Appeal Denied

2018-NYC-44: Motion to Compel

June 22, 2018

Last night, I hadn't really paid attention to the clothes I threw on and had gone to the concert in blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Tonight, though, my outfit consists of a pale pink lace skirt with a matching button-up top. Pairing the outfit with my white sandals makes me feel flirty and liberated. Who knows? Maybe I'll meet some great guy tonight who also happens to enjoy Harry's music and concert style. "Feel free to be whoever you want to be," Harry said, and I am determined to do exactly that. I want to be a capable, competent woman who has finally made peace with her ex-lover.

Arriving at the venue, I seek out a girl who is alone and perhaps somewhat desperate, but there isn't anyone with signs for tickets tonight. With a sigh, I use one of mine to enter the venue before taking the escalator to the top level. As fans are entering the nosebleed section, I search for a girl who might be on her own, finally scouting one out.

Casually I approach her. "Hey, are you here alone?"

A frightened look crosses her face, but silently she nods, holding onto her soda with one hand and a t-shirt in the other as though they were going to protect her against the scary woman in the pink flowy dress.

"I wondered if you wanted this." Holding out the ticket to pit, I watch her face as her eyes skim over it and widen.

"Really?" she questions, looking for the catch.

"Yes. Really," I promise. "You can even keep your ticket for up here just in case."

Her disbelief is clear, but she follows me downstairs anyway. At the door, I encourage her to go first, and when the ticket is scanned, she grins at me like she's just won the lottery. Which, in some ways, she has.

"Thank you!" she grins. "I don't have any money to pay you for it. Everything I had was for the shirt and drink. Oh! I have money for the ride home. Do you want that?"

"Nope," I tell her. "Just make sure you have extra fun tonight, okay?"

"Okay!" she beams, and I feel fulfilled having treated someone with kindness.

True to my word, I stand at the back of the pit while Kacey performs. She spots me and waves, directing her attention to me several times. I yell and scream and jump up and down to show her how much I appreciate her music and the ticket.

When the screen drops after Kacey leaves the stage, I prepare to wait patiently for Harry's show. The same Rubik's Cube video plays as does the identical pre-show music. I do some people-watching as the fans in the pit mill about. They're all having so much fun, dancing and singing to the songs. Once again, the crowd performs Bohemian Rhapsody, and I join in, my voice as loud as I can make it. When Olivia plays next, I dance too, screaming the words. Letting myself go. Just existing here with these men and women, fellow adventurers into the world of Harry Edward Styles.

Once the screen rises, Harry standing regally in his blue Calvin Klein, it occurs to me that Kacey hadn't mentioned when she and Harry would be performing their unnamed duet. I decide to dance with abandon anyway because it really doesn't matter when. I'm not going anywhere as I'm having too much fun. The setlist is the same. There are other fans around me who also decide not to crowd the front of the pit, and we all dance together, taking turns buying drinks. Turns out they've all met on social media, but this is the first time they've hung out together. It's fascinating how well they know each other without having shared air or space before. I'm honored to be adopted into their tribe.

There's a lot of smiling and laughter. Before I know it, Harry's preparing to head to the B stage. Without paying attention, I've somehow gotten pressed close to the barrier. As he makes his way down the stage stairs, I withdraw. Or attempt to. Someone else besides me should be this close. I try to tell my newfound friends this, but they scoff. "Stay there!" one calls. "We'll trade places when he returns!"