1Dvision

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Amy 彡 she/her

[1dvision]

Masterlist !!

McLovin’ It’ || Dougie Poynter

Lighting It Up: Kyle Alessandro

Pizza: Kyle Alessandro (Boy Version

Amplified || Tom Fletcher

Tiramisu || Luke Hemmings

The Crowd || Michael Clifford

Skinny Skinny || Ashton Irwin

Angel Down Under || Calum Hood

Fifth || 5SOS

[1dvision]

02 || You Made It Again

Cassie spent the entire evening trying not to think about him which, unfortunately, only made her think about him more.

It was not in the dramatic way books always described it. There were no butterflies or daydreams or sudden realisations, just confusion. Quiet, persistent confusion because Ashton Irwin had looked at her like he actually saw her.

Not through her.

Not around her.

At her.

Somehow, that felt more terrifying than being invisible ever had.

By the next morning, she had convinced herself the interaction meant nothing. He was probably just friendly, the kind of person who could talk to anyone without overthinking it for the next twelve hours.

Unlike her.

Cassie adjusted the sleeves of her hoodie as she walked through the school gates, keeping her gaze fixed on the pavement.

It was a normal day, that was all this would be.

She made it exactly twenty three steps down the hallway before hearing someone jogging behind her.

“Okay, now I know you’re avoiding people.”

Her heart nearly stopped. Cassie turned too quickly, startled, and found Ashton slowing to a stop beside her, slightly out of breath like he’d actually hurried to catch up.

“You walk fast,” he said.

“I—what?”

A laugh slipped out of him, warm and effortless. “That’s your response?”

She blinked at him.

He looked unfairly awake for eight in the morning: messy curls pushed back beneath a beanie, school bag hanging lazily off one shoulder, that same easy expression on his face that somehow made her nervous and calm at the same time.

“I said you walk fast,” he repeated.

“Oh.” Cassie tightened her grip on her bag. “Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

Because she apologized for everything and taking up space always felt like something she needed forgiveness for. She couldn’t exactly say that out loud.

“I don’t know,” she muttered.

Ashton studied her for a second, not judgmental, just observant, like he was trying to understand her instead of assuming he already did. It made her chest feel strange.

“Well,” he said eventually, falling into step beside her, “I had to practically sprint to catch you, so now I’m counting this as cardio.”

Cassie huffed out a quiet laugh before she could stop herself. The sound surprised both of them.

His eyes widened slightly in mock shock. “Wait. Was that an actual laugh?”

She immediately ducked her head. “No.”

“Pretty sure it was.”

“You imagined it.”

“Wow,” Ashton said solemnly. “And here I thought we were building trust.”

Cassie shook her head, trying to hide the tiny smile threatening at the corners of her mouth. It faded slightly when a group of girls walked past them.

She saw it happen instantly: the quick glances, the subtle double takes toward Ashton, then toward her. Confusion was flickering across their faces like they couldn’t understand why he was talking to someone like Cassie Allbrighton.

Her stomach tightened. Automatically, she stepped a little farther away from him.

Ashton noticed. Of course he noticed. His expression shifted almost imperceptibly, amusement softening into something gentler.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

Cassie nodded too quickly. “Yeah.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“I should probably go,” she said suddenly.

“What? Why?”

“Because class starts soon.”

“We have fifteen minutes.”

“Oh.”

There was that awkward silence again. Except somehow, it never felt unbearable with him. Cassie stared down at the floor tiles.

“You really hate people looking at you, huh?”

The question was soft. Careful. Not cruel. That almost made it worse.

Her throat tightened slightly. “I just don’t like attention.”

Ashton leaned against the lockers beside her, arms folded loosely. “You know, there’s a difference between not liking attention and looking like you’re waiting for people to disappear you.”

Her breath caught. He said things too honestly. Cassie swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sudden sting behind her ribs.

“You don’t know me,” she whispered.

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. It was because they were untrue, because f the look on his face afterward.

It wasn’t a look of hurt, just thoughtful.

“You’re right,” Ashton said quietly. “I don’t.”

He straightened slightly, adjusting the strap of his bag.

“But I’d like to.”

Something inside her cracked a little at that.

Not dramatically. Not enough to fix anything. Just enough for light to slip through.

Cassie looked at him properly then. Really looked. She witness something dangerous, he meant it.

It was not in the casual way people said things they didn’t intend to follow through on. Not out of pity or boredom. He genuinely wanted to know her.

The bell rang before she could figure out what to do with that realization. Students immediately flooded the hallway around them.

Ashton stepped backward, walking in reverse for a second with a grin tugging at his mouth.

“See?” he said. “You didn’t disappear today either. That’s progress.”

Cassie rolled her eyes softly but before she could stop herself, she said

“Maybe you just keep finding me.”

For a second, Ashton looked startled. Then he smiled, not teasing this time, something softer.

“Maybe I do.”

And somehow, those three words stayed with Cassie for the rest of the day.

[1dvision]

02 || Something Starting

The first chord rang out, cleaner this time. It was perfect, it never was, but close enough that no one stopped it.

Luke leaned into it, voice steadier than before, Calum followed without overthinking, Michael didn't rush, Ashton kept time like he always did, grounding everything without making a show of it and Arlo, this time, he didn't hold back.

There was a difference between singing with them and singing into it. He realised that halfway through the second verse.

The sound didn't feel crowded anymore. It didn't feel like five separate people trying to be heard.

It felt like something... connected.

Messy. Slightly off in places. But real.

When the last note faded, no one spoke, not immediately. Luke looked at the camera like he didn't trust himself to say it out loud.

"...We're using that."

Michael pushed himself up onto his elbows "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Calum nodded once. "Yeah."

Ashton didn't say anything, just reached forward and stopped the recording. That was his version of agreement.

Arlo stayed where he was on the floor, guitar still resting against him.

"That one wasn't terrible," he said.

Luke exhaled a laugh. "High praise."

"I'm generous."

"You're annoying."

"Also true."

Uploading it wasn't dramatic, that's the part people never really understand later. There was no big pause and no this could change everything moment.

Luke sat cross-legged with his laptop, frowning slightly as the video processed. Michael leaned over his shoulder, offering completely unhelpful suggestions.

"Add 'amazing' in the title."

"No."

"'Best cover ever.'"

"No."

"'Featuring mysterious fifth member.'"

Luke paused then slowly turned his head.

Arlo, from the floor, interjected "Don't you dare."

Calum lost it. Ashton actually laughed, properly, not just a breath through his nose, and that alone was enough to throw everyone off for a second.

"Just post it," Ashton said.

So Luke did.

Click.

Upload.

Done.

Nothing happened.

For a while, anyway.

They didn't sit around watching the views tick up.

They didn't refresh the page every five seconds like it mattered. They moved on and talked about other songs. Then they argued about what to do next.

Michael started playing something completely unrelated. Calum joined in just to annoy him.

Normal.

It wasn't until later, hours later,  that Luke checked.

"...Wait."

He leaned forward slightly. "Wait."

Michael looked over. "What?"

Luke turned the screen "Is that... normal?"

Arlo stood up, crossing the room without thinking. The number wasn't huge: not viral, not insane. However, it was climbing.

It was climbing faster than the last one, quicker than anything they'd posted before.

"Did you share it somewhere?" Calum asked.

"No," Luke said.

Michael squinted. "Refresh it."

Luke did and the number jumped again. There was a pause.

Not loud. Not chaotic. The opposite. Quiet in a way that felt... unfamiliar.

"...That's weird," Michael said.

"Good weird," Calum added.

Ashton folded his arms. "People are watching."

It sounded obvious but it didn't feel like it. Arlo didn't say anything. He was looking at the comments.

They were starting to come in faster now. There were not loads but enough.

who's the new guy?

his voice?? hello???

wait this is actually really good

why have i never seen them before

the blonde one + the dark haired one harmonising???

"...They mean you," Michael said suddenly.

Arlo blinked. "What?"

Michael pointed at the screen. "Mysterious fifth member. That's you."

"I told you not to call me that."

"I didn't. The internet did."

Luke glanced at him. Not obvious. Not a big moment. Just a look that lingered a second longer than before. Like he was trying to figure something out.

"You staying?" Calum asked, out of nowhere.

It wasn't heavy and didn't sound like a big question but it landed like one.

Arlo shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "You guys need me?"

Michael answered immediately. "Debatable."

"Emotionally?" Arlo shot back. "Yes."

"Absolutely not."

"Deep down, you'd fall apart without me."

"I'd thrive."

"You'd spiral."

"Stay," Luke said.

Just those simple words, as if it wasn't a question.

The room stilled for half a second. Then Ashton nodded once, like it had already been decided.

"Yeah."

Calum grinned. "Yeah."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Fine. But if your ego gets worse, we're voting you out."

"It's already perfect," Arlo said.

"That's what I'm worried about."

Arlo looked at them, really looked. He looked at the way they fit together: not neatly, not cleanly, but in a way that worked anyway.

All the noise, the chaos, the constant movement. He looked at the fact that, somehow, he was in the middle of it now.

"...Alright," he said.

Luke refreshed the page again. The number climbed. None of them said it out loud but something had shifted.

Not big.

Not yet.

Just enough to feel it. This time, when they picked up their guitars again, they weren't just messing around.

[1dvision]

02 || Interaction

Michael told himself he wasn't going to go over there. He stayed where he was for a while, half-hidden behind a group of people who were too loud to notice anything beyond themselves.

It gave him the perfect excuse to linger, to look without being obvious about it but it didn't stop him from looking.

Maddie hadn't moved much. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, occasionally nodding along to conversations, smiling when expected, but there were moments in between where she seemed somewhere else entirely.

It was like she was only halfway in the room. Michael knew that feeling, that was probably why he noticed her at all.

He dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling under his breath, this was stupid. It didn't matter, she was just a girl at a party. There were hundreds of those. Thousands. So why her?

Before he could overthink it any further, his feet made the decision for him and suddenly, he was there.

Up close, everything felt sharper. The music wasn't as loud here, like it dulled around her somehow or maybe that was just in his head.

Maddie didn't notice him at first. She was looking down at her drink, lightly tapping her finger against the side of the cup, like she was counting something only she could hear.

Michael hesitated as this as the part he usually avoided: the part where you had to actually say something.

He wasn't great at that, not like people thought he was. Still, he didn't walk away.

"Not your scene either?"

The words came out a little rough, a little quieter than he meant, but enough.

Maddie looked up. Recognition flickered almost instantly, not the over-the-top kind, not excitement or shock, just a small, knowing look, like she'd expected him to eventually walk over.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

Her voice was soft, but steady. No nerves. No trying too hard.

Michael shrugged, shifting his weight slightly. "Only if you're looking for it."

A corner of her mouth lifted.

"So... you were looking?" she asked.

There it was. Most people would've said it like a joke. She didn't. She just asked.

Michael huffed out a quiet breath, glancing briefly to the side before looking back at her. "Maybe."

Maddie tilted her head just slightly, studying him now in the same way he'd been studying her earlier.

It wasn't uncomfortable. If anything, it felt fair.

"Then I guess that makes two of us," she said.

That caught him off guard.

"You were looking for people who don't belong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No” a small pause "For people who notice."

That landed heavier than it should have. Michael didn't respond right away. He just watched her, trying to decide if she meant it the way it sounded. It felt like she did.

Around them, someone laughed loudly, a glass clinked, the music shifted into something faster, heavier but neither of them moved.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Michael asked suddenly.

It slipped out before he could stop it. Maddie blinked, clearly not expecting that, but she didn't look uncomfortable, more surprised.

"You don't even know me," she said.

"Yeah," he replied. "I know."

A beat.nThen, quieter "Feels like I should."

Something in her expression softened again, that same way it had when she first caught him looking at her.

It was like she understood more than he'd actually said.

Maddie glanced around the room briefly, like she was giving it one last chance to convince her to stay. It didn't.

When she looked back at him, her answer was already there.

"Okay," she said.

Just that.

No hesitation.

No conditions.

And somehow, that made it feel bigger than it should have. Michael nodded once, like he didn't trust himself to say anything else without breaking whatever this was.

He turned, gesturing slightly toward the exit, and she fell into step beside him without needing direction.

They didn't touch, not yet, but they didn't drift apart either.

The noise faded with every step, the bass softening into a dull echo as the door came into view.

For the first time that night, Michael didn't feel like he was just passing through something. He felt like he was walking into it.

[1dvision]

02 || Meeting

It starts, as most things do, with Ashton meddling. Calum knows something's about to go wrong the second Ashton goes quiet.

It's subtle, most people wouldn't notice it, but Calum's known him long enough to recognize the shift. It starts with the way his grin sharpens just a little.

Then, it is the way his eyes flick across the room like he's lining something up.

"Don't," Calum says immediately.

Ashton doesn't even look at him. “Didn't say anything."

"You were about to."

"I wasn't."

"You were literally thinking it."

"That's crazy," Ashton says, finally glancing over, completely unbothered. "You can hear my thoughts now?"

Calum narrows his eyes. "You're going to go talk to her."

Ashton shrugs. "Maybe I just want to make a new friend."

"You don't want to make a new friend."

"That's hurtful."

"You hate new people."

"I don't hate—" Ashton pauses. "...okay, that's not the point."

"It is the point," Calum says, sitting up straighter now, fully alert. "Don't go over there."

"Why not?"

"Because—" Calum stops.

Because what? Because it matters? Because it feels different? Because if Ashton goes over there, it becomes real in a way Calum isn't ready for?

He doesn't say any of that.

"Because you'll make it weird."

Ashton grins. "I make everything weird."

"Exactly."

"Relax," Ashton says, already standing up. "I'll be charming."

"That's worse."

Honestly, Ashton's already walking away. Calum watches him go, which is mistake number one.

Mistake number two is not stopping him. Mistake number three is looking over at her again.

She's still there in the spot, the easy posture, like she belongs anywhere she stands. She's listening to someone, nodding along, but her attention drifts, just slightly, as Ashton approaches.

Of course it does. Ashton has that effect on people: loud without being overwhelming.l and confident in a way that pulls focus without trying too hard.

Calum hates that it works. He watches as Ashton says something, something casual, something easy, and she smiles.

Of course she smiles. She laughs a second later, and Calum feels something twist in his chest again. It wasn’t sharp nor painful. Just... there.

Luke appears beside him like he's been summoned by the tension alone.

"He's actually doing it," Luke says, almost impressed.

"I told him not to."

"Yeah, that definitely stopped him."

Calum exhales, dragging a hand down his face. "This is a bad idea."

"Or," Luke says, nudging him slightly, "it's a very good idea."

Calum doesn't respond because across the room, Ashton turns, just slightly, and looks directly at him.

And then he gestures, not subtle, not discreet, a full, obvious come here motion.

Calum freezes. Again.

"Oh my—" Luke laughs under his breath. "You're kidding."

"I'm not going over there."

"You have to."

"I don't."

"He just called you over."

"I can ignore that."

"You can't ignore that."

Calum absolutely can. He proves it by looking away immediately, focusing very hard on literally anything else: the floorC, the wall, even condensation on his drink. Anywhere but there.

"Calum."

"I'm not doing it."

"Calum."

"I'm serious."

"Calum," Luke says, more firmly this time, "she's looking at you."

That gets him. Slowly, against his better judgment, Calum looks back.

And yeah, she is but not in a way that feels like pressure. It was expectant or impatient, more curious., like she is waiting to see what he'll do.

And suddenly, staying where he is feels worse than moving.

"...I hate you all," he mutters.

Luke grins. "Love you too. Go."

The walk over feels longer than it should.

It's not far. Logically, Calum knows that. It's maybe ten steps, fifteen, max.

Still, every single one feels like it matters.

It was as if he's being watched, like he might trip. It was he's about to say something stupid.

Ashton's already mid-conversation when Calum gets there, completely at ease, like this was always the plan.

"...and then he just stands there," Ashton is saying, clearly mid-story, "like someone paused him."

Calum stops dead. "You're unbelievable."

Ashton beams. "Perfect timing."

"Were you just—"

"Yes," Ashton says. "I was."

Calum closes his eyes briefly. Of course he was.

"Anyway," Ashton continues, turning back to her, "this is the guy I was talking about."

Calum opens his eyes. He's actually standing in front of her for the first time.

Up close, it's worse.

Or better.

He can't tell.

There's something softer about her expression now, something more focused. It was like she's seeing him properly, not just as someone across the room.

"Hi," she says.

Just that. Simple, yet somehow, it's enough to completely throw him off.

"Hi," he replies, a second too late.

Smooth.

Really smooth.

There's a tiny pause, not awkward, not quite, but noticeable enough that Calum feels it immediately. Ashton, of course, does not let it breathe.

"He's been staring at you all night," he says casually.

Calum chokes. "I have not—"

"She noticed," Ashton adds, completely ignoring him.

Calum looks at her, horrified. She doesn't look uncomfortable. If anything, she looks amused.

"A little," she says.

Calum wants the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

"I wasn't staring," he says quickly. "I just—looked. Like, once. Maybe twice. Not—"

He stops because he's making it worse. Definitely making it worse.

She tilts her head slightly, that same small smile from before playing at the edge of her lips.

"It's okay," she says. "I didn't mind."

And that, changes everything, slightly. Calum exhales, some of the tension easing out of his shoulders without him realizing it.

"Yeah?" he says, quieter now.

"Yeah."

Another small pause but this one feels different.

Lighter and easier. Ashton looks between them, clearly pleased with himself, like he's just orchestrated something brilliant.

Which, annoyingly, he has.

"Well," Ashton says, clapping his hands together once, "my work here is done."

Calum immediately tenses. "Don't you dare—"

"I'm going to go," Ashton continues, already stepping back, "before he starts pretending I don't exist."

"I don't—"

"Have fun," Ashton finishes, ignoring him completely.

And then he's gone, like that. Leaving Calum standing there, alone with her. For the first time, there’s a beat.

Calum rubs the back of his neck, suddenly aware of everything again. His hands. His posture. The fact that he has no idea what to say next.

"...sorry about him," he says.

She smiles. "No, it's okay. He seems fun."

"He's a nightmare."

"Mm," she hums, like she doesn't fully believe that.

Another pause.

Calum shifts his weight slightly. "I'm Calum, by the way."

"I know," she says.

His heart does something stupid.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she says, softer now. "Your friend said your name. Like, three times."

Calum huffs a quiet laugh. "Sounds like him."

"And you were staring," she adds, just to make it worse.

"I'm never going to recover from that, am I?"

"Probably not."

But she's smiling when she says it and somehow, that makes it okay.nAcross the room, Ashton is absolutely losing his mind.

Luke has a hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh. Michael is already pulling his phone out, probably to document this for future embarrassment.

Calum doesn't see any of it. Not really. This is because for the first time since he walked into the room, he’s not thinking about leaving.

[1dvision]

03 || Third Time Lucky

By the third night, she told herself she wasn't waiting. That would be pathetic, embarrassing, even.

She had a job to do, a shift to get through: stock to check, a register to run, a life that very much did not revolve around a certain band's sudden obsession with tiramisu.

And yet 10:07 PM came around. She'd already checked the dessert fridge twice.

At 10:12 PM she adjusted the display of chocolate bars that didn't need adjusting.

At 10:19 PM, her eyes flicked to the doors again.

"...not waiting," she muttered under her breath.

Right. Of course. Totally believable.

The shop was quieter than usual tonight, if that was even possible. The air felt heavier, like it was holding onto something that hadn't happened yet or maybe she was just overthinking.

She was overthinking. Obviously. They weren't coming back. Two nights in a row was already weird. Three was pushing it into concerning behavior territory.

She huffed softly and leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms.

"Get over it," she whispered.

The automatic doors stayed shut, until 10:26 PM.

A couple came in, went to get milk, then left.

At 10:33 PM an older man wandered the aisles for ten minutes before leaving with nothing.

10:41 PM: nothing. Her gaze drifted to the fridge again. It was stocked still perfect. Still—

Whoosh.Her head snapped up before she could stop herself. The doors slid open and for a split second, nothing.

No loud voices heard, no laughter. Just one person stepped inside. Her stomach dropped.

Oh. Not them.

She quickly looked down, pretending to be busy with the register, trying to ignore the tiny flicker of disappointment that crept in.

It was fine. Of course it was fine. Why wouldn't it be? She tapped a few buttons aimlessly.

Then "Guess we're late."

Her head lifted so fast it almost hurt. That voice was so familiars

Luke stepped through the doors, holding them open as the others followed behind him, a little more subdued than the previous nights, but still very much them.

Her heart did that thing again, the annoying,

fluttery, completely uncontrollable thing.

"Oh my god," she breathed under her breath, quickly straightening up.

Okay.mOkay. Act normal. Act like this isn't the third night in a row they've shown up. Act like you didn't just feel disappointed five seconds ago.

"Cutting it close," she said instead, glancing at the clock. "We close in twenty."

"Plenty of time for important decisions," one of them said, already heading for the fridge.

"Very important," another agreed.

Luke didn't follow them this time. He walked straight up to the counter, like he meant to, like that was the plan.

Her pulse quickened.

"Hey," he said.

There it was again, that hey, somehow more familiar now.

"Hey," she replied, a little softer than she intended.

He rested his hands lightly on the counter, glancing around the empty shop.

"Busy night?"

She snorted. "As you can see."

"Right," he nodded, lips twitching. "Thriving, actually."

"Absolutely packed."

They shared a small smile. God, this was getting dangerously easy. Behind him, the others were arguing, quietly this time, about how many to get.

"Three is too many."

"It's not too many."

"It's definitely too many."

"It's not enough."

She shook her head slightly, amused despite herself.

"They've really committed to this," she said.

"Yeah," Luke glanced back briefly, then leaned in just a little, voice dropping, "I think it's become a problem."

"You're enabling them."

"You're the one selling it," he pointed out.

"Wow," she placed a hand over her chest dramatically, "blaming the staff? That's low."

He laughed, it was soft, it sounded genuine and closer this time. It settled somewhere in her chest in a way she wasn't ready to unpack.

There was a pause, a slightly longer one than before. It was uncomfortable. It was just... heavier, as if something was shifting.

"You always work here?" he asked.

"Most nights," she said. "Unless I get lucky and someone swaps shifts with me."

"Do you want to?"

She blinked "What?"

"Swap shifts," he clarified quickly. "Or... not be here, I mean."

There was no judgment in his voice, more curiosity.nShe leaned back slightly, considering

"It's not that bad," she said after a moment. "Just... boring."

He nodded like he understood that.

"Yeah," he said. "I get that."

She tilted her head "Do you?"

A small smile tugged at his lips "More than you'd think."

Before she could respond, the others returned, arms full again, slightly fewer this time, but still excessive by any normal standard.

"Don't comment," one of them warned her immediately.

She held up her hands. "I said nothing."

"Your face said everything."

"That's not my problem."

Luke shook his head, amused, as they set the tiramisu down. She started scanning again.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"You're closing soon, right?" Luke asked casually.

"Yeah."

"What time do you finish?"

Her fingers paused for just a fraction of a second.

Not long enough for anyone else to notic but long enough for her to feel it.

"...ten minutes after closing," she said carefully. "Why?"

There it was, the question hanging between them. He hesitated, slightly. Then he shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal.

"Just wondering."

Sure. Just wondering. She handed over the receipt, trying to ignore the way her heartbeat had picked up again.

"Try not to clear out the entire fridge," she said lightly.

"No promises," one of them replied.

They started heading toward the door same as always. It was like a routine, familiar now.

But, Luke didn't move right away.

He lingered. Again. Her breath caught. He looked at her, really looked this time.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Yeah?"

Another pause. Longer, like he was deciding something. Then, he spoke up again

"We're probably coming back tomorrow."

Her eyebrows lifted slightly "Oh?"

He nodded.

"For tiramisu?" she asked.

A hint of a smile came on his face

"Yeah," he said.

Then, after a beat "And maybe... to see you."

Her heart stopped, actually topped. For a full second. Maybe two.

She didn't trust her voice. Didn't trust her brain, so she went with the safest option. A small smile.

"Dangerous habit," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed softly.

Then he stepped back, turned and followed the others out. The doors slid shut behind him.

Silence filled the shop again but it felt different. Louder.Brighter.

It was full of something she couldn't quite name. She stood there, staring at the entrance, her heart still racing.

"...okay," she whispered to herself.

Then, after a second, she glanced at the clock. 10:58 PM. For the first time since she started this job, she was actually looking forward to tomorrow.

[1dvision]

01 || Before Anyone Was Watching

Sydney didn't care about them, not really. It moved too fast, too loud, too full of people who already were something for a group of boys sitting on bedroom floors with cheap guitars and a borrowed camera.

They weren't a band, not officially. Not yet at least. They were just trying.

The first video was filmed in Luke's room and the lighting was bad, the audio was much worse.

Someone's mum walked past the door halfway through and didn't even bother closing it.

"Stop—stop, no, we're doing it again," Luke laughed, dropping his head forward as the last chord buzzed out of tune.

"Mate, we've done it like six times," Michael said, dragging a hand through his hair, already impatient. "It's an acoustic cover, not the Bohemian Rhapsody."

Calum snorted from where he sat on the edge of the bed. "You're the one who keeps messing up the harmony."

"I'm not—"

"You are."

"Am not—"

"You are."

"Guys," Ashton cut in, leaning back against the wall, arms folded. "Either we post something, or we keep sitting here arguing until we're forty."

There was a pause. Then, from the floor

"You could just admit I sound better than all of you and we'd move on."

All four of them turned. Arlo didn't even look up, he kept strumming lazily, like he hadn't just said it.

Michael blinked. "You've been in the band for five minutes."

"Exactly," Arlo said. "Fresh talent."

Calum threw a pillow at him. It missed completely.

Arlo Dion hadn't planned on being there. That was the thing, he wasn't part of some lifelong dream like the others talked about. He hadn't grown up imagining stadiums or screaming fans or his name on anything.

He'd just... shown up, more like a friend of a friend. A voice someone had heard once and gone, wait, do that again.

And suddenly he was sitting on Luke's bedroom floor, guitar in hand, being told

"Sing the second verse."

Like it was nothing. Like it wasn't quietly shifting everything.

"Alright," Luke said finally, sitting up straighter.

"One more time. Properly."

"Define properly," Arlo muttered.

"No talking, no messing around, no..whatever that was you just did."

"I improved it."

"You didn't improve it."

"I elevated it."

Michael groaned. "Please stop saying words like that."

Ashton clapped once, sharp. "Focus."

They all stilled. For a second, it felt different. Not bigger. Not important. Just... aligned.

Luke counted them in. “One, two, three”

The chords came in cleaner this time. Calum steadied the rhythm. Michael leaned in, actually paying attention. Ashton kept time against his knee, quiet but constant.

And Arlo, for once, didn't joke. He didn’t interrupt and didn’t try to prove anything.

He just sang. It wasn't perfect, the audio still clipped, someone hit a wrong note halfway through and a car passed outside and drowned out part of the bridge.

But when it ended, no one spoke straight away. It wasn’t because they thought it was amazing but it felt like something.

"...That was alright," Michael said eventually, like it cost him.

"Yeah," Calum added. "Not terrible."

Luke looked at the camera, then back at them.

"We're posting it."

Arlo raised an eyebrow. "That's your big decision? 'Not terrible'?"

Ashton stood, already reaching to grab the camera. "It's better than nothing."

They didn't think about views or subscribers or even what could happen. They didn't think about how a few acoustic covers filmed in a messy bedroom in Sydney could travel further than they ever had.

They didn't think about the name that would start appearing under their videos:

5 Seconds of Summer

They didn't think about fire fans, tours, anything really.

They just hit upload and somewhere in the middle of it all, without anyone really saying it out loud, Arlo stayed.

[1dvision]

10 || Almost

It started with something small, it always did.

After Rehearsal, the music room was quieter than usual.

Most people had already left, chairs pushed in unevenly, sheet music scattered like someone had abandoned a thought halfway through. The late afternoon light spilled through the windows, soft and gold.

Kyle sat on the edge of the piano bench, fingers idly pressing random keys, not a melody, not a song either, it was just noise.

Restless.

He didn't notice Cory at first.

"Those aren't chords."

Kyle glanced up, startled, then relaxed slightly.

"They're abstract."

"They're chaotic."

Kyle smirked faintly. "Same thing."

Cory stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him. The soft click echoed louder than it should have.

"You stayed late," Cory said.

"So did you."

"I had a reason."

Kyle raised an eyebrow. "And I don't?"

Cory didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked closer: slow, deliberate, like he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but wasn't stopping himself either.

Kyle noticed. Of course he did.

"Did she talk to you again?" Kyle asked suddenly, looking back at the piano keys.

Cory blinked. "No."

Kyle nodded once, like that mattered more than he wanted it to.

"Good," he muttered.

Silence. Then

"You were jealous."

Kyle let out a quiet breath. "We've established that."

"I'm still analyzing it."

Kyle laughed softly. "Of course you are."

Cory stopped in front of him now. Close. Closer than usual.

"You didn't deny it," Cory said.

Kyle looked up at him.

"No," he said quietly. "I didn't."

There was no joke in his voice this time. No deflection, but truth and suddenly, the room felt smaller.

Cory's heartbeat picked up. He didn't like that, or he did, but that was the problem.

"You said I confuse you," Cory said.

"You do."

"Why?"

Kyle held his gaze "Because you say things like they're facts," he said softly. "But they don't feel like facts."

Cory frowned slightly. "That's not possible."

"It is when it's you."

That didn't make sense. It should have but it didn't. For once, Cory didn't try to force it into something logical.

"Then explain it," he said quietly.

Kyle stood up. Now they were standing face to face, too close. Cory could feel the warmth of him, the faint scent of something clean and familiar, the uneven rhythm of his own breathing.

"I can't," Kyle admitted. "That's the point."

Cory swallowed “That's inefficient."

Kyle smiled faintly. "Yeah."

Neither of them moved. Kyle's eyes flicked, just for a second, to Cory's lips. Cory noticed. Of course he did.

His brain tried to process it but that was a fail because suddenly, none of the usual systems were working.

No categories. No predictions. No safe distance.

Just this.

Kyle shifted forward, barely. Cory didn't step back. Their breath mixed in the space between them and for a moment, it felt inevitable.

It was like gravity. Like something that had been building since a slice of pizza and a bad joke in the cafeteria.

Cory's hand twitched slightly at his side. Kyle's breath caught. Another inch.

Then, a loud bang echoed down the hallway. It was a locker slamming.

Voices. Reality snapping back into place. Kyle stepped back first, fast, it was way, way too fast.

"Yeah, okay," he said quickly, running a hand through his hair. "That was—uh—"

Cory's chest felt tight.

"Yes," he said.

Very helpful.

Kyle laughed nervously. "We should probably not—"

"Correct."

Silence.

Thick.

Awkward.

Charged in a completely different way now.

Cory cleared his throat. "I should go."

"Yeah," Kyle said. "Me too."

Neither of them moved for a second. Then Cory turned and headed for the door. He paused, hand on the handle.

"...That didn't feel like a misunderstanding," he said without turning.

Kyle didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was quieter than usual.

"No," he said. "It didn't."

Cory nodded once, then he left. Kyle stood alone in the music room, staring at the piano keys.

He pressed one and a soft note rang out. The note was clear, certain. It was unlike everything else.

[1dvision]

06 || Backstage Noise

Coral wasn't supposed to be there, that much was obvious from the second she stepped backstage.

The air buzzed differently behind a venue: louder, faster, alive in a way that didn't exist anywhere else. Crew members rushed past with headsets, someone shouted about lighting cues, guitars leaned against walls like they'd been abandoned mid-thought.

It was chaos, organised chaos, maybe, but still chaos. Coral stood right in the middle of it, clutching her press pass like it might disappear if she loosened her grip.

*Soundline Magazine.*

That was her excuse. Her reason. Her shield.

"First time backstage?"

She turned at the voice.

Dougie. Of course.

He looked different here, not in appearance, but in energy; sharper and more switched on. It was like something in him had clicked into place the moment he stepped into this world.

But when he looked at her, something softened again.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

"A little," he said, smiling. "You've got the 'I might accidentally trip over something expensive' stance."

"I probably will," she admitted.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice slightly. "Stick with me. I'll make sure you only break things that belong to me."

"That's reassuring," she said dryly.

But she didn't miss how close he was standing, closer than usual. For a second, neither of them mentioned the rain check or the almost-kiss. It just hovered there, quieter now, but not gone.

"You're early," he added.

"I like seeing things before they turn into... whatever *this* becomes," she said, gesturing to the chaos around them.

"Smart," he said. "It gets loud out there."

"I figured."

A beat. Then, softer

"You okay?" he asked.

The question caught her slightly off guard.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged, but his eyes stayed on hers. "You've been... a bit quieter."

There it was. Not accusing. Not pushing. Just... noticing.

Coral looked down at her pass, adjusting the lanyard unnecessarily. "Deadlines," she said again.

Dougie didn't call her out on it but he didn't fully believe it either.

"Right," he said lightly.

Another pause settled, not uncomfortable, but not as easy as before. Until someone shouted from across the room

"Dougie! Five minutes!"

And just like that, the moment shifted. He straightened slightly, nodding toward the stage entrance.

"Duty calls."

Coral stepped back instinctively. "Yeah. I should... stay out of the way."

He hesitated. Then, quieter

"Stay," he said.

She blinked. "What?"

"Watch from side stage," he added. "It's better from there anyway."

She hesitated. This was his world: loud, exposed, impossible to stay invisible in for long.

But something in his expression, that quiet certainty again, made the decision for her.

"Okay."

From side stage, everything felt different. The crowd roared before the band even stepped out. Lights exploded across the stage, turning everything electric and unreal.

And then Dougie walked out there. Not the version she'd met in cafés or quiet streets, this version was bigger.

He was brighter Brighter. Effortless in front of thousands of people who screamed his name like it meant something to them.

Coral watched, almost forgetting to breathe because it wasn't just the performance. It was the contrast.

The same person who had stood beside her in silence by the canal was now commanding a stage like it belonged to him.

And somehow... both versions were real. Midway through the set, Dougie moved toward her side of the stage.

Just briefly. Just long enough to glance over. And when their eyes met it hit her.

That small, impossible feeling, like she wasn't just watching him, like he was aware of her watching.

It was like, even in all this noise...something between them still existed.

After the show, backstage was even louder. Adrenaline, laughter, people everywhere.

Coral hovered near the wall, unsure whether to stay or slip out unnoticed. Then Dougie appeared again, slightly breathless, hair damp, energy still humming through him.

"You stayed," he said.

"You told me to."

He smiled at that. Then, more softly

"So... what did you think?"

Coral met his eyes.

"You're different out there."

"Good different?" he asked.

She tilted her head slightly. "Louder."

He laughed but then she added

"But I think I like this version less."

He blinked, surprised.

"Harsh."

She shook her head, stepping a little closer so her voice didn't have to compete with the noise.

"Not harsh. Just... not the one I met first."

Something shifted in his expression. It wasn’t an expression of hurt, more deeper and understanding.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "That one's easier to lose."

The words settled between them. For a moment, the noise around them faded. Just a little.

"You didn't," she said.

He looked at her then. Really looked and this time, he didn't step back.

[1dvision]

04 || Louder Then It Sounds

The first rehearsal was not good.

It was too loud, slightly out of tune, and fell apart at least six times in the first ten minutes but it was also the best thing Tom had ever been part of.

"Stop, stop, stop," Tom laughed, lowering his guitar. "We're not even playing the same song anymore."

"I am," Danny said, still strumming. "You just changed it halfway through."

"I didn't change it, you sped up!"

"I did not—"

Bonnie clapped loudly from her spot on the windowsill. "Right. As your unofficial manager—"

"You're not our manager," Tom said automatically

"—you are both terrible at agreeing on tempo," she finished, ignoring him

Danny grinned. "I like her."

"Of course you do," Tom muttered

The music room felt smaller with all three of them in it now: amps buzzing, cables trailing across the floor, drumsticks abandoned on a chair even though none of them played drums yet.

It was chaos but it was their chaos.

"Again," Tom said, adjusting his grip on the guitar. "From the start."

Danny nodded, a bit more focused this time. "Alright. Don't rush it."

"I don't rush it."

"You definitely rush it."

Bonnie leaned her head back against the wall, smiling to herself as they argued. Yesterday, there had been one guitar and a boy trying not to fall apart. Today, there were two guitars—

, and something building.

"Ready?" Tom asked.

Danny gave a thumbs up. They started again. This time, it lasted longer: still messy, still uneven but there were moments. Tom felt it immediately.

That spark.That this could work feeling.

He glanced at Danny mid-song, and Danny grinned back like he felt it too. Then, of course, it fell apart again. Danny hit a wrong chord and Tom laughed. The whole thing collapsed into noise.

Despite this, neither of them looked frustrated. If anything, they looked more excited.

"That bit," Tom said quickly. "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah," Danny nodded. "Right before I completely ruined it."

"You didn't ruin it," Tom said. "That was, that was good."

Bonnie sat forward slightly. There it was again, that moment: messy, imperfect... but real.

"Do it again," she said.

Tom looked over. "You're very bossy for someone not in the band."

"I'm emotionally in the band," she replied.

Danny laughed. "Fair enough."

"Again," Tom said, more determined now.

They played and this time, when it clicked, it lasted longer. It was not perfect nor was it polished but enough to feel it properly.

A sound that wasn't just Tom anymore or Danny. It was something bigger. When they stopped, the room felt different. It felt quieter, somehow, even with the amps still humming.

Tom let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.

"Okay," he said slowly. "Okay, that was actually... good."

Danny nodded. "Told you."

"You did not tell me."

"I implied it."

Bonnie hopped down from the windowsill, walking over to the whiteboard. Under their names, she added in big letters:

THIS WORKS

Tom laughed. "Bit early for that, don't you think?"

"Nope," she said, capping the marker. "You just proved it."

Danny looked at the board, then back at Tom. "She's right, you know."

Tom shook his head, but he was smiling now.

A real one, not forced, not half-hearted: the kind that came from somewhere deeper.

"Alright," he said. "Maybe we don't completely suck."

"High praise again," Danny said.

Bonnie folded her arms. "You don't suck. You just need practice. And a drummer. And probably a better band name."

"Leave the name alone," Tom said.

"Laser Chickens—"

"No."

Danny laughed. "I still think it's got potential."

"It absolutely does not."

They fell into easy conversation after that, talking about songs they liked, bands they wanted to sound like, ridiculous ideas for lyrics that Bonnie insisted were "genius" and Tom immediately rejected.

Outside, the school day moved on without them.

Inside, time felt different, like it had slowed down just enough to let something grow.

Eventually, Tom picked up his guitar again, quieter this time.

He played a simple progression.

Not loud. Not chaotic. Just... something.

Danny listened, then joined in, softer than before.

Bonnie didn't interrupt. She just watched because this part mattered too, the quiet moments between the noise. The parts where something real took shape before anyone else could hear it.

Tom glanced up briefly.

"Too slow?" he asked.

Danny shook his head. "No. Keep it."

Bonnie smiled.

Yesterday, the "no" had been deafening. Today, it was barely there at all. Drowned out by chords, laughter, and the beginning of something that didn't need permission to exist.

Something louder than rejection.

Something just starting to find its sound.

Something... amplified.

[1dvision]

01 || Didn’t Run

The first thing Cassie Allbrighton did every morning was avoid the mirror.

It wasn't intentional at first. It had started as a habit, glancing past it while rushing out the door, brushing her hair with her head tilted just enough to blur her own reflection. But over time, it became something else, something sharper and something deliberate.

Because looking meant noticing and noticing meant picking apart every detail until there was nothing left that felt okay.

So instead, she kept her eyes on the floor as she moved around her room, pulling on an oversized hoodie that swallowed her frame and tugging the sleeves down over her hands.

Safe. Hidden. Unseen.

That was better.

Downstairs, the house was already loud—her parents talking over each other, the clatter of dishes, the faint hum of the morning news. Cassie slipped through it all like a ghost, grabbing a piece of toast she didn't really want and heading straight for the door before anyone could say much more than a distracted "bye."

Outside, the air was cold, biting just enough to wake her up.

School wasn't far, ten minutes if she walked slowly. Seven if she didn't. Today, she took her time.

There was something about mornings that made everything feel heavier, like the day hadn't decided what it was going to be yet, but somehow, she already knew.

The school building came into view too quickly. Cassie tightened her grip on her bag and stepped inside, immediately swallowed by noise.

Lockers slamming. Laughter that always felt a little too loud. Conversations that blurred into something she couldn't quite follow.

She kept her head down. That was the trick. If you didn't look at people, they were less likely to look at you.

It worked, mostly. This is until it didn't.

"Hey, Cassie, right?"

Her name caught her off guard. She froze, fingers tightening around the strap of her bag before she slowly turned.

He wasn't someone she expected to be talking to her.

He had was tall with messy hair, familiar in that way people get when you've seen them around a hundred times but never actually met them. Ashton.

She knew that much, honestly everyone did.

Cassie blinked, unsure if she was supposed to answer.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

He smiled, easy, like this wasn't strange at all. Like talking to her wasn't something unusual.

"I think we've got the same English class," he said. "You sit by the window, right?"

She nodded, a little confused. "Yeah."

"Cool. I sit a couple rows behind you." He shrugged slightly. "You always leave really fast. I was starting to think you were avoiding everyone."

Her stomach dropped. He knew she was avoiding everyone.

He wasn't wrong but hearing it out loud made something twist uncomfortably in her chest.

"I just—have stuff," she muttered, eyes flicking away.

There was a pause. It wasn’t awkward, nor heavy.

Just... quiet.

"Hey," Ashton said gently, and when she looked back at him, his expression had softened in a way she wasn't used to. "That's okay, you know."

Cassie frowned slightly. "What is?"

"Not wanting to stick around. Not being super social." He tilted his head. "You don't have to explain it."

That threw her off more than anything else. People usually expected explanation or they assumed thing or they filled the silence with something uncomfortable.

But he didn't. He just... let it be.

"Oh," she said, because she didn't know what else to say.

A small smile tugged at his lips. "But maybe don't disappear *every* day. English is less boring when there's at least one normal person in the room."

Cassie let out a quiet breath that almost felt like a laugh. Almost.

"I'm not that interesting," she said.

"I didn't say interesting," Ashton replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I said normal. Big difference."

She shook her head slightly, but something about the interaction felt... lighter. Easier.Different.

The bell rang, sharp and sudden. Cassie flinched instinctively, and Ashton glanced toward the hallway before stepping back.

"Guess I'll see you in class," he said.

She nodded. "Yeah."

But as she turned and started walking again, something felt off. It was bad, just unfamiliar.

Because for the first time in a while, Cassie realized she hadn't been thinking about how she looked and somehow, that scared her almost as much as it relieved her.

When she finally sat down in English, by the window like always, her reflection stared back faintly from the glass.

It was blurry, soft and easy to ignore.

Cassie hesitated. Then, just for a second, she looked and that means really looked and for once, the thoughts didn't come rushing in all at once.

They were still there. Quiet. Waiting, but not as loud.

Not as crue, not yet. From somewhere behind her, a chair scraped against the floor.

"You didn't run," Ashton's voice said lightly.

Cassie glanced back despite herself. He was smiling again and she didn't understand why that made her chest feel so tight.

Or why, for the first time in a long time, she didn't immediately look away.

[1dvision]

01 || Used To Hate Crowds

Michael never liked crowds.

It wasn't the noise, he was used to noise. Years of shows, screaming fans, the constant hum of people pressing closer and closer had numbed him to that.

It was something else, the way a crowd blurred into one thing: no edges, no faces, just movement.

It made everything feel distant. Like he was there, but not really in it. Tonight was no different.

The venue pulsed with energy, bodies packed together under low lights that flickered between deep purple and electric blue.

Someone handed him a drink he didn't want while else shouted something he didn't catch. He nodded anyway, out of habit more than interest.

This was normal, so it was expected.

Michael leaned back against the wall, letting his gaze drift over the room without really seeing it. People laughed too loud, moved too fast, lived too intensely for a night that would blur into nothing by morning.

He never searched for anyone in crowds like this. There was no point.

And then, he noticed her.

It wasn’t because she was loud, nor was it because she demanded attention. The opposite, actually.

She stood just off-center from everything, like the world had shifted slightly and left her untouched. Not alone, exactly, there were people around her, but she didn't seem tangled in them the way everyone else was.

Her name, he would later learn, was Maddie. Right now, she was just... there.

Still. Present. Real.

Michael frowned slightly, his eyes lingering longer than they should have. There was nothing obvious about her: no bright colors, no dramatic gestures but somehow, she didn't blur.

She didn't disappear into the crowd. She cut through it like light through glass.

He pushed himself off the wall without really thinking about it, taking a few slow steps forward. He wasn't trying to get closer, at least, that's what he told himself: just shifting position, just moving.

While all this happened, his eyes stayed on her.

She laughed at something someone beside her said, her head tilting back just slightly. It wasn't forced. It wasn't for attention either, it was... easy.

That was what caught him. Everything here felt forced. Except her.

Michael stopped a few feet away, close enough now to actually see the details, the way her fingers curled around her cup, the small crease between her brows when she wasn't smiling, like she was always thinking about something just out of reach.

For a second, he considered looking away. Honestly, that would've been the normal thing to do.

Instead, she looked up and caught him. There was a brief pause, barely a second, but it stretched, sharp and quiet in the middle of all the noise.

Michael didn't smile. He didn't look away either. He just... stayed.

Her expression flickered, something like surprise crossing her face before settling into something softer: curious, maybe. It was like she was trying to figure him out in the same way he'd been trying to figure her out.

Neither of them moved. The world didn't stop. People kept talking, music kept pulsing, lights kept flashing, but something in that moment felt separate from all of it.

It was like they had stepped just slightly outside of everything else. Then someone bumped into her shoulder, breaking the line between them.

She turned, instinctively, steadying herself, saying something to the person with a small smile.

And just like that, the moment was gone. Michael exhaled slowly, only then realizing he'd been holding his breath.

When she looked back, he was already gone or at least, that's what it looked like. He hadn't really left, not completely.

Across the room, half-hidden by shifting bodies and dim light, Michael found her again.

This time, he didn't pretend it was accidental.

[1dvision]

01 || First Sight

He remembers it wrong. The boys make sure of that. Calum swears it was quiet.

Not silent, nothing in their world was ever silent, but quieter than the version that gets thrown back at him now. In his memory, the music had dipped low, the lights had softened, and everything had narrowed into something small and manageable.

Just him and her.

"That's not how it happened," Luke says for what has to be the hundredth time.

Calum doesn't look up from his phone. He scrolls, aimless, pretending he isn't listening. "It is."

"It isn't," Ashton cuts in, already grinning like he's about to ruin Calum's life for fun. "You literally froze: like , full buffering, we thought you'd stopped working."

Michael snorts from the other side of the room. "I remember that. Someone could've unplugged you and you wouldn't have noticed."

Calum exhales through his nose, slow. Controlled. "I didn't freeze."

"You did," Luke says, pointing at him like this is a court case and he's just delivered the final piece of evidence. "You were holding a drink, and you didn't move for, like, a full minute."

"That's not even physically possible."

"It is when you're in love."

Calum's head snaps up. "I wasn't in love."

Three identical looks meet him, knowing, unimpressed, and far too entertained.

"Oh, sorry," Ashton says, leaning back into the couch. "You were just staring at a girl like she personally invented oxygen."

Michael adds, "Romantically. Not in love at all."

Calum throws a cushion at him. It hits Michael square in the face, which should feel more satisfying than it does.

Because they're wrong. They have to be.

He remembers it differently.

He remembers walking into the room, already half-annoyed at being dragged out, already planning how long he'd stay before making an excuse to leave. The music had been too loud, the lights too bright, people everywhere he didn't know.

It was and forgettable, until it wasn't. It hadn't been some dramatic moment: no slow-motion entrance, no spotlight either. She'd just been there.

Standing near the kitchen, talking to someone he didn't recognize, laughing at something that clearly wasn't that funny, but the kind of laugh that made you want to hear it again anyway.

Calum hadn't meant to look. That's the part he's sure about.

He hadn't meant to notice the way she tilted her head when she listened, or how she pushed her hair behind her ear like it was a habit she didn't think about. He definitely hadn't meant to keep looking.

Despite this, he had and something in his chest had gone tight: not painful, just ... unfamiliar.

It was as if you were missing a step you didn't know was there.

"Just go talk to her," Ashton had said, appearing out of nowhere like he always did when Calum needed him the least.

Calum had nearly jumped. "Don't do that."

"Do what? Encourage you to stop being weird?"

"I'm not being weird."

"You've been staring at the same spot for two minutes."

"I have not."

Ashton had followed his line of sight anyway, because of course he had. It took him about half a second.

"Oh," he said, and then, smirking, “Oh."

Calum already knew that tone. He hated that tone.

"Don't," he warned.

"I didn't say anything."

"You're about to."

"I was just going to suggest," Ashton said lightly, "that you go say hi."

Calum shook his head immediately. Too fast. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know her."

"...that's usually when you introduce yourself."

"I'm not doing that."

Ashton blinked at him. "You've talked to, like, thousands of people."

"Not like that."

There was a pause and then Ashton's expression shifted, just slightly. He was still amused, but softer now and more curious.

"Not like what?"

Calum didn't answer because he didn't have one. All he knew was that this felt different in a way he didn't have words for yet.

Like if he got it wrong, it would matter. Which was ridiculous, because she was just a girl at a party, and he was…okay he was overthinking it.

Obviously.

"Okay," Ashton said slowly, raising his hands in surrender. "Fine. Don't go talk to her."

"Thank you."

"But you are being weird."

Calum rolled his eyes, but he could feel it, something restless under his skin, something that wouldn't settle no matter how much he told himself to drop it.

He tried, for at least five full minutes, he tried.

He looked anywhere but her: talked to people, nodded at things he didn't hear, took a sip of a drink he didn't even remember getting.

And then, he looked back. It was just for a second, just to check. As a shock to him, somehow, impossibly, she was already looking at him.

That's the part he never tells the boys because they'd ruin it.

They'd turn it into something louder, messier, something to laugh at and replay and exaggerate until it didn't feel like his anymore.

But in his memory, it's quiet. It's just a glance, just a second too long.

Then she smiles. It was big nor was it obvious but it was enough to make him wonder if he imagined it. He didn't smile back right away.

That part is true. He did freeze a little but something shifted.

Something small. Something that would, apparently, follow him long after that night.

"Oi," Luke's voice cuts back in, dragging him out of it. "You're doing it again."

Calum frowns. "Doing what?"

"That thing where you go all quiet and stare into space like you're in a music video."

Michael grins. "Thinking about her?"

Calum grabs another cushion, but this time he doesn't throw it.

He just shakes his head, looking back down at his phone like there's something important there.

"Shut up."

They don't. Of course they don't but he doesn't mind as much as he pretends to.

This is because no matter how many times they get it wrong, he knows what actually happened.

He remembers the moment. He remembers her and, if he's being honest, he remembers exactly how nervous he was.

[1dvision]

00.1 || Playlist

Don’t Forget You Love Me - Calum Hood

Adore You - Harry Styles

Lemon Boy - Cavetown

Scott Street - Phoebe Bridgers

She Looks So Perfect - Five Seconds Of Summer

You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

Kiss You - One Direction

Straight To Your Heart - Ashton Irwin

Stupid For You - Waterparks

Yellow - Coldplay

Obviously - McFly

This Town - Put A Little Love On Me

Can We Dance - The Vamps

Apocalypse - Cigarettes After Sex

Cool - Michael Clifford

Angel Baby - Troye Sivan

Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

Year 3000 - Busted

Place In Me - Luke Hemmings

Lemonade - Louis Tomlinson

AA - Haiden Henderson

Heaven - Bryan Adams

[1dvision]

02 || The Second Time

The next night was worse: not because anything went wrong but because nothing happened. This, somehow, felt more frustrating.

She stood behind the counter again, same hum, same lights, same too-clean aisles stretching out in front of her like déjà vu she couldn't escape.

10:18 PM.

She kept glancing at the doors. It was stupid. She knew it was stupid. They weren't just going to come back.

Bands didn't just casually show up at the same random supermarket two nights in a row for dessert like it was some kind of tradition. Right?

Still, her eyes flicked to the entrance again. Nothing, just the reflection of the fluorescent lights on the glass.

She sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter.

"Get a grip," she muttered under her breath.

It had been one interaction: a weird, surreal, slightly too-perfect interaction, but still just one.

And yet...her brain kept replaying it. The way he'd smiled. The way he'd said *thanks*. The way it hadn't felt rushed or fake or like he was trying to be someone else.

Just... normal. She huffed softly, shaking her head. This was ridiculous.

She reached for a receipt roll that didn't need fixing just to give herself something to do. The clock ticked.

10:26 PM.

The doors stayed closed, of course they did. Behind her, the fridge hummed steadily. Her gaze drifted there again.

The tiramisu was still stocked and still untouched, well, mostly. A few missing from last night. She couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips.

"Long night," she murmured, echoing his voice from memory.

God. She needed to stop.

The automatic doors suddenly whooshed open. Her head snapped up so fast she almost gave herself whiplash.

Okay. That reaction was embarrassing. She straightened immediately, trying to recover whatever dignity she had left.

Two people walked in, not four, not them. Her shoulders dropped, just slightly.

"Hi," she said automatically as they passed.

"Hey," one of them replied, already heading toward the snacks.

She watched them go, then looked back at the clock.

10:31 PM.

Five more minutes passed. Then ten. Then fifteen.

Customers came and went in small, forgettable waves: no loud laughter and no chaotic energy.

*Whoosh.*

Her head turned again. Okay, now this was just becoming a reflex. The doors slid open.

And this time…

"Mate, I'm telling you, we should've just bought more yesterday."

Her heart *stopped.*

No. Way. She froze.

"...we didn't know we'd still want it today," another voice argued.

"Oh, we *definitely* knew," a third cut in.

And then:

Laughter.

Familiar.

Warm.

Real.

Her stomach flipped.

Slowly, very slowly, she looked up. There they were, again, all four of them. They were there as if nothing had changed.

They acted like this was normal, like they did just casually come back two nights in a row for tiramisu. Her brain couldn't decide whether to laugh or panic.

Because of this, it did neither. It just... stalled.

"See?" one of them said, heading straight for the fridge. "Told you they'd have it."

"Yeah, yeah," another muttered.

Luke lingered near the entrance for a second, glancing around the shop.

And then, his eyes found her. It was as if recognition hit instantly. Then he smiled, again.

Same as yesterday hadn't just been a random, forgettable stop, like he actually remembered her. Her heart did something dangerously close to melting.

Okay. Okay, breathe. Be normal. Be normal.

He walked over this time without hesitation, hands tucked loosely into his hoodie pocket.

"Hey," he said.

Hey. Just... hey: like they knew each other, like this wasn't insane.

She swallowed, then managed, "Hey."

Wow. Great response. 10/10. No notes.

He glanced toward the fridge where the others were already grabbing dessert again.

"Don't judge," he added, nodding in their direction.

She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms lightly. "Two nights in a row?"

He winced slightly. "Yeah, it sounds bad when you say it like that."

"It *is* bad," she said, trying, and failing, not to smile.

"Okay, but—" he leaned in slightly, lowering his voice like he was about to share something serious, "—in our defense, it's really good tiramisu."

She let out a soft laugh.

"I'm aware."

There was a brief pause. It was awkward, more comfortable, which was somehow worse. It made this feel less like a random encounter and more like something that could keep happening.

"So," she said, tilting her head slightly, "another show?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Different city tonight. We just got back."

"That's... kind of insane."

He shrugged. "You get used to it."

She studied him for a second.

"You look tired."

The words slipped out before she could stop them. His eyebrows lifted slightly, surprised, but not offended.

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little," she admitted.

He laughed softly.

"Fair."

The others approached the counter then, arms full, again, of tiramisu.

"Don't even say anything," one of them warned her playfully.

She held up her hands. "I wasn't going to."

"Liar," Luke muttered under his breath.

She nudged one of the cups closer to the scanner.

"Honestly, I'm impressed," she said. "This is commitment."

"It's dedication," one of them corrected.

"It's a problem," another added.

"Hey—"

She laughed, shaking her head as she started scanning.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Her fingers moved automatically, but her mind was very aware of the way Luke leaned casually against the counter, watching her like he had nowhere else to be.

Which... he probably didn't, at least not right now.

"You always work this late?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Someone has to keep the tiramisu stocked."

"That's a very important job."

"It is," she nodded seriously. "Clearly."

He smiled again. God, that smile was going to be a problem. She handed over the receipt.

"Try not to come back tomorrow," she said lightly.

One of the others gasped dramatically. "You're kicking us out now?"

"I'm setting boundaries," she shot back.

Luke laughed under his breath.

"We'll try," he said.

Try. Not we won't. Just... we'll try. That did something to her chest she chose not to examine too closely.

They started to leave again, same as last nigh: laughter, noise, energy spilling out with them.

Except this time, right before he stepped ou, Luke paused, turned back.

"Hey," he said again.

She looked up.

"Yeah?"

He hesitated, just slightly. Then

"See you around."

Not bye. Not thanks. See you around. Her heart skipped.

"...yeah," she said softly. "Maybe."

The doors closed behind them. Silence returned, but it didn't feel the same anymore.

She stared at the entrance for a long moment. Then she looked at the clock.

10:52 PM.

And for the first time, she found herself hoping tomorrow night wouldn't be quiet either.

[1dvision]

03 || The Boy With The Guitar

By lunchtime, the whiteboard in the music room looked like chaos: crossed-out band names, question marks, random lyrics, a badly drawn lightning bolt that Bonnie insisted "added energy" to the whole thing.

Tom stood back, arms folded, staring at it like it might suddenly organise itself into something brilliant.

"It's not... great," he admitted.

"It's not meant to be great yet," Bonnie said, sitting cross-legged on one of the tables. "It's meant to be a start."

Tom sighed. "I just thought it would feel more... official."

"You wrote 'Laser Chickens' as a band name."

"It was a joke."

"You underlined it twice."

Before Tom could defend himself, the door creaked open. Both of them turned.

A boy stepped in, guitar slung over his shoulder, hair slightly messy like he hadn't quite decided what to do with it yet. He paused when he saw them, like he hadn't expected anyone else to be there.

"Uh—sorry," he said. "Didn't know this was taken."

"It's not," Tom said quickly. "We were just—"

He stopped. What were they even doing?

Bonnie, of course, had no such hesitation.

"Starting a band," she said, like it was already a fact.

Tom shot her a look.

The boy blinked. "Oh."

There was a small pause.

Then he nodded toward the whiteboard. "That explains... that."

Bonnie beamed. "Exactly."

Tom rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not— I mean, it *is*, but it's early stages. Very early."

"Clearly," the boy said, eyeing "Laser Chickens" with a grin.

Tom laughed, a bit embarrassed. "Ignore that one."

"I kind of like it."

"You're the only one."

There was another pause, but this one felt different: less awkward and more curious.

The boy shifted his guitar slightly. "You actually serious about it?"

Tom hesitated for half a second.

Then, "Yeah."

The answer surprised even him but once it was out there, it felt right. The boy nodded slowly, like he was weighing something up.

"Cool," he said. "I'm Danny."

Tom straightened slightly. "Tom."

"Bonnie," she added, giving a small wave.

Danny glanced between them, then back at the whiteboard. "So... what kind of music?"

Tom didn't even have to think about it.

"Guitars," he said. "Catchy. Stuff people actually want to listen to. Not... boring."

Danny grinned. "Good. I hate boring."

Bonnie watched the exchange carefully, like she was witnessing something click into place.

"Do you play?" she asked, even though the guitar made the answer obvious.

Danny lifted it slightly. "Bit, yeah."

"Play something then," she said.

Tom blinked. "Bon—"

But Danny just shrugged.

"Alright."

He stepped further into the room, adjusting the strap over his shoulder. Without much fuss, he started playing.

It wasn't perfect. It wasn't polished either, but it had *energy*.

The kind that made you look up without realising you'd done it. Tom did exactly that. Something sparked.

Not just admiration, recognition, as if hearing a sound and immediately knowing it could fit with yours.

Danny finished with a small shrug. "Bit rough."

Tom shook his head. "No, that was—"

He stopped, searching for the right word.

"—good," he settled on.

Danny smirked. "High praise."

"I mean it," Tom said. "It's got... something."

Bonnie smiled to herself. There it was. That *something* again.

The same feeling from yesterday, just louder now.

"So," Danny said, glancing at the board again. "You actually need people?"

Tom looked at him. Really looked this time.

Guitar. Confidence. That easy, slightly chaotic energy. Possibility.

"Yeah," Tom said slowly. "We do."

Danny nodded once.

"Alright then."

Another pause.

Then

"I'm in. If you'll have me."

Tom blinked. Just like that?

He glanced at Bonnie and she was already grinning.

"I think," she said, "that would be a very good idea."

Tom looked back at Danny. A small smile spread across his face.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, okay. You're in."

And just like that, the idea got louder, not just a band anymore, a beginning.

Bonnie hopped off the table and grabbed the marker again, dramatically scribbling on the board:

**BAND:

Tom

Danny**

She stepped back, admiring it like a masterpiece.

Tom laughed. "We've got two people."

"Every great band starts somewhere," she said.

Danny nodded toward the board. "Still keeping Laser Chickens as a backup?"

"Absolutely not," Tom said quickly.

Bonnie tilted her head. "We'll revisit it."

"No, we won't."

Danny grinned. "I think we should."

The three of them laughed, the sound filling the room, echoing off the walls and instruments and everything that hadn't happened yet.

Outside, the bell rang again. Inside, something had officially begun.

And this time

it didn't sound like "no."

[1dvision]

00.1 || Playlist

She Looks So Perfect - Five Seconds Of Summer

Star Girl - McFly

Sensitive Guy - McBusted

Nothing - Niall Horan

Invincible - MGK

Gotta Be You - One Direction

3AM - Busted

Wasted Love - JJ Pietsch

Change - Louis Tomlinson

Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding

Sign Of The Times - Harry Styles

The Show Must Go On - Queen

Beauty And A Beat - Justin Bieber

The Night Is Still Young - Nicki Minaj

Rush - Troye Sivan

Love Story - Indila

Meet Me Halfway - Black Eyed Peas

Rock DJ - Robbie Williams

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

Windows Down - Big Time Rush

Replay - Iyaz

Immortals - Fall Out Boy

Livin On A Prayer - Bon Jovi

Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis