My Warped Summer

Allison's Point of View

I bolted up when the alarm on my phone sounded. It’s 1 am, already? Yes, I woke up at one in the morning, leaving me with three lousy hours of sleep. I sighed and pulled myself out of the comfortable heaven that was my bed. Scar, you’ll pay me for this. I slipped on a pair of tennis shoes, grabbed the lumpy red duffel bag I packed the night before, and silently tip-toed down the wooden stairs of my house. Careful not to wake the sleeping pit bull at the end of the hallway, I let myself out of the house and eased into my blue Ford Escape. After nervously starting the car, I backed out of the driveway and began to make my way toward my best friend’s house.

My heart was racing immensely as I pull up to Scarlet’s house. Oh God, what if her parents see me? After moments that seemed like hours, my goofy friend sprinted across her manicured lawn and swung herself into the passenger seat. I stepped on the gas and sped away from the house. Scarlet turned to me and gave one of her famous mischievous grins.

“We did it, Allison!” She shouted and laughed. “Warped Tour, here we come!”

I laughed along with her. I have to admit, even the guilt of sneaking out can’t hide my excitement. We were finally going to Warped Tour, the outdoor summer festival full of all of our favorite bands. Ever since we were freshmen, we have dreamed of taking a trip to Warped Tour at the end of our Senior year. Though, with Scarlet’s strict parents, that dream was quickly crushed when they explicitly told her she was never allowed to go. It was the rebellious Scarlet that convinced me to help her sneak out and actually do it without our parent’s permission. We had it down to every last detail- the cover stories, the tickets, the clothes. It was surreal to think that all those weeks of planning have finally come together.

“This is insane. I can’t believe this is actually happening,” I admit to her.

“Well, believe it, babe,” Scarlet said while throwing her long, blonde hair up into a messy ponytail.

“We’re headed to the concert of our dreams.” She finished with her hair and began wiggling her fingers in an eerie motion.

I laughed and swatted at her hand. “Stop that! You’re making me lose focus on my driving.”

“Yeah, right. You could probably drive blindfolded,” She retorted.

Scarlet began digging around my console, and eventually pulled out my small mp3 player. She hooked it up to the wire connected to my speakers, and put on a Sleeping with Sirens song.

“Oh God, Scar, not this one,” I say, exasperated. “You know how you get when you listen to this song.”

“That’s the point!” She exclaims, right as the first lyrics of If You Can’t Hang come on. “MET A GIRL AT SEVENTEEN-” Scarlet sung along, off key, accompanied with flailing arm-motions and enthusiastic facial expressions. “THOUGHT SHE MEANT THE WORLD TO ME, SO I GAVE HER EVERYTHING, SHE TURNED OUT TO BE A CHEAT.” She motioned to me to continue. Rolling my eyes, I did.

“Said she’d been thinking for a long time, and she found somebody new, I’ve been thinking that this whole time.”

We joined in together on the bridge. “No I’d never thought you’d STAAAAY. And that’s okay! I hope he takes your filthy heart and then he throws you away someday. Before you goooo, there’s one thing you oughta knowww!”

She turns to me dramatically. “If you can’t hang then, there’s the door, baby.”

I laugh and sing back, “If you can’t hang then, there’s the door, baby.”

We sing together once more, “If you can’t hang then, there’s the door, baby, if you can’t hang then, there’s the door!”

I laugh and turn the loud volume down.

“Aw, come on!” Scarlet pleads. “At least sing the whole song with me.”

“Shh, no I’m going to order some coffee,” I reply.

Almost stunned, Scarlet turns her head to find we are pulling into a McDonald’s drive-thru. I ordered two coffees and paid the cashier. When he closed the sliding glass window to get our drinks, Scarlet said in a low voice, “That server is attractive.” I glanced up at the dark-haired server getting our coffees.

“He, is I guess, but-”

Scarlet cut me off, “You should get his number.”

I groaned. “Scarlet, please.” Scar was always trying to pair me up with someone, no matter where we are.

“Come on, Ally!” she insisted. “He is so your type. Tall, dark, and hunky.” And with that, she made some obscene movement with her arms to add to the effect.

I shook my head. “You are impossible,” I told her. The glass window opened, and the server handed us our drinks.

“Thank you,” I said, taking one and handing it to Scarlet.

As I go to grab the other, Scarlet points to me and remarks, “She thinks you’re hot.”

The server immediately blushed as I grabbed the other coffee. I gave him an apologetic look and rolled up my window. Scarlet couldn’t contain her laughter.

“Did you see the way he looked at you?” She said, gasping for air.

“Yeah, like I was insane?” I asked her, going to take a sip of my coffee.

“No, like he wanted to get some,” Scar told me, once again doing that arm movement.

I nearly choked on my drink. “No, absolutely not,” I told her while laughing. “You are terrible, you know that?”

“Thank you,” she replied, and once again scrolled through my mp3 player looking for a new song.

*#*

“This is how we do iiiit!” I sang in my most soulful voice. Scarlet stared at me. “What?” I asked her, pausing the song. We’re already two hours into the trip, and we’ve moved on into the oldies playlist on my mp3 player.

“That was actually really, good, Ally,” she tells me. “You’re a really good singer.”

I blush and smile. “Thank you.”

“No, really,” Scar insists. “We could be in a band, you and I. Me with my guitar, and you with your singing. We would be so good.”

This is a conversation we have often. Ever since Scarlet started taking guitar, she’s aspired to be in a band some day. Again, her parents interceded and forced her to apply to a big medical college. Scarlet being extremely smart, got in with a full scholarship. Now, she’s miserable, having to follow a dream that is not her own. That is one of the reasons I agreed to sneak her out here. She needs one last “hurrah” before heading off to purgatory, as she calls it.

“We would, wouldn’t we?” I say as my usual response. Scarlet checks her phone and slides down into her seat.

“Only six more hours,” she said in a defeated tone. We were driving the eight hour trip to Salt-Lake City, the first show on Warped Tour. I laugh and hand her the blanket I dug out of my duffel bag.

“You can take a nap if you want,” I tell her. “I’ll wake you up once we’re halfway there.”

She nods, grabs the blanket, and settles down into the set.

*#*

I scroll down to the most loud and angsty LeATHERMOUTH song I can find. Aha. Leviathan. Perfect. I turn my speakers up really loud and press the play button. Immediately, the music starts with moaning and drums. Scarlet jolts awake.

“Shit,” she mutters. “Way to scare me.” I stick my tongue out at her.

“That’s for making me drive two whole hours by myself.”

“You offered!” She claims, throwing her hands in the air. Scarlet registers her surroundings to find we’re parked outside a Waffle House.

“Breakfast time,” I say, sliding out of the car. Scar gets out too and follows me into the tiny breakfast house in the middle of nowhere. We both order the most amazing waffles on the menu, Nutella and banana. Within thirty minutes, we devoured the food and left our plates empty.

“I’m stuffed,” Scarlet says, motioning to her stomach.

“Me too,” I reply, and dig out the car keys from my purse. “Good luck driving.” Scarlet groans and grabs the keys.

“Hey, lighten up.” I tell her. “We’re only four more hours away from the concert of our dreams.” I make the eerie hand motion she had when we first began driving. She grins.

“I am so excited,” Scarlet says. “Four more hours and then Kellin Quinn.” She batted her eyelashes and looked off into a dreamy gaze.

“Snap out of it,” I tell her while the waitress comes by with our check. I leave the money on the table, and pick up my purse to go. Scarlet follows me. We climb into the car, and Scar starts the engine.

“You sure you don’t wanna drive four more hours?” She asks me.

“Right,” I say, grabbing the blanket Scarlet left on the floor. “Very funny.” I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.