ZAYN: Publicity stunt

I sat with my bandmates in the recording studio's breakroom, listening to their verdicts on a story I had given them to read.

A couple of months ago, a girl's magazine, Jeunesse, approached us asking if they could feature us in a competition. The first prize was a date with one of us. Our manager agreed, thinking it would be good publicity for us. I was all for, although Louis wasn't as much since he already had a girlffriend since before the X Factor.

We didn't read any of the entries while the competition was running. We wanted the magazine to choose the winning entry based on on what they thought made a good story.

When I was told that the writer of the winning entry has chosen me as her date, I was curious about what she'd written so I asked for a copy to be sent to me.

I had been expecting it to be a fan girl's dream of a romantic date with her celebrity crush on paper, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The story, titled 'Affectionate Phrase', was written in three parts, and despite the usual romantic cliches, the writing style was very engaging and the characters were well developed and believable with a good storyline that made me wonder what comes after the end. I could see why the magazine editors chose this story.

It was written from the point of view of a girl who wants to be a songwriter. She enters a competition and wins. She is then offered a contract to write lyrics for her favourite rock band, which she accepts. At first, the lead singer, whom the girl is secretly in love with, attempts to make her fall in love with him so she can write good song lyrics. but then he starts to fall her. From the girl's point of view, he seems cold and distant, but he confuses her with the mixed signals he gives her. Until he tells her outright that he loves her. The girl disbelieves him at first until she sees his more vulnerable side which he rarely lets anyone see. After a few more twists in the story, they get their 'happily-ever-after'.

Though the story's basic concept wasn't new, it was written in a refreshing way that made you want to read it again and again. And I have to admit, I was hooked from the first word. If it was a full length novel, I would definitely buy it no matter what anyone said.

Louis also seemed impressedby it, and so did Liam and Niall.

"I can see why they chose it to be the winning entry," Louis said. "It may be a romance, but I loved reading it. Especially the part where the guy tries to kiss the girl but she manages to get out of his arms without his noticing and he ends up kissing the tree she had been leaning on." he laughed at the memory of that particular passage. Louis always appreciates a good joke; he is very much the prankster that the media makes him out to be.

"You know, he kind of makes me think of you," Niall commented.

"You think so?" I asked, not sure whether or be flattered or offended.

"Yeah, it's almost dead on," Liam agreed. "Only, some parts of your personality are exaggerated."

Harry hadn't finished reading it yet, but even he couldn't help commenting. "Wouldn't it be great if the writer were like the girl she wrote about in her story?" he asked the others. "She'd be tying Zayn up in knots within ten minutes."

The others laughed at the thought, but I didn't. Who says that I'll 'fall in love' with her? But then again, who says that I wont?

"Break-time's over, boys," Bruce, out technician, said as he walked up to us. "Time to get back to work".

I jumped up from my seat. I love being in the studio, singing my heart out. When I auditioned for the X Factor I'd originally wanted to sing urban music, but I wouldn't trade what I do for anything in the world.

Later, as I settle down to relax in my room in the London flat I shared with my band-mates, I let my mind drift back to the story and its' writer; my mystery date, Cassie Holmes.

'Cassie' could be the nickname for several names, most likely Cassandra or Cassidy.

As much as I didn't like to openly admit it, there were a quite a few similarities between me and the boy in her story. If she understood what I was like as a person without ever actually meeting me, she must really be observant and imaginative.

What would she be like?