I woke up to the sound of knocking. I looked over at my alarm clock to find it was nearly noon, but that didn't make the knocking any less annoying. I flipped over and wrapped the pillow around my head, trying to ignore the rapturous noise, but as I did, it only seemed to get louder.

After it continued for several minutes, I swore under my breath and dragged myself out of bed, making my way downstairs. My parents were at work, which left me in the house all on my own. I made it to the door and moved the blinds to see who it was. When I saw her, I ran a hand through my hair and opened the door, my best friend walking in.

Her name was Brenda Sand. She had short bleached hair that she styled herself. She liked to wear her favorite red leather jacket, black leather pants, and sheer top. She liked to party but knew when to stop … most of the time.

We were exact opposites of one another. She was tall while I was not. Her hair was short, straight, and blonde while mine was long, curly, and brown. She loved to wear leather and I hated the feeling of it against my skin. Brenda wore makeup and jewelry to the teeth while I liked simple and basic.

Even with all our differences, we got along so well it was like we were sisters. She was the first person I had gotten along with when I moved to Santa Carla in the middle of junior year a few months prior and I wouldn't change it for anything.

Brenda turned to notice my striped PJs. "Did I wake you, Sleeping Beauty?"

"Yes and I don't appreciate the loud entrance," I muttered.

I made my way toward the kitchen as Brenda followed. I found that my mom had made a pot of coffee before she left for work and I silently thanked her, pouring myself a hot mugful. I took a sip, my eyes rolling into the back of my head with pleasure.

I turned around to find Brenda sitting at the table. I offered her a cup but she denied it. So, I stirred in some milk and took a seat across from her. I barely had time to place my mug on the table before she told me why she had come to my house so excited.

"There's a concert tonight at the beach, and I think we should go," Brenda blurted out.

I took another sip as I met her gaze. "There's been concerts on the beach almost weekly since school ended a few weeks ago. What makes this one so special?"

"Well, it's Tim Cappello for one."

Brenda and I stared at one another for a long moment before I shook my head. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"You don't know who Tim Cappello is?" Brenda asked as I shook my head again. "Well, he's a singer who's a skilled saxophone player. He does most of his concerts wearing only a thong."

"Is that why you want to go, Brenda? To see a sweaty guy in a thong?" I asked with a raised brow.

"No, he's way too old for me," Brenda said, leaning across the table. "I just enjoy his music and I was invited to hang with those kids who ride dirt bikes."

"The group with the four guys, the girl, and the kid?" I asked, Brenda, nodding excitedly as I sighed. "Aren't those the people who think rules are just a suggestion?"

"Yes, and they want to hang out with us."

I choked on my coffee before clearing my throat. "Us? Are you sure you don't mean you?"

"No, I mean us. I bumped into one of them last night while on the boardwalk with my family. I think his name was Paul. He said that he had seen me and you around town and thought we looked cool. Said we could hang out with them during the concert tonight if we wanted to," Brenda explained.

"I don't know, they aren't really the best influences and those concerts always have underage drinking. I don't really want to wake up in a ditch tomorrow morning," I said.

Brenda grabbed my hand in hers. "You have to live a little, Dawn. It'll be one concert. Please come with me, I know you'll have fun if you just give it a chance."

I could see the pleading and excitement in her eyes. I felt uneasy about the whole idea, but I had no other plans tonight and I could tell she really wanted to do this. Besides, if I didn't go, she'd go by herself, which would be even more dangerous.

"Fine, but we stick together the entire night," I muttered.

Brenda smiled wide as she pulled me into a hug across the table, squeezing so tight I could barely breathe. "You won't regret this, I promise."

"I hope you're right."

I called my mom at work and she was ecstatic that I was doing something out of my comfort zone, which was honestly surprising. I thought she'd be a little uneasy about the idea, but maybe it was just me. It might be fun if I gave it a chance.

Once I got the okay, Brenda headed out, giving me time to get ready. The first thing I did was take a long, hot shower and then styled my hair with enough hairspray that if I lit a match, my hair would light aflame. Then I spent a good hour or two choosing what to wear.

I didn't want to underdress, but I also didn't want to overdress either. It was just a concert, but if we did something afterward, I didn't want to wear anything too uncomfortable that may get in the way. So, after pulling out half of my wardrobe onto my bed, I decided on a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, my nicest blouse, and a jacket that matched the pants, pulling everything together.

I didn't like putting on makeup, but I didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb either. So, I put on a thin layer of blue eyeshadow and some pink lipstick. I felt a little weird dressing like this as I felt like a Brenda copy, but she got along well with this type of crowd and I didn't want to feel out of place.

As I was putting in my earrings, I heard a knock at the door. I ran downstairs to find Brenda waiting for me. I let her in and she was absolutely stunning. She had a headband with a bow that matched her black blouse and pants. Over top, she had her iconic red leather jacket that matched her bold lipstick.

I looked her up and down with awe. "You look amazing…"

"Thank you," Brenda beamed, spinning in a circle before returning her gaze to me. "You don't look too bad yourself. I think you'd get more attention from the boys if you dressed like this."

"Well, I feel like your twin right now," I muttered.

Brenda bit her lip while grabbing her jacket. "Well, I am HAWWWTTTT, so I take that as a compliment."

Brenda and I shared a look before bursting into laughter. We then walked to her car parked out front. It was a Nissan 200sx in a beautiful cherry red. It was her brother's old car that she inherited on her 16th birthday.

She got in the driver's seat as I got in the passenger. Without a second look, Brenda hit the gas. My house was only ten minutes from the boardwalk. So, after a short drive, Brenda parked near the back of the parking lot.

Once parked, the two of us got out together and made our way across the lot toward the beach. A giant crowd was already forming as the stage was being set up. We walked through the crowd until Brenda got excited and ran forward, leaving me behind by a bunch of shirtless drunks.

I awkwardly nodded in their direction before hurrying after her. When I finally caught up, she was standing next to the dirt bike riders. I slowed to a walk and shoved my hands in my pockets, making my way over them. When Brenda saw me walk over, she introduced me to the others.

"Guys, this is my friend Dawn," Brenda said, motioning to the others. "Dawn, this is David, Paul, Dwayne, Marco, Star, and Laddie."

I nodded awkwardly toward each of them as they returned silent nods. Brenda got close to Paul and the two were talking each other's ear off. They seemed happy, so I just silently stood beside the group.

When the concert began, I focused on the music and it was quite good. I didn't expect someone in a thong who played the saxophone to be as good as he was, but I was pleasantly surprised. I would look over every once in a while to see Paul and Brenda basically melding into one. It grossed me out, but part of me was happy for them or her at least.

Halfway through the concert, the boy David leaned close, speaking loud enough so I could hear him over the music. "You don't seem like you want to be here."

"That obvious, huh?" I said, shrugging. "This isn't really my thing. Brenda wanted to go and I thought I'd tag along. I don't get out much."

"Why is that?" David asked.

I met his gaze and felt almost hypnotized by his piercing blue eyes. I shook it off, which made David smile as I looked back toward the concert. "I just feel out of place, I guess. I feel like I belong here more than I did in Minnesota, but I still feel like an outlier. I don't know, maybe it's just me."

"It's not just you."

David grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd. I looked back at Brenda, but her attention was elsewhere and the others didn't seem to care. We weaved through the crowd and walked out a good distance from the concert on a deserted part of the beach.

Once we were a good distance away, David let go of my hand and began to walk alongside the water. I caught up to him as we both walked in silence for a long while. Well, until I had the courage to say something.

"What did you mean by, 'it's not just you'?" I asked.

"Me and my crew … we all feel like outliers. That's why we stick together because we're all we have," David admitted.

"No families?" I asked.

David shook his head. "Not anymore … not for a long time. Star has Laddie, but other than that, we really don't have anyone else but ourselves."

"Is that why you guys break the rules?" I asked, his gaze meeting mine. "To prove something to those who left you behind?"

David laughed under his breath. "We personally think the rules are unfair to us, but maybe deep down that's why we do the things we do. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case."

"Anything's possible," I shrugged.

"I like you, Dawn, and I think I can help you."

"Help me … with what?" I asked.

David stopped walking as I came to stand beside him. He pulled out a flask from his jacket pocket, opening the top and taking a sniff. The scent caused his eyes to flutter with pleasure.

When he reopened his eyes, he offered the flask to me. "Here, take a sip."

"I'm not really a drinker," I said, shaking my head.

"Just a sip and if you don't want anymore … you can stop. It might help you relax," David said, offering the flask to me once again.

I looked from him to the flask and back again. I told myself I wouldn't drink, but Brenda had told me to live a little and I was willing to take a risk. I took the flask from him and brought it to my lips, hesitating for a moment. David watched on with anticipation as I closed my eyes and took a drink.

The second it hit my tongue, my eyes flew open. It tasted of wine, but there was something more, something irony mixed in that made it sweeter somehow. I looked at David with surprise.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"What is it?" I asked, taking another sip. "It's delicious."

"Let's just say it's my own recipe. You can have as much as you like," David said.

"Oh, don't mind if I do."

I took another sip and then another and then another. Next thing I knew I had consumed the entirety of the flask. I felt as light as a feather, but strong, almost as if I could take down a bus with my bare hands.

When I realized I had finished the entire thing, I handed the empty flask back to him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I can always make more," David said, sliding the flask back into his jacket. "How do you feel?"

Suddenly, I felt tired; deathly tired. I stumbled into David and lost the strength in my legs to stand. I looked up at him with confusion. "What's happening?"

"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon."