Bad Decisions

Concert

The queue snaked around the block, filled with anticipation. You could feel the excitement in the air, mixed with a bit of unease as fans jostled for position. You exchanged knowing looks with Luna, both of you seasoned concert-goers used to the chaos.

"Fucking fangirls," she groaned quietly, just enough for you to hear her disdain. She massaged her temples, trying to drown out the high-pitched squeals.

"Tell me about it. I mean, I like the band, but I'm not crazy over them," you replied, moving a step forward in the queue. Luna mirrored your step, the two of you maintaining your idle chatter.

"How do you know this is the same Noah Sebastian you knew when you were a kid?" Luna asked, casually linking her arm over your shoulder.

"His voice. I recognize it from when we used to sing together as kids. His octave, it's familiar. And how his voice could harmonize with mine. I just know it's him. Not to mention we have matching tattoos," you said, scrolling through Instagram on your phone.

"Wait, you both have matching tattoos? Which one? You both have loads," Luna said, searching your arms and hands.

You lifted your pointing finger to show her the small Naruto tattoo.

"A swirl," she said, tilting her head.

"Not just any swirl," you mockingly replied, "It's from Naruto, an anime. You wouldn't get it."

"Of course you're both anime fans. Why wouldn't I be surprised," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not an anime fan. It was just a tattoo we got as a friendship thing," you huffed.

"Yes, you are. You got that weird demon thing on your arm from that anime... dead note? Dying note, or whatever the fuck it is," she pointed at your arm, showing the Ryuk tattoo.

"It's Death Note, and Ryuk is not a demon, he's a shinigami," you corrected, frustration creeping into your voice.

"What's a shinigami?" she asked, laughing.

"It's the god of death," you explained, slightly exasperated.

"Told you you're an anime fan," she teased, nudging you playfully.

You ignored her, taking another step forward in the line. Luna quickly scurried to your side, still keeping up the idle chatter.

"So, what happened between you and Noah? I can't believe you knew THE Noah Sebastian before he became famous," Luna tugged you forward to stop the fangirls from eavesdropping.

You looked around, making sure there were no prying eyes before you turned to Luna.

"We just suddenly stopped talking. No falling out. He was just focusing on playing the guitar for a band. I never really heard from him after that," you sighed, your eyes drifting back to your Instagram.

Luna looked over your shoulder, staring at the page that was open. It was Noah's social media. She watched as you scrolled through photos of Noah.

"D'ya think he'll recognize you, Raven?" Luna asked as you both stepped forward once again.

"Doubt it. It's been 10 years," you sighed, locking your phone and stuffing it into your jeans pocket. Luna just shrugged and moved forward in the line.

You finally reached the entrance where security stood and monitored various faces walking through the doors. The venue was huge, and Luna bagging front tickets and backstage passes was worth it. You moved through the crowd to get to your spot.

You look up around the venue as fans began flooding in, shouting and screaming with excitement. The way they flooded into the room was like flies over shit. It was almost overwhelming, the sheer volume of energy and noise. You could feel the vibrations in the air, the anticipation thick and palpable.