Hey Monday

m u s i c

He trailed off and none of us wanted to finish the sentence. Our little adventure was drawing to a close, which deeply saddened me. I thought back to my life in Oregon- ordinary, mundane, and bleak. As simple and bland as a bowl of unflavored oatmeal. 

I sighed and directed our RV to the music venue, all of us sitting in bittersweet silence. 

Morgan shifted in the passenger seat next to me. Lately, she'd been spending more and more time with me instead of the girls, which both pleased and worried me. I hoped that she was still on good terms with everyone else. 

I stole a glimpse at her. She was in jeans and a black t-shirt, with a flannel tied around her waist. She popped a couple of fries into her mouth and turned to look at me. Upon seeing me staring, she offered a small smile. 

"You look beautiful," I said honestly. 

And this time, instead of mumbling an objection or just blushing and shrugging, Morgan smiled brightly. "Thanks, Noah. You don't look so bad yourself." 

• • • 

"BABY, MAKE MY WISH COME TRUE," Ellen screamed in the midst of the concert, singing the words in unison with everyone else. "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU!" 

I laughed, nodding my head in time with the music. Morgan was right next to me, dancing with her hands in the air and positively glowing happiness. I snaked an arm around her. She paused her movements and studied my face slowly, seeming to search for something, but then let it go and continued enjoying the concert. 

Logan was still trying to get into it. He was standing awkwardly next to Ellen, who was giving her all- flipping her hair back and forth so hard that I thought her neck would snap in half. 

Evelyn, on the other hand, was doing this move that looked like she was punching the air with her fists. It didn't look weird when she did it though, because she was so confident and happy at the time. 

It was hard to get a clear view of the stage because so many people had their arms thrusted up into the air, recording the concert on their phones. I wasn't even sure who was performing, I think her name was Ashley something. Her voice was really something though, loose and floaty and even a little bit ethereal. 

"C'mon, Noah!" Ellen called, nudging me playfully. "Sing it! You know you want to!" 

So I did. I threw my face into the sky and belted out the lyrics. Granted, I was off-key and completely a bad singer, but in that moment, I didn't care. These were the golden moments that even the darkness could not steal. 

Suddenly, the madness of it all hit me like a ton of bricks. I was in New York City with my best friend, a nerd that Ellen hooked up with at a house party, an angel of a girl that I was obsessed with for a little while and who subsequently broke my heart, and an insecure redhead who seemed almost too good for this world. 

It was crazy, beautiful, and completely wonderful. I felt so happy that I thought I could burst. That moment was one of those that you look back on over and over, one that you share with your kids and grandkids because you don't want it to die. It was a moment when I felt unchained, boundless, infinite. 

I felt happy. 

• • • 

"That was so fun," Evelyn giggled as we collapsed in the RV. All of us were tired after the concert, and I was ready to change into my pajamas and get some sleep. We were going to be in Maine tomorrow the next day, anyway. I couldn't wait. 

Ellen held up her phone. "I got most of it on video, I'll send it to you guys later, but for now I'm going to get some sleep." Then she came up and wrapped me in a huge hug. "Thanks, Noah," she whispered. "For everything."