We went to a super fancy club! Shandi's friend Carol, and her band got to open for this big goth band at this fancy club! They normally just play at parties and stuff and this was their first real gig, like for money. It took a LOT of parent-management but we finally convinced everyone to let us go see them!

Shandi's Dad had to come to chaperon us though, and the guy at the door made us wear these bright orange wristbands that said DO NOT GIVE ME ALCOHOL I AM NOT 18 on them, but still, it was really cool, and Carol was extremely loud and everyone clapped and it was great!

Then Shandi said that they could give Kevin a ride home. He's in Carol's band and plays bass guitar, and that would have been fine 'cause we could have squeezed in, but he had his amp which took up like HALF THE CAR so Lash and I said we'd take the bus home and Mr. Amini said that was all right.

And then it started raining, and then it sort of started raining AGAIN, because it is now SUPER RAINING, and here we are.

Inches away, the rain batters at the pavement, spraying my ankles with a fine mist. I wiggle my bare toes against the pavement.



Piotyr, who has taken cover behind my legs, gives me a dirty look and sneezes. She looks very wet and not particularly happy.

"Can I - uh - phone in bag now?"

"Oh! Right!"





When Lash drops her phone into my bag, her fingers brush the back of my hand.

Normally, I'd back off, look away.

But I don't.

Not this time, and I'm not sure why, until I realize that, even though we started out tonight with a lot of other people, right now we are totally alone.

Notes