City of Blinding Lights

3… 2… 1…

The person next to me screamed loudly. I wish I didn’t know her. Or that I could at least pretend like I didn’t. But no. That actually is my best friend Clover. She jumped off of her chair and begins dancing around the computer. Why you ask? Well, she’s like many other brainwashed girl in this big universe obsessed with the boyband One Direction. Yeah you heard right. And to top it off she just bought both of us a ticket to see them live at Wembley Stadium this weekend.
I know how could she get us front row tickets to a One Direction show that’s only a week from now and in London? Well I thought it was impossible but clearly, when your name is Clover, nothing is.
The tickets were so expensive that when I saw them I nearly got a heart attack. Not literally but still.
We were at the school library on her computer. She had her ebay open in one tab to see if anyone overbid her dad.
Naveen’s dad is really rich. He’s writer and his books are all about the same things. The antarctic. They have gone there so many times that I lost count of it a while ago. He has written four books in total and I think his fifth is coming out around next christmas.
“We got them. Can you believe that we actually got the tickets? And the backstage pass? I don’t. Oh my god! This can’t be happening. This is a true dream come true. I’m gonna meet them”
I start to chuckle at her reaction and stand up to take her shoulders and place her on her chair again.
“You know there’s still a week ‘till the concert, right?” She tightens all up and starts again.
“Oh god, I almost forgot. We only have a week to prepare. We have to go shopping. We have to buy something green. Did you know that Niall Horan’s favorite colour is green. He’s definitely going to…” She continues to blab about them but I decided to stop listening to her and just nod and pretend like I am. Clever , right? I’m not a huge fan of them but I don’t hate them either. It’s just their music doesn’t really speak to me, you know?
I’m much more of an alternative kind of girl. Almost anything alternative is awesome.
The bell rings to tell us that lunch break is over and we have to get back to class. Naveen stands up and so do I. We don’t have the same classes but she’s going to the classroom next to mine so we walk together. She continues to talk about her “husbands to be” as she refers to them now-a-days.
She is certain that when the boys finally meet her they will instantly fall in love with her. And not just one of them but all. Okay, I get it they are kind of good looking but get your head out of the clouds and down among the living again. It’s not happening. But she seems so happy and I don't want to burst her bubble so I let it be. She's gonna find out eventually herself.
I stand up from my chair and Clover looks at me wide eyed.
“I have to be home before Seamus gets there. I have…” I look at the clock on the computer screen “ 15 minutes to get home” she nods and puts her headphones on again and I see her searching on youtube for Story of My Life by One Direction. This song only came out a few days ago but Clover already knows the song by heart and sings it all the time. i think I’m beginning to know at least few of the verses.
I run to the hangers and grab my jacket before I grab my shoes and run out.
It only takes me about 10 minutes to walk home and that it doesn’t mean that though Seamus finishes school at 13:45 that he has no chance to be at home at the same time. We don’t go to the same school and his is a bit farther away than mine is so he’s never home before 14:15.
I’m in front of the front door. I put my key in the lock and turn it slowly. The house is really old but it’s huge and I get to be alone in the basement whilst mom, Seamus and Carlos my stepfather all sleep on the top floor.
I kick my shoes off and let myself fall face first on the couch. I love this couch so much. I could just lay here all day but of course my phone decides that now is the best time to interrupt me and ring.
I fish it out of my backpocket and see that Mason is calling. I immediately answer him.
“ Hey girl how you doing?” he says with his usual happy voice that I think no one could ever be mad at. I at least haven’t seen anyone mad at him, yet. Except his dad, who by the way kicked him out of the house when Mason finally came out of the closet to his parents. Since then he quit school and is now living in a small studio apartment with three other guys and works at a coffee house.
“ I’m fine. How’re you?” I don’t usually like talking to people on the phone I think it’s so impersonal and Mason knows it so he gets right to the point.
“ So I was thinking that since it’s friday and you know it’s my birthday and all if we could pleasego out tonight “ I’m not one of the girls who literally live in these clubs but still…
“ I’m not sure… ” Mason sighs.
“ Is this about Charlie? ” Of course he thought it was about Charlie. but I’m like totally over that. i mean it’s been like 6 months since. It’s not like it’s going to haunt me forever. I forgot to tell you about Charlie didn’t I? Well Charlie was my best friend when I was younger. He was like the boy you grew up with and then when we started in high school we kind of felt like we owed it to ourselves if we could be more. It was on our 1 year anniversary and I was waiting for Charlie to pick me up ‘cause we were going to a fancy restaurant. I waited and waited ‘til I fell a sleep. Mom, Carlos and Seamus had gone out for dinner so I was all alone.
I was awoken by the sound of the phone. I looked at the clock and saw it was 21:18. It was two hours since Charlie was meant to pick me up. Where was he? I took it up thinking it was Charlie. But it wasn’t it was the police.
Someone had hit Charlie’s car and he was at the hospital. I dropped the phone and ran out to catch the next bus. I sat on the bus half sobbing and biting my nails.
When i could finally see the hospital I pushed the button for the bus to stop and a few minutes it did. I ran in and stopped out of breath in front of the receptionist a elderly woman with grey hair and big round glasses.
When I can finally breath again I tell her about Charlie. She tells me that I can’t go to see him just yet that they have to do some kind surgery on him and they’re not sure if he’ll survive it. I start crying again. The woman comes from behind her table, sits me on one of the uncomfortable blue chairs and promises to let me know when she hears something.
I sat in the waiting room for 6 hours. I couldn’t fall asleep. I couldn’t eat. I just sat there. Every minute felt like it could last for eternity. But when she finally had some news they weren’t good.
They couldn’t save him. He had passed away while in surgery. He had been too wounded.
I asked them if I could see him. They couldn’t see why not so the doctor led me to his room and said that if I needed anything he would be right outside. I went inside and saw Charlie lying on the bed. I took his hand and sat on a chair next to the bed. I started talking to him though I knew that he couldn’t possibly hear me. I told him how much I was going to miss him. I told him that I had been waiting for him to pick me up but I hadn’t been in any hurry so he didn’t have to rush this much.
The tears started flowing down my cheeks and before I knew I was drowning in them. I neatly stocked a few of his hairs away from his beautiful eyes that I knew where a dark shade of green even though they had closed for the last time.
I fell asleep lying next to him on the hospital bed with my head resting on his chest. I was woken up by my mom who had swollen eyes from crying.
Charlie’s parents had left when they saw him. They couldn’t take it.
For a few weeks I didn’t leave my room. I didn’t go to the funeral and I really regret that now. But there’s nothing I can do about that now. I try not to think too much about it but it’s something that will stay with me forever.
But anyways getting back to the phonecall.
“ Of course it’s not about Charlie, Mason. You know that’s all in the past now” I make a dramatic pause.
“ Will you come?” I smirk.
“ On one condition” I wait for him to ask me what my condition is.
“ What is it this time?” My smirk grows even wider.
“ I get to decide where we go this time ” He agrees since he hasn’t the best luck in picking clubs. Trust me I have experience with Mason’s poor choices.
“ Blue “

Notes