BY SARA HORNING, St. Petersburg Collegiate High

I will admit, for about two months I was a closet directioner.

I kept my admiration of One Direction, the boy band of five talented British, Irish and extremely attractive teenagers, under wraps.

I first discovered One Direction when my little sister was watching one of their interviews on The X Factor, the British version of American Idol. After competing on the show’s seventh season, the band began their journey to fame.

Behaving as the older sister I am, I immediately made fun of her for giving the “new Jonas Brothers” attention. However, I happened to notice these five Jonas wanna-bes were pretty cute, and they had foreign accents. Curious, I watched the whole interview myself later in my room. I discovered they were not only cute but also pretty hilarious.

Soon What Makes You Beautiful was playing on repeat in my room. I found myself singing it in my head at work and in the middle of class at school. It’s impossible not to listen to that song without dancing — or, if you’re me, awkwardly jumping around with your hands in the air like you’re some sort of liberated circus monkey. Then the day before One Direction’s CD, Up All Night, was released, my sister mentioned how excited she was to buy it. I kept up my ruse, making fun of her for wanting to waste $11.99 on some silly boy band album.

The next day, I asked to borrow her CD so I could make a copy for myself. She was angry and puzzled:  angry I wanted to touch her precious CD, and puzzled by the fact I seemed to be suddenly interested in their music.

I came clean, admitting to my secret love for these “new Jonas Brothers,” informed her that Harry Styles (one of the band members) and I were getting married someday, stole her CD and awkwardly danced out of the room humming.

A week and a half later I purchased presale tickets to their show in Tampa on June 29 at the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre, $65 well spent, I must say. Girls are screaming at One Direction, and I’m one of them.

I know it’s extremely embarrassing and lame for me to admit to an obsession only a preteen girl should be having, but I’m thinking I’m not alone. So in case there’s anyone out there who is confused about  whether to admit liking One Direction, here’s a list of times when it is acceptable to listen to 1D:

1. Jamming out in the car, alone or with friends (you know they like the band, too, even if they won’t admit it).
2. If you’re looking for new celebrities to crush on.
3. When you feel like pretending to be an obnoxious tween girl again.
4. When you’re somewhere you can dance shamelessly.
5. If you’re like me, pretty much any other time.