In Love, Against All Odds

The Extra Tickets

The day after Adri's birthday party, I decided to spend some quality time with her. After everything that had happened recently—the party, Patrick, Olivia—it felt good to just hang out with my best friend without any drama or distractions. We met up in the afternoon, the sun shining brightly overhead, casting a warm glow over the bustling streets. Adri was in an especially good mood, still riding high from her birthday celebrations.

We wandered through the streets, window shopping and chatting about random things when suddenly, Adri's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Oh my god, look!" she squealed, grabbing my arm and pointing excitedly.

I followed her gaze, and there it was—a massive poster plastered on the wall of a nearby store. "No way!" I gasped. The poster was advertising Jade Kason's upcoming concert in California, happening this Friday, in just four days. His picture was larger than life, showing him in one of his iconic poses, microphone in hand, his expression electric with energy and passion. Adri was obsessed with him, so seeing her practically vibrating with excitement was no surprise.

Without missing a beat, Adri bolted toward the ticket booth, her face lit up with a mix of determination and pure joy. "We have to go, Kat!" she exclaimed, practically dragging me along. "I am going to meet him for the first time!"

I smiled, amused by her enthusiasm. "Of course, we're going! You wouldn't miss this for the world," I replied, knowing how much this concert meant to her.

We reached the ticket booth, but the line was long, and I could see the worry starting to flicker across Adri's face. Time seemed to slow down as we waited, inching forward with every passing minute.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Adri made it to the front of the line. She asked for tickets, her voice filled with urgency, practically pleading. The cashier looked at her sympathetically and handed her three tickets, saying that was all they had left. "Everything else is sold out," the cashier added.

Adri grabbed the tickets like a lifeline, her face lighting up with triumph.

But as we walked away, the reality hit us. "Wait, we've got three tickets," Adri said, staring down at the tickets in confusion. "That's one for you, one for me, and... who's the third person going to be?"

I shrugged. "Good question. Who else would want to come?"

Adri pondered for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up again. "What about Patrick? Do you think he'd want to join us?"

I smiled at the mention of his name. "We'll ask him tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be up for it. He likes concerts, and besides, it'd be fun to have him with us."

The next day, during lunch at the university, Patrick joined us as usual. He looked happy and relaxed, as always, and I couldn't wait to tell him about the concert. As soon as he sat down, Adri jumped straight into it, her excitement practically spilling over.

"Patrick!" she began, her voice bursting with anticipation. "We're going to Jade Kason's concert on Friday, and we wanted to invite you! We managed to get three tickets, so you'd be the third person."

Patrick raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Funny you should say that..." he said, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "I also bought three tickets for us."

Adri's eyes widened in shock, and I burst out laughing. "Wait, you did?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.

Patrick nodded, looking pleased with himself. "Yep, I knew you wouldn't want to miss it, so I figured I'd surprise you both."

Now, we had six tickets in total—way more than we needed. "Okay, so now we have six tickets," I said, trying to wrap my head around the situation. "That's one for you, me, Adri, and... who else?"

Adri jumped in immediately. "Well, we could invite Brailey, Vinita, and Alista. They'd totally be up for it."

I hesitated, thinking for a moment. "But Alista can't make it—she has some work. What about Dalia?"

Adri's expression shifted. "It's Dalia's and George's first love anniversary on Friday. They've planned a date already. So they can't make it. What about Justin?"

Patrick shook his head. "Justin can't make it either."

"Any of your friends, Nash?" I asked Patrick.

He sighed. "Nash can't make it, and my other friends are all busy too."

Adri groaned. "Ohh, this is harder than I thought."

We all agreed to invite Brailey and Vinita. It was shaping up to be a fun group outing, and I was excited about it. But then, we hit another snag—one ticket left, and no idea who should take it.

Just as we were about to give up, Olivia Parker—Patrick's family friend, who had just returned from her international trip—walked up to our table with that confident, breezy smile she always wore. She was effortlessly poised, and as usual, her eyes flickered toward Patrick first before she turned to address us. "Hey, guys! I heard you're going to the Jade Kason concert this Friday," she said, her voice laced with a familiarity that made me tense up.

I exchanged a glance with Adri, and a knot of unease formed in my stomach. Patrick looked at Olivia, seeming a little surprised but not entirely displeased by her presence.

"Yeah, we're going," Adri responded casually, though I could tell her irritation was barely contained.

Olivia's gaze flickered down to the tickets spread out in front of us. "Oh, you've got an extra ticket?" she asked, her voice bright with excitement. "That's perfect! I've been dying to see Jade live."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Adri and I exchanged a quick, silent glance, both of us inwardly groaning at the sudden development. We hadn't even considered inviting Olivia. But now that she knew about the extra ticket, it felt impossible to say no without causing unnecessary tension, especially since she and Patrick were such close family friends.

Patrick, ever the diplomat, smiled and shrugged. "Well, I guess that settles it. Looks like you're coming with us."

I forced a smile, trying not to let my frustration show. "Yeah, great..." My voice trailed off, barely hiding my annoyance. Adri, on the other hand, didn't even bother to mask her displeasure. She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes just slightly.

Olivia was oblivious, her voice ringing with excitement. "Cool! I'm so excited! It's going to be so much fun, Patrick! Just like old times."

I felt my stomach churn. The last thing I wanted was for Olivia to tag along and steal the spotlight from Patrick and me—especially at the concert I'd been looking forward to for so long. I could see Adri was equally annoyed. As Olivia continued talking, leaning in close to Patrick and recounting their childhood memories, I could feel my patience wearing thin.

Once Olivia finally walked away, Adri leaned in close to me, her face full of concern. "You okay with this?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Not really, but what choice do we have? We couldn't just tell her no. Patrick and Olivia go way back."

Adri rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm not a fan. She always finds a way to insert herself into things."

"I know," I replied quietly. "But we'll make the best of it. It's not like she can ruin everything, right?"

Adri gave me a sympathetic smile, but I could tell she wasn't convinced. As much as I wanted to enjoy the concert, the looming presence of Olivia threatened to ruin the evening. But for now, all we could do was hope that things wouldn't get too complicated when Friday came around.

I just had to trust that Patrick and I were strong enough to handle whatever came our way—even if it meant surviving the Olivia Parker of the world.

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