Invisible

1

 "You worry too much. Nothing's going to happen."

"I don't know. It's just because the last time I was at a concert, I had a panic attack. The crowd was crushing me from all sides."

"Amelia, you've been going to concerts for your entire life. It was just one time. It was a freak coincidence. We can stand in the back if that's what's going to make you happy."

"I don't like standing in the back but we're probably going to have to. I just can't go through that again."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, but look- there's a spot right over there. No problem." I took my spot by Emily's side but I was still disappointed that I didn't feel like I could be against the barricade like I always am. "Lighten up. This is our favorite band."

"I know. I just hate to watch it from so far back."

Once the show started, I realized that it doesn't really matter where you stand- you're still getting to watch your favorite band. Maybe I'd always stand in the back. At this venue, the floor was slanted so the view was actually better the farther away you were. There weren't head directly in front of you from back here. I looked over at Emily and she clearly wasn't thinking the same thing as me. She had been creeping forward the entire time. "See? Nothing's happened. Let's move up! I want to catch a pick." She had already caught two guitar picks from this particular band and I didn't want to move forward but I didn't exactly have a chance to protest when she grabbed my wrist and started pulling me through the crowd.

"Emily?" Suddenly I was halfway through the crowd but Emily was nowhere to be seen. "Emily!" At least I knew where she was headed and I'd been to this venue hundreds of times. "Excuse me." I kept moving through people but nobody was listening, so it was more shoving than it was anything else. The closer I got to the stage, the louder and hotter it got. Suddenly I hit a brick wall. "Excuse me."

"Back off."

"My friend is just up there and-"

"That's what they all say. We got here first, ok?"

"I know but you don't understand. I don't even want to be up there. I just want to get my friend and get to the back. It's too crowded up there."

"Save it."

"Hey, trust me. I d-"

"Hey, shut the hell up. I don't care. You're not getting in front of me."

"Ok." I sighed. "I'm not even trying to get up to the front. I'm trying to get back to the back. I just... I just want to get out of the crowd." My heart was racing and my mind was spinning. I felt like I was going to fall over and I just wanted to get away from all the bodies that were crushing me.

"Can't hear you!" the guy shouted and faced away from me again.

"Son of a bitch." I sighed and tried to stop swaying. I turned around. realizing that I wasn't even facing the back of the crowd. I was completely disoriented. I grabbed the shoulders of the person behind me and they immediately leaned away from me to get me to stop. "I'm so sorry." I said loudly. "I'm just trying to get out of the crowd. Is it ok if I slide behind you?" I asked and she looked at me slightly strangely as if she didn't hear everything I said. "I'm not cutting in front of you. I want to get out." I repeated and she nodded and stepped back so I could slide past her. "I'm going to pass out." I said out loud even though no one was listening. I was so close to the edge of the crowd when my knees buckled. My knees hit the ground. My palms scraped the ground in front of me. A couple of people looked down at me but it was a good minute before anyone said anything.

"Hey are you ok?" It was like I was hearing the voice of an angel. "Hey, can you hear me?" suddenly there was a stranger squatted down next to me. I nodded but I knew if I even tried to stand up, I'd just fall over again. It felt as if I had been spinning in a chair for ten minutes. "I'll go get you some water, ok?" I shook my head, knowing that if he left, he wouldn't find his way back to me and nobody else would be gracious enough to help. "I promise I'll be right back. I'll remember where you are."