Winning Tickets: Willow's Dream

Write a story from the point of view of a “sasaeng” (an obsessive fan).

Willow pushed the pencil along the paper, drawing over the line, over and over, not realizing that the paper was ripping and she was actually drawing a line on the table. She couldn’t think straight or see what was in front of her. All she knew was that she needed to see Vibe play this weekend or she would just die. She had been waiting for the radio announcement, had been sitting here for three hours refusing to even go to the bathroom for fear of missing the DJ say it was time, and had heard nothing. Her frustration was growing as her pencil lead was quickly fading away.

Vibe was a group of singers who Willow saw on one of those shows that highlights up-and-coming bands. She had been mesmerized at the first sight of the keyboard player. She was already fantasizing about him holding her hand as they walked down the sidewalk, other girls wishing they were her. They would try to get his attention but he would only have his eyes on Willow and he would talk to her and ignore everyone else. When they were old enough they would get an apartment on the top floor of the Tidal Wave, where they could sit on the balcony at night and see the waves in the ocean and the stars in the sky. Marco, the keyboard player, would have enough money to pay all the rent so Willow wouldn’t have to worry about money or work. She could work on the days that Marco was at rehearsal. She would travel all over the world with Marco and Vibe, maybe even becoming their manager. 

Willow looked at her watch. Her mom would be home in about two hours and would insist that Willow help her make dinner. Once her mom got home she wouldn’t be able to sit here and wait for the DJ to announce that the first three callers would get free tickets to the VIbe concert. The concert was already sold out and her mom wouldn’t have ever paid $100 for a ticket! She didn’t even know if her mom would bring her to the concert if she won tickets, when she won tickets.  So she sat, drawing the line, back and forth, back and forth. 

Willow could already see her wedding with Marco. She would walk down the aisle with a tight-fitting white gown with a long train. Her hair would be up in a twist and her veil would be woven into that twist. The stylist will have put tiny white pearls throughout her hair using a washout hair-glue. Marco would look at her as she walked down the aisle and he would be smiling. Afterwards they would have a huge reception with their families and all the band members and other famous people Marco knew. Maybe the wedding would also be big news on social media! 

Willow recognized that the song that was currently playing on the radio was nearing the end. She knew this song because the lyrics ended so abruptly that if you weren’t careful you’d just blurt something out at the end of the song and embarrass yourself. Willow sat as still as possible with her hand clutching her phone, ready to hit the call button the minute the DJ made his announcement. 

Willow hoped they wouldn’t have to deal with Marco's fans after every concert. Honestly, she couldn’t care less about the fans and the girls screaming that they loved Marco, he was hers and she was never letting him go! Suddenly, she realized the DJ was talking. Had she been daydreaming, had he announced the tickets were ready? Then she heard him say it, “The first, third, and sixth callers will get two tickets to the Vibe concert coming in March. Be the first to tell your friends that you got tickets to see Vibe, live and in this small town. Call now.”

Willows hand was shaking as she pressed the send button. She figured she would immediately start hearing the beep-beep-beep of a busy phone but she heard it ringing. Oh, wow, what if she was the right caller? Willow wasn’t even aware of the fact that she was holding her breath. “You’re the sixth caller, what’s your name?” Willow was in heaven!

After dinner that night Willow was flying so high. Her mom said she would love to go to the concert and that she wanted Willow to play some of the music for her. Willow knew that when she and Marco locked eyes he would know right away that she was the one for him. 

The night of the concert came and Willow and her mother got all dolled up to see Vibe in concert. Mom had said they could go a little early to see if there was a meet-n-greet before the concert started. Willow was living like she was in a dream. She couldn’t believe her and Marco would finally meet! She couldn’t wait to tell him how she was going to finish school while he was touring. As soon as he was done and she had graduated they could find an apartment together. She would explain to him that they might need two apartments if they were going to have to move between here and the city really frequently. She didn’t want to have to be apart for too long so they might as well get an apartment where she could be with him when he was and was not rehearsing or recording with the band. She just had a feeling that Marco would think that was a great idea and since he was making good money he would ask her to just help with stuff like groceries and stuff. She had read in one of her magazines that he loved dogs so she would suggest they adopt a dog from a shelter rather than buying one from a breeder. She would let him pick which dog he wanted. They could name it together. Should she tell her mom that they would be getting a dog? Her mom was a little afraid of big dogs. Maybe she would wait until she talked to Marco. They would obviously have to get married before getting a dog. They wouldn’t have anyone to watch the dog when they went on their honeymoon. Willow was hoping Marco wanted to go somewhere warm on their honeymoon. But what if he had to tour? Maybe they could incorporate the tour into an extended honeymoon. She would wait and talk to Marco about it when she got a chance to pull him aside and talk to him. She was so happy her and Marco would be together. They would be such a good couple and would be so happy, Willow just knew it!