Written piece
Number One Fan
Zaheen Zuhair
Bangladesh
About this piece
An emerging singer loses her best friend, but can't stop texting her with updates about her life.
When I opened my eyes, I almost couldn’t recognize myself.
In the mirror, I saw Zara smiling at me, makeup brush in hand. “What do you think?”
“I.. look like a diva. What did you DO?”
“Consider me your fairy godmother- turning you from homeless to hottie.”
I let the homeless comment slide, because I did look gorgeous. We waited in the stale green room, with Zara helping me strap my guitar on right before I walked into stage with my quaking knees. It was the final round of the school’s Talent Show, and I sort of wished I had gotten eliminated. Zara was so sure I would win it, I was afraid to disappoint her.
“Now go out there, steal Rowan’s heart, you simp.”
“I’m gonna pee myself.”
“Don’t you DARE pee yourself. You will sing your LUNGS out, you here me? Don’t disappoint your number one fan!”
“And who’s that?”
“Me, dumbass. Now go.”
_
Uploading my first YT video. Miss u. - Jan 12, 2024
It got viral??? - june 26, 2024
Gonna do sth crazy. Probably won’t sell a single ticket. Maybe if u were here, I’d sell one. But, u aren’t, bitch. - 5tth December, 2025
Preparing to go on stage. I like my makeup, but no one makes me look as beautiful as you did ig. I sold 500+ tickets, can you beleive it? I can’t. It’s a bad time to realize this, but no one really pushed me to write songs like u did. No one believed me like u did. Will never forgive u for not being at my first concert. God, I miss u. I miss my number one fan. - 27nth February, 2026
Wish me luck? - 27nth February, 2026