High School Epic

"Please mom," she begs for the sixteenth time and Margie rolls her eyes because she was going to say yes, she just likes making her kids sweat. She's mean like that.

"Fine, but do not drink and do not smoke pot," Margie says.

"So if someone offers me little white tablets I can take those?" Heaven quips.

"Yeah, but don't come home if you're hyperactive," her mom says, turns around and walks out of the kitchen. She loves her mom.

Heaven skips out the front door and across the street to Tarra's house. Nell has already gone home for the night, since it's friday and her mom is off earlier than normal. Tarra's family is sitting down to dinner at their dining room table. It's a new kick her mom is on because they got new furniture and her mom wants it to last longer than the last ones did. Heaven's not sure how that could possibly happen. They had their last couch for twenty years. It was ugly and floral and there was a good chance Tarra was conceived on it. (Tarra's mom likes to talk when she's drunk.)

"Oh, awesome," Heaven says, grabs a plate and helps herself to the chicken and broccoli on the table.

"Good lord Heaven Marie," Sabrina, Tarra's mom says, "Don't they feed you at your house?"

"You know I always have room for seconds," Heaven says, "That is why I am so pudgy."

"Shut yo mouth!" Sabrina says with a grin, but she's not really judging Heaven. Tarra's dad flicks a stray crumb from the chicken off his plate at Heaven's head. She sticks her tongue out and ducks.

"My mom said I can go to the concert," Heaven tells Tarra, spearing broccoli off her best friend's plate.

"Mine!" Tarra complains but doesn't try to stop her because it's a losing battle. She scoops more out of the bowl and drops it on to her plate, and scoots away from Heaven a little. "Have you called Gerard to let him know yet?"

"No, he said to tell Frank, but I sorta lost Frank's number because I was too lazy to program it into my phone," Heaven admits.

"You're ridiculous," Tarra says fondly and pulls her cellphone out. She scrolls through the contacts until she finds Frank and pushes it at Heaven. She makes a little whiny noise in the back of her throat and pushes her own phone at Tarra. Tarra sighs, takes the phone and programs Frank in.

"Thanks Pumpkin," Heaven says smugly, takes another bite of her chicken and presses dial. She holds the phone to her ear and smiles at Tarra's little sister. Lyssa throws a piece of broccoli at her. Heaven catches it out of the air and eats it.

"You're disgusting," Lyssa says with a grin and Heaven just nods her head, because yeah, she totally is.

"Hey Frank," Heaven says when Frank finally answers his cell, "It's Heaven. Tarra and I are in for tomorrow."

"Awesome," Frank says, there's talking in the background and then he mutters, "Dude knock it out. Sorry, Gerard is fucking with me. My cousin gave me passes for everyone. Meet at my house at eight am and my mom will drive us all there."

"Will do," Heaven says, "Tell Gerard and Mikey I said hi."

"Yep," Frank says and hangs up without saying goodbye, the little ass.

Heaven sets her phone down and goes back to eating dinner at Tarra's house. After they get done they all watch a movie together, Heaven walks home and goes to bed. Its a good night, really. She falls asleep to the prospect of Death Metal and crowded bodies on one floor. If she dreams about Gerard's eyes she's not admitting it.