Lights. (An AJR fanfic)

Chapter 2

Okay, I lied. I couldn't sit in my car for the rest of the concert because Kari still hadn't shown up.

I got out after calming down and reentered the building again, having to show my ticket and go through security for ten minutes before they let me back in. My plan was to move around the dance floor, hoping to both find Kari and not see any creepy guys. I failed at both when I couldn't find Kari and I found my pretend 'boyfriend' again when I walked by the restrooms.

"Hey, girlfriend," he said casually with that sloppy grin of his. "Find another creepy guy?" his eyes twinkled with amusement. If he were anyone else it might've been mysterious and maybe even sexy.

"I don't know," I said, raising my eyebrows slightly at him. "I can't find my friend Kari. Actually, I think she might've left." I tried to walk around him, pretend I didn't notice the encounter, or at least appear distracted. Which I kinda was, because I couldn't get over how unfairly good looking this creeper was. And he was talking to me. Once again I found myself torn-do I look for Kari or keeping the conversation going with this very cute stranger?

"A lost friend hmm?" He squints his eyes at me and then over my head, looking around as if he knew exactly who I was talking about. In the few seconds that he wasn't looking at me I took the chance to look at him. And I mean really look at him.

He was very handsome. He wore a loose, white button up shirt and plain jeans, and his dark hair-so dark it was almost black-was messy on his head, but in a neat way. He had that lazy, tired teenager look about him, like he had gotten into trouble, and the twinkle in his bright hazel eyes almost confirmed it.

"And you haven't seen her anywhere?" he asked, still looking above me. It made me feel small, considering his tall frame looked right over my head. He was easily half a foot taller than me.

"No, she went to the washroom before the concert started and I haven't seen her since," I said. He finally looked down at me and I locked eyes with him, curious as to what he thought.

"It's been a while since it started. Almost done. I can check the security records to see if she's left the building?" he offered. I blinked at him.

"Security?" I thought that he probably worked here; he was definitely fit enough to work in security, just maybe a little young. "Oh, okay," I blinked, "Thank you."

"Follow me," he lead me away, keeping a soft hand on my lower back.

I was lead backstage, which made me feel giddy and superior somehow, and he turned us into a small room that had so many wires and screens and buttons I didn't know where to look at first.

"Hey, Jack. What brings you here? The concert hasn't ended yet." A big, bulky man said, swivelling around in an uncomfortable looking chair.

"Bathroom break." Jack replies with a wide grin. "Can I take a look at the outdoor footage? My girlfriend here lost a friend." he said.

I was hoping no one saw my deep red cheeks, but the man only blinked at Jack, in surprise I hoped, and then turned around and fiddled with some switches until all the people who've left and entered this building in the past hour came up onto a big screen in front of us. He asked for a photo of her and I gave him my phone with some pictures on it. After a few minutes of watching people, during which I felt kind of like a stalker, I saw Kari run out of the building in a rush and straight to the road and continue on.

"Stop! No, thats her!" I shouted. The man paused the screen, and yes, that was indeed Kari. Of coarse, I would recognise her tall, slightly chubby build anywhere.

"That's her?" Jack asked. I stared in disbelief at the screen. Kari? What the hell was she doing?! Why would she just run away, in a foreign-to-us city and leave me without ANY form of warning! And she looked scared, on her way out. Rushed. Shocked. What happened?