I wait out there on the small bridge for Jo to get dropped off by her mom any second now. The venue for Emo Nights LA was just at the end of the bridge and had already started to let people in. Constantly checking my phone for any update I started slowly walking closer to the Venue, hoping it doesn't reach it's maximum capacity any time soon.
"Where the hell is she?". I plop myself on a shelf like design on the bridge and start fiddling with my leather converse.
At this point I was just going to go in with out her. Jo always does this. She is always late unless it comes to eating. A few minutes later her mom's black Honda turns on the corner and I waved in an effort to get their attention. Of course they would see me. I was the only person waiting outside while everyone else was already inside the venue.
"Hey Mrs. Gutierrez!" I say as I lean down to the passenger window.
"Jude. You girls be careful now." She says as Jo mumbles something while she gets out of the passenger side.
"Dude we're so late!" I grabbed Jo's hand and rushed to the venue.
"Relax -relax! You know how my mom is and it just started JuJu. CHILL." She laughs.
We showed security our IDs and were drowned by the sound of Simple Plan being DJed by Alex& Jack from All Time Low. The crowed sang and danced along to the words. Jo had been a big All Time Low fan since middle school and dragged me through the crowd of hot and sweaty bodies. We enjoyed a few songs until I felt a bit overwhelmed from the body heat and excused myself to get some drinks. Knowing Jo, She wouldn't leave this spot in front of Jack Barakat even if she was dying. Simple Plan started playing to relax the crowd a bit and thankfully had gotten to the bar before everyone else did.
"Soco Amaretto Lime please"
I sat there and watched from the bar as Jo started dancing with some random girls. Laughing at the scene of them creating a giant circle to do a dance off, Jo sees me and drags me in and we started doing the macarena to a random song. It was great. People started crowd surfing and I wanted to join in, but I was a bit reluctant with the thought of drunk people holding me up.
"Dude just go! You know you wanna try it!"Jo yells at me.
"Everyone looks almost as close to being shit faced right now. Not going to risk it!" I shout back above the loud music.
Before I know it someone lifts me and I panic a bit until I see Jo's face laughing.
"Hey! Help this 1st timer up!"says a males voice.
"You're welcome Jude!" I hear Jo shout and stick my middle finger up with the sound of her laughter as a sign that the messaged was received.
The crowd carried me around back a bit until another guy who was crowd surfing on an inflatable pizza helped me up. Dirty Little Secret by All American Rejects started playing as we rode the inflatable pizza over the hundreds of hands near the front. Alec Gaskarth gave the guy and me a shout out and I got to high five Jack before falling overboard.
It was 3am when we started to leave and I was buzzed from the additional 2 vodka shots I took with Jo. We were waiting for our Uber when the same girls from the club came up to talk to her. Apparently Jo had caught one of the girls eyes and the girl was interested to her. I told Jo to go on and talk with her. My feet were too sore to join in and be an awkward third wheel.
I sat there waiting for the Uber to notify us when I noticed a guy near me who'd casually glance at me. He was on his phone with a few other guys his age, but would casually check to see if he was still looking back at me. When I caught him I would awkwardly look away not knowing what to do.
"Is there something you need?" I decided to finally ask after a few annoying obvious glances toward each other.
He looks at me surprised and smiles as he looks back at his phone. This caused me to roll my eyes and glance back at Jo who was still talking to the girl. Just switch numbers already! Ugh.I get a notification from the Uber driver that he was going to be there in 10 minutes.I was too tired to get up so I called out to Jo to let her know, but she seemed more interested in the person in front of her.
"A little buzzed there?" said a male voice.
I turn my attention to the guy who was staring at me. Now all his friends were glancing at him and then me now.
"Does it matter?" I reply. I felt uncomfortable that he was paying attention to me as well as that there was many of them and only one of me. Street smarts. Obviously not a good situation especially with drunk people.I wasn't technically alone. I told Jo to go talk to that girl so if it was anyone's fault, it was mine if they tried to pursue anything. Plus she was just there 6 parking spots away. Don't get all dramatic now Jude.
"You keep squinting at your friend and me."
I turn my full attention back to the guy.
"Look, I don't need to be telling my obvious situations to random strangers. Also you were the one who was staring at me first" I give him a small smile.
He smiled again and looks at his friend closest to him who was giving me an annoyed expression.
"Sorry." He says and looks away from me.
That was it? Just tell me that and ignore me with out an explanation in why? O K? Our Uber was finally here and I told Jo to hurry up before I end up leaving her. We got in the car and I glanced back at the guy who was now talking to some girl.
"and she told me she's studying to be a nurse and....Jude?..JuJu!"
"HM?" I look back to Jo.
" You werent even listening were you?" SHe rolls her yes and looks to see where I was looking.
"..oh yeah. and by the way. Such a nice way to thank the guy who helped you up to crowd surf" She laughs.
"guy?"I say as I rest my head against the window and position myself to look at her.
"The guy who was trying to talk to you was the guy I asked to lift your nice ass up" she smiles at me.
"I have a nice ass?" I give her an impressed look.
She smacks my arm and laughs before she takes her phone out to text someone. Probably her mom or the girl she was talking to.
"Well I wasn't the only one who thought that. The dude back there seemed to think so too. His eyes literally popped out like those cartoons" Jo smirks.
"Oh shut up." I wave my hand to shush her and tell the Uber driver to make a short stop to Taco Bell before we went back to my apartment.
