Maybe Then...

Chapter 42: when I don't do so terrible

When I don't do so terrible, 

And people enjoy my performance, 

Maybe then, mistakes won't seem like such huge things

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"Where is this gig again?" grandpa asked.

"My friend's house," Dan groaned. "We're just gonna be hanging out with some people and jamming together. I don't have the exact address with me, he sent it to Dolan."

We were about to walk out the door, equipment in hands, when grandpa stopped us again. He looked at Dan with a serious expression on his face and said, "Please, don't let her out of your sight."

"I'll try not to," he said with a curt nod before leaving out the door.

We put our stuff in the back of Dolan's shelled truck, then hopped into the back of the truck. I let out a silent breath of relief at the fact that Kyle was in the front, allowing the smoke from his pre-show cigarette blow out the open window.

"Hey, baby girl," he greeted.

"Hey, dickhead."

"Oh, feisty when we're nervous, now aren't we?"

"At least I'm not burning my lungs."

He looked at me from the mirror. "I know you find it attractive, though."

I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Ever been to a party before?"

"I went to Dolan's cousin's party."

"That was a get together," he pointed at me. "I mean a house-party."

Yeah, and I hated it. "Yes."

"Oh, I bet you were the life of the party!"

Dan laughed hysterically at that. "Amelia? Life of the party? Yeah right!"

I responded by giving him an elbow to the arm. "Ow!" he whined. He shot daggers at me,  rubbing the area that could have very easily been bruised. 

"So this kid's parents are just letting him throw a party in their house?" I asked after a minute of enduring their nervous chatter.

"Of course not!" Dolan scoffed. "His parents are out of town."

"Ah, the classic excuse to throw a party," I said.

"Hey, a party's a party," Kyle reasoned. "I ain't complaining!"

"Yeah, more like a gig's a gig," I said slowly.

Kyle turned around in his seat to face me. "What? Not a party animal, baby?"

"One, stop calling me nicknames, two, no, I'm not a fan of parties, and three, I'd much rather hang out with a few friends than stand in the corner of a crowded room, awkwardly petting a cat."

He wagged his eyebrows, a smirk rising on his face. "When you say cat, do you actually--"

"No!" I cut his words short, making him burst into laughter. "I just don't like parties. They're very...all over the place." 

"Introvert?" Cooper asked. 

I chewed my cheek. "More like ambivert. And you?" 

"I'm more of an introvert." 

"There you go, Cooper!" Dolan said. "A girl that you can be awkwardly quiet with!" 

"You do know that this is my cousin you're talking about, right?" an annoyed Dan asked.