Well, I Feel That This Is an Explosion
Chicago.
[Sorry I haven't updated. I had like 20 billion tests. Sorryyy. And its not too good. I wrote it at 5 am two weeks ago.]
A few weeks later, I was standing in the sweltering heat known as Warped Tour at the Tweeter Center in Chicago. I looked around me, huge masses of people walking in every direction. And then I saw him. He was laughing with Mike, a few feet away from their merch tent. He glanced up, and instantly saw me. A grin formed on his lips, and he walked towards me. No wait – he ran towards me. The moment he reached me, he picked me up in his arms and spun me around. His black tee shirt was sweaty, and his brown shoulder-length hair lay tangled. But I loved him. He pulled me into a bone crushing hug. When we had pulled away, he smiled at me, gently setting me on my feet.
"I missed you," he whispered, hugging me. He let go and took my hand, leading me towards Mike. He embraced me as well, smiling and saying an "I missed you" as well. William pulled me away from him and into a seat under the tent. He waved at a few kids buying merch, and then leant down next to me.
"Kellee, I'm going to ask one more time," he said softly. I nodded. "Please come with us. Please, Kellee, please. The past few weeks were torture, and we have even more soon." I bit my lip. His eyes pleaded with me to say yes.
"William…" I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. "What about work and –"
"Oh…it's…it's fine, Kellee."
"I really do want-"
"It's fine, Kellee, I understand," he said. I opened my eyes, seeing him smiling sadly. He cleared his throat. "Well, um, let's go watch a band or something." With a flick of his wrist, a backstage pass was slung around my neck and I was being swept away from the tent. His hand pressed against the small of my back as he steered me to the nearest backstage gate. He pushed me towards a nearby stage, where The Sounds were playing. He jumped the steel stairs leading up to the wooden platform, and pulled me up after him. We stood on the side of the stage in silence, watching the band play.
After the set, it was still quiet between us. The silence lasted until it reached sunset, neither of us speaking a word to each other.
"Bill…I'll...go with you," I said. His face lit up, and he hugged me again. I couldn't go, though. I'd have to quit my job, pack my things in a matter of minutes, and then leave. I couldn't do that. "Let me go home…and pack…and…tell my manager." I stood up from the wooden bench, and began the trek to my car without speaking another word.
--
The apartment was dark when I walked in. The only light came from a crack under Kylie's door. I peered through it, spotting her on her bed with her laptop. I gently pushed the door open and walked in. She glanced up, sweeping her long brown hair out of her face.
"I need your opinion."
"Continue, Kellee," she said, closing her laptop and looking up at me.
"William asked me to go on warped with him but I really don't think I can. It's too much of a hassle…I just don't think I can," I explained. She rested her head on her hand.
"Maybe you should call and say you can't? Make up a lie about how you called your boss and she said no? But if you want to go then go," she answered. I sighed.
"I don't know, Kylie," I said. "I'll…call him and say something came up…" The image of William's face falling while holding the phone in one hand, nodding and saying yes as though he really understood, entered my mind. I sighed. I had to do it.
And so I did. It broke my heart knowing that poor William was probably near tears on the other line, but I did it.
Somehow I couldn't get to sleep that night.
A few weeks later, I was standing in the sweltering heat known as Warped Tour at the Tweeter Center in Chicago. I looked around me, huge masses of people walking in every direction. And then I saw him. He was laughing with Mike, a few feet away from their merch tent. He glanced up, and instantly saw me. A grin formed on his lips, and he walked towards me. No wait – he ran towards me. The moment he reached me, he picked me up in his arms and spun me around. His black tee shirt was sweaty, and his brown shoulder-length hair lay tangled. But I loved him. He pulled me into a bone crushing hug. When we had pulled away, he smiled at me, gently setting me on my feet.
"I missed you," he whispered, hugging me. He let go and took my hand, leading me towards Mike. He embraced me as well, smiling and saying an "I missed you" as well. William pulled me away from him and into a seat under the tent. He waved at a few kids buying merch, and then leant down next to me.
"Kellee, I'm going to ask one more time," he said softly. I nodded. "Please come with us. Please, Kellee, please. The past few weeks were torture, and we have even more soon." I bit my lip. His eyes pleaded with me to say yes.
"William…" I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. "What about work and –"
"Oh…it's…it's fine, Kellee."
"I really do want-"
"It's fine, Kellee, I understand," he said. I opened my eyes, seeing him smiling sadly. He cleared his throat. "Well, um, let's go watch a band or something." With a flick of his wrist, a backstage pass was slung around my neck and I was being swept away from the tent. His hand pressed against the small of my back as he steered me to the nearest backstage gate. He pushed me towards a nearby stage, where The Sounds were playing. He jumped the steel stairs leading up to the wooden platform, and pulled me up after him. We stood on the side of the stage in silence, watching the band play.
After the set, it was still quiet between us. The silence lasted until it reached sunset, neither of us speaking a word to each other.
"Bill…I'll...go with you," I said. His face lit up, and he hugged me again. I couldn't go, though. I'd have to quit my job, pack my things in a matter of minutes, and then leave. I couldn't do that. "Let me go home…and pack…and…tell my manager." I stood up from the wooden bench, and began the trek to my car without speaking another word.
--
The apartment was dark when I walked in. The only light came from a crack under Kylie's door. I peered through it, spotting her on her bed with her laptop. I gently pushed the door open and walked in. She glanced up, sweeping her long brown hair out of her face.
"I need your opinion."
"Continue, Kellee," she said, closing her laptop and looking up at me.
"William asked me to go on warped with him but I really don't think I can. It's too much of a hassle…I just don't think I can," I explained. She rested her head on her hand.
"Maybe you should call and say you can't? Make up a lie about how you called your boss and she said no? But if you want to go then go," she answered. I sighed.
"I don't know, Kylie," I said. "I'll…call him and say something came up…" The image of William's face falling while holding the phone in one hand, nodding and saying yes as though he really understood, entered my mind. I sighed. I had to do it.
And so I did. It broke my heart knowing that poor William was probably near tears on the other line, but I did it.
Somehow I couldn't get to sleep that night.