Time After Time

Part 16

Lucy shortly arrived at my house after Corey left. She repeatedly honked her car horn while I stuffed my workout clothes in a bag.

"God, I'm coming!" I yell out although she won't hear me. I stumble out of my room and out the front door, waving goodbye to my mother.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so eager to hear about what happened at lunch!" Lucy gushes out as soon as I get into the car. "So?"

"Okay, but you have to promise to not tell anyone! Not even your...dog."

Lucy laughs as she pulls out of my drive way. "Yes, yes I promise. Tell me!"

I take a deep breathe and try to hold in my smile. Suddenly, my words fall out quickly as though I have been tipped over, spilling out like a tall glass of milk. "Jake stole Corey's books so he put a stink bomb in his locker, it made the whole hall gross so he left school so he wouldn't get in trouble and brought me with him, then we went to get coffee and then to the park where he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes."

I look at Lucy while we stop at a street light. Her mouth is gaping open and her eyes are wide. "What?!"

"Yeah...Corey is actually my boyfriend." I blush to myself as I recall the way he held my hand after I answered him 'yes'.

"This-this has to be celebrated! Oh my god, Lux! Fuck yoga class! Let's go to Trent's." Trent's was a bar that Lucy's cousin managed. He always let us in since we were almost 18.

•

When we arrive, a large bouncer in a black shirt at the door asks for our ID's. Before we can explain, Trent, Lucy's cousin appears. He slides himself past the bouncer, "Hey girls." He then turns to the bouncer, "They're cool." and then  he continues to lead us into the building. "Sit anywhere you like." He smiles and disappears into a crowd of people.

Lucy and I find ourselves a small round table next to the bar where we order 2 shots of tequila. "I can't, like I literally can't, believe you're The Corey Haim's girlfriend, Lux." I grin. "I knew you had it in you, you always did. To a new chapter!" Lucy raises her glass as I follow.

"To a new chapter!" We both swing the warm liquid back as the band on stage begins playing 'A Million Miles Away' by The Plimsouls.

"I love this song!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Me too! To The Plimsouls!" We both laugh as we clink our small glasses and down them. We both squeeze through the crowd towards the stage to watch the band. All four of them are tall and sweaty with torn up clothes. I yell the lyrics as I close my eyes, wishing Corey was with me here. Before this year, I thought I already liked Corey as much as humanly possible...but these past few days have proven me terribly wrong. He's literally taking over every single one of my thoughts, I can't help myself. I open my eyes as my slightly tipsy mind hopes that Corey will be there. I turn to my side to only find another girl, desperately seeking the attention of the bass player. Lucy grabs my hand as she jumps up and down to the beat of the song and I follow. The dark, smokey aroma of the place makes me feel like anything is possible, and that every moment is the perfect moment. The girl to my side nudges me and asks me for a lighter. I shake my head no as she continues to search for someone who does. I turn back towards the stage to only find the lead singer full on staring at me with a huge smile.

"Is he looking at you? Lux, he's looking at you!" Lucy screams to me over the music.

"I don't know, I don't know!" I frantically reply, not knowing how to respond. Before this year, guys like this singer, guys like Corey, would have never been able to spot me in a crowd.

Although I try my best to not look at him, my eyes can't help but continuously make sure that this is real and happening. Despite my attempts to stop myself, I keep looking at the singer to only find that he hasn't taken his eyes off me, almost like he's singing the lyrics to me. When the set finishes, the band walks off towards the back stage area and Lucy and I walk back to our tiny round table.

"Another round? To Lux for being a bad ass this year!" Lucy exclaims before ordering 2 more shots from the waitress as she walks by. She then turns back towards me, "Seriously, Lux." Lucy's face turns still, a face I've come to know that means 'all jokes aside'. "I'm so grateful to have you as my friend. I mean, you were my friend when I was a little dweeb sitting on a curb and picking my braces." We both let out a giggle as she takes my hand. "And to see how far you and I have both come...and that we kind of have just grown up together instead of apart..." Lucy shakes her head and gives a smile. "Well, I'm trying not to cry but the fucking tequila is tempting me. Fuck you tequila!" I burst into laughter and get up to pull her into a hug.

"I love you, Lucy." I say as I hear her sniffle.

"I love you, too." A pause occurs as we remain in a tight hug. "Now stop making me cry." I laugh as we pull apart and sit back down. Lucy's eyes suddenly grow big as she stares at something behind me. A huge smile emerges on her face that I can't read until she covers her face with both of her hands. She only ever does that if something both funny, awkward, and awful is about to happen. I turn around slowly to see the lead singer standing in the crowd with a beer in his hand, and looking right at me. His friend is talking to him but he doesn't seem to be listening because all he's doing is looking at me. I quickly jump around and grab Lucy's hands away from her face.

"Shit! Lucy! What do I do?" I scramble in my seat, trying to not freak out.

"Act natural, because he's here." She quietly says with a smile.

I turn to my side as he stands right next to me. In a deep voice, he smiles and says, "Hi, I'm Peter."