We left the sun behind us, driving on into the adventure that we couldn't even fathom. The show only an hour away seemed to be meaningless, we concentrated our focus on the journey, enjoying the music and each other's company.
We were right to feel this way.
The sign on the door marked that our show was sold out. We begged and brainstormed a way in, but nothing could be worked out. We considered beating people up for tickets, but that was pointless since there were many "hardcore" guys and even girls, and we never would have won a fight with any of them, being just a few geek girls in a bigger city than we were used to.
Don't get me wrong, we could have taken them. But it would not have been pretty.
We walked around Oakland for a while. Into a convenience store, outside the door of the locked magic shop, and once again into our favorite tattoo parlor, where I actually considered getting a second tattoo.
But the evening was young, and I didn't want to waste it with a needle in my skin.
We drove all of Pittsburgh, in circles through construction and poorly marked bridges. We laughed and sang and knew no other joy but that of being with the only people who will always matter in our lives, no matter what happens with boys, school, or careers.
Nothing else in life seemed to matter, and for a few moments, I didn't feel the absence of my boyfriend, thousands of miles away. Nor did my friends feel that their lack of significant others made any difference. We were together, laughing, singing, being us as we truly are, and it was enough.