Given to Fly

2

After the show, Cameron and I follow the signs to the VIP Lounge. 

"I'm gonna meet Eddie Vedder!" I squeal while walking past the bar and onto the line. 

"I didn't realize I'd be so excited but I have to say, I'm almost as excited as you," Cam says, smiling wider than I've ever seen before. 

After a few minutes of conversation on how incredible Pearl Jam is, the people in the front of the line begin to freak out, and Pearl Jam comes into the room. 

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap, holy crap," I mutter, and my hands start to shake with excitement. 

"You're the best friend ever!" I yell and jump onto him with a huge bear hug.  "Thank you so much," I say, a tear of joy falling onto his shoulder.

"Of course, he replies, and the line starts to move up. 

After a few minutes of waiting, we're next. "Hey!" Eddie exclaims, "It's the Given to Fly Girl!"

"Dude," Stone starts, "Thank you so much for suggesting that song. We love playing it but we rarely do it was an incredible experience."

"I... you're... you're Pearl Jam... and you're thanking me... and holy crap," I laugh. "This is incredible."

"What's you're name?" Eddie asks.

"I'm Raegan, this is my friend Cameron. He bought us the tickets to this concert so he's kind of incredible," I say, the giggles continuing. I just can't seem to control myself when I meet famous people. 

"Well, Raegan, you guys hang back - I'd love to talk to you guys some more." He flashes his incredible, mesmerizing, beautiful grin.

"O-o-of course!" I stutter, and Cam and I make our way over to the bar. 

We sit down and order some drinks, well, Cam orders us drinks because I am physically unable to talk at the moment. 

"Did Eddie Vedder actually just ask us to wait for him... so we could talk to him? Like, the real Edward Severson the Third?" I eventually ask, gaining the brain power to talk. 

Cameron slowly begin to say, "I think he did... but that can't be right."

"But I think it actually is." I replay the conversation in my mind ove and over again, analyzing every part of it. f "And Stone Gossard thanked me?"

"I think we're the luckiest people in the world."

"Definitely."

Our drinks come and we sit in silence, thinking about how great those few words exchanged were. 

"Raegan! Cameron!" I immediatley recognize the voice as Eddie's, and Cam and I turn around to see him sitting on a dark red couch in the far corner of the room, smiling and waving us over. The crowd is gone, and it's just me, Cam, Eddie, Stone, Jeff, Mike, and Matt. 

"You can call me Rae," I tell him, grinning.

"Ok, Rae, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to get something to eat? I mean - if Cameron's ok with that and everything..." He asks me shyly and seemingly nervous.

"I mean, sure! If, Cam, you're ok getting home and everything?" I ask, a commotion of thought fumbling in my brain.

"Of course Rae. I've lived here my whole life - I think I can get to the bus stop," He laughs.

"You sure?"

"Rae. I'm fine. Go!"

"Ok, Eddie Vedder, yes I'll get food with you at midnight on a Saturday." The giggles start again. 

"Awesome," He replies, his shy smile turning intoa full on grin. "I'll see you guys later," He says to the rest of the band. 

"Bye Cam," I say, and Cam waves. When Eddie turns away, he gives me a thumbs up, and I try to surpress a laugh.

Eddie and I make our way to the bus stop in the hauntingly beautiful Seattle night. A little creepy, but with the black sky and the bright white stars, you know you're safe. Eddie walked close to me, his hands in his pockets as he acts all casual, but Seattle isn't the safest place to at night, and I know he's being protective. I smile to myself a little, realizing this. 

"So Rae, how's you get to know Pearl Jam?" He asks.

"Well, I loved Mother Love Bone and Soundgarden, so when I heard about Temple of the Dog I knew I had to get it. When I heard your voice on Hunger Strike... I fell in love with it. Then I saw that Ten was coming out, so I bought it the day of release. The whole composition of the album is incredibke and every little part of ever song is just sheer perfection - I knew I was becoming Pearl Jam's biggest fan the second I heard it." I'm internally screaming at this point because this is the thing I've been dreaming about for so long, being able to tell the person who changed my life how I found his music. 

"That's awesome. Most people only know us for Alive or Evenflow - no one really knows Mother Love Bone," He says, his face and voice expressing a legitimate interest in my story.

"Yeah, that's the part I don't get. First of all, Mother Love Bone was an incredible band and so are you guys, so why wouldn't people want to really know the origins behind the music?" He nods and laughs a little, running a hand through his long, curly brown hair. We stood on the corner and waited for the next bus. 

"So, what made the incredible Eddie Vedder ask me to hang back before?" I ask. 'Cause really - why would Eddie freaking Vedder want to talk to me? The mere mortal Raegan Jamie? 

"Well, you suggested a song that's not very popular so you're obviously a true fan, you seemed really, really happy when we played it and that was adorable, and honestly, you're beautiful." I feel my cheeks get hot, so I look down at my Converse. I had written "Pearl" on the right one and "Jam" on the left, so my love of the band was cleary displayed. "I'm sorry. Was that too forward?" He apologizes as the bus pulls up and the doors open. 

"No! Not at all, I'm just trying to fathom that fact that I'm talking to my favorite singer right now. And he just told me I'm beautiful," I laugh as I climb the stairs onto the bus. Walking to one of the middle isles, Eddie says "Right. Duh, of course." He sits down next to me, and we both awkwardly look in front of us, out the window, and occasionally at each other and smile.

"So what's open at midnight on a Friday?" I ask, turning my head from the window to see Eddie. 

"Well that's a great question. There's the Croc on Blanchard and 2nd, that's probably open still," he says.

"Ohh I love that place," I grin, "let's go there."

"Me too," He replies, and we sit back and watch the builings go by in the beautiful Seattle night.