The Night You Took Away a Little More Than Just My Breath

"No, Johno is driving all our equipment and I'm driving you guys." Kennedy explained to Garrett. For once, Kennedy wasn't clueless about something.

"Oh, I thought it was the other way around." Garrett said as he took his bass out of Kennedy's car and put it in the back seat of mine.

My driveway was the normal place to meet up before a show. We normally took two cars because we couldn't fit in just one. I usually drove all the equipment because the trunk of my car was deeper than anyone else's car. And it usually didn't matter who drove the guys, they all took turns. "We ready to go now?" I asked all the guys when I didn't see any amps or guitar cases laying on the ground.

"What about your dad, Casey, and Jamie?" Jared asked. "Are they still coming?"

"Yeah." I said as I messed up my hair from scratching my head. "They're going to leave like fifteen minutes after us since they don't have to be there early like we do."

"Oh yeah." Pat said as he looked on the ground around the cars. "I think we're ready to go."

"Kay, get in the car and let's go!" Kennedy said as he hopped in the drivers seat of his car. All the guys got in the car after him and he started it. I got in my car and started it as well. "Stay behind us so we get there first." He said after he rolled down his window. "We'll help you unload, it'll be quicker."

"Okay." I said and waited for him to pull out. He was on the road by now and I put my car in reverse. Kennedy's guitar was slipping off of the passenger seat so I repositioned it before I pulled out. When I looked back up, Jamie was standing in the kitchen window looking at me. She smiled and waved goodbye. I smiled right back and waved goodbye also. Then I backed out of my driveway and onto the road.

I caught up with the guys at a red light and I could hear their music over mine. And my music was turned up as loud as it could go. I turned my music down and looked over at the guys. They were throwing it down to some of that hardcore shit that Kennedy loves and didn't even notice me. I beeped my horn and Pat was the only one that looked over at me. He laughed and tapped Kennedy's shoulder, causing Kennedy to turn his music off and roll his window down to talk to me. "Wanna race?" Kennedy asked.

I laughed and shook my head. "All of your shit is in here!"

"So!" He said. "Race anyway."

"Dude, I'm not getting another ticket because of you." I laughed.

"Lights green!" Kennedy screamed as he squealed his tires and took off. Garrett turned the music back up and I could still hear it when he was halfway down the road. I'm glad I don't ride with them. I'd get a huge headache before the show even started.

As I approached the coconut club I saw Kennedy and all of the guys hanging out by his car that was parked right in front of the door. I saw that there was a lucky parking spot right in front of his car so I quickly took it. It's so hard to find a parking spot on main streets in Tempe. I'm surprised Kennedy even found one.

I unlocked all of my car doors so the guys could get their stuff and stepped out of my car. I noticed a few kids waiting in line to get in and one of them called my name. I took a second glance and it was the girl that had asked me how much it was to get in on Monday. "Hey!" I said as I unlocked my trunk for the guys. "You made it!"

"Yeah." She said. "I always make it."

I stood there with the girls and talked to the few kids in line while the guys set took their stuff into the club. I noticed the other bands got to the club and parked on the side of the building. They walked past with all of their equipment and I decided to go in with them since the doors were about to open soon.

The club was a decent size for a local show. When you walked in the door, the bar was to your left and the stage was to the right. Straight ahead were stairs leading up to the bigger bar and recreational room. It was completely dark except for the dim lights at the small bar and the bright, colorful lights on the stage. Off to the right of the stage was a door that led to back stage. All of the guys were storing their stuff in there until we went on, which was second. The first band was already setting up their stuff on stage. "Doors open in ten minutes guys!" an employee of the club told the other band.

I never heard this other band. I didn't even know their name. I knew that two out of the four guys were seniors at our school, which was only a year above us. I noticed Jared talking to one of the guys that attended our school and decided to walk over to them. "Yeah, we've listened to you guys." The guy said. "You're pretty good. Our shit sucks."

Jared laughed along with him. "Nah, you probably don't if you can get a show."

"Oh, well that's true." The guy said and then turned to me as I got next to Jared. "Hey, I'm Joel." He extended his hand out to me. I took his hand and shook it.

"Johno." I smiled.

"Like I was telling Jared, we've listened to your band. Pretty good." He said.

"Thanks." I said. "Don't we go to school together?"

"Yeah," Joel said. "You guys are Juniors, right?"

"Yeah." I told him. "And you guys are seniors?"

"Well, Billy, the guitarist, and I are. The other two guys graduated already."

"Doors in five!" Another employee said. "You guys go on twenty minutes after the doors."

"Okay man." Joel told him. Then he turned to us. "Well it looks like we gotta go backstage, see you."

"Yeah, see you man." I said.

"I'm coming with you." Jared said.

Jared walked back stage with Joel and left me to stand all by myself in the big empty room. The doors opened and I sat at the bar to watch all the kids spill in. They handed an employee their tickets and he put X's on both of their hands if they were under twenty one. I watched the door for my dad, Casey and Jamie so I could get them in for free.

Right when the first few kids walked in the door they said hello to me and ran to the stage so they could be front row. I would say we are one of the bigger local bands around here. Everyone at our school knows about us, even a few people from the other schools around here. We're even big enough for kids to ask to get pictures with us. It feels good to be noticed that much.

I saw my dad next in line so I walked up to the employee and told him that they were with the band. The employee nodded and let the three go through. "The first band goes on in twenty minutes." I told them as they followed me back stage. "And we go on after them."

They followed me down a little hallway and into a small room where all the guys were hanging out and practicing. Pat was drumming on the arm rests of the couch and the other guys were tuning their instruments. Kennedy looked up at Jamie and smiled. "Hey." He said.

"Hi." She simply said back to him.

Kennedy did admit to me that he did have a thing for Jamie earlier in the day. I didn't really care if he did though. Because I know her better than he does and I barely know the girl. And with that thought I wondered how I would even get to know her better. Would I just see her at home during dinner time or when my dad suggested they'd go to our shows? Or would we have classes together so we'd be forced to talk to each other about something? I find it awkward to just come out randomly and say "Hey, tell me about yourself!" while were just sitting around the house. Our parents are getting married soon though, so we have to learn about each other if we're going to be siblings, right?

I shook my head out of thought and sat on the couch next to Pat. "Sing with me pat so I can warm up." I laughed.

He laughed along with me and said "No. I'm never singing for you guys again."

"Aw come on Pat!" I whined as I extended the A in his name. Pat just laughed and shook his head. A few minutes later we heard the first band start to play so we all went to go watch them. All of the guys and I stood in the crowd, My dad, Casey and Jamie sat at the bar.

The first band was pretty good but I still didn't catch their name. The crowd was a lot bigger than I expected. The whole medium sized room was filled with kids that stood elbow to elbow. While we were watching the first band a few girls got pictures with us and gave us hugs. That just made me more excited to play tonight.

It was our time to play so we sat up our equipment and the guys tuned their guitars as fast as they could. They were just as excited as I was. When we ran out on the stage the crowd cheered and I smiled at the guys.

"Hey!" I started. "I'm glad all of you made it out here tonight. Whoa, big crowd." I said. "Well we're The Maine and this is the first song off our EP, you can get in it the back there." I pointed to the merch table. "And this song is called Undressing the Words!" The crowd cheered again and the band began to play.

"Oh, this suggestion may be a but suggestive, but I've had it on my mind all night." I sang the lyrics of our first song of the night and smiled as I noticed the crowd singing along with me. I looked over and Kennedy was singing along too, but he always does.

Standing in the crowd in front of Kennedy was Jamie. Moments before we went on stage he took her hand and placed her in the crowd right in front of where he would play. "With lust in my eyes, I'll be undressing you with every word." I sang as I looked down at Jamie. She was looking up at me and smiled. I smiled back at her and continued to sing. I could tell she liked our music.

- - - - -

"I'm nervous." Jamie said as I pulled into the schools parking lot. It was just me and her in the car. The guys would have been too loud and crammed in the back so I decided to make Garrett drive the others.

"Awh, don't be." I said. "I'll show you around. You'll be fine."

"Okay, thanks." She said, relieved. "Your school is so much bigger than mine, I know I'm gonna get lost."

I parked in the spot closest to the door and we got out of the car. Most of the kids we walked past took second glances at us because I was walking with an unfamiliar face. Our school was huge and the kids would still know if someone was new, or if someone left. Half of us went to elementary and middle school with each other, and the other half we all met in freshman year. Everyone knew each other. Everyone was up in everyones business.

We entered the main entrance of the school which lead to the long main hallway. The hallway had all the senior lockers, in school suspension room, guidance office, attendance office, and the main office. The hallway was a little crammed and loud because the seniors were at their lockers and messing around. They could be worse than freshman. "Follow me." I raised my voice so Jamie could hear me.

I walked into the guidance office so she could get her schedule. Her new guidance consular had been expecting her so she already had her schedule on the desk. All Jamie had to do was tell the lady her name. "Will you need someone to show you around?"

"I already have someone, thanks though." Jamie said.

"You're welcome, honey." The lady behind the desk said and handed Jamie her schedule.

Jamie and I walked out of the guidance office and back into the loud hallway. Jamie looked at her schedule as we stood against the wall and started to read it to me but I could barely hear her. "Come on, lets go into this hallway." I told her as we walked down the main hallway a little more. To the right was the hallway that lead to the cafeteria, which didn't have lockers and barely anyone, so we stood there.

"First period I have history." she said.

"What teacher?!" I said out of excitement. Jamie looked up at me and laughed.

"Patterson?" She said.

"I have her too!" I smiled. "Go on." I said as I realized that I had interrupted her.

"Second, I have drawing and painting, Third I have chemistry, Fourth I have AP Spanish, Fifth period I have lunch, sixth-"

"We have lunch together too!" I interrupted her again, but she didn't mind.

"Oh thank god." She said. "I don't wanna be that new girl in those movies and have to sit in the bathroom stall all alone with my Peanut Butter and Jelly." I laughed and she continued. "Sixth, math, Seventh, English, and Eighth, gym."

"We have gym together too." I said.

"Well that's good." she said.

"And yeah, I'll have no problem showing you around today because your classes are close to mine." I said. "But I have to go to my locker real quick before the bell rings. So follow me."

"Will they give me a locker?" She asked.

"You know, I'm not sure." I said as we walked down another hallway. "The school years almost over so I don't know if they have any extra lockers. If not you can share with me."

"Okay, thanks." Jamie smiled.

As we walked to the other side of the school to get to my locker Jamie was looking around the classrooms and down different hallways. Kids were still staring at her but she didn't mind. "So, how'd you like the show the other night?" I asked. I didn't really get a chance to talk to her about it afterwords. We went to Garrett's and she went home. The next day I had to work so I barely even saw her on Sunday.

"It was great. You guys were better than I expected." She said. "And I expected you to be good."

"Awh, thanks." I chuckled. We got to my locker and I quickly grabbed my history book and binder. "This way." I said as I pointed down another long hallway with more blue lockers.

We entered my history class and my eyes fell upon Jordan, who was looking at us. The look on her face was one I couldn't even explain. She looked confused, worried, shocked, and sad all at the same time.