Hell is a Teenage Girl

31

Allie Crawford

"Dean, pleaseeeee." I pleaded as I bothered him.

"I should be doing homework." He replied.

"You can do your homework there. It's a cafe. You can sit somewhere and get it done."

I was trying to convince him to come with me to this music event at a local cafe. Every other Saturday they had small artists and bands come play at the restaurant. It had gotten pretty popular over the months and I had never been. I wanted to go so bad.

Plus, I needed something to take my mind off of my recent tragedies. I had done my first round of community service this morning. It wasn't too bad. But I was feeling down lately and I needed to get out.

"It won't be long, it starts at like 7:15 and goes for an hour or so."

"Fine."

"THANK YOU!!" I screeched happily as I raced out of his room to mine. I heard him laugh as I was running away.

The restaurant was packed. People occupied all corners of the building and it was booming with noise. I arrived at the tail end of the first band. They were good, but a little boring.

I snagged a spot in the crowd where I could see the stage well, but wasn't too close that I could smell the performer. Dean was somewhere at the back talking to a chick he thought was hot.

A woman took the mic and announced, "That was the band Downtown Panic! Next is solo artist Pierce Bennett! Give it up for the last act and the next!"

I felt my blood run cold at the mention of his name. He was here? Why was he here? I shivered with anxiety as he started to set up on stage.

He started talking a bit before he began playing a song. It was loud, Something by Harry Styles I think.

After the song was over the crowd cheered ecstatically. I clapped a little, but didn't want to be too loud and bring any attention to myself.

"This next song I wrote like two hours ago, so don't expect much." He said before dragging on about it. I stared at him as he fiddled with the things at the top of his guitar. He had grabbed a different one than the one he was holding before.

I stared at his large hands that contained a display of rings. His tattoo found my line of vision and I admired it, knowing the meaning behind it, unlike all those times before when I hadn't.

He stood tall on stage, not slouching. His demeanor seemed dark, but somehow friendly. Pierce never held an approachable disposition, he always seemed closed off. It was new to me to see him in this light.

He seemed somehow on edge, but relaxed at the same time.

Soon he began his song and I turned my attention to the words rather than him. He said he wrote this himself so I made sure I accounted for every word.

"I know I should be over this by now. I honestly should've seen it coming. But the longer I wait, the more I think how?" He sang into the microphone as he strummed the guitar lightly. His voice was so delicate but deep. It could lull me to sleep.

"How could you have done that without feeling bad?" He sang softly. My stomach turned. I felt like I knew exactly what this song was about. Who this song was about. God, please, spare me.

"And most importantly," he said just before his eyes met mine. His face looked panicked.

"H-how are you holding up?" He choked up on the words a bit, but kept his eyes moving along the crowd. He had seen me, hadn't he?