It took a moment for me to remember what I was supposed to be doing, and I ran back up the stairs, nearly falling on my face as I slid across the wet boards at the top.
I heard the knock on the front door just as I was tying my shoes.
"Hi." I smiled brightly when I opened the door, finally able to get excited about tonight. "Wasn't sure what to wear."
Evan closed the door behind him, examining my selection. "You look great, except you might want to wear short sleeves. It's going to get pretty hot, especially near the stage."
"Right," I concurred, turning back up the stairs. Evan was about to follow me when I noticed my abandoned clothes leading to the bathroom. "I'll be right down." I stressed, causing him to stop on the second step. I scooped up my sweaty clothes and brought them in the room with me. I re-immerged from my room, readjusting my ponytail after sliding on a black Newbury Comics t-shirt.
"Much better," Evan commended. "Are you ready?"
"Definitely." I bounded down the steps to grab the jacket he held out for me.
When we arrived at the concert, there was a long line on the sidewalk. We walked to the back, awaiting entry with everyone else. Evan stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me to help keep me warm while we waited. I hadn't noticed the cold, too distracted by the anticipation. We continued to shuffle forward until we finally reached the guys in the bright yellow jackets checking IDs. We received large black "X"s on the back of our right hands, branding us underage. After our tickets were scanned and we were frisked by blue-gloved hands, we were finally released into the rolling energy.
Evan held my hand tightly, steering us through the crowd. I let the bottled excitement seep in, accepting it with a grin on my face. Evan looked back and smiled when his eyes connected with mine. I knew he'd been concerned about how I'd react being engulfed by so many people.
This was different. These people didn't know who I was, nor did they care. We were instantly bonded by the music blaring on the stage as the opening act continued its set. They were pretty good, although I'd never heard of them before. A group leaning against the metal barriers along the front seemed to know exactly who they were as they rocked their heads and hollered out the lyrics.
We excused our way to the front, continuing along the perimeter and stopping at the steps that dumped off into the pit. Those standing directly in front of the large stage were already sweating. Their intertwining bodies jostled for position to get closer. I was instantly captivated by the bare skin, backward baseball caps, tank tops with bra straps revealed, oversized t-shirts hanging over baggy pants―as their heads bobbed in unison.
I turned toward Evan and yelled, "This is so great."
"It will only get better," he bellowed in my ear.
And it did. The sea of bodies dispersed slightly in between the opener and the headliner, but as soon as they started tuning the guitars and pounding the base, the hollering began and the crowd swarmed together even tighter than before. Within a few minutes the band members started filing onto the stage, taking their positions, recognizing the crowd with a wave. The masses ignited into a trembling roar.
The opening song was recognized by just about everyone. Heads started rocking, the massive crowd cresting with jumping bodies and hands thrust into the air. The storm of energy was contagious, and I found my head nodding in time with the beat. Before I knew it, Evan and I were jumping and screaming out the lyrics along with everyone else. The bass and guitar riffs exploded in my chest.
I was a sweaty mess by the end, but I swore I could float. The crowd only enhanced the experience, bodies surfing across hands, voices bellowing the words, fists pumping in time―I was addicted. It released me from everything. I was overtaken by every note, until finally, nothing else mattered.
"Thank you," I rasped, my voice lost from screaming. I wrapped my slick arms around Evan's neck and pulled him toward me. I could taste the salt on his lips as I expressed my gratitude.
"Watching you tonight, jumping around and getting lost in the music―you were more entertaining than the band. I'm glad I got to see it." He squeezed my hand as we followed the crowd that was still riding the experience. We were released into a bitter cold that licked at the sweat on our skin, triggering a chill down my spine.
"Don't tell Sara, but I'm happy I went with you."
The buzz of the music echoed in my ears when I found my way to the front door, still floating from the entire night, and his parting kiss.
My mother burst in the room after I released a blood curdling scream. She appeared disheveled and bleary eyed when she flipped on the light.