[A/N] If you're here to catch up with your reading, I wanna thank you for that :) But you should know I've added a prologue to the book and it would be great if you could read that before going through the chapters! To access the Prologue, just click on the EXTERNAL LINK and there you are!

 "You'll never know quite when. Well, then again it just depends on how long of time is left for you" - Imagine Dragons

SIX

October '13

It had been a couple weeks since Sylvia's first single was released and she had been frantically working on its promotion. She was really excited about the reaction she was receiving from fans and could hardly wait for the big announcement Simon Cowell would reveal at their meeting. They were supposed to be meeting at the label's office in New York, where she recently moved. The anxiety running through her veins didn't allow her to wait in her apartment until the time to leave. So leaving her place in advance sounded good since there would be enough time for her to grab her favorite drink on her way down to Simon.

The way the late summer's wind lightly blowing her dark hair got her mind set on how captivated she was by New York and the Yankee people. Strolling around the town and meeting her new fans on the streets was a part of her new life; a reality that amazed her in a way she never imagined. There were still the butterflies in the stomach and the shivering every time a fan would come along for a photo, a sign, a compliment or a simply a 'Hi'. She was blessed with the opportunity of having such lovely fans and still enjoying a walk around the city. London, New York, such huge and dreamy places that had already began to become her hometowns. She could never imagine how it would be to finally hold her own gigs, at the grateful British O2 or even Madison Square Garden. Maybe those dreams were still a little too far, but one day, who knows?

As soon as she got to the office, she barely looked around the fancy place located in Upper West Side, just losing herself in the beat of music echoing from her iPhone. No doubt how excited she was to listen to everything Simon would tell her. Oh how she missed her boss!

"All the commotion, the kiddie like play, it has people talking, talking," she entered the room singing a Kings of Leon song, her eyes all on her phone.

"You, your sex is on fi-," someone else completed her singing and got her by surprise. She quickly removed the headphones and stood still.

"Louis!" She quickly replied, cutting him off. The corner of her lips touched her already pink cheek after she realized who was there. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Simon!" A meek smile quickly popped up his face as he moved on his feet toward her. "It's been a long time," he hugs her and quickly kisses her forehead.

"I- I'm confused," she laughed shyly after leaving his embrace, still wondering why Louis was there and not Simon. "Here, I have some coffee for you."

"So you knew I would be here and brought me some coffee?" He laughed and grabbed the cup from the tray she was handing. "But it's not a Starbucks!" A little disappointment showed up in his eyes, not even daring himself to drink the hot liquor he was holding.

"So predictable!" She laughed as she moved around the room and placed her cup over the glass table. "Being in New York doesn't mean I always run for that shit. Starbucks is too pricy." Her arms crossed over her chest and their eyes met for a second; her eyebrows rose a little as a way to show him her real feelings for Starbucks. She would die wondering why people still praise that over-rated drink when there were so many cheaper and better drinks to have.

"So I guess you have a point." He watched the annoyance in her body language and sat at the table she stood by. "Maybe you've got something close to my favorite one." Some warm air came out of the cup and he takes a sip of the drink, trying to find out what was that about.

"It's a kind of Caramel Macchiato, but-"

"Definitely the best choice, girl," he stated between his laugh and soon they were high-fiving, right in the moment a relieved smile covered her face. They kept staring at her a little, until she decided to break the silence.

"Ok, so can you tell me what we're doing here?"

"I'm not sure. I think we're supposed to meet Simon for some announcement. Why don't you take a seat?" He invited the girl standing in front of him. "Just relax, ok?"

"Firstly, I was excited about that, but now Simon is making me really nervous." She took a seat and rolled her eyes. Soon enough, her eyes were glued on her phone, trying to not show her nervousness.

"C'mon, chill out! I don't think it's something that important. It's just Simon." Sylvia felt his hand placing over her shoulder and they shared a gaze as soon as her eyes moved back to him. The expression on her features could only tell him how surprised she was at his statement. How could Louis say that? Simon had been talking about that for almost a month; no way would it be just a random meeting! Besides, she already knew enough that placing Simon Cowell and One Direction in the same room would definitely mean something and in that moment she would be the one joining them for a reason she never knew. They kept their eyes locked on each other for a few seconds but he interrupted her with a pleasant smile.

"Listen, I'm -"

"Good morning, America," a curly haired boy made his glorified entrance at the room as he threw his arms away as he spoke.

"Harry!" Sylvia got really excited about seeing him and in a hurry she turned on her heels towards Harry.

"You! What are you doing here?!" He embraced her in a tight hug, not hiding the surprise by seeing her. It had a been a long time they hadn't talked since both were working on pre-promotional stuff in different parts of the world, so skyping and kiking were their favorite ways to keep in touch.

"I think we're here for the same reason," she laughed, still enveloped by his arms.

"I missed you! And I'm surprised I got to see you before our dinner tonight." He glanced at her before showing his dimples as his smile got wilder. Again, she felt like touching his puppy face every time the dimples were there.

"Excuse me, but I'm still here." Louis went by Harry's side and held his chin, moving his face to him and trying to distract them.

"Missed you too, lovely Lou." Harry cupped his friend's face in a silly way, causing Sylvia to burst into her laughter. Surely she learnt by then she would have to get used to their own unique way of showing affection toward each other. "And what are you doing here?! You're always the late one."

Louis paused before answering and rolled his eyes. He never realized how his features could show the world he didn't get a good night's sleep. "Falling earlier from the bed always feel pretty suitable when we're in New York. But I wasn't expecting to be that early in-"

"You're not." A known voice cut him off as someone crossed the huge door behind them. "A walking escape from the hotel is not the best idea to be early." The three of them smiled after realizing Simon was there ready to work.

"It's not a bad idea to have a morning walk, right?" Louis explained to Simon and hugged him, noticing the rest of the group walking on his back and soon joining them inside the room.

As soon as Niall, Zayn, Liam, their manager, Paul, and Sylvia's manager, Jay, got together, they spent some time enjoying themselves before the meeting. It had been a long time since the last time the met at Teen's Choice Awards and Simon was once again excited to be with Sylvia and his boys. It would be another great day for everyone as soon as the news was told. Getting along well was just a presumption of what was supposed to come and Simon knew he had made the right decision.

There was some tension and excitement in the air; no one really knew the reason for them to be there as Simon humbleness filled the room. They wouldn't blurt anything before the right time, and his mystery was certainly killing all of them. Simon finally asked them to take a seat so the he could finally speak. All the boys followed his orders like puppies and Sylvia made sure to sit close to Harry. Simon's eyes travelled around the room, meeting all their gazes as a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"I'm really happy to see you guys all together. It feels more like a family." He sat on the big chair and relief ran over his body as he laid back. 

"Ok, daddy, just postpone the whole ceremonial thing and let's go to dinner!" Liam said with a childish voice and seated on Zayn's lap. No way could he wait for Simon's famous speech.

"First, congratulations to all of you, both records are ready to go worldwide!" That was the biggest reason he looked so satisfied. Even though he always knew how far the boys and Sylvia would go, they would never imagine they would do it that soon, especially One Direction. He could hardly wait for what would come next in their careers.

"Both of the records make me really proud of what we've been doing. I can see a lot of growth from each one of you in this room and also plenty of similarities: the sound, your age, your vibe, and your feelings. Maybe that's the reason why I've come to this decision that brought us all here now in this lovely and sunny day in New York."

"Seriously, Simon. Could you just cut all the shit and say something?" Niall squeezed his hand over his face in annoyance as he quickly made his way to cut Simon off. "We don't wanna spend the whole fucking sunny day inside this room."

"Ok, I'm not hiding anymore," Simon stated between a little chucking, remembering how Liam was always the one to get nervous every time they came into terms like these. "Liam, Harry, Zayn, Louis, Niall; you guys probably know that having an opening act for the tour is something really great and a one step further in your successful career, right?"

"Oh, Hemmings," a deep and lough sigh escaped from Harry's lips, "I miss you Luke. I miss you every fucking night." He covered his face and faked a cry whilst all the boys cracked up laughing.

"We can see by Harry's reaction how huge the hole 5SOS left in his heart, right? I know you all will overcome it in the best way." The laughs got lower and Simon's eyes moved toward Sylvia. "And Sylvia, I'm sure you know that being supported by some big names of the entertainment industry, such as Christina Aguilera, may be one of the biggest advantages you can have when you're starting your career."

She simply nodded, waiting for to go along with his speech.

"So, the thing is, Paul, Jay, and I are glad to announce you guys are going on a huge tour together. One Direction," he pointed out to her, "Sylvia Yacoub, the new American sweetheart and the opening act for Where We Are Tour. Sylvia, that's One Direction, the biggest boy band ever and your headliner for your first tour ever."

Finally, everything was clear. A wave of satisfaction filled the room, causing them to stand from their places as they exploded to cheer with the girl, who could not hide her astonished for the great news.

"Guys, sorry, I forgot something," Simon suddenly cut them off, showing a serious expression as the boy faced him. "Have I mentioned it's a stadium world tour?"

That was definitely breath taking. Hugging and clanging to each other wasn't enough to show how euphoric they were by finally knowing what Simon was hiding from them. Their emotions got higher as they saw the biggest step of their careers just around the corner. The boys could never believe they would go that far in such a short amount of time, but they were there, hearing the great news from the guy who grouped them together for a reason still unknown. Excitement and tension mixed together to fill up the room as they realized their biggest dream was becoming reality.

"There's nothing else I could tell you guys, but I'm probably the proudest person on earth right now. Congrats for all the hard work, boys." Simon invited everyone to join him in a big applause as they got separated from a group hug. About three years back, One Direction was with that same man, signing their first contract, and now they had just heard from him they were going play for their biggest crowds yet.

"We just love you, Simon, thanks for everything." Zayn gave him a huge hug, still trying to recover himself, but soon been pulled by the others who also came to Simon.

"Let's share the feeling and talk a little bit more, guys. I would like to give you some information." They all sit once again, except Sylvia, who hadn't even moved from her place. "Sylvia, you ok?"

"Definitely! I- I'm just thinking about all of this and," she took some time for a deep breath but soon she was staring at Simon with a big smile. "Gosh, you're breaking my heart Simon!" No doubt about how her nerves were taking her into control as a lonely tear ran over her face, quickly noticed by Niall.

"You should get prepared for that, you really deserve this chance!" He gently wiped a lonely tear on her face tear with his finger; his smile was a sort of shelter for her in that moment, telling her that everything would be alright and great as long as she would trust them all.

"C'mon, you're with us!" Harry looked at her and tried to cheer her up and to give her some peace of mind. "It's an honor to have you with us. Welcome to the greatest tour of your life!" He kept the grin as his hand looked for hers to hold under the table. She laughed a little and suddenly some relief washed over her body; they really knew how to make her feel relieved with a few simple gestures.

"Everything happened so fast with you, Simon. I'm really glad for being a part of that. I don't even have words to thank you."

He gave her his famous, modest smile. "We can talk about it when the tour ends. I hope you learn how to manage these five little devils," he said, his hands gripping around Niall's neck, who faked a breathlessness, which made everyone laugh.

"So when do we start?" Louis asked what everyone wanted to know. They were all already excited to hit the road again.

"In a few months, so you have plenty of time to promote the album and to rehearsals."

"And where are we -," Liam couldn't even finish his line and Paul comes with the news.

"It starts in North America and then we head to UK," Paul, their manager, started to give them a quickly brief of the tour ahead. "You'll know all the dates around the time of One Big Announcement. But it's gonna be huge guys-"

"We are talking about 75 concerts in 30 countries in 5 months, and there's a huge chance we add some extra gigs," Jay again came with some extra news, "which means-"

"We're officially dead," Zayn said whilst resting his face over Liam's shoulder and cuddling himself, already feeling all the desperation of a huge, frantic, and non-stoppable tour.

"And you already look tired, honey." Harry seated around his friend and fondled Zayn's hair before hitting his neck with a little slap, but soon being scolded by Liam. "Ok ok, I'll stop for Zayn's sake!"

"Well if you survive and behave yourselves after all, maybe I'll hold another surprise for you". Simon had gone a little further than he was expecting. All the boys looked up to hear what would come next, causing some noisy commotion of begging him to say something.

"Oh gosh, you look like desperate kids who can't stand and wait for a surprise," Sylvia added chuckling after noticing the 'please, pretty please tell us' painted all over their faces.

"You guys really need to learn with this girl," Simon smiled to Sylvia and his eyes travelled all over the room. "Ok, I'm done with the news for today; don't really want to scare you with anything else." Simon's eyes moved towards to Sylvia. "I hope you enjoy this crazy opportunity and have the time of your life."

"So I think we're officially her security. It will be her and Lou and Caroline's girls, which means-," Harry hugged her from her back but soon her desperate laugh interrupts him.

"You can be sure I'll arrange an amazing female crew to stand by me." And all he got was a wink and a little slap on his arm from her.

"Sounds awesome and delicious!" Louis seemed to enjoy to idea as he pulled his own lips with his hand.

"Shut the fuck up, Lou," Niall forced his Irish accent and hit his face. "And that's a payback for the slap you gave me last week."

"Ok guys, I'm done here. Hopefully I'm seeing you all again at our dinner tonight." Simon ended the meeting with an smug smile playing on his lips as he scanned all the faces staring him.

"That's a wrap," Paul added before anyone could leave their places. "You guys still have 1 month off-"

"And then everyone starts the rehearsal at the same time," Jay completed. "We'll make sure you guys meet in advance for stage setup and everything else. It's probably 10 days before the first concert; we have 02 Arena for that, it's big enough for the setting."

"Awesome!" They all exclaimed in unison and soon enough they were leaving the room, already getting ready for the new tour ahead.

They still couldn't believe everything they were going to experience, it was even better than dreaming and they couldn't be happier with the supporting act. Simon had been saying a lot about Sylvia and her progress in music, so no doubt they would have fun together. But one of their minds was already thinking further and beyond the stages; maybe having her around would be even better and more delightful for him than anyone else. Maybe bringing back their lust and re-enacting the memories of the Teens Choice Award's night didn't sound a bad idea.

[A/N]

Hey y'all!

Ok, gotta tell you I took a little advantage on that and made a Ziam moment because, well, *sigh*. By the way, it seems someone will get reaaaally laid in this tour, uhm?! lol

Don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT! I'm falling even harder for the sweets comments you guys have been writing me, thanks so much for the support! This one is dedicated to the one and only talented @guitargirl5 who designed this AMAZING cover! Did you guys like it?! 'Cause I'm love with it :3

SAÚDE! xx