صبح‌بخیر، گلاستونبری

CHAPTER SIX

Good Morning, Glastonbury

When I get off the train two hours later, Mike is waiting for me. He is wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. He doesn’t look like a journalist, he looks more like a student, and at first I feel very nervous. But then he smiles and shakes my hand.

‘Hi, you must be Ellie!’ he says.

‘Hello,’ I try to sound mature and confident, but I can feel my cheeks starting to turn red.

‘Come on. Our train will be leaving in ten minutes.’ We walk to platform four in silence where our train is waiting.

‘Here we are,’ says Mike. He gives our tickets to a smart ticket collector. ‘Welcome on board, Sir’, he turns to me and smiles, ‘Miss.’

We are travelling first class! We sit down in our big, comfortable seats.

‘You’ll need this,’ says Mike and he passes me a press badge. For a while I just look at it. It says, ‘Ellie Stevenson, Music Now!’ Maybe I am still asleep. In a minute, Liz will come in and wake me up.

‘Ellie, we’re going to be really busy. I have interviews to do and photos to take for the magazine. With that pass, you can go everywhere. Even backstage. Sometimes I might have to leave you alone. Is that OK?’

OK? Is he joking? Me. backstage! This is amazing!

‘Our interview with Murphy is at 6 this evening. Murphy hates people who are late so we must get there on time.’

He gives me a copy of the questions we will ask and for the rest of the journey we talk about music.

As we get closer to our destination, the train gets very full. Most of the passengers talk excitedly about the festival. The atmosphere is amazing and we haven’t arrived yet!

When we get off the bus that takes us from Castle Cary Station to the site, it’s raining. But I don’t care and nobody else seems to either.

This is going to be the best weekend of my life.

For a moment I just stand and look around, seeing things that I have only read about before now: the sea of tents in the distance, the huge pyramid stage where Murphy will play later on, the friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

‘I need to take some photos before our interview with Murphy,’ says Mike, interrupting my thoughts. ‘Have a look around.

This is my mobile number if you need me,’ he gives me a piece of paper. ‘Have a good time!’ and with a wave he disappears into the crowd.

After phoning Dad I decide to phone Cassie and Skye. They still don’t know that I’m here.

‘Cassie?’ I say when she eventually answers the phone.

‘Yes.’ The line is very bad.

‘It’s me, Ellie! Guess where I am!’

‘What?’

‘It’s Ellie! I’m here at Glastonbury!’ I shout back. ‘I’m at the pyramid stage. Where are you?’ But then I see her, so I walk over to my two friends.

Skye sees me first. ‘Ellie!’ she shouts and throws her arms around me. Then Cassie screams, a big smile on her face. ‘What are you doing here?’ She gives me a hug and I quickly tell them about the competition.

‘Wait a minute,’ Cassie says, her mouth open in disbelief. You’re going to meet Murphy. The Murphy?’

I smile and nod.

‘When? Where? Tell me Ellie! This is amazing!’ She starts to jump up and down and hug Skye excitedly. ‘We’re going to meet Murphy! I need to get changed. Which top shall I wear? The pink one or the green one? And my hair!’ She takes a mirror out of her bag and looks at her reflection carefully.

‘Cassie, I’m sorry.’ I try to explain but my mobile starts to ring. It’s Mike.

‘Ellie, I’ve got the chance to interview Chris Martin from Coldplay. But he’s only available at 6 pm.’

‘That’s when we’re interviewing Murphy.’

‘I know. Will you be OK to do the interview by yourself? You have the questions and your backstage pass, don’t you? I’ll let them know that you’ll be alone, OK?’

‘But.’

Before I can ask anything else, the line goes dead. I quickly try to phone Mike back, but his phone is engaged. What do I do now? I want to meet Murphy more than anything but can I really go there by myself?

‘What do you think Ellie?’ asks Cassie. I almost forgot that Cassie and Skye were there. ‘I was asking Skye which earrings go best with my green top.’ says Cassie.

‘Cassie.’ I try to interrupt but she is so excited that she doesn’t hear me. She obviously thinks that they’re coming with me. But they can’t. I only have one backstage pass.

‘These, or my silver ones,’ she holds a different earring up against each ear. ‘Skye, you need to get changed too. You can’t meet Murphy looking like that!’

‘Cassie, will you shut up and listen to me for a minute!’ I shout so loudly that she instantly looks at me. ‘I’m really sorry, but you can’t come.’

Her smile disappears. But then she laughs, ‘You’re joking, right?’ But the look on my face tells her that I’m not. ‘What do you mean, we can’t come? We’re your best friends, of course we can come with you!’

‘I’m really sorry.’

Suddenly, her eyes fill with anger. She doesn’t look pretty anymore.

‘That’s OK, Ellie, we understand,’ says Skye quietly. She looks disappointed too but she gives me a small smile to show that she isn’t angry.

‘No, it’s not!’ shouts Cassie. ‘Don’t you remember who got you a ticket back in March?’

‘Cassie, please don’t be like that!’ I say. ‘You know I’d love you to come too.’

‘Well then! Either we come with you and meet Murphy, or.’ she holds her hands up in the air. ‘Or our friendship is over!’