Gonzo

Chapter 1

It was a yearly ordeal. At the start of every summer a huge festival was thrown, free food and performances by local bands. The music played nonstop from morning until the late hours of the night. Everyone attended, the earlier hours being more family-friendly, and the nighttime much more wild. Most claimed that this one day was the highlight of the year. A makeshift stage was set up in a field at the local park, and the people gathered. This particular festival was known for bringing people together, and this year was no exception.
Mitch had never left home before, but this year, the year after his graduation, he decided it would be a great opportunity to leave. He found an apartment for rent in a nice little town where he could stay over the summer before college started. And the brunette had just settled into his temporary home when he heard upbeat music coming from the park next door. He slipped a pair of shoes onto his feet and headed to check out the source of the sound.
As he entered the park he was warmly welcomed by several people who were wandering about. "What's going on here?" He asked one of the women.
"It's a festival to welcome summer, it happens every year. Enjoy yourself, dear." She kindly responded with a nod as she continued walking.
He gave a hum of approval as he joined a throng of people bobbing their heads along as the band began a cover of Mr. Brightside. Mitch inched his way closer to the stage and he joined in the roaring applause as the song came to an end.
And the singer began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen. Summer has begun, and as we all know, summer is a time for new opportunities and adventure. So please just do what I say." It was dead silent aside from the drummer holding a steady beat on the bass drum. "Look around you, and hold eye contact with a complete stranger."
Mitch looked around, he was drowning in a sea of strangers. But finally, his brown eyes locked on a pair of blue ones.
"Now make your way over to that stranger and introduce yourself." The singer prompted.
Most people reluctantly shuffled from side to side, but Mitch weaved his way through the crowd, not once breaking eye contact with those stunning blue eyes as the two were finally face-to-face.
"I'm Scott." Said the man who possessed those lovely eyes.
Mitch finally took a moment to glance at the man's face as he gave a small smile. "And I'm Mitch."
The singer gave one final set of instructions before the music started up again, "This next song is a slow one, so dance with that stranger. Who knows, you might get lucky." The singer winked at the crowd as the music started back up.
"So would you like to dance with me?" Scott asked. "It's okay if you're not-"
"I would love to." Mitch cut him off before he could say anything more. With a brief moment of hesitation, Scott reached for the other's hand, and placed his other hand on Mitch's shoulder, decided that would be a safer move than putting his hand on a stranger's waist, which would have made the whole thing a lot more intimate.
Mitch seemed to pick up on the feeling of slight awkwardness as he put his hand on Scott's shoulder, and the two moved slowly from side to side as they listened to the music.
"I've never seen you around here before. Why is that?" Scott asked, raising a brow. This little town rarely saw newcomers or visitors, but he knew that Mitch's face was not one he would have forgotten. So Mitch wad obviously new to the town.
"I just moved into an apartment here. I thought it would be a nice place to stay after graduation, and from what I've seen, it is a pretty great place." Mitch really responded, the song the band was playing was a soft, slow one, so neither of the boys had to speak too loudly to be heard above the music.
"It's a fantastic place. There's a little shopping center not to far from here with an phenomenal sushi place, and little community theatre, and just beautiful people all around." Scott nodded as he spoke to emphasize his words, hoping to convey just how much he loved his hometown. This town was a small one, but it was a perfect place to live and everyone took immense pride and that. "I could show you around sometime if you'd like."
Mitch's gaze darted down to his feet then quickly back up to the other as a wide grin spread across his lips. "That," he said. "That would be very nice."
The two danced in silence for the next few minutes and the whole scenario seemed as though it came straight from a movie catering to teenage girls. It was ideal, perfect. It was almost like Scott and Mitch were Tony and Maria in the gym scene in West Side Story. As they danced, the world around them faded away, the couples surrounding them were only supporting dancers to fill the blank space. The two boys were all that existed and mattered in that moment.
Of course, nothing lasts forever, especially not slow songs, so eventually that moment had to come to an end. As applause started up the two boys broke apart to join in, knowing that they had more to thank the band for than just nice music. The band could be credited with bringing them together. But at that time, neither Scott nor Mitch knew just how important the other would become.
"Do you want to grab something to eat?" Scott asked, raising his voice to be heard above the music, and Mitch nodded in response. "Follow me." Scott weaved his way through the crowd to lead Mitch away from the music and over to a few booths where a few local businesses sold food.
***
"Oh my god, you have a hairless cat? No way." Mitch laughed as he and Scott walked side-by-side. "I am literally in love with hairless cats."
Scott nodded his head. "I'm serious. My friend went to a school that didn't allow pets, so she gave me her cat. His name's Wyatt Blue and he is so annoying."
"I won't believe it 'til I see it." Mitch stated, clapping his hands together, then promptly dropping them down to his sides.
"Well then I guess you'll have to come see him for yourself sometime." Scott flashed a small grin.
Mitch just nodded, "Sounds like a plan." There was a faint buzzing coming from Mitch's phone and when he pulled it out, he saw that it was his mom. "Hey, my mom's calling me right now, probably wanting to know how I've settled in." Mitch started to step away from the blonde, "But I'll see you later, okay?" He put his phone up to his ear as he started walking back to his apartment building.
"Later." Scott mumbled as he held up his hand to wave goodbye. Turning away he dropped it limply to his side. He kicked a rock off of the sidewalk as he made his way home, hands shoved in his pockets and a smile plastered on his face.