Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. Groaning I rolled over and glanced through the total darkness of my room to spot my phone perfectly lit up and blurry in my tired vision. I sighed and reached out for the phone, cursing as I knocked over a bottle of water which tumbled to my wood floor. Finally my fingers grasped my phone and I pulled it closer to my face so that I could see. Instantly Liz's face popped up on my screen. Sighing I clicked the answer button and pulled the phone to my ear. “Liz......it's.....” I glanced over at the alarm clock on the night stand. “Four in the morning.....what the hell?” Her chipper voice took over my ear and I closed my eyes laying back on my pillow. I'd only been asleep a couple of hours from yesterday's schedule. “You have a flight in one hour, Chels. Tour starts tomorrow and you have an interview today on The Ellen Show at 10. So that leaves one hour to go to the hotel in Los Angeles, change, and then get to Burbank in time! So get your ass up and get ready!” My phone beeped signifying she'd hung up and I groaned loudly even though there was no one around to hear it.

I took about five more minutes before heaving myself out of bed and turning on my bedroom light. I blinked profusely against the harsh light before I walked to my bathroom. I took a quick shower before drying my hair. I thought about doing something with it but it was pointless, the second I showed up I'd be sent to hair and make-up so anything I did was going to be replaced. I opted to put my hair up into a messy bun and walked out in my bra and underwear. My apartment in Vancouver was forever being watched by paparazzi so the curtains and blinds were always drawn. I'd learned that lesson the hard way my first week in my own place when I thought for sure no one could see me after I took a shower, and the next day a picture of me in my underwear was displayed proudly on the front cover of a magazine for the world to see. I rubbed my tired eyes as I grabbed a plain white tank top, a blue and black plaid shirt, and a pair of skinny jeans. I tugged the outfit on and grabbed my worn pair of black converse. I leaned against the door frame of the closet as I pulled on my shoes and tied them. My phone began buzzing with a text message and I walked over slowly, sidestepping the suitcases all packed and ready to go.

Liz: The driver will be there in 10 minutes, be ready to go.

I sent a quick replying saying I would be before I tossed my phone on the bed. I walked out of my room and down the spiral staircase into my kitchen. I opened the cabinets and grabbed a granola bar to eat on the way to the airport and glanced around my apartment. It seemed like yesterday I'd gotten back from the Glamour Kills tour with Gwen. It was our third worldwide tour and it had been bigger and better than I could have ever imagined. Ever since then I'd been on the go. I had been working on the new album and it would be ready and out by the time this Musicfest tour was over. Gwen and I had both been pushing ourselves past the point of insanity for it to be perfect. I was nervous about appearing on Ellen tomorrow but it was invigorating. I was constantly reminded that it wasn't all that long ago that I was hoping and praying for something like this. The entire time I was in school I felt out of place, as if I wasn't meant for any of the jobs the other kids wanted. I had never had another dream but to be a singer.

When the fans met me they were always surprised to find that I was normal, just like them. I worried and had insecurities. I had been scared to do the tour because it was such an honor to be playing in Musicfest with all of the biggest artists in the business. I had been signed when I was only 16 years old, and even five years later the fame and shows still got to me. This was why I was so thankful for Gwen. Although I'm considered a solo artist it's always comforting to know that my best friend can come on tours with me. Always there when I need her and even when I don't. It was humbling when she agreed to come on tour with me. She was normally a photographer and a really great one at that, she'd done a lot of my earlier pictures. But she was her own boss which was great to know she could just take a year off of work to come tour the world with me. She'd been on every tour I had and had kept me sane. I had been on 5 tours so far and the Glamour Kills tour had been filmed and made into a movie. The feedback had been positive as the fans realized that I truly was a normal human being. I laughed, I cried, I needed a best friend and family to keep me grounded just as anyone else would.

Four quick knocks on my front door jarred me from my thoughts and brought me back to my kitchen and half-eaten granola bar. I walked quickly down the hall and glanced through the door's peep hole before opening the door with a smile. “Hey Tom.” He gave me a nod before walking in the second I stepped aside for him. Tom was my driver, since apparently famous people can barely be trusted to drive their own cars. “Bags are upstairs, I'll grab my outfit for Ellen.” We walked up the stairs as he began to heave the heavy suitcases back downstairs and I grabbed the clothing bag with my clothes for the Ellen show. I went down the stairs and waited on the couch for Tom to load up the car. Once he was ready he came back in and I stood up. “You ready, Ms. Maxwell?” I smiled and took one final glance around my apartment. “As I'll ever be.” He gave me a knowing smile before I yanked up my bag and he led me out the door and down the steps.

Although we'd been very hush hush about the plans regarding the tour, even at 4:25 in the morning the flashes of the paparazzi still blinded me as I rushed to get myself situated in the car. The flashes continued and I had no doubt there would be more at the airport waiting. The drive was quick and my feelings of nerves from earlier were only intensified as I saw more than 10 photographers waiting at the airport. I was rushed out of the car and into the building where I would board a private jet that would take me to LAX. Getting on the plane was the hectic part, but once there I could relax. I pulled out my iPhone out and turned on the camera. After the movie was such a success Liz had me start doing video diaries that the fans could follow to know what was going on. I smiled and turned on the camera. “Hey guys! I'm on the jet on my way to LA as we speak! I'll be on the Ellen show today if you tune in around 4! I'll be talking about tomorrow's start of Musicfest and a whole bunch more! I love you guys so much and I hope to see you on the road! Bye!” I waved and then stopped the video before uploading it to my blog site. I settled back in my seat after that, turning on my iPod and laying back to close my eyes.

I awoke abruptly as the plane shuddered before realizing we had just landed. The shudder had been the breaks fully stopping the plane. I sighed and pulled out my headphones just as Liz appeared on the plane. “Good morning sunshine, and welcome back to LA! Let's get a move on!” I smiled and stood up grabbing my bag up before following her. The second I stepped off the jet the camera flashes started. I covered my face and moved quickly to the car. I kept my head down as they loaded up and we shot off to the hotel. Once there I was (as I had suspected) greeted with hair and make-up who quickly got to work. My nails were painted, hair styled, make-up applied, and given all the cool accessories for my outfit. I then quickly slipped into my dress and smiled at myself in the mirror. The outfitwas perfectly me. It was simple yet elegant and I loved it.

Once done I shot Gwen a text saying I had arrived safely and couldn't wait for her to get here. She was to arrive later that night after 7 and we had planned on going out to the Musicfest kick off party which allowed the artists to meet each other and connect before the tour began. Musicfest was every artists dream. It brought all different kinds of genres together and allowed the fans a one of a kind experience. We were staying in each city for two days and having two shows. Half the artists in one night, and the other half the next. You could purchase tickets for the whole event or the artists you liked. It was super exciting and I couldn't wait to start. My shows were in the evenings which was huge because they always saved the bigger, more popular acts for the nighttime. The rest of the morning blurred together as I was moved around, primped, and then whisked away on my journey to Burbank. We arrived at the Ellen show moments before I was about to make an appearance and had to practically run through the studio in heels. I stood backstage and took deep breaths hearing Ellen joking with the studio audience. When it finally quieted down Ellen then gave my cue. “Our next guest has quickly become one of the hottest stars in music today! Please welcome Chelsea Maxwell.” I smiled and walked out quickly to Jessie J's Domino.

Once the music stopped we hugged and I sat down. She grinned at me and motioned towards me. “It's been awhile since we've seen each other!” I laughed and nodded quickly smoothing my dress out slightly. “Yes it has been! I was 16 the last time I was here! Just had my first record come out!” She was nodding in agreement and then smiled. “A lot's changed since then! You've had another record come out and now you're working on the 3rd right now, right?” I nodded and settled back into the chair. “And tomorrow you start Musicfest! How do you feel about that?!” I laughed and leaned forward slightly and glanced over at the audience. “I'm really,really excited about it. I'm excited to get to know the bands and get to meet more fans! We'll be doing meet and greets while the other bands perform and it'll be really great to visit all these exotic places again!” The audience began clapping and Ellen smiled. “Of course! And your career is at an all time high! I've been seeing you in the magazines a lot and your songs have gone to number one numerous times! What's it like looking back at all this success?”

“It's truly crazy to me that I'm here. I mean, I have always dreamed of this but I never imagined it would be this big! I love my fans so much for all that they do and their dedication, without them I'd be no where. I'm really soaking it all in and getting my hands on everything I can. I try to be as involved with my shows and fans as I can be and it's truly rewarding when I get to see thousands of screaming fans excited to see me. It's humbling to know that I have thousands of people rooting me on and hoping to see me succeed! It's why I'm so excited for this tour because last tour it was really fast paced and I didn't get as much fan-time as I usually do. I barely had days off so it's nice to get those days off and to be able to take a breather and enjoy time. The meet and greets will be interesting!” Ellen got a mischievous look on her face and I could practically see where this was headed.

“So tell me about the guy in your life.” I laughed and the audience did as well. “Well right now there isn't one! I'm focusing on myself and my music, but if the right guy comes along I'll gladly open up my heart a little farther. Right now I'm just happy with myself.” Ellen smiled and nodded. “That's a great attitude to have! You're a brilliantly talented girl with an amazing personality, you'll find the right guy soon! I'm sure of it!” We small-talked for a couple more minutes and then it was done. She thanked me for coming and I told her I was more than happy to and then I was whisked back to the hotel. I spent the rest of the day relaxing by the hotel pool, ignoring paparazzi, and eating lunch.

Later that evening I got a text from Gwen saying she was on her way and I got really excited. I was excited because it'd been a couple weeks since I'd seen her with how busy I'd been and we were about to go out to one of LA's hottest clubs. The opening party for Musicfest was actually allowing fans to party with us for the night, so there would be a lot of fun. I tried to wait patiently but ended up pacing the room until there was a knock at the door. I ran over and threw it open carelessly and engulfed Gwen in a hug as she laughed hysterically. She hugged me back tightly and I dragged her into my room. “You're late! The party starts in an hour!” She laughed and we quickly got to work after telling each other how much we missed each other and how excited we were about this tour.

We got ready quickly and smiled at each other when we were done. Myoutfit was completely casual, while Gwen had gone for drop dead sexy in a tight fitting dress. After being ready we left with our driver and arrived at the club 30 minutes late when the party was in full swing. We got out and the flashes were blinding. Fans were screaming at the top of their lungs and there was a red carpet leading up to the club's entrance where several bouncers stood holding back the frantic crowd. As I walked down the carpet I took pictures with fans and signed a ton of autographs. I waved and then Gwen pulled me impatiently through the club doors where we were greeted with bass that rocked our bodies straight through to the bone. We headed straight for the bar and began socializing. The Musicfest crowd was a wide array and I was excited to meet each artist, some for the first time, and others again. We began shaking hands, hugging those people we had already met, and talking excitedly and loudly over the music.

Someone grabbed my arm and I turned around quickly and smiled. “Harry, love!” He grinned at me and pulled me into a tight hug. After we pulled away I noticed the other boys of One Direction whom I'd never met. I'd met Harry a couple years ago at the MTV Movie Awards. “It's great to see you, Chelsea! I was excited when I heard you'd signed on for Musicfest!” I laughed because he hadn't bothered to introduce the rest of the boys. “Hell yeah! I'm always in for a good time! You gonna introduce me to the rest of your boy band or do I have to?” He chuckled and named them off quickly. “Chelsea, this is Zayn, Liam, Louis, and Niall. Guys, thisfabulous creature is Chelsea.” I blushed slightly and nudged him with my shoulder. “Oh, stop! You're such a flirt!” We talked for a couple of minutes as the other guys drifted away to do their own thing. All except the one he'd called Niall. He was smiling shyly at me and finally Harry got pulled away.

I smiled at him and pointed towards the bar. “Want a drink?” He let out a laugh and shook his head. “No. I'm good.” I smiled and grabbed his wrist gently pulling him to the bar and ordering two beers. I knew he wasn't 21 yet, but the bartender was too busy to even notice. I handed him a beer and smiled confidently at him raising my glass slightly. “To having a good damn time this summer!” He smiled and raised his glass letting it connect with mine before we both took a long drink. When I pulled the bottle away from my lips I noticed Niall was about to say something. I waited but was then tapped on the shoulder. His mouth closed quickly as I turned around and saw two girls in their late 20's. “Can we get a picture with you?” I grinned and nodded. “Sure thing!” They looked over at Niall and blushed. “Would you mind.....taking the picture?” He smiled and took the camera as I casually threw my arms around the girl's shoulders. We all smiled real big and then Niall took the picture. Afterwords I mouthed a sorry to him about the interruption as the girl's began talking my ear off about how excited they were. He gave me the cutest smile as he leaned against the bar. In all the chaos we got separated and I didn't see him for the rest of the night. When 2 am rolled around I headed back to the hotel, but as I lay down trying to fall asleep Niall's face kept pushing itself into my mind.

Notes

Hope you guys enjoy! I also have this story up on Mibba! Let me know what you think, please and thank you! -Caity