🫂🎭
➛ 𝒞𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝒯wo －
𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾

IT WAS A FRIDAY AFTERNOON and Simon Cowell had just left their house, after informing Ophelia and Lily Everson that she was to join a boy band called One Direction.

There weren't many things to sign considering she was already with Syco Records and clearly not much to discuss since when he asked if she had any questions she shook her head no; even though she was dying to ask millions. Simon was practically her boss in a way and her main goal was to never disappoint him. People pleaser, many would call her and although it wasn't the best feeling, they were never really wrong.

Ophelia's only demand was that she got to keep her publicist, Daisy, who she had grown rather fond of and quickly decided was one of her only friends; despite the ten year age gap. He agreed to give her a call, on the condition that the red head would cooperate with Modest's management team and that Ophelia would eventually have to do some publicity stunts; which she agreed on. Wouldn't want to ruin that girl next door image. She didn't realise that it was like a puppeteer playing with the strings of its puppet. The seventeen year old just wanted to make people happy with her music.

"A boy band, seriously?" Ophelia's mother, Lily, was quick to comment once the business man had left their home. Quickly making her way to the kitchen to retrieve a tub of Ben & Jerry's ice cream knowing that her daughter would very much need it.

"Hey! Don't sound so judgey, we haven't met them maybe they're nice," Following behind her mother and grabbing two spoons in the process, already knowing exactly what she was doing. Her tone of voice starting off convincing, although lacking confidence towards the end, moreover trying to convince herself.

Don't get her wrong, Ophelia Everson loved making new friends even if she wasn't the best at it. Always finding trouble at doing something everybody else did like it was second nature. She was more of the person to watch in envy as others mingled so easily, she couldn't help it. Of course people liked her and she had groups of friends, but she could never click well with any of them. And so eventually she accepted the fact that maybe some people aren't built to be perfect at everything, although she so desperately wanted to be, she tried; still is.

Which is mainly why she could only imagine herself as a solo artist, being in a band would probably be a nightmare and a boy band? Hell. She was supposed to release her solo album sometimes later this year and now she'd have to scrap it all, like it was nothing.

Her mother became her best friend throughout the years, others would say that they were only so close because she had her at eighteen, but both Ophelia and Lily would disagree. She couldn't have asked for a better mother, who in her eyes was definitely the bravest person she'd ever know. Her father used to take up that title, until he cheated on her mother, ruining their family and throwing away seven years of marriage for another woman. They hadn't had contact in years and although hesitant both of them learned to live and were perfectly content.

"Honey, you hate boys." Lily reminded her daughter, a flat look on her face, opening the tub and helping herself to heaven.

"I don't! They just slightly scare me sometimes and you know how awful i am in social situations," moving to sit on top of the marble countertop and digging her metal spoon into the mint ice cream. "anyway we know nothing about them ─ could be part of the mafia for all we know." 

Her mother gave her a judgemental look which she chose to ignore, still grovelling the ice cream into her mouth. "Well you know maybe you'll find one of them attractive and he'll sweep you right off your feet!" grinning with fake enthusiasm. "You always did have a thing for guys covered in blood sweetheart,"

Ophelia scoffed, wishing her mother would take this more seriously. She had just signed a contract legally making her the only girl in a boy band. She was surprised she hadn't broken down in tears yet. Dramatic? For Lia not at all, crying was one of the many things she liked to do and for her extremely natural.

"I have a thing for Stu Macher and no guy is coming close to my Valentino's! I'm scared mum, I've never made friends easily. How am I gonna get close to these guys without fucking everything up?" Ophelia's nerves finally settling in making the slightest of tears brim in the corner of her eyes. She was fucking terrified.

"Lia..." Lily brought her daughter into a small hug from the side rubbing her shoulder in attempt to comfort her. She despised Simon and his stupid management for making her daughter feel like this. She was doing amazing on her own, quite literally breaking records and having one of the biggest debuts in history.

"Listen, I am so proud of you for doing something that you love so much. I know you and I know that with your talent, you'll be one of the biggest bands ever. Even if you don't get along with the others immediately, it doesn't mean that you never won't." holding onto her daughters hand, and smiling encouragingly. "Also maybe we should meet them before we judge so quick." slight guilt seeping in from earlier. They're just boys.

"Love you mum," the girl replied, using the sleeve of her top to wipe a tear that managed to escape.

"And I love you mon ange."

Their heartfelt moment was soon over once she heard her mother gasp and her eyes light up. "I have an idea," Ophelia raised her eyebrows gesturing her to continue. "Stalking! You said that we know nothing about them huh? Sooooo what better way than to do a little research so you know more about them sooner!"

The seventeen year old laughed, finishing off the last bit of ice cream and hopping off the counter to bin the container and put the spoons in the sink. "I'm meeting them tomorrow!" Although she was quickly convinced with a glance in her mothers direction. "But maybe a tiny preview before the actual thing won't hurt, i'm dying to know about them!"

Lily smirked proudly at her daughter, "Go on, you make a start and I'll order a pizza. We can keep some movie playing in the background, one we've watched a million times, something like─"

"Clueless!" Already looking through the stack of chick flick DVD's in the living room.

"Bingo! You are too good, young Paul Rudd keeps me sane."

After a long two hours of devouring two pizzas, researching, giggling and clueless, the two women had eventually resorted painting each other's toenails and flipping through Vogue magazines which led to another movie and late night talking.

She had discovered that the five boys' names were Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. The oldest (Louis) being nineteen, made her the youngest out of their little group, being seventeen and about a month younger than Harry. They were formed during the 2010 X-Factor auditions meaning they had nearly already spent a year together.

Yippee!! I won't feel out of place at all!

She found out other things as well, things she wasn't interested in like their girlfriends which she skipped through and eventually landed on their auditions where she found out they definitely were talented. Her mother commented that they didn't look like people who would make her feel out of place and she prayed that she was right. She just wanted the meeting tomorrow to go well.

━━━━━ authors notes !!
SECOND CHAPTER IS HERE !!!
kind of love this & i love lily and ophelia's mother-daughter relationship

i'm writing their meeting rn and i love it so much 😭 zayn and ophelia are too cute
i'm SO excited for this whole book and her whole dynamic/friendships with the boys

— love, ry !