You Were Too Good to Be True

Alex shouted in delight as the song changed, reaching over to the stereo to bump up the volume by a few notches against my wishes. We were off to see a band with a much heavier sound; pop rock wasn't going to put me in the mood for screaming.

She sang along with The Summer Set anyway, substituting some of the lyrics with the aftermath of our four-in-the-morning conversations and "songlibs." I was about to change the song - it would've been easy, the controls for the radio were also on my steering wheel - but I joined in with her.

There was enough time for lighter, happier music, we'd been bored long enough in my car. I'd been driving for an hour and a half, and had only passed the halfway point of our journey a while ago.

"We're the fans bands want to have," Alex concluded randomly as the bridge in Passenger Seat grew quiet. "We're perfect."

She'd said it enough, I was sure she knew my thoughts on her argument. She did, and Alex bursted with laughter as I shot her a look.

"So what, we're a little creepy. But we're the walking advertisement, merch buying, polite creepy fans. If it wasn't for us, bands wouldn't have as much fun."

"You're not excited enough yet, you're still overthinking things." I felt my hands shake, I was so focused on the possibilities of what could happen later in the night that I was only partially paying attention to the highway. I wasn't sure what Alex was blabbering about anymore, so to make her see that I no longer cared, I changed the song and the two of us shouted the lyrics to Knives and Pens by Black Veil Brides.

I was hyped up by a few Cans of Red Bull, and there were a few more in the back seat. Alex had a heart condition and couldn't drink them, so I had them all to myself and was ready for a long night.

"Devin, I love being eighteen."

"I did too. But why do you?"

"My parents don't own me anymore. I can finally do shit like this. I can go wherever and do whatever." She beamed, excited to finally see Detroit from more than behind a window. "Bands don't come to where we live. You know that. I hated when you got to go places and go to shows when I was stuck in my room."

"You're still mad about Warped Tour last summer, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! Even though the video you got of Judah made up for some of it..."

I laughed, remembering how I talked her favorite musician to make an ass out of himself on camera.

We spent about an hour blaring music by bands that were much less angry than the ones we were about to see, though Alex didn't mind and sang happily. I told her we should get ready for moshpits and anger and played a few harder songs. She cracked up when Me and You by Stereo Skyline played after the words "You're dead" were screamed.

"I want food," Alex whined. "Next McDonald's you see, would you stop for me?"

"Come on, we're almost there. You can wait, can't you?"

"Please, D?"

I groaned, searching the horizon for the recognizable "M" of the arches and eased into the parking lot when I found one. "The drive thru is nuts. You're going inside."

Her face twisted in horror. "You're making me go inside alone?"

"You're such a baby," I sighed, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Come on, let's go."

"I'll get something for you, too!" Alex shouted excitedly, practically bouncing out of my car.

"Thanks, but don't get too much. Let's hurry."

"The show doesn't start for another hour or so."

"I still want to get there early. Do you want to be at the barricade this time or not?"

I could practically see the flashbacks of Alex's first moshing experience - that happened to be to the band we were seeing tonight - playing like a movie in her eyes. She wasn't afraid of being touched inappropriately on accident and welcomed the bruises, but if she was hit in the chest hard enough, her heart could stop.

"If I was you, I'd be in the heart of the chaos. But you're right." She crossed the parking lot and walked in front of me slightly, fishing through her purse to find her wallet. "We've come this far driving. We might as well go through with this whole dedicated fan thing."

I walked faster to catch up with Alex, then thanked her when she opened the door for me. I looked around, taking in the scenery when the color yellow caught my eye. I focused on the unknown figure getting up from a table. He stood, turned around, and began walking to the soda machine; I could feel my heart stop.