that I could again avoid the awkwardness of having to make small talk with Nick. I looked over my shoulder and I could see them all huddled together in prayer, his hair had grown again and he still looked good. His head moved and I wasn’t quick enough to turn mine away, his eyes locked with mine and he threw me a smile and a wink and I felt myself smiling back towards him whilst being dragged by Neil the bass player.

“Come on the bar waits.”

“I’m gona chill here for a bit, I’ll meet up with you guys ok?” I said pulling back from his grasp, he just shrugged and carried on walking. I looked around and found a gig box which I hopped up on to, ready to watch their performance.

Twenty minutes later their set was coming to an end and I saw Nick walk towards the other wing and put on his guitar, I knew he could play as I had been the one to teach him, but he had never had the confidence to play in front of an audience before, I guess that had changed.

“Who wants to meet Nick’s new girlfriend?” Kevin asked the crowd, and there was a collective boo and no among the crowd and I think even one from me.

“This is Helga,” Nick proclaimed, “She’s an extremely good listener and she also likes my finger work,” he chuckled which made me laugh. I watched him concentrate on getting his fingering right as the band kicked in to just want you to know.

“Looking at your picture

From when we first met

You gave me a smile that I could never forget

And nothing I could do

Could protect me from you that night.” He sang the words into the mike but he wasn’t looking at the crowd instead he was looking into the wing, there was no way he could see me sat behind all these people, but he definitely knew I was here and I smiled thinking to when we had first met.

He had been a gawky sixteen year old on their first headlining European tour and it was the first summer I had spent with my Dad since my parents had divorced. On one hand it was cool because I was getting to travel Europe, but then again I was travelling Europe with my Dad, with no one my age so it kinda blew too.

I remember being sat outside the venue with a beat up guitar of my dad’s playing the opening rift to “sweet child of mine” just minding my own business when he walked outside and caused me to abruptly stop. The conversation had been strained to say the least, I wasn’t used to talking to boys seeing as I went to an all girls school at my mothers insistence, but he persevered and here we were nearly ten years later, best friends.

I sighed realising that we weren’t though; we hadn’t talked properly in nearly five months now, I missed being able to pick up the phone and ask him for help on a song, or to listen to his geeky voice mails telling me how bored he was. He once decided to read me the dictionary in a voicemail because he was bored. He got to atrocity before giving up.

I was pulled from my thoughts when A.J pulled my legs and I began to slip from the box I was sat on.

“WILLOOWWW,” he yelled, grabbing me in to a bear hug.

“Eww your sweaty,” I said but I didn’t pull back I just hugged him tighter. He eventually loosened his grip and pulled back to look at me.

“Girl you are looking fine, and hello was that meek little you singing out there? You sounded fucking amazing,” he complimented and I could feel myself blush. “Really you did, I however was complete piss from the looks that Kevin was throwing me.”

“Babe you were shit hot and you know it, you just want a compliment,” I reassured him and he smiled at me.

“You know me to well, look I gotta pee but you’re coming to the after party right?” He said jigging up and down.

“Yeah, but only till around twelve, got a flight to Berlin later.”

“Cool, I’ll see you there sweetie and we can catch up properly,” he said as he lent in and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before darting off towards the toilets. I laughed as I watched him go but my then my breath caught in my throat as I heard someone clear his throat, I exhaled slowly before turning to him.