“Are you okay?” Ellie asks, smacking my back as I struggle to breathe.
I wave my hand around and nod through my coughing fit. “I’m fine. It just went down the wrong pipe.”
I had no intention of coming tonight, but Ellie’s sister backed out at the last second. Ellie turned her pouty eyes on me, and I caved.
Music filters through the bar, making the already cramped space grow hotter as bodies start to move. My eyes stay on Penn as the song they’re playing starts with a heavy guitar riff. He moves to the front of the stage. Travis steps aside, watching him, along with every other person in this place.
The way he plays…it’s magnetic. Drawing me in with every stroke of his finger.
Penn is mesmerizing. He’s clearly in his element, laser-focused on strumming while his body moves in perfectharmony with the song. I don’t know how they do it. They are all jumping, bouncing, and running around while singing and playing an instrument. Even though it’s apparent they’re sweating, they don’t seem winded at all. It’s impressive, and the crowd is loving every second of it once again.
Truthfully, when I saw this place, I was nervous. The walls are cracked with holes throughout, the single window out front has a layer of grime so thick you can’t even see through it. A heavy odor of smoke and something else I can’t quite name lingers in the air, and the crowd is full of the delinquent-looking people my mother always warned me about. They’re loud, and I’ve noticed some pushing and shoving, but Ellie assured me that’s normal.
I’ve done a bit of research since the last show. I may have even started following Loose Threads’ Instagram page and found myself listening to their songs on YouTube at night.
They give off bad boy vibes, but their music is really good. The lyrics are evocative, giving me chills when I listen closely to the meaning behind them. Sometimes Travis sings so fast it’s hard to catch, but I looked up the lyrics. Some are just fun songs about girls and partying, but they also have some amazing ones about life, love, friendship, and loss. Those are my favorites.
Penn’s attention wanders my way a few more times, but his gaze doesn’t linger. Almost like he’s just checking to see if I’m still here.
“Let’s go back to the table,” Ellie shouts breathlessly in my ear halfway through their set. She’s been trying to keep up with the band’s stamina and is starting to sweat. We slip from the crowd and take a seat at the small table tucked in a corner near the stage. A ‘reserved’ sign sits on top, something Travis had set up for us. “They have a few more songs, then we’ll go backstage and meet them before heading to Travis’s.” She takes a drink ofher beer, her eyes never straying from the mohawked singer center stage.
“Sure.”
“Just try to have fun, Liv. If it’s awful, we’ll call an Uber and leave.” She glances at me, pleading. A pinch of guilt hits me. She’s been looking forward to this all week, and I don’t want to be a buzzkill.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I say as convincingly as I can, but I’m mostly trying to convince myself.
We watch the rest of the set from the comfort of our table. I’m thankful because the crowd has gotten rowdy. A few people have climbed on the stage, right next to the band—who acted completely unaffected—just to jump off into the crowd’s waiting hands.
When it’s over, Travis thanks everyone for coming again with his middle finger.
Ellie sighs wistfully. “He’s so fine.” She empties the rest of her drink and stands. “Come on. Let’s go to the bathroom first.”
I toss my water cup in the trash can nearby and follow her. Ellie reapplies her red lipstick while I slip my phone from my clutch to check my messages. It was vibrating during the show. I have one missed call and two texts from Chad.
Hey
Call me back, I miss you.
I groan. No matter how many times I ignore him, he won’t give up. The more I ignore him, the more relentless he becomes. He was never this needy when we were together. Funny how that works.
“Chad again?” Ellie stares at me through the mirror.
“Yeah.”
She drops her lipstick in her bag and turns to me. “Blockhim and get it over with. He doesn’t deserve you, Liv. What he did was shitty and he knows it.”
I nod, knowing she’s right.
“Forget him. Let’s have fun tonight!”
I leave Chad on read and tuck my phone away. “Let’s go.” I link my arm with hers and we follow the checkered hall toward the back, searching for the guys.
“Hey, there,” someone calls, and we stop, turning around to see if it’s the band, but it’s not. Two guys are walking toward us, dressed in all black with chains hanging from their pants pockets. One has a greasy long ponytail, and the other has a buzz cut and a creepy smile plastered on his face.
“What’re you girls doing back here all alone?” Ponytail asks as they inch closer.
My spine stiffens, but Ellie remains cool. “We’re not alone. We’re waiting for our guys.”
