Hanging out with vampires
Saturday 16th January 2010
Unless you've been living on another planet lately, you've probably heard of Twilight, the vampire saga.
Me and my mate, Lauren Sidley, 22, were both addicted to the books and the film, starring the gorgeous Robert Pattinson.
So while travelling, we planned our stop in Los Angeles to coincide with the premiere of the second Twilight film, New Moon.
On the big day last November, we headed excitedly to the Mann Village Theatre, along with another girl from our hostel.
When we got there, the street was already packed with fans who'd been camping for days to get a spot by the red carpet. There was even a woman holding out wads of cash to the security guards!
We'd travelled for two hours to be there, but… 'We won't see a thing,' Lauren groaned. Just then, I spotted a café next to the theatre. 'Let's grab a seat and watch from a distance,' I suggested.
We had a great view as the stars strolled up the red carpet. To my surprise, most of the fans disappeared when the actors went inside.
'Is that it, then?' I said as we moved towards the theatre entrance. That's when an official-looking man came up to us.
'How many in your group?' he asked. 'Three,' I replied. 'Why?' 'You need to be quiet and quick getting to your seats,' he said, unhooking the red rope across the door. 'Hurry!'
Oh. My. God. We were being invited inside!
The film was already starting as I sat down, but I couldn't resist craning my neck to look back at Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart, sat just a few feet away on a balcony.
When the credits started to roll, I spotted Ashley Greene, who plays Alice in the movies.
'Great film,' I grinned. 'Would you sign my copy of Twilight?' 'No problem!' she smiled.
Next I clocked the film's director, Chris Weitz. 'Great job,' I gushed. 'Where are you guys from?' he asked. 'I'm glad you came so far to see my movie.'
Gil Birmingham, who plays Billy Black in the film, agreed to a photo on the red carpet, as did Chaske Spencer, aka Sam the werewolf. We were on a high for the rest of our trip.
In a few weeks, Lauren and I will be back to our 'real' lives working as spa therapists. But we'll never forget our wonderful night hanging out with the vampires.