On a Friday afternoon I was coming home to my parents for the weekend. I live in a student hostel and usually spend the weekends at my parents' place.
When I arrived there, my popmagazine Hitkrant had just arrived. I curiously turned over the leaves, when I suddenly saw a page about the Backstreet Boys. You could win a meet-and-greet with them when they would come to the Netherlands for a concert!
I read the article attentive and saw that you only had to send a note with your personal information, and the reason why you wanted to meet them. You didn't even have to answer a couple of difficult questions! I was sure everybody would give it a try, so the real fans like me wouldn't stand a chance.
All the same I decided to give it a try. I spended a little time thinking hard what I would write in the letter and the reason why I wanted to meet them.
I quickly took my bike and went to the pillarbox before it was emptied. Maybe it would help if my letter was one of the first to arrive.
I didn't dare to hope that I would win, there were so many people who would join the competition�.
All the same my whole weekend was good, I would buy tickets for the concert anyhow as soon as possible. Than I could look forward to that concert for months.
Chapter 2
A couple of months later.
It's Monday afternoon, I just did some shopping and walk up the stairs to my appartment. I'm looking for my keys and hear the phone ringing. Shit, where are my keys. Thank goodness, I found them, I quickly open the door and run to the phone. Is there never anyone of my roommates who can answer the phone?
"This is Rachel." Thank goodness, the phone hasn't been hang up yet, I get an answer.
"This is Tanja from the Hitkrant. Is it right that you joined in the competition to win a meet-and-greet?"
My heart stops beating for a few seconds and I'm suddenly bathed in sweat.
"Yes, that's true, for the Backstreet Boys," I answer while I'm shaking on my legs. I can't have won, can I?
"That's good, than I'm speaking to the right person. I've tried to call you before. I've got some great news for you: you've won," I hear the woman at the phone saying.
My legs collapse underneath me, I sit down on the couch.
"You can't be serious. I won a meet-and-greet with the Backstreet Boys?" I ask her out of breath.
"Yes, it's completely true, I'm not kidding. I can read aloud the letter that you sent to us, so you know it's real," I hear her saying, laughing a little.
"No, no, that's not necessary, I just need some time to realize it. Jee, I'm going to talk with the Backstreet Boys? I'll be grateful for ever. Do I have to do an interview with them to thank you or anything?" I ask while I'm regaining conciousness a little.
"No, I can do an interview with them myself. I won't let that chance go away. I'm going to do the interview first, then I introduce you to them, and then you can spend the rest of the day with them. The day ends with the concert, where you can stand in the front row," Tanja tells me.
It's unbelievable, a whole day! And also the front row at the concert! Normally you've got to be waiting at the entrance for a whole day to be one of the first.
"This is too crazy for words. I never thought I would win, and than I win, and I can be with them a whole day, and than I can stand in the front row at the concert in the evening. It's soooo great. I don't know what to say," I talk on and on.
"Wow, stop, you're saying enough. I can hear you're very happy with it. A week before it's happening we'll call you again to tell where and when you'll have to come. Have a nice day!"
"This'll certainly be a nice day. Thanks a lot. Bye!"
Really happy I hang up the phone. This is sooo crazy. What am I going to do now? Shit, there's nobody home to tell it to. Oh, first I'll put away my groceries. After that I'll call some friends. I hope they'll answer the phone. I think everybody's working now. I have to work this evening too. I'll stand there behind the counter with a big smile�.
Chapter 3
Monday afternoon, ten days before the big day.
I'm really busy with analysing data on my computer for my researchproject. The phone rings. Shit, the work was going really well, I hope it's not for me. Still I'll answer the phone.
"This is Rachel."
"Hi, this is Tanja, from the Hitkrant. I've talked to you a couple of months ago, about the meet-and-greet."
"With the Backstreet Boys, yes, I know. It's very nice that you call me. I'm really looking forward to it. We have to make an appointment?" I say, immediately enthusiastic again.
"Yes, that's what I'm calling about. It's all happening on Thursday next week. At nine o'clock in the morning I'll do the interview when they're having breakfast. I'll introduce you to them right after that, so you'll have to be there at nine. You can listen to the interview if you want to, there are lots of other people around also. When the interview is over, I'll leave you alone with the Boys. And than it's up to you what you're going to do. I heard that they like shopping, so that won't be a problem in Amsterdam."
She tells me exactly where and when I have to be and I write everything down with my hands shaking.
"Are there any things that I can't ask them, or anything they don't want to talk about?" I ask her to be sure.
"No, you've got my permission to ask them anything you want. You'll see it yourself when they don't want to answer. They're really kind, so don't worry about that. I'll see you next week!"
"Yes, see you than. Bye!"
"Bye."
I hang up the phone and slowly walk back to my room.
That day is coming near. What shall I ask them? I'm sure they've had many meet-and-greets, with all the same questions. I hope they'll like me. I hope my face won't be covered with pimples, because of my nerves.
What shall I wear?
Shall I take my camera with me, or is that stupid? No, it's stupid if I don't take it with me. I'm really going to meet them! I'm going to see the person that I've been dreaming of for a long time!
What if they're disappointing? No, that won't happen, they're fantastic! My thoughts are racing through my head. Well, my research won't proceed much today anymore.
Do I have enough time to go shopping today? No, I also have to work today. I'll go shopping tomorrow. I'll call a friend and ask her if she wants to come with me. She'll go shopping with me, I'm sure�.
Chapter 4
Thursday morning, five o'clock. The Big Day!
I awake with a start. Oh, my alarmclock will go off in one hour. I'm fully awake. I'll get out of my bed now, I can't sleep anymore.
This has never happened before, get out of bed an hour too early!
First I'll put in my contactlenses. Jee, I'm looking terrible. I've slept really bad, I awoke again and again to see if I hadn't overslept.
First I'll take a nice shower and wash my hair, maybe after that I'll be a bit fitter. Mmm, feels good, a warm shower. Before I know it I'm singing 'Quit playing games with my heart' aloud. I can't sing, it must sound really bad.
Oops, everybody's still sleeping, I'd better shut my mouth.
Humming I go back to my room. I turn on the radio and start singing aloud again. It's not my intention to wake up everybody. Instead of the radio I turn on the tv, news is on. It won't rain today, and it won't be too cold.
That's good news, the weather is helping.
That has been different, several times I arrived somewhere soaked with rain, because an umbrella doesn't help with a strong wind. At least that's not happening today.
I'll just blow dry my hair. It looks pretty good, thanks to the hairdresser who has cut off a large part of it. My hair is still pretty long, it's halfway to my back.
Okay, I'm dawdling. It's good that I came out of bed earlier. I'm putting on my new black stretch trousers, it's very slimming. And of course my new dark green blouse.
It took a whole day of shopping before I found this. My friend was almost desperate.
Green, Nick's favorite colour�
It really has a beautiful fit, a little bit tight to show my female figure, but not too tight, so I don't look fat. And again I'm standing dawdling in front of the mirror.
Now breakfast. I'm not hungry at all, I'm too nervous. But if I don't eat, I'll be famished when I'm with them. That would be really embarrassing. I have to prevend that, I'll take some muesli with yoghurt. I like it anyway.
Just checking if I got new mail. Jee, that computer starts really slow. But I do like that I can go to the internet.
Hey, new mail from a friend, from yesterday night.
'I don't think you'll read this before you leave, but have a lot of fun in Amsterdam, and good luck with your English. Don't get nervous, than you won't be able to speak it right.'
She should have said that. What if I can't find the right words in English? Or what if I don't understand them? I quickly send her a message back:
'Thanks a lot, you made me even more nervous, I won't be able to speak one word in English, and it'll all be your fault.'
That's a bit of a relief. She knows it's a joke. Right? I'm starting to doubt everything right now.
"Stop it," I say aloud to myself. I'm looking okay, and my English is better than that of the average Dutch people.
First I'll brush my teeth and than I'll do my make-up. Not too much, boys don't like that. As if boys would like me� There has to be a reason why I'm single. And again I'm thinking negatively about myself.
"And now stop it," I say again aloud to myself.
I put on my new shoes. I've walked on them every day last week. I have to be sure I can walk on them a whole day without my feet hurting from my shoes. That definitely won't be a problem.
The high heels make me a little bit taller. I'm very short, and the boys are all really tall! But I'm used to it, most boys I hang out with are much taller than I am.
For the last time I'm checking my teeth, make-up, hair, hands and clothes and then I determined turn away from the mirror.
I get my purse, that's new too. My wallet, cell phone and keys. Yes, I've got the most important things. And of course something for a fresh breath, tissues and lipbalm.
I'm ready.
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