Dissonance | ✓

38 | Epilogue

     As the evening set in, the scorching heat of that summer day cooled to a still-unbearable ninety-something degrees. That left me with the lighter option of two outfits that I had laid out for that night: a Lumpy Space tee I cropped to just above my navel, paired with a pair of denim shorts. I slipped into the clothes and threw my backpack over my shoulders, fishing my phone out to check the time.

     It was seven twenty-three, just minutes after Miranda scheduled to roll by my house. A message soon came from her, as if on cue, letting me know she was waiting for me in the parking lot. I replied with an 'okay', then stuck my phone back in my bag.

     I exited my room and walked across the hall to tap on my mother's door. "Come in," she sing-songed.

     I pushed open the door and peaked my head in. "I'm going out now," I said to mother, who was lounging on her king bed with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in another.

     "Okay. Be back before I go to sleep," she replied, trying to sound stern.

     I scoffed, "you won't go to sleep until I'm home." 

     Mother gave me a flat look. "You know what I mean. Just have safe fun!"

     "Will do!" I called as I began to close the door. "Love you!"

     I locked the silver door to my apartment as I left, then capered down the hall to the elevators. When one arrived on my floor, I entered it and pressed the button for the lobby. Its shining doors slid closed before the humming elevator took me to my destination.

     In the lobby, I waved to Chrissie, the receptionist (who was busy tapping away at her phone), as I strutted out of the building. Outside, I scanned the parking lot for a cherry red buggie that Miranda told me to look for when she came. I spotted it in a parking space near the main gate, and I hurried over to her.

     "Hey hey hey," I greeted her, dropping into the passenger seat. I buckled up my belt and tossed my backpack to the back seat.

     "Hey yourself;" she muttered as she started the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. "If I don't have fun, Colleen, I want my money back."

     I waved her off. "You'll have fun, I promise. This is a really cool band."

     'Ximena's sister's band,' my mind reminded me. I shoved the thought away, blocking it out with a song in my head to keep it gone. I was not going to mope that night.

     "I do appreciate alt rock sometimes, even if it's not really my genre," she mused. "Like that Wolf Lisa song you showed me–or Wolf Alice."

     I laughed, then effused, "then you'll have fun! This band is awesome. The way they can really get a room excited is just...so cool."

     Miranda glanced at me through the corner of her eye with an elevated eyebrow. "You really like these guys, huh?"

     "Yeah," I chuckled.

     Lumpy Space had recently disclosed that they were playing at my go-to club, Laren's, just hours ago. I had to coax Miranda into coming with me, because I felt as though shows were more enjoyable with company.

     'Ximena's company would've been—' Nope! Blocked with another song.

∞

     It was imperative that Miranda and I reached there early to secure a spot inside before the entry line extended down the street. Luckily, as we pulled up across the club, the line was just at the end of the block. We hopped out of Miranda's buggie and joined the moving line.