A Match into Texas (Mike Fuentes Fanfic)

6

I woke up in my bed at the hotel, with my stomach growling and sunlight streaming through the window. I looked around the room, but Mike was not there. As I rolled over under my blankets, a sheet of paper crinkled next to my head; a note with my name on it. I opened it, and it read as follows. 

'Dear Alexis,

Good morning sunshine! I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodnight, but you looked so peaceful that I couldn't bear to wake you up. I didn't want to impose on you any more than I already have, so I dropped you off and Vic picked me up. I was hoping you would call me sometime? I would call you, but I don't have your number. Mine is 668-986-8913, and by the way, there is Chinese food in the fridge, and a present for you on the couch. Thanks again for everything, and please call! Love, Mike. 

P.S. The sweatshirt you're wearing is mine- the air conditioning was malfunctioning and Bob told me to suck it up when I asked him about it. What a prick.'

Well, wasn't that sweet of him. I got out of bed and opened the mini fridge that was underneath the television, and sure enough, a box of lo mein and a tub of spring rolls. He had even left me a fortune cookie. 

Something shiny caught my eye, and as I turned, I saw a small, flat box with a ribbon on top sitting on the couch. This was the first present I had gotten in two years, at least. After I left home, my parents decided I was no longer theirs, and so I had been very alone for quite some time. 

I gently slid the ribbon off a d opened the box. Inside there lay one ticket and to the final concert of the tour that Pierce The Veil had been playing on. I knew that they wouldn't be playing, but there were other bands that would be. It was a festival a lot like Warped Tour, just later in the year. It would be a lot of fun, and a lot of cool people would be there. Mike would be there. 

Scrawled on the inside of the box there was another note. 'We're at the booth near the stage on the right. If you can't come, I totally understand, but it would be awesome if you could. We get there at 11!' 

What the hell. I gingerly put the ticket back in the box, and placed it on top of the fridge. I glanced at the clock. 9:45. Plenty of time. Before I could get ready to go, however, there was a more immediate problem. I opened the fridge and took out the spring rolls and the fortune cookie. Nothing like cold chinese food in the morning. As I inhaled a couple spring rolls, I pulled the fortune out of the fortune cookie, and read what wise words the Chinese had to offer. 

'Love that comes when you least expect it will endure.'

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I rolled down the windows of the truck as I roared down the highway. 10:50. I would be there by 11:30, if all went well. The radio spouted a mixture of storm warnings and static, and I popped in the mix Mike had liked so much. There is no better feeling in the world than the one you get while blasting The Doors and driving down a Texas highway with the wind blowing your hair back. 

I pulled into the lot, and glanced over the field where the three stages were set up. They were all-day affairs, these concerts, and you got only the truest fans at them. Which was awesome for the bands, but it meant that they all got there around an hour early, so the lines to get in could be horrendous. I climbed out of the truck and put on my string backpack. I wore my black Converse, black cuttoffs, a tank that said 'A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor', and my knockoff Aviators from Chinatown in NYC. 

The only cool part about waiting in line is that some of the bands will walk by and stop to chat with their fans and take pictures. As the line inched forward, I heard a few fangirl screams behind me. 'Its probably Miss May I or something', I thought to myself. I was getting closer to the front so I pulled off my backpack and started rummaging through the various items- bottled water, extra sunglasses, sunscreen, bandaids, and Mike's sweatshirt- to get out my ticket, when someone grabbed my waist. I jumped. 

'Gotcha!' A familiar voice rang in my ear, and minty breath fogged up the lenses of my glasses. I turned to see Mike grinning at me from behind a pair of Aviators, almost exacatly the same as my own. 'You never saw it coming!'

'Of course I didn't! You did sneak up behind me, I don't have eyes in the back of my head.' I pulled my ticket out of my bag and smiled at him. 'Miss me?'

'Terribly. I'm so glad you came! Vic is convinced that you don't exist, and I can't wait to prove him wrong. Plus, I just wanted to see you again.' He pulled me into a quick hug before pulling me out of the line. 

'Hey! Mike where are we going? I have to wait in line to get in.' He looked back at me, wearing a small smirk. 

'I'm the ultimate pass to the front, didn't you know? C'mon, I'll show you around before it gets too crowded.' He offered me his arm like a prince from a fairytale and I took it. We walked through the gate like a tattooed, bizarre looking royal couple. As we walked into the shade of one of the stages, he whispered to me, 'Welcome to fairyland.' 

It really was like a fairyland. Almost all of the bands were either at their booths or outside greeting fans, so Mike got a four wheeler out of the tour bus and drove me around the setup. The empty space and the feeling of excitement for what was soon to come made the whole thing feel unreal, otherworldly. The stages were set up at the base of a large hill, and Mike drove us to the top. 

'Wow. This is amazing, Mike.' You could see the whole place; all the stages and all the people who were crowding around the entrance. It was like looking at a river dam- so many people pushing to get in, but only a few came in at a time. 

'I found this spot about a week ago, the night before our last show. I love being up this high. It's like being on top of the world.' He picked a dandelion and put it behind my ear. 'Lovely.'

He jumped to his feet and pulled me up. 'Come on,' he said and climbed back onto the four wheeler. 'I've got something even better to show you.'