In 102 Languages I Love You

I was never one for liking surprises much. Maybe because it was because I didn't like the feeling a surprise gave you. I didn't like being caught off guard. I tried to guess what he'd actually come up with. Would it be something exciting, romantic, scary, weird, crazy? All of those options seemed to fit into something Frank would do, they really did. He could definitely pull any of those off, but which one would he decide appropriate for now? The ocean was yelling behind us as Frank and I walked off from the boardwalk. His hand was tightly wrapped around my own, and I let him lead the way to our destination.

When I realized we weren't going back to his car, but instead into a building that was right across from the boardwalk, I got curious. Conventional Hall Complex were displayed in semi-large letters on top of the building. It didn't look fancy, so romantic was out of the question. It kind of looked creepy, and weird, so I prepared myself for something like it as we made our way up the stairs of the building. I noticed other people making their way up the same steps, looking excited, invoked in conversation with whatever friends they were with. I looked at them up and down, noticing the similarities they had with my boyfriend.

The three girls and two boys all had one thing in common, the same fake dyed black hair, like Frank, with some other unnatural color in the mixture. It was kind of fascinating, to be honest. They also had some ring piercing through their skin, whether it be on their lip, on their nose..and their eyebrow? Frank always wore the same black studded belt, and so did these five other teenagers. Their shoes even matched! They all looked the same, like their own little cult! I looked down at my attire and noticed we had on the same type of skinny jeans. However, Frank's and the other five kids were ripped in some places. I felt like I stuck out. I shook off the thought in my head, it was just cloths after all.

"So, what exactly are we doing and going?" I ask, as we reach the top stairs. Frank grabs the door, and opens it up for the five friends to walk by. They all mumble a 'thank you' before I step through myself and Frank follows behind.

My eyes immediately wonder the room. I see people waiting in line to be inspected by men, and woman. They check their bags, and touch their body, almost inspecting them for something. I get nervous, my hands search for Frank's and grab on to them quickly.

"You're going to see your first band live!" Frank exclaimed, squeezing my hands tightly from excitement. He had a huge grin across his face, holding money in his other hand.
I'm going to what?

My hands squeeze Frank's harder when he lets out his words. He scowls, letting go of my hand, and shaking it in mid air. "Ow Maddy." He whines. "Who knew you were strong." He smiled lightly, giving me a small playful push. This is the oh so wonderful memory that's going to scar it forever? It's that oh so wonderful memory that will change me forever?

"Are you excited?" Frank asked, giving my hand another squeeze. We were moving up the line now, about five people away from walking through those metal detectors, and from being touched by strangers. I noticed however that the males were inspected my males, and the females by females. This made me relax slightly.

"Uhm, more nervous to be honest." I respond. "How is this supposed to..change me?" I ask, curiosity taking over me. I wasn't excited, more scared then nervous. But Frank had taken me here, and I couldn't let him down, not after all of this.

Frank's eyes lit up, before he began talking. "Oh god, it's amazing! You come to one of these shows for the first time, and you're never the same trust me. Everyone stands together, all here for one thing; the band. So sing your heart out to lyrics strangers have written, but yet mean so much to you. Everyone stands together, almost huddled up. People mosh, they crowd surf, the band members stage dive. They play their hearts out that night. We stand their, enjoying their music, and loving the guys up their fulfilling their dreams. You're like literally crushed to death, and beat, but that doesn't matter. It's..it's amazing."

When he finished his words, a ball was stuck in my throat. I could feel my muscles knot even more, and my face whiten. Crushed to death? What the hell was moshing? I could guess what crowd surfing and stage diving were, but that didn't exactly help on my nerves.

When we were finally up to get searched, Frank went the other way towards the man, and I stayed put. "Do you carry a bag ma'am? Any type of metal should be put in here in this basket. I shook my head nervously, and she nodded for me to step through the weird machine above my head. I sucked in my breathe, trying not to close my eyes, and walked through. When no alarm, or anything crazy went off, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Raise your arms." She commanded.

I listened, and rose my arms all the way up, probably looking like an idiot. I know I probably looked terrified. Once her hands began to search me up and down, coming in contact with my clothing, I kind of felt violated. She stopped, and without saying anything she handed me a bracelet. "No re entries." She said, as I walked off to get Frank who had been smiling lightly when the woman had been inspecting me. I glared at me playfully, as we headed down a slight concrete hill. "Second base with a stranger, huh?" Frank smiled, bringing his arm over my waist.

I was never to comfortable with Frank having his hand that low on my body close to my butt. It still gave me little chills, and made me nervous. The kissing was fine, and so were the holding hands, but this made me kind of uncomfortable. I being the idiot, said nothing though. "What band are we seeing, anyway?" I ask as we step into a large room.

"Well, seeing as you need to get home on time, I think we're only going to stay for one band. Which is a big bummer since seven bands are playing tonight, all of them being really good. I think the first band to go on is Blink 182. So we'll stay for that one."

I nodded, taking a look around in the huge room we were in. Their were small looking tents backed up on the walls, each one with a different title on top. People were walking through the middle, stopping by the ones that caught each one's attention. It was easy to tell this place wasn't heated. I could feel the cool wind from outside, slipping through the huge doors at the end of the room. Frank's hands lead me towards the middle of the room, were we walked by doors. "Do you need to use the bathroom? It's that way.." He said pointing to my right.

"I'm fine." I responded. He nods, and we continued walking through the place until we reached another big room. The floor was gray and bumpy, and looked pretty empty. A stage was located all the way at the far end, with about twenty teens standing in front of it. Around the room were seats stacking up in high rows. "Are we sitting up there?" I ask, looking at the seats.

Frank dragged me away from the seats I badly wanted to sit in. "No." He responded making a face. "That be no fun." He smiled. We walked all the way towards the small crowd of teens. There were men on the stage, each off in their business trying to do their job. Some held guitars, while others fumbled with wires on the floor. Frank lead the way, as he slithered his way past people, trying to get to the front.

Frank pushed his way through as I felt eyes staring at me. I never liked it when people looked like that. We stopped at the rail in the front stopping us from getting any closer to the stage. Frank smiled, letting me get in front of him as he stood behind me. "I like the front the best." He said, resting his right hand on my right shoulder. I could feel his thick fingers rubbing against my jacket, putting weight on me.

"What exactly is moshing?" I ask, turning away from the stage and towards his face behind me.
He laughs lightly, letting go of my shoulder. His arms are on both sides of me, holding on the railing. "Well, it's like..this circle. Well you make a circle, and guys, sometimes girls though, they..try to kill each other.."

My face whitens even more. "I'm kidding." Frank laughs.

"Frank, don't do that!" I say frustrated. "God, I have a feeling I'm going to die in this place.." I mutter, turning away from him.

"Nah, you won't." Frank mumbled wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing his front body against my back. Now this really made me uncomfortable. I could feel certain body parts against my back, and I just couldn't take it. "Frank let go." I say lightly, almost to light for him to hear.

"Hmm?" I hear him ask. "What did you say?"

I know he's not here to make me uncomfortable, I know that's the last thing he wants. He's just, touchy, and loving, but I'm not comfortable with that. At least not yet. "Let go." I respond, louder now, trying to squirm out of his grasp.

He quickly lets go, and I feel relief. "What's wrong?" He asked, bringing his face over to my right side, trying to get a look at my face. I stare forward, trying to avoid eye contact. I shake my head lightly, almost embarrassed.

"I'm just not used to all of this touching all to soon. You probably think I'm a little kid and all, but I'm just not used to it. I feel uncomfortable when you're pressed that close against me. And when I feel certain things of you, on me.." I mumble, feeling myself heat up at my last words. What will he think of me now?

I hear Frank laugh lightly and take a step back. "I'm sorry Maddy. It's so cute how you don't like it.." He drops his smile. "I really am. All you had to do was say something." He takes a step closer, trying to squeeze in between the person next to me, and me. "I know this is your first relationship. And I know you're not used to anything, or how it works. But hey, that's why I'm here to teach you. That's how much I like you. I'm not like most guys.." Frank said trailing off. "Thanks to grandfather Frank." He smiles.

"Well good for me I got landed with such a great guy." I respond, kissing him quickly and turning around. Frank's arms this time are on both of my sides, grabbing the railing, instead of my waist, and he leaves a good distance away from back. "Thank you." I mumble low, but he doesn't hear.
We wait for another five minutes, hearing everyone around me invoked in conversation. I watch the men up on stage, doing mic checks, and making sure everything is set up fine. I turn around, not to look at Frank, but to look at the crowd. "Is there a big crowd?" I ask Frank. I try standing on my tippie toes, but I fail miserably.

Frank stands on his own tippie toes, and takes a look back at the crowd. "You should of found yourself a taller boyfriend." He smiled. "I can't really see, but it looks pretty big."

A loud guitar chord structs, and makes my body vibrate. Suddenly, cheers erupt from everywhere, even from Frank behind me. Other chords are played, and everyone goes even more crazy. I'm not sure about what to do, so I just join in with the cheers. A rather small guy walks up to the mic with what looks like a bass around him. He looks out at all of us smiling. "Hello New Jersey, we're Blink 182. And we're gonna rock you bitches out tonight!"

Other cheers erupt, and the drummer begins pounding on his drums. Another guy stands off in the corner. He has a lip ring just like Frank. His hair is spiked up, and he looks so concentrated with the guitar he holds around him. In sudden seconds, he begins to move along to the music, energy starting at his feet, and rising up to his head. The people next to me begin to bop their heads as the singer's voice bores into the mic.

I can feel movement happening behind me, and I'm kind of afraid to look, and see why their is so much movement. I heard people's voices from around me singing along to these man's lyrics. I look at the three men in the stage, and then back at the teens next to me, and try to take a peek behind me. It was just like how Frank explained it. It was almost like they were hypnotized by the music being exposed in front of us.

The weirdest thing happened though, by the time they announce their next song called 'Dammit', I could feel my foot tapping below me, along to the drums. I feel an urge to move, and bop my head along to the music to. It feels kind of embarrassing to do it though. I feel like going as crazy as the people around me, like Frank behind me. I watch as sweat begins to form on the edges of the guitarist forehead, as the pick around his hand dance along the chords of guitar. He looks like the guitar is his life line, and if he stops, he'll die. My eyes then wonder to the drummer, who looks like he's staring into space, but banging his heart out onto the drums below him. He spits everyone once in a while, and he's shirtless, giving me a view of tattoos running through his chest, and up his neck.

"Maddy, look out!" I hear Frank barely yell behind me. I look back behind him, to notice a girl being carried by hands over every one's heads. I panic at that second as I watch hands touch the girl in very different spots. How can she do that?! I gulp down a rock in my throat, and mimic Frank's actions, as he tries to help the girl pass towards the security guard in front of us. Man does she weigh a lot. The security guard holds her in his arm, and lets her down on the floor. She runs out of the area, yelling her heart out, singing lyrics. Whoa.

"Here comes another one Maddy.." Frank's voice yells behind me. This time however, it's a guy, and I almost hesitate to touch him, and help him through. I reach up to help the guy pass through. Just as he passes through the railings, I feel a hard sneaker come in contact with my forehead. Ow.

"Shit, Maddy! Are you okay?" Frank asks behind me, turning my body to face him. I can feel my head spinning a bit, and tears begin to sting at my eye. Don't cry Madison! I let out a little nervous laugh, trying to shake the feeling off. "I'm fine." I breathe. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Frank asks, still not fully convinced.

"Yes fruitcake, I'm sure." I laugh, turning away from him, towards the stage. I really hope it doesn't bruise.

"Alright, we've got two more songs for you. And you guys better go fucking nuts." The singer yells, while everyone cheers.

The guitarist begins playing his chords, and everyone goes nuts. I can feel the people beside me swaying, giving me slight pushes. I notice other girls jumping up and down, as the singer begins to sing.



I felt my head bopping along to his lyrics, and feel my body sway along. It was a feeling I had never felt before. I felt alive, full of energy. I felt like jumping up and down, screaming along to his lyrics (if I knew them.) I wanted to go crazy with excitement. It was kind of odd what this
music could do to you.

"Maddy..Maddy.." Frank beside me said, grabbing my arm, shaking me lightly.

"What?" I almost snap, annoyed he's talking to me while I'm enjoying this!

"We have to go..."

I frown, and every good feeling leaves my body. "Do we have to?" I pout, feeling disappointed.

"If you want your mom to find you at home, and if I want you alive tomorrow, then yes." Frank ordered, taking my hand.

I sighed, turning back to the stage, watching those three men rocking out. "Okay," I mumble, letting Frank lead me out of the crowd. We had to push and shove to try to get through everyone, and it did feel like suffocation! Most people looked nice, but then there were those occasional ones that didn't want to move. All we were trying to do was get out!

As we got out, I noticed a small circle by the end. Guys were in it, all doing some weird moves with their body. This scene, it was kind of strange, weird, and completely new to me. Franks arms wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him. This type of touch was okay. "This was amazing, Frank." I smile.

He smiled along with me. I brought my arm along his back, my arm reaching the other side of his body. "You know Mady, I don't think I've ever told you I play guitar. But I do, and one day..I hope to be doing that."

I smile at the thought of Frank on stage playing in front of hundreds of teenagers. I could see it perfectly, like I knew it was really going to happen. "You will Frank. One day thousands of kids are going to adore your band, and your guitar playing skills. I know it."