The Club Is Open Until 8:00Pm

Imogene waited beside me as I waited for the person who was currently using the payphone by the school to hurry up and be done with it. He looked at us while the person who talked to him from the other side mentioned something about a party that he should have been to. He said a bunch of yups, and a couple uh-huh’s and finally hung up.

I quickly reached for the black, previously used phone and dug around in my pockets for a quarter, 2 dimes and a nickel. Imogene wondered if I had the money. I told her I did but I don’t think she really believe me.

I finally found the money and inserted it into the slot. I dialed my home phone and tapped my fingers nervously. Come on. Come on. Someone pick up. Please. The line clicked and Steve answered. I forgot that he’d be home now that he didn’t have a job.

“Hey, dad, um, I’m gonna be staying over at Imogene’s house tonight. Brenna is gonna be taking us to the movies so we’ll be gone for almost the entire day.” He said okay and then hung up. I handed the phone over to Imogene and she inserted a few coins in the machine.

She had told her parents that I couldn’t go, and that she wasn’t going if I couldn’t. But then I said I was going despite what my parents said and her parents just thought she was going to be at my house for the day. To put it simply, I’m ‘staying’ over at her house, she’s ‘staying’ over at my house, when really, her sister, Brenna is driving us to Massachusetts for the concert. Since we’re both not too smart, I’m surprised this is actually working.

She hung up the payphone and grinned from ear to ear. “We’re good.” She exclaimed. I clapped my hands and covered my mouth and nose with them. “Oh my God I can’t even wait!” I giggled like an idiot.

Imogene giggled and we started walking to her house. “So here’s the plan, Brenna is gonna pick us up and then we book it to Mass. and then we should get there sometime around 6 - 7 pm, the concert starts at 8:30 and we head to the venue about 8.” I nodded, only getting half of what she said. It all depends on how traffic is and you know gas and stuff.” I nodded.

We arrived at her house and ran up to her room. Thankfully her parents wouldn’t be home until later when we’d already be gone and headed to Mass. Imogene threw her bag on her bed, and mine soon joined.

She rummaged through her closet, picking out a pair of short jean shorts, leggings, a hoodie and a tee with the statue of liberty on it. I grabbed the plastic bag I brought my cloths in out of my bag and opened it up. “You can change in here If you like.” She stated. I nodded and started to unzip my current hoodie.

I slid on my concert clothes, a tee, with jeans, and a hoodie. Imogene peered out her window and told me to hurry up cause her sister was already here. I felt around under the bed looking for the shoes I had kicked off. I found them, slipped them on and headed down stairs after grabbing my tote full of stuff and out the front door with Imogene.

Her sister had pulled up in a newer version of Joanne’s mini van and opened the front passenger side door. It can hold 3 people in the front. Her friends we’re seated in the backseat. They too were going to Massachusetts to a party at a local club.

“You guys in?” Brenna asked, making sure the door was shut tight and we were in. We nodded; Imogene squeezed in the middle cause she was the thinnest and me on the end, the handle of the door pinching my elbow.

We hopped on the interstate and drove north. I kept looking back in the side mirror at the people behind me. Brenna’s friends. One kept looking at me strangely, so I just tried to ignore him. “Hey, baby, how come your hair’s blue?” I heard one ask. Just ignore him Monet. I looked away from the eye contact we had unintentionally made through the mirror.

“Yo, chick, I’m talkin’ to you.” He spat. “Shut up, Logan.” Imogene spat. “She ain’t no ones ‘chick.’” Imogene defended. Thank you. The guys shot her an ugly face, not that he had to try real hard, but still… She cursed him out. Imogene’s got a big mouth. “Alright you 2.” Brenna said. Those 2 must argue a lot. The same guy, who called me chick, and who shot Imogene the look, winked at me in the mirror again. Logan is 23. I am 14. I shuddered.

About an hour into the what would be a close to 3 hour trip, we got stuck in traffic somewhere in New York. Imogene fanned away the smoke coming from the backseat. She did this motion until she got sick of the smell, reached over, startling me and rolled down the window. I didn’t even realize cigarette smoked had filled the vehicle. “Finally some clean air.” She exasperated. I looked at her for a second, then turned back to the window which I continued to stare out of.

We we’re out of New York. Another hour passed. It was approaching 7 o’clock at night. We were running late due to traffic and we weren’t even in the part of Mass. That we needed to be in. The concert was in Plymouth. Imogene was applying her eyeliner the best she could with the little mirror. Brenna hit a bump. Somehow Imogene didn’t mess up. I would have. I checked my eyeliner. It was fine.

Finally we were in Plymouth. Brenna dodged all the people headed towards the venue on foot and managed to get up close. She stopped the engine and I pushed open the door that had been pinching my arm for 3 hours.

My legs ached from being huddled next to Imogene’s all that time, and I had to take it slow for a few seconds. Imogene jumped out and her legs almost gave out on her. She grabbed her messenger bag, and handed me my tote. “Thanks.” I said to her. She smiled and rammed the door shut.

We started to take off when her sister called us back. “Make sure to call me when the concerts over. Last thing I need is you two being picked up.” She was joking right. She didn’t laugh. I looked at the people around us. Kinda creepy. They pulled away and Imogene saw my worried face. “She was kidding.” She offered. She wasn’t.