And why not? ~Devon Bostick

4.

There are a lot of people in this party. The whole movie team, celebrities, people we don't know, at the end Alice and I don't really know where to be. We're heading to the bar when we hear Devon scream.

"Hey girls! I'm glad you came!"

"Happy birthday! I know it's tomorrow but I won't wait until midnight to give you this."

"Girls, you shouldn't have..."

We bought a simple t-shirt for everyone to sign on, and a marker. We both already brought our touch, the rest just has to follow.

"Can I sign yours too?"

"It's your birthday, not mine. Plus, my shirt's not meant to be signed haha but... you can sign this if you want."

I take in my purse a picture we took at the beginning of our rehearsals, when they took me as the lead guitarist, and hand it to him so he can sign it.

"Nice pic. Could you send it on my phone?"

"Sure."

"Well please, get something to drink, it's on me!"

"Thank you."

You don't have to tell Alice twice. She rushes to the bar pulling me by my arm. I never really feel comfortable in parties, so I stay at the bar drinking another glass while she goes dancing and having fun on the dancefloor. We finally get out of all these present songs I don't know for a series of 80's, which I like more. Good old rock songs, that I know all by heart, and don't hesitate to sing sitting on my chair. When I've got my mind set on you is played, Devon comes to me, presenting his hand.

"May you dance with me?"

I answer with a big smile and he leads me to the middle of the dancefloor, guiding me for a rock dance. I'm lucky to have been 4 years in my school's rock association. I didn't think he was a so good dancer, full of surprises... And obviously after a fast song we go on Come on Eileen to "rest"! I love this song, but not when Devon's smile is growing from ear to ear and he starts to sing it while dancing. This isn't an innocent song if you listen to the lyrics... I was almost mad at my parents for giving me that name from this song when I started to speak English enough to understand it. Today I'm just sick of people making that joke thinking I never heard it before. But this time it's different. And the sequences of travelling pivots leading to a fall when the violins accelerate to go back on a dynamic chorus make me forget about everything which was crossing my mind. The song ends before I could even notice it, to finish this series of rock and play present songs that I still don't know again.

"You're a pretty good dancer."

"I've been dancing for 4 years. You're full of surprises too! What else do you hide?"

"You'll have to discover by yourself!"

"Come on Devon!"

"Come on Eileen sounds much better for that song!"

"Shut up!"

I gently hit his shoulder while laughing, which makes him laugh too. That's when I realize that I completely lost Alice, I have no idea where she is. We don't live far from here anyway, she shouldn't get lost. The music suddenly stops to let the DJ speak.

"Attention please! Birthday boy, where are you?"

"RIGHT HERE!"

"Everyone, count with me! Ten... nine... eight..."

"Come on, go!"

"Five... four... three... two... one... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEVON!!"