Falling: A Teenage Love Story

Chapter 10: The Arrival

Mads POV:

It's hard for me to figure out what to wear tonight. But I know someone it wont be hard for. I pick up my phone and search through my contacts.

I finally see the words that say 'Kathy'. I send her a quick text:

Mad Mads: K, I need ur help. Its a fashion emergency!

It isn't more than a minute before I hear my phone chime.

Krazy Kathy: B right over gurl

I smile, Kathy has always been a great friend.

James' POV:

I pull up into Mads' driveway for the 2nd time today. I glance at my watch; 9:42. I honk the horn, letting Mads know I'm here, and we have to get going if we don't want to be late.

Mads leans out from her bedroom window and yells loud enough for only me to her, "Ja, I will be right down!"

I roll my eyes knowing 'right down' usually means 15 minutes. I pull out my phone and open my messages with the band. I start to type but before I can finish Mads knocks on the door of my truck.

"Ja, lets me in!" I unlock the passengers side door and watch as she and Kathy say goodbye.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Mads asks.

"I'm fine Mads, you go ahead and have a good time." Kathy reassures her before draping her arms around her into a hug.

I clear my throat and they both look at me, I lift up my watch so they can see the time and I tap the glass lightly with my index finger.

"Bye Mads," Kathy says, waving as Mads climbs into the car. I hit the gas and the truck lurches forward, pushing us down the road abruptly.

I glance at her quickly, just to see her. I notice her outfit as soon as I look. She is wearing a blue strapless dress with a white jean jacket and white converse high tops. I smile.

---

We ride in silence and after a while I try to make conversation, "Did you study the set list?"

"Of course I did."She says, whilst looking out the window at the houses we pass. "Just, why didn't you provide me with the song lyrics?"

"Because," I start gripping the steering wheel tight, "We wrote most of the songs together, and I thought you knew them..."

Mads wasn't just a helper for the band or my best friend, but she was also a songwriter. Or, at least she helped me write songs. Most of the ones we preform at gigs, are the ones me and Mads wrote together, the good ones.

"Oh, I do." She answers softly, "I was just wondering."

Mads POV:

The air in the car, feels dirty, and makes my lungs tight as I breathe.

'Hell, girl. You can't blame that on the car's air.' I think to myself. 'You're nervous, and you know that Mads.'

F***. 'Mads, why do you always have to be so right.

---

Its not long before we pull up at the party area. It's (like I said before) at the abandoned train tracks, with run down trains scattered over the land and has a forest nearby, so it gives the area this creepy vibe. But what it makes up for in creepiness, it makes up for in everything else.

Multi-colored light bulbs are strung on wire that drapes from train to train. The band had only begun tuning, but they already sounded so good. There was a long table in one of the trains that was stacked high with all different sorts of food, and coolers were right by the table. I didn't want to know what was inside of them.

People had started gathering in the area below the trains which was apparently suppose to be the bands 'stage'.

Forget singing and dancing up there, I didn't even know how I was going to be able to get up there. And even if I did, I'm a clumsy person, I'd probably fall right off the damn thing.

But lets thank God James was there. He lifted me onto the roof of his car then jumped on himself. He leaped onto the top of the train and offered his hand to me, smiling.

I held his hand tight as he pulled me up to the top off the train. The roof, floor and walls were spray painted, covered, with every inch, in graffiti. The guys seemed pretty comfortable with it though. What with being up so high and in the scary environment. So I try not to act like a girl and I pretend to enjoy being up so high.

As I'm thinking to myself I barley notice the tons of people pouring into the valley below. Girls are looking beautiful and talking and having drinks and the guy are watching them, pointing to the most attractive ones... The ones I assume they will hope to get 'busy' with tonight.

I look away, realizing the hight again. I'm not a girl to scare easily but I just don't want to die because of a fall off a train at a party as a member of the band.

I stumble backward as I try to get away from the ledge. I feel like I'm gonna fall off the other side of the train before I feel strong arms wrap around me, blocking my fall. "Easy girl." James voice says in a tone that has a slight hint of mockery.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I say not really to him, but to me, reassuring myself that I will be fine.

"Lets practice real quick then we'll start." He says, pushing back up, allowing me to regain balance.

"Ok." I say quietly, taking one last look of the edge before the band starts playing a tune.

~~~

"To travel hopefully is a better thing to arrive."

-Rober Louis Stevenson