And Along Came You

School just dragged on and on today. I hated Mondays with a fiery burning passion, but today things seemed to be moving even slower than normally and it was driving me up the wall. We had all gotten home later than we'd hoped the night before and after being up on the phone half the night with Angela, I had managed to get in maybe three hours of sleep? Sitting through economics this morning was taking a lot more effort out of me than I was willing to give and I fought to keep my eyes open as I continuously sunk lower and lower in my chair.
 
"Melanie?" the soft voice of my economics teacher, Mrs. Goldstein, came from behind me. I jumped in my seat, startled by her closeness. She looked down at me with concern in her pale blue eyes. "Are you all right?" she whispered. I nodded, fighting back the urge to roll my eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse or something?" she pressed on.
 
"Really, I'm fine," I assured her, perking myself up to look more convincing. Her lips formed a thin line and with that look of concern still in her eyes, she nodded and headed back towards the front of the room. Rubbing my temples, I inwardly groaned as I squeezed my eyes shut. When word got around that I had cancer, many things in my life started to change. Some people looked at me like I was contagious or something and steered clear, other people acted indifferently, and then there were those like Mrs. Goldstein who felt the need to coddle me and treat me like I was a fragile, glass figurine and could break at any moment. I hated when people treated me like that, even if they meant well.
 
I looked up at the clock desperately, hoping that the hands would miraculously tick faster and I would be freed. No such luck. I slumped back down in my chair, resting my head on my arms as Mrs. Goldstein continued with her thrillingly stimulating lecture.
 
***
"Move, move, move, move!" Angela and I burst through the cafeteria doors, nearly tripping over our own feet as we sprinted to the kitchen. Cutting two little freshmen, we each grabbed a tray and walked over to get our lunch. "Ah, Mozzarella Stick day," I sighed with delight as the lunch lady handed me the little plastic carton of fried, cheesy goodness. Angela and I paid for our lunches and sat down at our usual table with Matt and Andrew and a few of our other friends. Matt was copying some homework last minute from our friend, Ty, and Andrew was talking to his girlfriend, Tracey.
 
"So, did you talk to your mom about it yet?" Angela asked, referring to Flyzik's tour offer.
 
"Uh, no are you kidding?" I scoffed, taking another mozzarella stick from the container. I could feel her eyes burning holes in my face.
 
"What do you mean am I kidding?" she asked incredulously. "Don't you want to go?"
 
I shrugged. Of course I did—more than anything in the world—but once I had gotten home I started to think about all the possible outcomes of touring with All Time Low. What if our fans thought we were forgetting all about them and everything they had done for us? What if we couldn't handle tour life and decided to split up? All these irrational fears had sprung up in my mind and were still haunting me. This band was my life and I had to protect it.
 
"Yeah, but you know my mom…she'd never go for it…" I said, my mood sinking substantially.
 
"But you at least have to try, otherwise we'll never know!" Angela retorted and I knew she was right. She was always right and it drove me crazy sometimes.
 
"Well then did you ask your parents?" I asked, crossing my arms against my chest.
 
"Duh."
 
"And what did they say?"
 
"Oh hell no," she snorted and I couldn’t help but crack up too. If there was one thing I knew well about Angela, it was that she never took no for an answer.
 
"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" I punched her shoulder gently. Her hand flew up to the spot I'd just hit and she gasped, overdramatically rubbing at her now "sore" shoulder.
 
"Geez Mel, when did this relationship become so abusive?" she said and I laughed, blowing her a kiss. "No, don't you try to be all cutesy now!" she shook her head, pushing me away as I tried to cuddle up next to her.
 
"Stop rejecting my love for you!" I whined, pretending to cry. Finally, after a few more minutes of play fighting, Angela gave in and sighed defeated as I wrapped my arms around her. "See? Now isn't this nice?" I giggled as I stole one of her mozzarella sticks.
 
"Bitch," she grumbled which only made my smile grow bigger.
 
"Love you too babe."
 
***
It was quiet and tense as Andrew, Angela, Matt and I walked down into my basement for band practice. The four of us had yet to discuss the topic of tour as a group and it was clear that we all had seriously mixed feelings. Unsure of what the right move was, we all sat down, not bothering to set up our stuff just yet. We had to give Flyzik an answer and we had to do it soon.
 
"So…" I trailed off, attempting to cut the tension.
 
"Let's just cut to the chase, none of our parents are going to say yes. Either we forget this whole thing or we take matters into our own hands," Angela spoke up, diving right in. Three heads shot up, shocked at how serious she sounded. We certainly hadn't expected this.
 
"What do you mean?" Matt asked, sounding a little afraid of what was going to come out of her mouth next.
 
"I mean that I want to go. I want us to take this opportunity and reach as many people with our music as possible, because let's face it this chance might not ever happen for us again," she answered and the rest of us sat quietly, still rendered speechless.
 
"I say we take the chance," Andrew spoke up. His voice was clear and unwavering. His decision was final. Angela turned to look desperately at Matt and me. We glanced to each other then back to Angela.
 
"I'm in," Matt said and then all eyes were turned on me. I still had my fears and my doubts hanging over my mind like a stormy grey cloud, but in that very moment, there seemed to be a light in the distance. Despite school, our parents, and any other obstacles that stood in our way, I felt like all our problems would work out and resolve themselves somehow. This could actually be possible.
 
"Well then it's decided," I said with a smile creeping up on my lips, the tension in the room instantly being replaced with excitement. "Looks like we're opening for All Time Low."