Remaining Daylight (#Wattys2016)

Track I.

Having never been to a concert before, it was time for me to learn how true the rumors were. Some of them were amazing, others made the ideas less than appealing. But I wasn't missing this concert for the world. Not for all the...

Rumor 1: super sweaty people rubbing against you.

Rumor 2: getting pushed around and hit in the close, rowdy quarters.

Rumor 3: getting pummeled by crowd surfers.

Rumor 4: having your ears ring for the next day or two due to the intense volume.

Rumor 5: intense pit stink.

Rumor 6: stifling heat.

Rumor 7: screaming fangirls.

... in the world.

I'd first heard of Remaining Daylight when I was a freshman in high school. They were one of the bands that stuck with me over the course of those four years while I grew and changed from a teeny bopper into a young adult. And, while I hated to admit it, I had a tendency to be one of those screaming fangirls. I tried to avoid it, but sometimes, my passion for my favorite band took over.

But, for my graduation present, here I was, standing in the middle of what was referred to as "the pit". Again, there were all the rumors about being pushed, shoved, pummeled, and covered in everyone else's sweat. Supposedly it made the experience better, but so far, the only thing making this worth it was all the energy that I had pulsing through me. The roadies were setting up the instruments on the stage, now that all the opening acts had played. The anticipation was killing me. Would they just come out already?

"I'm going to crowd surf and grab Hayden Grace's hand!" my best friend, Amber, shouted over all the noise. She stood on her tip toes, looking over heads and the dimly-lit stage. The venue may have been small, but damn, were there a ton of people here.

"Think he actually will?" I asked.

"Probably. Lots of people talk about how much he interacts with the crowd during shows," Amber said.

It felt like it took forever until the lights went out. Immediately, everyone in the crowd screamed. I couldn't help it; this was it. The moment that my favorite band would be coming out on stage. My stomach was full of butterflies, a grin permanently splayed on my face. I was so ready.

We heard the drum beat first, followed by the guitar and bass, an introduction I recognized well. The lights came up and the crowd screamed again. When the music dropped, Hayden ran onto the stage, and the music pulled into full swing. My eyes wouldn't leave him as he roamed around the stage, singing his heart out into his microphone. He riled up the crowd, reaching down into the outstretched hands. Then, he climbed off the stage, having everyone at the front hold him up. The entire crowd shifted heavily in his direction, almost throwing me off balance.

As the show continued, my throat grew sore from all my screaming. Amber climbed up on top of the crowd and was pushed forwards, until security grabbed her and pulled her down. Less than a minute later, she had fought her way back to me.

"Did you grab his hand?" I asked.

"No. I'm going to try again," she said.

Before I could say anything, she was on top of the crowd, tumbling back towards the front. I watched as she was pushed straight to Hayden. Her outstretched hand stayed over top of security as they pulled her off the crowd. But, it caught his attention. He reached down and grabbed her hand for a moment, before she was placed back on the floor, and she ran back to me, grinning.

"Did you see that?" she asked me.

"Yes! I'm so jealous!" I replied. "Hayden Grace grabbed your hand!"