Jenna suggested to grab something to eat before going to the concert, and I agreed. So we stopped by a bar which I didn't bother looking for the name of.
There was music coming out of it, live music. We entered the bar and the air was way warmer than outside. There was a brown haired girl singing 'Cornflake Girl' by Tori Amos on a little stage. I had seen her before, she was a senior at my school, her name was Juliet. She had a nice voice. Other guys were playing the piano and the drums.
Jenna was looking for a table when I stopped her by putting my arm in front of her. That's because I saw someone familiar sitting all alone at a booth. I smiled to myself and stepped closer to Justin.
"What brings you here?" I asked, crossing my arms and smirking at him.
He looked up at me with raised eyebrows, then smiled as well.
"Oh hey, Lynn. Hi, Jenna. I was just doing some school work." Jenna saluted back while I raised an eyebrow.
"At this time? It's a little late to do homework." I stated and he shrugged.
"I never finish assignments in time, it's a bad habit. Wanna sit with me?" he asked and I nodded slightly.
"Yeah, thanks." I said and both me and Jenna took the seats across from in in the booth.
"Are you guys going to that Paramore concert?" he asked.
"Yep! It's gonna be so amazing, I feel it! You're coming too?" Jenna asked, with a megawatt smile. Damn, nothing could turn that girl off. I chuckled at her excitement and turned back to Justin.
"No, actually I'm waiting for someone..." He explained. "But... I don't mind that much. I like it here." He shrugged.
"Hey, Lynn, this song always reminds me of you." He stated, with a small smile.
I stayed silent and listened to the song playing with more attention now.
"This is not really happening. You bet your life it is!" Juliet sang. I kept listening to the song and it was relaxing. I believe live music is way better than recorded stuff.
Jenna ordered something for the three of us and we chatted with Justin before we figured we were going to be late for the concert if we didn't go now. It was nice to see Justin there. I wonder who he was going to meet, but it's not my business.
We said our goodbyes and paid for the food before getting back to the car, this time headed to the show's area.
--
"I still can't believe you got the tickets." I confessed, shaking my head as she dragged me walked to the stadium. Jenna turned around for a second, flashing me a smile that was shining bright in the dark.
"But we're here." she responded in a sing song voice. Her grip on my wrist tightened as we walked through the crowd of people, so that I wouldn't get lost.
There were so many people, so many hearts connecting to the same music and lyrics. It's amazing.
It wasn't long until the concert started. We had a perfect view on the stage as Jeremy, Josh, Zac, Taylor and Hayley jumped onto it and started playing. (A/N: It's supposed to be the BNE era, that's why the Farro's are in it. Okay keep reading.)
I still couldn't figure how Jenna managed to get the tickets, it's almost impossible to buy them before it gets sold out.
The songs were all beautiful, of course. From the punker ones to the slower ones, and the crowd was an all one with the band and the music. Everyone, and I swear, everyone in the stadium was singing along to the lyrics. The sharp lights, the echoes, and I was dancing to the beat too. After all, it was my favourite band.
Then the song I was waiting for came on and it gave me a weird feeling.
'Brick By Boring Brick.'
A song that is about being brought back to reality. Sometimes I didn't know how to see it. On one hand, I was a very realist person. On the other hand, I was obsessing over dreams that may or may not be real. I mean, I knew they were, but I had no proofs so I couldn't assure it.
But this song is... overwhelming. It opens your eyes about the real world. At the same time, this fact worried me. That song gave me contrasting feelings.
--
"It was... AMAZING!" Jenna chirped in, excitedly. I chuckled.
"I know!" I yelled back and she smiled brightly, then looked back at the crowd we had left behind. The show was over by about thirty minutes, but we were still around the place, chatting with other fans and stuff. Not that I had a lot to say, but the excitement after a concert connects everyone in the same way.
Jenna turned to me with a small, sad smile when we were about to leave.
"I'm sorry that we didn't win the meet and greet." she said. I gave a reassuring smile and patted her shoulder.
"It's okay, kid. Let's go home now?" she nodded.
"Mine?" she asked, and I nodded.
"Okay. But I need to pee, first." she said, causing me to laugh.
"You could've said 'go to the toilet'." I pointed out, rolling my eyes.
"It's the same! Okay, I'll 'go to the toilet'. Wanna come with?"
"I don't want to see you pee." I joked, knowing she didn't mean going in the stall with her, and she pushed me playfully.
"Your loss." she joked back and crossed her arms, to which I laughed.
"I'll go to that stand to get a drink." I informed, pointing to a small stand not far from here. She nodded.
"Alrighty. Be right back!" she assured, and ran over to the ladies toilet.
I walked to the stand and politely asked for a bottle of water. When I handed the money to the stand's man and turned around, I felt someone bump into me and something strangely warm spill on my shirt.
"Crap, I'm sorry!" a girl said. I looked down at my shirt and realized it was coffee. It wasn't too hot, so it didn't really caused damage, but washing it off from my shirt was going to be hard.
"No worries." I assured and looked up at the girl. My mouth swung a bit open when I realized who I was in front of.
The one and only Hayley Williams, lead singer of Paramore.
"Nah, oh, I sure ruined your shirt. I'm sorry. I can pay you back!" she said and fumbled into her small, red purse's pocket, but I stopped her.
"No uh it's okay, really..." I guaranteed. She raised her eyebrows and smiled a little.
"You're not gonna go out there with that on. Ask for something at the merch table, I'm offering you a new shirt." she chuckled and I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
Hayley Williams was buying me a new shirt? Of her band?
"Um y-yeah. Okay." I said, and smiled warmly. She leaded me to the merch table and pointed to the merch.
"Pick what ya want." I pursed my lips and grabbed a black shirt with the lyrics of their song, 'Looking Up', in white, and a drawn heart. Hayley smiled and nodded to herself.
"Nice choice." she said, I smiled to her and pulled out two dollars.
"What's that?" she asked as I handed her the banknotes.
"You paid for my shirt, I'm paying for your coffee. Cause of me, you won't be able to drink it." I laughed a little and she grinned, shaking her head and pushing my hands away.
"It's not your fault that I get distracted very easily." she laughed and adjusted her black beanie on her head, while brushing a strand of her flaming red hair behind her ear.
"Oh, I never asked for your name?"
"Lynn." I said, almost too quickly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Lynn. You probably know who I am but however, I'm Hayley." she chuckled at the last part and shook my hand.
I pulled my new shirt on taking off the coffee stained one in the process, letting it slid along my legs and kicking it off with my feet. Then I balled it and held it in my hands.
I and Hayley small chatted and I could tell, she was a down-to-earth person with a pure heart. She checked her phone and turned back to me.
"I gotta go now, it's getting late, but it was nice to talk with you." she said politely.
"Wait, Hayley..." I called, before she could walk away.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure thing, shoot."
"It's about 'Brick By Boring Brick'..." I started. She nodded and looked at me expectantly.
"Do you think something we believe in is wrong if everyone else doesn't? I mean... Do you think it's bad to believe in something that seems impossible to the others' eyes?" I asked. She bit her lip and thought about it for a moment.
"No, it's not." she responded. "The song says that you should be aware of how the real world is. But if you believe in something that doesn't necessarily coincide with the others' opinion, it doesn't mean it cannot be the truth. You need to be realist, but it doesn't mean you can't have ambitions and opinions. It just means that if your expectations get broken, you shouldn't be disappointed, cause you already knew it could happen." she explained.
I looked down and furrowed my eyebrows. Yeah, I could always end up disappointed. It's like for religious people, they believe in Heaven and Hell and some of them are not worried about their death cause they're sure they're going to be in Heaven. But what if there's not an actual heaven and they just got swindled?
The only result is that they base their lives off expectations. Most of them don't live fully and at their best cause they know they're gonna have another chance in the afterlife.
It was only an example, but that's the concept.
"Hey, smile on." Hayley's voice brought me out of my thoughts as she nudged me a bit.
"Doubts are okay. Follow what to believe in. Just take into consideration that it doesn't have to be necessarily how you expected it to be." she suggested and I nodded.
"Now, I really have to go. Bye, Lynn."
"Bye, and thank you for everything!" I called as she walked away quickly. She flashed me a smile while waving at me.
Talking with Hayley was really helpful. She had always been my biggest inspiration and strangely, chatting with her didn't seem surreal. It seemed very real. I think that's because she's not one of those crazy divas who watch everyone else from a height. Hayley didn't talk to me like she was better than me, she acted really normal, and she's a really great person.
I stood here a little more and got nervous not long after. What the hell was Jenna doing? How long does it take to take a piss?
I pulled out my phone and texted her.
Me: Did you die in the stall?
I got a reply about two minutes later.
Jen: A girl does what a girl does. Whatever, turn around.
I did as I was told and saw Jenna running over to me with a large grin on and some puppet in her arms. Wait, no, it's not a puppet. It's... a dog? What the...
"What's that." I asked.
"Um. Yeah, this is why it took me a little longer." she chuckled nervously.
"Well, you decided to meet the dog. I met Hayley Williams." her eyes grew wide.
"No way!" she squealed and jumped, trying to drag me into a jump session with her but only making me laugh instead.
"I'll tell you the details on the way home." I promised and we headed back to her car.
Jenna kept the dog in her arms until we reached the car, then she put him on the backseat saying something about a friend who wanted a dog. I might seem paranoid, but I swear he was glaring at me the whole ride home. I had to make faces at him while Jenna wasn't watching.
I'm more one for cats, if you ask me.
After earning several squeals from Jenna, due to my unexpected meeting with Hayley, I leaned my head on the window and looked outside. It was getting kinda late, the sky was dark and the lights were being turned on in the streets.
I thought about Hayley's words, which were running through my mind all over again, on repeat.
To stop hoping wasn't an option, and I wasn't planning on that. Whatever was coming next, I'd face it with chin up and eyes fixed on the path in front of me.
Never looking back, this might be a long ride for me. Metaphorically and practically, since Jenna wasn't sure of what direction to take, but that was beside the point.
This adventure or misadventure, whatever it was, was a never stopping train. And I wasn't going to miss my spot in the wagon.
This is not just all in your head.
--
A/N: I think it was necessary to insert Paramore in the story. First, because it's also thanks to them if Pvris exists. Second, Hayley really is one of Lynn's biggest inspirations. Third, the song fits in perfectly.
Also, I'd pay to see Lynn making faces at a grumpy dog.