“Right on. I never thought I’d see one.”
Happening on one in the first place seemed like a good omen to me. Watching the butterflies flying free, without a care, gave me a sense of hope. For my own freedom.
7:10 p.m.
The lines at the Food for Love concessions area were ridiculous. No telling how long it would take to get food. Even though I wanted to buy snacks for Slim and Dave, to repay them for their kindness, neither of us were willing to spend two hours in line. We agreed to come back later, after the rush had died down.
But Leon still wanted a beer. And they didn’t sell beer at Food for Love. There was no alcohol for sale of any kind.
So we traipsed back down Groovy Way and High Way, looking for anyone who might sell beer. Leon stopped to inquire at one of the arts and crafts booths. A girl handed him one of hers—unopened—out of her own cooler. She even gave one to me. The girl told us there were no beer stands because the producers didn’t want drunk, rowdy people at Woodstock. “Besides,” she added, “you can’t drink while you drop.”
“Not a good choice,” Leon said with his man-giggle.
“What did she mean by that?” I asked as soon as we walked away.
“You can’t drink alcohol while you drop acid.”
“Oh yeah, right. I knew that,” I said.Lie.
Leon swallowed a smile. “Let’s head back. I can’t wait to tell Johnny and Livy about the butterflies.”
I was excited to tell Johnny and Livy about the butterflies too. But hearing him say Livy’s name made me wonder which of the two he was more excited to tell. He wouldn’t have been the first boy to befriend me just to get to Livy.
Woodstock
Day One
Friday, August 15, 1969
7:45 p.m.
Finding our seats took longer than we had expected. Livy’s hair became our signpost, even with a hat on her head. I spotted it from several yards back. It draped across her shoulders like a cape.
A tall baby-faced singer with a golden-brown Afro stood at the lip of the stage, singing an unfamiliar tune.
“Who’s that?” I asked Livy, settling down next to her.
“Bert Sommer. Isn’t hebeautiful?” Her childlike smile and glazed eyes let me know she was in an altered state. But at least she seemed happier.
With a slight nod, I let her think I agreed, although I did not. He was somewhat cute, I supposed, but nothing at all compared to Leon.
“It was Bert’sbeautifulAfro on thebeautifulposter forHair,” she said, drawing out her words. I understood what Livy meant about grass making people mellow. Other than her flowery adjectives, her voice had toned down several octaves. And she had finally stopped crying.
“You should work for a music magazine,” I told her. “You know more about the musicians than they know about themselves.”
“That would bebeautiful,” she said, gazing at the sky.
Leon, who had settled down between her and Johnny, spent the next ten minutes talking about our butterfly extravaganza. Even though he had to speak over the music, he went into great detail, recounting the way we had spun around in circles amid the swarm. His voice lifted when he described the golden tones of the monarchs and how they had attached themselves to our shirts. I smiled to myself when he said they may have totaled two million. He didn’t tell them about his butterfly kiss—not that I would have expected him to—but it was all I could think about. That, and how I could squeeze in between him and Livy.
By now, it was eight o’clock, and the temperature had dipped. I dug into our canvas bag and pulled out my jacket, silently thanking Mr. Foster for suggesting we bring them along. I slipped an arm into a sleeve. “Any word from Nick?”
The expression on Livy’s face changed from rosy to blue. Her shoulders fell. She buried her face in her hands. “No,” she muttered. “I can’t remember when I’ve been this upset.”
If only I could have taken the question back. “I know, Livy. I’m sorry. But try not to let it ruin the festival for you.”
“I can’t help it. My heart is broken.”
I wrapped my arms across her shoulders. “I’m sure it is. But look around you. We’re here together at this ultracool place after being apart three years. Try to put it out of your mind for now so we can have fun. Please? You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
