the concert

It was snowing again and Kyle was out in the drive way shoveling snow and ice. Ellie looked out the window and watched. She was glad it wasn't her out there in the bitter cold. He was hardly dressed for the elements. Just a sweater, some heavy gloves and a black skully, and then of course, snow gear for winter, he hustled to clear the driveway because as he kept saying, "We are going to that concert!"

Ellie was on the phone with Amanda. "No, I'm definitely not wearing a bra to that concert. One less thing to worry about." Actually she had one on under her thermal top. She was taking it off right now. "I'm just wearing my 'peace on earth' shirt and jeans. Its no time to dress up, you know."

Ellie listened to Amanda talk about how there was no way she could get away without wearing a bra. She kept insisting she was getting huge.

"You aren't driving are you?" Ellie wondered. She wished they were going to the concert all together. Instead they were just meeting up there, but she knew Cory wanted to be alone with Roger and Kyle was coming with her and Eric.

"Dan is taking us so I'll be there early. He's working there tonight." Amanda told her. There it was settled. They were going to a concert.

Of course the streets were a mess. The snow plow had barely gone through once ,and it needed to be done again. Eric hadn't gotten there early enough to find a parking spot in the small space next to the old gym where the concert would be. They hadn't had to park blocks away, and Ellie was glad she had Eric to hang on to on the walk there. Naturally, the place was thick with people, but she didn't see Cory nor Roger yet. Naturally, Dylan stuck out like a sore thumb.

His hair was greasy and he looked a bit unkept as if he'd gotten off someone's couch and finally decided to stroll in. Ellie just looked at Eric who acted as if he didn't see Dylan at all. But Kyle started talking nonstop as they edged through the entrance with their tickets.

"What are you doing?" Ellie pulled Kyle aside. "I don't want him around. What about Cory? Roger isn't going to like this."

"How do you know? Its a concert." Kyle fumed, unleashing himself from Ellie's grasp. They finally found Amanda in the crowd. Derrick too. Dylan mingled and then Ellie noticed he was chatting it up with Amanda's older brother, Dan. Ellie then tried not to noticed. She was beginning to think Dylan knew everyone.

Soon Cory and Roger found them near the area where the T-shirts and CDs were sold. They looked happy to see everyone. Until Cory spotted Dylan.

"Its just a concert," Kyle kept reminding everyone as the second band went on and shook things up with naughty lyrics and a children's piano blended with punk noise. People were pumped. Their hometown band was back and everyone was in a good Holiday mood. The noise and the lights and movement made Ellie think she was too old for this. Already. She had to keep excited. Hopefully, no one noticed she was worried about Ben and Lonnie traveling in bad weather they weren't used to. If that wasn't enough. It seemed she had to be reminded that her ID and all were in her jeans pockets. She hadn't taken a purse since there were so many purse snatchings happening lately. If that wasn't enough, a KFC nearby had had a shooting in the parking lot, recently. But here they were stuffed together, watching everyone let go for a while. It was getting hot and sweaty, and she couldn't hear a thing Eric was saying to her. Finally she went to the bathroom with Amanda. Perhaps to escape the noise just a little. Ellie didn't want to dare admit that she was getting a bit of a headache with the cold and then all the body heat.

Amanda looked a little queasy herself.

"You sure you're OK?" Ellie touched her forehead to see if she had a fever, by chance. It was something her mother would do.

"Yeah, I guess so," Amanda said, she was sweaty and tired.

"I don't know if you should have come," Ellie hated to admit. "Well, maybe I shouldn't have. I think I'd rather be in a theater right now eating popcorn. and watching a movie."

About that time, Amanda ran into the stall. And Ellie flinched a bit listening to her throw up.

"You haven't been drinking, have you?" Ellie looked at the ceiling as if someone might give her guidance.

"No." She could barely say, again came the vile sound along with the sickening odor that all was not well.

"Do you want me to get Kyle?" Ellie cringed.

"No."

"We have to get you home." Ellie nodded as soon as Amanda stepped out of the stall and Ellie saw her watery eyes.

"I'm going to be just fine. It just comes and goes, you know." She smiled weakly wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I don't know, this doesn't look good." Ellie squinted. "You shouldn't be here."

"I have to." Amanda splashed some water on her face then.

"What do you mean? It comes and goes?" Ellie watched her wash her face. Most of her massacre had smugged now and she looked rather scary, but she did her best to fix it. Really less was

more.

"I dunno," Amanda shrugged. "I think I'm getting sick. Then I'm not. Its just the holidays, I guess. I have to do all this music stuff at school. We have a program every day. I even have to sing at midnight Mass. Its probably my nerves."

"Right." Ellie nodded. "So you feel better?"

"I guess."

They made there way out to the crowd then back to where Kyle and Eric were. It was easy pushing through a forest of sweaty and moving bodies. Ellie looked back, and Amanda wasn't there. She was on laying on the floor unconscious.