bright lights (#MidnightSunMovie)

One Night

I tugged at my shirt, cropped a little too much and pulled down my shorts, my bare midriff mocking me.

"You look hot, stop fidgeting" Alicia grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the small crowd at the concert.

Alicia forced me to dress hot, pull my hair out of my face, and join her at some night concert for some small band. She was in love with the drummer, she told me.

I looked around me for a moment, noticing the bright lights illuminating the band. I watched the singer pour out his soul for the crowd- attempting to make sure that ever boy and girl in the crowd saw him.

I watched the drummer flick sweat off his brow, the bright lights forcing him to squint at his drum set.

I watched the guitarist sullenly look into the crowd, his eyes hidden by a sweaty mop of brown curls.

I could barely see the bassist through the movement of the crowd around me, but I was immediately latched onto him as I watched him meddle with the strings, illuminated by the lights and the moon shining behind him.

To me, he was the most alive person on the stage, even if he barely moved.

I watched myself gravitate towards him and away from Alicia.

Tonight was that kind of night. I forgot about everything, about my too cropped top and my too short shorts, Alicia and the drummer, my horrible day. I couldn't see my past or my future.

I could only see him.

I could only see this night.

His long fingers plucked at the strings, his curly hair cropped just behind ears that were just asking to be whispered into.

He was so real. I watched him lookup at the crowd once, maybe twice. I begged him to look and see me, spot me in the crowd, as I'm sure every other girl did.

He didn't.

I was pushed from behind, stumbling into the figure in front of me, blocking me from his sight.

I attempted to mumble an apology, eyes still locked on the bassist, him.

I understood it, in that moment, love at first sight. It wasn't real to me before then, but I could see him, all of him, shy and fidgety on that stage, a bright star among the black sky.

He looked up from the strings.

His gaze scanned the crowd until we locked eyes.

I pulled my lips into a smile, willing him to see me the way I saw him.

He mouthed the word "Hello" as he worked his way through the song.

And we stood there, him on stage pounding out the rhythm, me in the crowd swaying to the beat.

Alicia pulled at me, but I couldn't look away.

I couldn't look away because I finally saw something worth looking at.