Better Place, Better Time

Opening Night

"Hey, Ricky, ready for opening night?" Big Red asked me.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting forever," I told him. I had been waiting along with Kourtney and Nini in his basement. I wanted to play something for them. I wanted them to tell me their thoughts. I wrote a song for E.J. and I wanted them to be the judge of it.

"I just got finished painting sets," Big Red said.

"What did you call us here for?" Kourtney asked. I would tell her or Nini anything the whole time we were here.

"I wrote a song for E.J.," I said blushing. I could hear Nini aww at that.

"Well play it for us," Nini said handing me my guitar.

"I fell in love with the only boy who knows what I'm about. I fell in love with a boy and I can't tell if I fell out," I said strumming on my guitar.

"Wait," Big Red said.

"Can I at least finish this verse?" I asked and he agreed. "After all is said and done I can't just pretend I'm movin' on, Is it just a part we're playing? 'Cause it don't feel like we're faking."

"It sounds like Troy and Chad are in love, but the song itself is sweet and if you guys don't get back together, I'll riot," Kourtney said and Nini agreed with her.

"Big Red?" I said wondering what he was thinking. He told me he agreed with Nini and Kourtney.

"Did you send the flowers to Ashlyn?" Nini asked. Big Red had developed a crush on Ashlyn and decided to send her a bouquet of flowers tonight. He had us help him pick it out and he ended up going with the biggest one they had. For Red's sake, I really hope she likes them.

"Well I'm gonna go to school and get a feel for the stage," I told my friends. We had moved our show back to East High. Now the show would be held in the gym. I got to the school and Miss Jenn was there.

"Ricky you're here early," She commented.

"Yeah, I wanted to get a feel for the stage one last time," I told her. The gym doors opened and there stood E.J. "Uh hey E.J."

"Hey Ricky, Hey Miss Jenn," E.J. said. Miss Jenn waved and walked off leaving me and E.J. alone.

E.J. and I stood awkwardly in silence. I grabbed the dog tag in my pocket and I wanted to give it to E.J. but I decided against it.

"Break a leg," E.J. said before walking away.

The show was going great. My mom and dad were here supporting me. Everything was going well. During getcha your head in the game, I lost focus. My mom brought Todd to the show. She brought fucking Todd. I stormed off stage not caring it was in the middle of a number.

"Carlos I can't do this anymore," I said handing him my jersey.