In a Heartbeat
Ellen DeGeneres
Harry's POV
"Hurry up or we're going to be late!" Paul shouted. We were being interviewed by Ellen DeGeneres today, and we were waiting backstage at the studio. Melody would be watching from the audience along with her family. She had been freaking out that morning, trying to figure out what the heck she should wear. I personally thought that jeans and a T-shirt would have done just fine, but she nearly took my head off when I said that.
Girls.
"They're huggable! They're kissable! Ladies and gentlemen, they're One Direction!" Ellen said. Paul shoved us out onstage. Louis, who was to be act calm and professional today, ran so fast you could hardle see him and launched himself onto the couch, landing on his bum, then bouncing off and landing on the floor.
This caused the audience to laugh, and the rest of us could hardly contain our laughter. I could see Paul now, shaking his head at Louis' shenanigans.
The lads and I sat down on the couch, and even though there was an empty spot on the couch next to me, Louis came and sat on my lap. I shoved him off me and grinned at the audience. Or, well, more like Melody. But she was in the audience, so I was grinning at the audience. Your argument is invalid.
"So, boys, you recently had an impromptu concert at the Fargodome in North Dakota," Ellen said, turning toward us. "What was that all about?"
"I think Harry can explain that one," Liam said, grinning over at me. Scratch that. More like smirking.
I blushed and looked down at my shoes. "I, um, I crashed into someone after our plane malfunctioned. I was walking by Scheels, I think it's called, and there was a girl who was walking backwards, eating gummy worms. She slipped on ice and I tried to catch her, but I fell, too," I said sheepishly, looking back up at Ellen. "I didn't have a clue who she was, so I brought her back to where we were staying in a shopping cart."
This caused another round of laughter from the audience. "That still doesn't answer my question, though," Ellen said. "Why hold a concert on such short notice?"
"We got bored," I answered.
"Okay then. I'll give up on that question," she said, throwing an index card behind her. "At your concert, you had some problems with your instrumentalists, didn't you?"
"Yeah, we did, actually. Our pianist broke his leg when he fell down some stairs backstage and our guitarist got sick," Zayn said. "But our new friend helped out and got one of her friends to come be our replacement pianist."
"Tristan Scott, am I correct?"
"Yes. He's the one who played piano for the second half of the concert," Niall answered.
"And Melody Musikk, right?"
"Yeah. She's the one who fell," I answered. "She's rather clumsy, but is pretty good at gymnastics."
"We have a clip of your concert here," Ellen said. The video played on the TV monitors. It was the part where we introduced Melody and Tristan to the audience. When it was done, Ellen spoke again. "Okay, so the video isn't the best, but it's all we got. Tell us more about Melody, if you will."
"She has this HUGE music room in her basement and it has a TON of instruments. Violins, guitars, drums, ukuleles, mandolins, microphones, a grand piano, a keyboard piano--" Louis launched into a list of all the instruments, but we stopped him.
"And she has a recording studio in her basement, too," Liam piped up, cutting Louis off. "I haven't seen it yet, but from what I hear, it's pretty impressive."
"She makes good cake!" Niall piped up.
"Her kitchen is hard to clean," Zayn added.
"She's a really good singer," I said, staring at Melody. She looked down as if she were going to blush, but didn't. I turned my attention back to Ellen.
"Wow," Ellen said, leaning back in her chair. "Now, you boys were recently spotted at the West Acres shopping mall with a girl. Who was that?"
I grinned. "That was Melody," I said, looking at her briefly before turning my attention back to Ellen.
"She's actually in the audience today!" Niall said. I heard Melody make a noise, and I looked over at her, then at the monitor. The camera was trained on her face, and her eyes were wide in surprise.
"Do you think she'll come up here if we ask?" Ellen said, looking at Melody. Mel shook her head.
"Come on, Mel!" Louis said, getting up from his spot on the couch. He went out into the audience - thank God she was in the front row - and picked her up, carrying her back onstage over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Melody lifted her head and grinned at Ellen. "Hi! This is uncomfortable!" she said, waving. "Louis! Put me down!"
Louis did as he was told and threw her onto my lap before taking his seat next to me. Melody slid off my lap and onto the floor.
"Did you want a chair?" Ellen asked. Melody shook her head, grinning.
"No, but I would like a stick. That's not going to happen though, so I'll beat him with a tree later," she said, giving Louis the death glare, causing the audience to laugh.
"So, Melody, you performed onstage with One Direction. What was that like?" Ellen asked Melody.
Melody's POV
"So, Melody, you performed onstage with One Direction. What was that like?" Ellen asked, looking at me.
"Um... kinda scary, I guess. I've never really performed in front of that many people before. I know I was in the background, but it was still pretty nerve-wracking," I said. "I'm more used to performing in front of a few kids in hospitals, not in front of people older than me for the world's most famous boyband."
"Kids in hospitals?"
Shit.
"Um... yeah," I answered. "My brother was in the hospital for a long time, and we used to perform for them when he was feeling well enough to go out."
"Why was he in the hospital?" Ellen asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Because he gave birth to a cat," I said sarcastically. "Why else would he be in a hospital?"
Ellen and the audience laughed. "Okay, so why was he really in the hospital?"
I looked down at my hands in my lap. "I don't want to talk about it. He got better though. That's all I'm going to say." I could feel the tears threatening to escape.
The interview continued for what seemed like forever, but apparently was only ten minutes. I jumped when I felt Harry knee me in the back. My head jerked up. Thank God we were at commercial break now, because I turned around and stuck my tounge out at Harry.
"Melody?" Ellen said.
"Hm?" I asked, turning around to face her.
"While you were off in la-la land, the boys kept telling me about great your voice is," she said, gesturing toward the boys.
"Oh, well, I'm not that good," I said, then furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "How would they know? Harry's the only one that's heard me sing!"
"We've heard you sing," Liam said.
"How? I've never even hummed around you. Have I?"
"Um...." Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "No, you haven't. I found a CD and was listening to it. They heard it, too."
I glared at him. "I thought I locked the studio door!"
"You did. I was exploring the house and I think I found Will's room," Niall said. "I found a CD on the floor and I gave it to Harry to give it to you so I wouldn't misplace it or something."
"And you listened to it?!" I shouted. "That's private stuff!"
"It didn't have a label on it so I put it in my laptop to see if there was anything on it and it just started playing!" he said defensively, putting his hands in the air.
"Okay, we're going to have to get you guys offstage now so Ellen can continue the show, so if you can move it backstage, that would be very nice," a balding man said, shoving us all backstage. I could hear the countdown until the show started up again, then Ellen introduced someone else and all you could hear is clapping. I sat down on the floor.
"You're going to play a song when we go on, okay? We'll introduce you and you sing something, okay? One of your own songs. And play an instrument," Niall said.
"What?!" I whisper-shouted. "You can't expect me to go up there and just play something!"
"You can do it, Mel. Just pretend like you're in your music room alone," Harry said, crouching down beside me and putting his hand on my shoulder. "Don't think. Just do."
I looked up at him. "Just give me a guitar."
"Hurry up or we're going to be late!" Paul shouted. We were being interviewed by Ellen DeGeneres today, and we were waiting backstage at the studio. Melody would be watching from the audience along with her family. She had been freaking out that morning, trying to figure out what the heck she should wear. I personally thought that jeans and a T-shirt would have done just fine, but she nearly took my head off when I said that.
Girls.
"They're huggable! They're kissable! Ladies and gentlemen, they're One Direction!" Ellen said. Paul shoved us out onstage. Louis, who was to be act calm and professional today, ran so fast you could hardle see him and launched himself onto the couch, landing on his bum, then bouncing off and landing on the floor.
This caused the audience to laugh, and the rest of us could hardly contain our laughter. I could see Paul now, shaking his head at Louis' shenanigans.
The lads and I sat down on the couch, and even though there was an empty spot on the couch next to me, Louis came and sat on my lap. I shoved him off me and grinned at the audience. Or, well, more like Melody. But she was in the audience, so I was grinning at the audience. Your argument is invalid.
"So, boys, you recently had an impromptu concert at the Fargodome in North Dakota," Ellen said, turning toward us. "What was that all about?"
"I think Harry can explain that one," Liam said, grinning over at me. Scratch that. More like smirking.
I blushed and looked down at my shoes. "I, um, I crashed into someone after our plane malfunctioned. I was walking by Scheels, I think it's called, and there was a girl who was walking backwards, eating gummy worms. She slipped on ice and I tried to catch her, but I fell, too," I said sheepishly, looking back up at Ellen. "I didn't have a clue who she was, so I brought her back to where we were staying in a shopping cart."
This caused another round of laughter from the audience. "That still doesn't answer my question, though," Ellen said. "Why hold a concert on such short notice?"
"We got bored," I answered.
"Okay then. I'll give up on that question," she said, throwing an index card behind her. "At your concert, you had some problems with your instrumentalists, didn't you?"
"Yeah, we did, actually. Our pianist broke his leg when he fell down some stairs backstage and our guitarist got sick," Zayn said. "But our new friend helped out and got one of her friends to come be our replacement pianist."
"Tristan Scott, am I correct?"
"Yes. He's the one who played piano for the second half of the concert," Niall answered.
"And Melody Musikk, right?"
"Yeah. She's the one who fell," I answered. "She's rather clumsy, but is pretty good at gymnastics."
"We have a clip of your concert here," Ellen said. The video played on the TV monitors. It was the part where we introduced Melody and Tristan to the audience. When it was done, Ellen spoke again. "Okay, so the video isn't the best, but it's all we got. Tell us more about Melody, if you will."
"She has this HUGE music room in her basement and it has a TON of instruments. Violins, guitars, drums, ukuleles, mandolins, microphones, a grand piano, a keyboard piano--" Louis launched into a list of all the instruments, but we stopped him.
"And she has a recording studio in her basement, too," Liam piped up, cutting Louis off. "I haven't seen it yet, but from what I hear, it's pretty impressive."
"She makes good cake!" Niall piped up.
"Her kitchen is hard to clean," Zayn added.
"She's a really good singer," I said, staring at Melody. She looked down as if she were going to blush, but didn't. I turned my attention back to Ellen.
"Wow," Ellen said, leaning back in her chair. "Now, you boys were recently spotted at the West Acres shopping mall with a girl. Who was that?"
I grinned. "That was Melody," I said, looking at her briefly before turning my attention back to Ellen.
"She's actually in the audience today!" Niall said. I heard Melody make a noise, and I looked over at her, then at the monitor. The camera was trained on her face, and her eyes were wide in surprise.
"Do you think she'll come up here if we ask?" Ellen said, looking at Melody. Mel shook her head.
"Come on, Mel!" Louis said, getting up from his spot on the couch. He went out into the audience - thank God she was in the front row - and picked her up, carrying her back onstage over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Melody lifted her head and grinned at Ellen. "Hi! This is uncomfortable!" she said, waving. "Louis! Put me down!"
Louis did as he was told and threw her onto my lap before taking his seat next to me. Melody slid off my lap and onto the floor.
"Did you want a chair?" Ellen asked. Melody shook her head, grinning.
"No, but I would like a stick. That's not going to happen though, so I'll beat him with a tree later," she said, giving Louis the death glare, causing the audience to laugh.
"So, Melody, you performed onstage with One Direction. What was that like?" Ellen asked Melody.
Melody's POV
"So, Melody, you performed onstage with One Direction. What was that like?" Ellen asked, looking at me.
"Um... kinda scary, I guess. I've never really performed in front of that many people before. I know I was in the background, but it was still pretty nerve-wracking," I said. "I'm more used to performing in front of a few kids in hospitals, not in front of people older than me for the world's most famous boyband."
"Kids in hospitals?"
Shit.
"Um... yeah," I answered. "My brother was in the hospital for a long time, and we used to perform for them when he was feeling well enough to go out."
"Why was he in the hospital?" Ellen asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Because he gave birth to a cat," I said sarcastically. "Why else would he be in a hospital?"
Ellen and the audience laughed. "Okay, so why was he really in the hospital?"
I looked down at my hands in my lap. "I don't want to talk about it. He got better though. That's all I'm going to say." I could feel the tears threatening to escape.
The interview continued for what seemed like forever, but apparently was only ten minutes. I jumped when I felt Harry knee me in the back. My head jerked up. Thank God we were at commercial break now, because I turned around and stuck my tounge out at Harry.
"Melody?" Ellen said.
"Hm?" I asked, turning around to face her.
"While you were off in la-la land, the boys kept telling me about great your voice is," she said, gesturing toward the boys.
"Oh, well, I'm not that good," I said, then furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "How would they know? Harry's the only one that's heard me sing!"
"We've heard you sing," Liam said.
"How? I've never even hummed around you. Have I?"
"Um...." Harry said, rubbing the back of his neck. "No, you haven't. I found a CD and was listening to it. They heard it, too."
I glared at him. "I thought I locked the studio door!"
"You did. I was exploring the house and I think I found Will's room," Niall said. "I found a CD on the floor and I gave it to Harry to give it to you so I wouldn't misplace it or something."
"And you listened to it?!" I shouted. "That's private stuff!"
"It didn't have a label on it so I put it in my laptop to see if there was anything on it and it just started playing!" he said defensively, putting his hands in the air.
"Okay, we're going to have to get you guys offstage now so Ellen can continue the show, so if you can move it backstage, that would be very nice," a balding man said, shoving us all backstage. I could hear the countdown until the show started up again, then Ellen introduced someone else and all you could hear is clapping. I sat down on the floor.
"You're going to play a song when we go on, okay? We'll introduce you and you sing something, okay? One of your own songs. And play an instrument," Niall said.
"What?!" I whisper-shouted. "You can't expect me to go up there and just play something!"
"You can do it, Mel. Just pretend like you're in your music room alone," Harry said, crouching down beside me and putting his hand on my shoulder. "Don't think. Just do."
I looked up at him. "Just give me a guitar."
Notes
What Melody's wearing:
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I'M SO EXCITED I HAVE BIG NEWS BUT I WON'T POST IT UNTIL IT'S FOR SURE AND I'VE TOLD MY FRIENDS!!!!! BUT IT'S HUGE!!!!!!!
HEY. Your official-unofficial announcements sadden me. No promises or not, I really, really, really, really, really, really, REALLY hope you decide to eventually continue. I won't even be mad if you do a rewrite but dude, you gotta do something. I WILL DIE IF THIS STORY DOES NOT CONTINUE.
5/2/16