When Sunday rolled around, Harry found he was the first to awaken. He'd spent the night sleeping between two camping chairs, still refusing to shove himself between his two flatmates. It had been uncomfy, yes, but the amount of shots they'd shared in Red Camp the night before had dulled any pain. Now, he'd beaten the hangover and was just sitting idly waiting for his friends to crawl their way out of their tents. It was the only time he regretted not having his phone - with nothing else to do all he managed was watching other people walk by their tiny campsite. Eventually, boredom got the better of him and he was slipping quietly into Will's tent to retrieve a new t-shirt to wear for the day. His hair felt horrible and there was mud still caked up both his legs, but he thought it'd have to do for now. At least he'd had the decency to change.
All he could think about last night as they partied was the girl on the Main Stage and how she'd never experienced anything like it. She was so close to everything, but branded by a working logo and restrained to one stage was no experience. He hadn't even thought that much about it, or her, that morning, but his feet were still carrying him in the same direction as if they knew something he didn't.
There she was, looking a lot fresher than he was. Her hair was still slicked back into a ponytail, but it was still soft and looked like she at least had better access to water than the rest of the festival. She was hand in hand with another guy, jumping up and down on the spot. For a second, Harry's stomach fell to his feet. This guy was completely different to anything he'd ever be, or even seen. He had almost identical black, dyed hair and was wearing a black dress. Pink socks were pulled up his calves too, clearly not another member of production. His brain hesitated, yet his feet were still moving. He wasn't sure if it was curiosity or something deeper, but he couldn't find himself able to pull away.
'You ready?' Murphy practically yelled.
'I'm fuckin' ready,' the guy yelled back at her, still jumping.
Harry watched on as she concentrated on her headset for a brief second, grabbing the guy's hands again as they both disappeared up the stairs to the stage. Of course, he thought. Another artist. Without warning, his feet were on the stairs, crashing into the back of Murphy who was slowly stepping backwards down them.
'Shit, sorry,' he panicked, grabbing her shoulders to stop her from slipping.
'Oh my god,' she doubled over, hand clutched over her chest. 'Fucking hell, don't scare a girl like that.'
'Sorry, sorry,' he was still panicking. 'I was just bored, I can go.'
'It's fine,' Murphy caught her breath. 'Where's your friends?'
'Sleeping, still. They stayed at Red Camp until it closed so I don't think they'll be up for ages.'
'Walk and talk,' she waved, speeding off towards the back of the stage. 'So, your friends are asleep, you're bored, now you're skulking around the Main Stage again.'
'Pretty much,' Harry laughed, realising how nonsensical it all seemed when it was spelled out for him. 'I honestly, I just thought you might wanna hang out.'
'Hang out?'
'Yeah, like, just hang out. See the festival or something, I don't know.' Harry stumbled.
'I'd love to, but I'm still working,' she looked genuinely apologetic for it.
'Right, shit, 'course. I'll leave you to it, sorry about that, I'll see you around or something.'
'You could...' Murphy paused for a second, stopping dead in her tracks. 'If you're that bored, you could come round with me?'
'You're putting me to work?' He laughed. 'I mean, sure, I'll do it.'
'Sound, I'll get you a shirt so nobody stops you.'
'Bog's not dead,' Stephen yelled with the enthusiasm of a leaf blowing down a street. 'Just kidnapped, apparently.'
'What?' Cal poked his head out of the tent. 'Jesus mate, where've you been?'
'Working,' Harry pointed behind himself, grinning at his friend's reactions. Lux was just stirring, but it was clear the rest of them had been up a little while longer at least. The campfire that had died a death as he was leaving earlier had been restarted - a lone can of beans placed on top of it. They were all gawping at his newest piece of clothing, a plain black shirt that was three sizes too large with "Reading 2021" plastered across the front. On the back, "Staff #468 was written in large, block white capital letters.
'What do you mean, working?' Stephen lifted his sunglasses slightly.
'Working,' Harry repeated.
'For how long?'
'I don't know, like, three hours?'
'You, worked. For three hours,' Cal now spoke. 'You just found a shirt and put yourself to work?'
'Murphy found it for me, I got bored so I went for a walk and she let me hang out for a bit.'
'Is that the lass from Parklife?' Will finally appeared, shoved between Cal and Lux. It looked like there'd been room for him after all.
'Yeah,' he dismissed. 'I just saw her on a walk so, yeah.'
'That's all you're saying?' Cal half laughed.
'Pretty much,' Harry nodded, clambering his way into the free tent. It was the first time he was able to lie down properly the entire weekend, and he hadn't realised how much pain his back was in. The air mattress they'd given up on had completely deflated now, but the cold floor was like a dream on his spine. He closed his eyes, shutting out the conversation that had erupted just outside and allowed himself just a few moments of a peaceful existence.
Except it wasn't peaceful, he couldn't get his mind to shut up long enough to rest. Harry was still silently cursing himself for managing to spend two straight hours with a girl he was absolutely fascinated by, yet come away with absolutely nothing. He had her name, at most, and a little insight into her world. But it wasn't enough. Rubbing his closed eyes, he remembered how he'd stayed silent whilst she searched for bands, dictating every moment over a radio as she went. They'd found some band named Enter Shikari, brought them to the pre show interview and then bustled them onto the stage in time for the same dark haired guy from before to come bounding off. Then it was another switch, find the next band, pre show interview, get them to the stage. The only thing he'd actually managed to do was lift a crate of water and dump it in a green room that was poised rather randomly in a back field. He'd learnt nothing, said nothing. Aside from that she finished tonight, there was nothing of note from their entire conversation. And why did he even care?
Shoved into a small tent, barely enough room to breathe. Drinks were being thrown over the crowd for the last act, or at least everyone at the front of the stage were praying they were drinks. Harry questioned why any of them were even there, though Will's enthusiasm was answer enough. The only one of the group who'd wanted to be there - the rest just wanted to head down to Red Camp to finish the entire weekend off.
'What time is it?' Harry shouted to Lux, the only one of them with any phone battery.
'Ten past nine,' he shouted back, glancing over to Cal who'd also noticed how frequently Harry had been asking. Every minute seemed to drag out in front of him, stretching for miles beyond the horizon. Another song, another round of applause, some more cheers. All he could do was nurse his beer and wait.
'What times it?'
'Jesus Bog, almost half past.' Lux complained. '
'Right,' he finished the pint he'd been nursing the entire set. 'I'll get more drinks.'
Cal watched his flat mate disappear into the back of the crowd and out of view, moving with a newfound determination. Without hesitation, he followed the same route, tracking his friend through the moving crowd. So many stages were finishing, but it was easy to spot the white shirt Harry was wearing from a mile off, skipping two bars on his journey back towards their camp.
'Harry,' he shouted once they'd both flashed wristbands into gust camping. 'Mate, slow down.'
'What?' Harry panicked. 'I'm just getting drinks, you can head back.'
'Bars are empty,' Cal responded.
'These ones are better.'
'They're exactly the same.'
'Well, I'm here now,' Harry dismissed, still moving with the pace of a man on a mission. 'I'll be fine, you head back.'
Then Harry stopped, too afraid to move another few feet forward. They were at the Main Stage, almost at the bottom of the stairs that would take them out in front of the thousands gathered there. Some rock band was playing, clearly nothing Harry would be interested in, but his face was growing more panicked by the second. Looking up, Cal found why. Sat on top of a flight case was a girl, long black hair, "Murphy 23" plastered on the back of her shirt.
'I'm just saying bye,' Harry had tracked Cal's gaze. 'That's it.'
'Right,' Cal grinned. 'Bye.'
'It's not like that, I just, thought I should, you know?'
'Right.'
Their conversation was clearly loud enough to wake the dead - it was only seconds until Murphy was slipping herself off the edge of the flight case and moving towards them.
'Hey,' Harry grinned, still slightly panicked, keeping a distance between himself and the bottom of the stairs. 'Thought I should say bye before you finished.'
'You have a friend this time,' Murphy smiled, looking Cal up and down, skipping the last few stairs as she made her way over to the pair. 'Starting to think you didn't have any.'
'Cal,' he offered out his hand. 'Heard you made Harry do some work earlier.'
'I did,' she laughed. 'It was just getting people on and off stage, but he did well!'
'Is that you, like, done done now?' Harry asked.
'Done done,' she clasped her hands together. 'Two weeks off, then back out on a tour.'
'So, do you have, like, a staff after party or something, to celebrate?' Cal interrupted before Harry could speak again, revelling in his friend's awkwardness. Catching Harry skulking off would be something he would hold for years to come.
'God no, just sleep then leave in the morning.'
'Not even like a few drinks in the staff camp?'
'Everyone else will finish around 3am, so there's not really much point.' Murphy folded her arms across her chest. 'Just head off and sleep.'
'Come Red Camp with us instead,' Cal suggested, rather abruptly.
'What?' Harry responded instantly. 'She's never been to a festival before, doubt-'
'Even better,' Cal clapped. 'Wrap party, Red Camp, first festival experience.'
'I can't go out there in my work shirt,' Murphy frowned.
'That's fine, I'll lend you one.' Cal had an answer instantly.
'You don't have to, I know you've probably worked loads.' Harry tried assuring.
'So you deserve a drink, and who better than your favourite Parklife guests?' He finished Harry's sentence with pride.
Harry was looking between Murphy and Cal, not sure what he wanted the outcome to be. His whole plan had been to come back here and maybe get her number, wave her goodbye, maybe even a quick hug. But now Cal was offering another few hours with her, time for him to make up for all he'd forgotten to ask earlier. Then again, it would be with the rest of his friends, who'd instantly bombard the three of them with a million questions if they walked her back. Mainly him.
Then she said it.
'I'll let Harry decide for me.'
'Yeah,' he resolved, nodding a few times and only half certain of his answer. 'Yeah, come with us.'