9
"Hello?"
"Jack? It's Ellie." It was weird hearing her voice over the phone. They hadn't talked on the phone in such a long time it almost seemed unreal.
"Oh, hey, what's up?"
"Are you gonna come tonight?"
"Are you going?" He knew Dave wouldn't go to that place in a million years so he wanted to make sure he would know someone there. Or did he jst want to see Ellie?
"Of course!"
"Sure, what the hell."
'Great! I'll swing by in like 20 minutes to pick you up. Sound good?" He could hear the excitement in her voice. Maybe they could be friends again, he thought.
"Yeah, see you then." He hung up and plopped down on his bed. Just as he was about to get up to get ready, his phone rang again.
"Hello?"
"Dude, huge show at Calaloo tonight. You going?" It was Dave. Dave was the only one who called Jack "Dude."
"Yeah. Why? Are you?"
"Duh, amn. Only the biggest show of the year! Plus, plenty of hot chicks are going, from other schools!" They both burst out laughing. They had a little joke that girls from other schools were always better to date because they didn't cause drama at Gill. "So I'll pick you up soon?"
"Uh, well, actually Ellie's giving me a ride."
"Hahaha, you wish you could ride with that, dude."
"I'm serious. She gave me a ride home after school when you ditched me and asked me to come with her. But I'll meet you there?"
"Oh. Yeah, dude, that's cool. See ya there." Dave hung up and Jack felt bad about leaving his best friend for a girl. But it's not like she's my girlfriend, so it's ok, he thought.
The door bell rang and Jack ran down the stairs zipping up his hoodie. He opened to door and Ellie was standing there, looking absolutely beautiful. She was wearing black skinny jeans, silver ballet flats and a white baby-tee. Her eyes were glowing in the light from his foyer.
"Hey." Why was he nervous? This wasn't a date or anything.
"Hey, cutie. Let's go, we're gonna be late!" Cutie? She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out to the car. "We have to go pick up Meg, too. I promised her I'd give her a ride." She pulled out of his driveway and sped off towards Meg's house. "have you ever heard Damien's band play?"
"Nope. Are they any good?"
"Yeah, they're incredible! I'm like their biggest fan, well, besides my sister." They both chuckled and the car grew silent.
Ellie pulled into Meg's driveway and got out to go get her. Jack didn't really know Meg all that well. He only knew that she dated Damien for awhile and they had a rough break up a few weeks ago. Meg plopped into the back seat and leaned into the front over Jack's shoulder.
"Hey Jack! I didn't know you were coming!"
"He's my date, Meg." Ellie responded and both the girls smiled. On the way to the show Meg and Ellie were talking and gossipng while Jack just sat there thinking. He wondered if maybe tonight would rekindle his freidnship with Ellie. He sure hoped so, at least.
"We're here!" Meg screamed, "I'm so excited! I haven't seen them play in such a long time! Did you guys here that a record producer is coming to see the show tonight? And he might over them a record deal and a spot on the Welcome To Sunday World Tour this summer?"
"Yeah, Damien told me about that! I really hope they get it!" The girls ran out of the car and towards the front entrance. "C'mon Jack!" Ellie ran back to him and grabbed him. She was telling the bouncer their names when he realized what she was doing. She was holding his hand, laced fingers and all. Now Jack was nervous about tonight. Good thing Dave is coming, he thought.
"Meg! Hey, Meg!" A deep voice was coming from behind the bouncer. Meg looked around him and saw Adam pushing his way through a crowd of people at the front door. "Hey you!"
"Hey, Adam. What's up?"
"I've been waiting for you! Let's go!" He took her by the waist and pulled her inside.
"See you guys later!" She called after Ellie and Jack.
"Let's go, Jack!" She squeezed his hand lightly and they went inside.
Inside, there were masses of high school age kids dancing dangerously close to eachother and lights flashing all over the place. The bar was packed with underage drinkers, but if you were willing to pay, the bartender let you drink. Music was blaring from the speakers hanging all along the walls. Ellie could see Aaron setting up his drums and maneuvered her way up to the stage, with Jack in tow.
"Aaron!" She shouted up at him.
"Oh, hey Ell! Damien's backstage! Here lemme give you guys a hand!" Aaron came over to the front over the stage and helped Ellie and Jack up so they could get backstage.
"Tahnks! Good Luck!" Ellie ran backstage to find Damien. Jack already felt out of place. He wanted to go home and read a book, but it was too late now. He headed in the direction Ellie went to try and find her. He pushed a curtain away and saw Ellie kiss Damien on the cheek but awfully close to his mouth.
"Jack? Hey man!" Damien moved around Ellie and over to Jack. Of course Damien was surprised to see his ex-best friend back stage at a show. Only ex-best friends because of the way cliques fall at school.
"Hey. How's it going?" They hugged and patted each other on the back.
"Didn't expect to see you here. I never see you around anymore." That's because you guys ditched me in high school, Jack thought to himself.
"Yeah, you know, just getting my shit together for college."
"Same here. Well it was good to see you, but I gotta run. See ya around, man." Damien patted Jack on the shoulder and jogged off to grab his guitar.
"Jack?" Ellie walked over to him from talking to Hunter, the band's bassist. "Let's get back out there, they're about to start." They walked back on stoage and jumed off the front into the crowds of people. They pushed themselves through the masses and to the back by the bar. Ellie ordered two beers, assuming that Jack wanted one.
"Ell! Ell! Over here!" Ellie turned around and saw Meg pushing through the people towards her and Jack. "You guys should come out there with us. There's a great view of the stage and all that. C'mon!" Meg pushed her way back in the direction she came from and Ellie followed. Jack rolled his eyes and followed Ellie. His phone began to vibrate in his pocket, it was a text message from Dave, Just got here, where r u?
"Thank god," Jack said outloud and some girl in all black and dark black makeup gave him an evil stare. Jack rushed to the front door and saw Dave looking around confused, "Dave! Over here!"
"Hey man, what's up? How was the ride over here?" Dave pushedhis way through the crowds.
"Sufficiently awkward. I talked to Damien a little, which was even more awkward."
"Wow. So ellie left ya?"
"Nah, man. I left to come find you. She's in there somewhere." Dave noticed the beer in Jack's hand.
"Oh, what's that? Let's go find her."
"It's a beer. You want it? She got it for me."
"Nope, let's head up there. I wanna see the show." They pushed through the crowd until they found Meg, Ellie and Adam standing around waiting for it to start.
"Hey Dave! You guys know Adam right?" Ellie turned to them when they reached her.
"Yeah," Jack replied, "Hey man."
"Hey," Adam nodded, "Meg, let's go a little closer." They pushed their way forward into a crowd of unknown students. It was clear he didn't want anyone to see him with her and not Marissa.
"Lauren! Lauren!" Ellie bagan shouting and waving her arms around. "Hey girl, what's up?"
"Not too much. Hello boys." Lauren gave them what she believed to be her "sex eyes." She always had a thing for literary nerds. Dave just stared back at her through his permanately-blazed-looking eyes.
"Hey Lauren." Jack acknowledged her.
"Dude, you wanna come with me to get something in my car?" Dave asked Jack.
"Yeah, definitely. We'll be right back." Jack and Dave pushed their way back out to the door and left.
"Jack Johannsen? Ellie, are you really going back there?"
"Oh c'mon Lauren. He's not that bad. And don't think I didn't see you give them those eyes."
"You caught me. Dave is pretty cute. But Jack? I thought that friendship was over?"
"I don't know. I kinda miss him, ya know?"
"No, I don't."
"Well hes a great guy. And you cant deny that hes pretty cute."
"That is true." The girls laughed and turned towards the stage. "Although they did just go out to Dave's car together."
"Hes not gay, Lauren!"
"Then what are they doing?"
"Obviously they are going to go smoke."
"Cigarettes? They could have done that here." Ellie rolled her eyes.
"No, silly, weed." Ellie only knew this is what they would be doing because she used to be part of that crowd. She used to be a heavy pothead but she was totally against it now.
"Oh. That's lame."
"Yeah." Ellie tried to not remember her past with drugs. "Look! Here they come!" The girls started to scream along woith everyone else as the band stepped on the stage.
