BACK		To Be Loved

By Lynsey Gardner

Lynsey walked into the SECC not knowing that she would have the time of her life and also find the love of her life. There’s one thing holding her back from being with the man of her dreams and that’s what happened in the past, all she wants is to be loved.


“Lynz, I still can’t believe you won this competition? You’re gonna spend the weekend with them your so lucky!” Lynne said excitedly as her and Lynsey headed into the arena and to the backstage door. “I know I can’t believe it either!” Lynsey replied giving her friend a small smile. “Oh come on Lynz is that the best you’ve got? You’re gonna see the guy of your dreams and that’s the only smile you can manage!” Lynne said a little annoyed that her friend wasn’t as excited as she had been just two days before. “Well I can’t help it. I’m…” “Just forget about what happened. You’re gonna see the guy of your dreams, then your gonna watch him perform and while you do you’re gonna enjoy it, and you’re gonna enjoy what ever else happens.” Lynne said as the security guy came up to them and showed them to a room. “You know something. You’re right!” Lynsey said giving Lynne the smile that she knew Lynne loved.

Shane walked down the corridor laughing and joking with Nicky by his side. Entering the room for the meet and greet Shane looked around him. It still amazed him that these girls were here to see him. He noticed Lynsey out the corner of his eye and took a liking to her right away. He began to make his way over to her but was stopped by another fan. By the time he had finished talking to the girl Lynsey had disappeared. “Hey Shane, one of these girls is spending the weekend with us.” Nicky told him just as another fan came up to them. “Should be good fun. If she’s old enough to come out with us.” He replied “I was talking to her, She’s 19.” “Cool”

“I can’t believe I spoke to Nicky!” Lynne said looking all starry eyed. “Calm down! Look how calm we were! I just hope I’m as calm when I meet Shane.” Lynsey replied giving out a little giggle. Just then she turned round to see Lynne talking to Kian. She walked a few steps before bumping into Bryan and talking to him. Ten minutes later Anto came in and said the guys had to go. Lynsey and Lynne walked out with the rest of the girls. “I can’t believe I didn’t get to meet him.” Lynsey said getting a little teary. Lynne put a comforting arm around her as they were guided to their front row seats.

Getting ready to go on stage Shane was a little distant, “Hey mate, what’s up?” Bryan asked him. “I wanted to met this girl who as at the meet and greet but I never got a chance to meet her.” “What did she look like?” Bryan asked beginning to be very interested. “Um… brown hair with red tips, about my height, hazel eyes I think. I didn’t really get close enough to look at them. They were dark though.” He replied “Oh! Lynz! She was nice, great laugh.” Bryan replied “You…You spoke to her?” Shane asked suddenly happy coz he knew her name. “Yeah, her really name’s Lynsey. We got on like a house on fire. You two would be good together. Good job…” Bryan got cut off “On stage now!” Anto yelled. Walking to the stage Shane yelled at Bryan, who was ahead, “good job what Bry?” “You’ll see soon enough” was all Bryan would say “Bryan!” Shane yelled just before taking his place ready to go on.

“Shane!” Lynsey screamed as they came on stage. She couldn’t believe that she was only feet away from him, realisation suddenly hit her she could be even closer to him, after all she was gonna be spending the weekend with him. Her and Lynne sang along to each and every song. Bryan gave her a little wave during one of the routines and she waved back.

“Shane front row, in the middle.” Bryan mouthed to him as he passed him during the dance for no no. Shane looked in the middle of the front row and saw her. Lynsey. He was so happy he kept looking at her while he was singing, he didn’t care about anything else at that moment, he had seen her.

“Oh My God! Lynsey, Shane keeps looking at you! I think he likes you!” Lynne yelled over the music to Lynz. Lynsey pulled her eyes away from Shane’s gaze “don’t be silly!” she replied although she secretly hoped her friend might be right.

The concert ended and Lynsey and Lynne sat down on their seats they were so tired. Anto came to meet them "I’m going to take you girls home, Lynsey you can pick up your stuff and then I’ll take you to the hotel to meet the guys.” “Ok”

Shane came off the stage really happy. He hugged Bryan “hey mate your hugging me and you don’t even know the best bit.” Shane gave Bryan a funny look “Huh?” he asked confused “well mate, we’ve got a fan spending the weekend with us and if I’m not mistaken it’s Lynz.” Bryan replied. Shane jumped on him “I can’t believe this! Yes!” he yelled delighted at knowing the love of his life hadn’t walked out of his life, yet.

Lynsey arrived at the hotel a little after the guys had. She put her bags in her room and then headed to the bar. When she got there she was greeted by a very hyper Bryan “Hey Lynz! What ya drinking?” he asked her. “A lemonade, thanks” She replied “oh come on. I mean what you drinking.” “No really Bryan, a lemonade. I don’t drink.” “Oh right. Well why don’t you go join the others then” he replied and he pushed her towards where Shane and the others were sitting.

Later on that night the others headed to bed and Shane and Lynsey were left talking. Shane knew for sure now that the feelings he had for Lynsey were real, Lynsey had feelings for him too but she was to scared to let him know.

*The Next Night*

Coming off the stage, and having watched Lynsey all night while he was performing Shane knew he had to tell her how he felt. He grabbed a towel and headed for where Lynsey was waiting for them. He pulled her in to the side room.
“Lynsey, this is killing me. I need to tell you how I feel. I really like you will you be my girlfriend?” he asked her looking directly into her eyes. Lynsey couldn’t speak, she knew she had to forget the past and move on. She kissed him then replied “I’d love to be your girlfriend Shane.” Then they shared another kiss.

They came out of the room to “Well done. I knew you two would be good together.”
“Thanks Bryan” Lynsey replied with a smile as Shane put his arm around her. They walked to the door and headed out to the car that was going to take them back to the hotel. There were fans out side waiting for them and as the nice guys they are they stopped to sign some autographs and take a few pictures. “Shane is she your girlfriend?” a girl asked, Shane looked at Lynsey and she nodded “Yeah she is and I love her.” He said to the girl before going back over to Lynsey and giving her a kiss then walking to the car.

The next night Shane and Lynsey were in his hotel room. They started to kiss, then Shane started to push Lynsey lightly to the bed while try to unbutton her shirt. It took Lynsey a few seconds to realise what was happening and when she did she pushed him away and stood up, “I thought you were different Shane but you’re just like all the other guys, only after one thing.” Lynz replied before running out the door. Shane was totally shocked by what had happened.

Shane sat down with his head in his hands thinking about what had made her react like that, and that’s when he remembered something he had overheard Lynne say to Nicky in the brief time the guys had spoken to her. ‘I gotta speak to Lynne.
Nicky will have her number.’

“Nicky do you have Lynne’s number? I need to talk to her.” Shane said out of breath. “Yeah I’ve got it, I’m just off the phone to her actually. Why?” Nicky asked as he reached for his mobile. “I…hard to explain I’ll explain later.” Shane replied as Nicky handed him a piece of paper with Lynne’s number on it.
“Thanks Nix.” Shane shouted as he ran out the door and back to his room.

Lynsey walked around the park not knowing what she was doing or where she was going to go. She knew she had to go to the concert, as that’s when the magazine was coming to interview her, but it wasn’t for another three hours. She sat down on a bench and looked out on to the lake, images of her previous relationship flashing through her mind as well as Shane’s smiling face.

Shane called Lynne up while it was ringing he thought about what he was going to say. “Hello!” said Lynne’s cheerful voice. “Hi Lynne, its Shane! I’m just gonna get to the point coz I haven’t got much time. Lynsey and I were kissing and…” Lynne stopped “Shane did you, you know…” Lynne asked sounding a little worried.
“Yeah that’s why I’m calling you. Why’d she do that? It’s got something to do with her ex hasn’t it?” Shane asked. “Well if you know that then you must know the rest.” Lynne replied “no I um… overheard you talking to Nicky when I met you.” “Ok right well…” Lynne began “Lynsey was going out with this guy, had been for about a year, but it turned out he just wanted her for one thing. Towards the end Lynz overheard hi talking to his metes and that’s when she found out, she was really upset. She was packing up the tings that belonged to her that were in his flat when he came in. he was drunk and asked what she was doing. She told hi and he went a little made he told her he didn’t love her, never had. Said he only went out with her because she was ‘easy’. He had her in tears and when she went to walk out he grabbed her and told her she wasn’t leaving until he got what he wanted, then he raped her. To make things worse just as she walked out the door he shouted that no one would ever love her, as she was cheap and easy. It broke her heart. Then found out she had won the competition to meet you guys and…” “I know the rest” Shane replied utterly shocked and disgusted with what he had just heard.

Lynsey walked around, the images finally gone from her head. She had tars trickling down her face, she shouldn’t have ran out on Shane he didn’t know, so technically it wasn’t his fault. Lynsey headed back to the hotel. Hoping they hadn’t already left for the SECC.

Shane came off the phone thinking about how he shouldn’t have done what he did. He only slightly blamed himself most of him blamed her ex. He tried to figure out away that he could talk to Lynz before the concert, as he was leaving now and it didn’t look like she was going to be back in time to go with them. He pulled on his jacket and headed to the door, he opened it to find Lynsey on the other end just about to knock. Lynsey saw him and couldn’t help herself she hugged him as she let the tears fall. “Sh Lynz! It’s ok.” Shane said as he put his arm around he and guided he back inside the room.

After a few minutes Lynsey finally stopped crying. “I’m so sorry Shane. I…you didn’t know I should have told you.” Lynsey replied looking right into Shane’s eyes “It’s ok. You should have told me but at the same time, we’ve only known each other for three days and been dating for one and a half so I can’t expect you to tell me every thing. Just no more hiding secrets from now on, we’ve got to be completely honest with each other if this relationship is gonna work.” He relied “you mean…” Shane silenced her with a kiss.

The lights were down as Lynsey made her way to her seat. When she got there she notice that Lynne was sitting in the next seat. “Lynne! What are you doing here?” She asked surprised to see her best friend there. “Nicky asked me. I like him Lynz and I think he likes me too.” She replied. Lynsey hugged her “you go for it girl!” she said to her “Thanks. I hope you don’t mind that I told Shane about what happened.” Lynne replied just as the music began “no I don’t.” Lynsey replied smiling as the music got louder and the guys appeared.

Lynsey noticed Nicky winking and Lynne and looking at her. She knew that he liked her too. Lynsey caught Shane’s eye and she blew him a kiss. Looking at her boyfriend up there doing what he love, she realised she didn’t want to be loved any more coz she was loved, by her family, her friends, the guys and especially Shane.