Everything Is Alright
Warped Tour
I squinted in the sun and lifted my hand to shield it from my eyes. I felt sweaty and gross. Warped Tour always seemed to fall on the hottest day of the year. And I always complained about it. But I still ended up coming every year.
I looked around for Nicole. I had lost track of her ten minutes ago. People were pushing past me. I guess I was kind of standing in the middle of everyone’s way. I blinked as someone else walked past me. His hair was crazy and sticking up all over the place. I hadn’t seen hair like that in years. Not since college.
The guy was already farther ahead. I turned to follow, pushing past everyone. I caught up with him as he stopped at a stand to buy water. I was about to tap him on the shoulder when he suddenly turned around and almost walked into me. Some of his water splashed onto the ground.
“Woah. Sorry,” he began, looking at the ground. He looked up. I couldn’t believe it.
“Justin?” I asked. His face broke into a smile.
“Liz,” he said. I grinned. I attacked him with a tight hug. He hugged me back, slightly lifting me off the ground. I couldn’t believe he was here after all this time. I planted a kiss on the side of his face before I pulled away, caught up in the excitement. He looked a little pink. Maybe it was just from the heat. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean?” I asked. I noticed I was still holding his hands. I let go.
“Weren’t you living out west or something?” he asked.
“Pasadena,” I said. “I came back,” I said, shrugging brightly. “A while ago.”
“Oh.”
“And what about you? What are you doing here?”
“Umm…” He looked down shyly for a second. I hadn’t seen that look from him very often. “I'm playing here,” he explained.
“Playing?” I repeated. “Like on stage?” He nodded. “No way,” I exclaimed, hitting his arm. He smiled.
“Yes, way.” I studied him for a minute. “Hey,” he said. “You have to come find me later. You have to meet the guys.”
“Definitely.” He smiled again. “You have to come by my place later. We can hang out.”
“I wish. But we’re leaving tonight.”
“Oh. You are?”
“Yeah. But come find us later, okay? And we’re playing that stage in 20 minutes,” he said, pointing it out.
“Okay.” I gave him another hug and turned to go. “Wait,” I said. I grabbed his hand and wrote my number on the back of it. “If I can’t find you later,” I explained. He nodded. I walked away, remembering that I was looking for Nicole. I kept wandering, lost in thought. I kept the stage Justin pointed out in sight.
“Hey,” Nicole said, coming out of nowhere and linking arms with me.
“Hey,” I said distractedly.
“Wanna head home yet?” she asked. I shook my head.
“Not yet. I want to see the next band on that stage,” I said, pointing. We started walking in that direction.
“Okay,” she said. “What are they called?”
“Uh,” I said, shrugging. I had forgotten to ask. “I don’t know.”
“Okay…” she said again. We stayed to listen anyway. We stayed to the side. I didn’t really feel like being crushed in a mosh pit. I saw Justin and some other guys get on stage. They talked in a circle while the crowd waited. Justin walked to the microphone. I could still see the numbers scrawled on his hand. His eyes scanned the crowd.
“For Betty,” he said, as they went into the song. I smiled and crossed my arms.
I had never figured out why he always called me Betty.
I looked around for Nicole. I had lost track of her ten minutes ago. People were pushing past me. I guess I was kind of standing in the middle of everyone’s way. I blinked as someone else walked past me. His hair was crazy and sticking up all over the place. I hadn’t seen hair like that in years. Not since college.
The guy was already farther ahead. I turned to follow, pushing past everyone. I caught up with him as he stopped at a stand to buy water. I was about to tap him on the shoulder when he suddenly turned around and almost walked into me. Some of his water splashed onto the ground.
“Woah. Sorry,” he began, looking at the ground. He looked up. I couldn’t believe it.
“Justin?” I asked. His face broke into a smile.
“Liz,” he said. I grinned. I attacked him with a tight hug. He hugged me back, slightly lifting me off the ground. I couldn’t believe he was here after all this time. I planted a kiss on the side of his face before I pulled away, caught up in the excitement. He looked a little pink. Maybe it was just from the heat. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean?” I asked. I noticed I was still holding his hands. I let go.
“Weren’t you living out west or something?” he asked.
“Pasadena,” I said. “I came back,” I said, shrugging brightly. “A while ago.”
“Oh.”
“And what about you? What are you doing here?”
“Umm…” He looked down shyly for a second. I hadn’t seen that look from him very often. “I'm playing here,” he explained.
“Playing?” I repeated. “Like on stage?” He nodded. “No way,” I exclaimed, hitting his arm. He smiled.
“Yes, way.” I studied him for a minute. “Hey,” he said. “You have to come find me later. You have to meet the guys.”
“Definitely.” He smiled again. “You have to come by my place later. We can hang out.”
“I wish. But we’re leaving tonight.”
“Oh. You are?”
“Yeah. But come find us later, okay? And we’re playing that stage in 20 minutes,” he said, pointing it out.
“Okay.” I gave him another hug and turned to go. “Wait,” I said. I grabbed his hand and wrote my number on the back of it. “If I can’t find you later,” I explained. He nodded. I walked away, remembering that I was looking for Nicole. I kept wandering, lost in thought. I kept the stage Justin pointed out in sight.
“Hey,” Nicole said, coming out of nowhere and linking arms with me.
“Hey,” I said distractedly.
“Wanna head home yet?” she asked. I shook my head.
“Not yet. I want to see the next band on that stage,” I said, pointing. We started walking in that direction.
“Okay,” she said. “What are they called?”
“Uh,” I said, shrugging. I had forgotten to ask. “I don’t know.”
“Okay…” she said again. We stayed to listen anyway. We stayed to the side. I didn’t really feel like being crushed in a mosh pit. I saw Justin and some other guys get on stage. They talked in a circle while the crowd waited. Justin walked to the microphone. I could still see the numbers scrawled on his hand. His eyes scanned the crowd.
“For Betty,” he said, as they went into the song. I smiled and crossed my arms.
I had never figured out why he always called me Betty.