She Wants the D

“Heck, are you out of your damn mind?” Paul looked at the blonde teenager in disbelief. He couldn't have heard what had just come out her mouth correctly. Then again, with her, you never knew what to expect.

“Um, yes?” She stared at him expectantly. Hadn't they already established the fact that her way of thinking was a bit... questionable?

“But really? This is going a bit far. You've only just turned eighteen and you want to go out into the world for some band?”

“They're not just some band, Paul, not to me they're not. And besides, you make it seem like I'm going to be gone for the rest of my life. I'm coming back, but I just want to go out and live for once.”

“Heck, this is just crazy. You're going to be on your own in a different city. You could get into a lot of trouble.”

“Then come with me,” she smiled. She had meant it jokingly, knowing quite well that her friend since elementary wasn't able to do so, but he took her suggestion as seriously as ever.

“I don't have money to go with you on your little adventure.” Paul groaned and ran his hands through his short, chestnut hair, become stressed by her situation. “Do your parents at least know? I know for a fact that they wouldn't even approve of something like this.”

She smiled sheepishly and bit her bottom lip. “They know I'm leaving to see them.”

“Oh, really?” He raised an eyebrow, a clear signal that he was already calling her bluff.

“They just don't know that I'm leaving this soon.”

It was silent as the blonde continued to stuff as much as she could into her backpack. She packed the necessities – a few changes of clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a small make-up pouch, and a few other personal effects, earning a concerned glance from Paul as he watched her do so.

“Just how many changes of clothes are you bringing?”

“Only about three or four, including the clothes I'll be wearing. I'll find some local coin laundromats and just do them whenever. Besides, wearing a dirty shirt for one or two days isn't going to kill me.”

“I swear, sometimes you amaze me with your lack of hygiene. Aren't girls supposed to love clean clothes?”

She rolled her eye. “I'm ignoring that comment.”

“So when are you leaving?”

“Tonight.”

“TONIGHT?”

“Shh,” she put a finger to her lips. “Keep it a secret, yeah?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose as he shook his head. He didn't like where this was going. “Where's this concert they're having?”

“Well, the last one in the States is tonight.”

“Why do I have this sinking feeling?” Paul murmured to himself.

“Because you now know that I'm going to be flying out of the country.” She grinned in anticipation.

“How are you even paying for this?” He questioned in astonishment.

“Well, I've been working under the table since I was about fourteen. Then I found a better paying job at sixteen and worked my ass off. I've also been saving up birthday money. I would always put away some of the money I earned so I could so something worthwhile and over a few years, it's added up.” She shrugged. “If I was born later in the year though, this wouldn't be happening. My Aunt Mary and Uncle Tom gave me two hundred each for my eighteenth. I wouldn't have had enough if it wasn't for them. The ticket I got is in the nosebleeds since I was running out of money, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to be there and it's going to be awesome.”

“You have to know how insane this sounds now, right? Please, tell me that you do, Heck.”

“Yes, I'm well aware. It's just... I've never liked a band this much.”

Paul scoffed. “Heck, you like a new band every few months. What you're going to do is risky – too risky. I don't like it.”

“I know, Paul, but I've got to do this. I just want to do this! It's hard to explain.” The blonde laughed out loud with a smile so contagious that her friend couldn't help but bite back one of his own.

“You know I'm just saying this because I'm concerned. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you.”

Smiling, she placed a hand upon his shoulder. “I know. It's just... I'm a girl who knows what she wants and I want the D.”

They looked at one another for a split second. The blonde biting her bottom lip tightly as to hide a smile that was dying to break out while the brunette looked amused at her statement. Suddenly, laughter erupted inside the bedroom and eased the atmosphere.

“Don't say that ever again. Please, don't.”

“No promises.”

“Fine, but promise me this...” taking a deep breath, Paul stared Erin Heck straight in the eyes. “Promise me that you'll be careful and that you'll call your parents if anything happens. If you don't want to call them, then call me.”

“I promise, Paul.”

“Good,” he sighed out.

Sooner than later, her friend left her home to head to his own. She finished her packing quickly and then went off to snoop around for her passport that her parents had stashed away within one of the junk drawers. When everything was collected, she napped for a bit of time before she was woken for dinner with her parents, and then when the house was silent, she slipped out of the front door and apologized to her parents for the heart attack they were bound to have the coming morning.

This is going to be fun.