Page 2 of Chasing Chase London, Part 8: Valentines Day

Now Playing:

“Come As You Are”–Nirvana

[AllThatDiaz has added ChasesDarling to the chat]

AllThatDiaz: Creepy George is more important than me??? *sobbing*

BlueSky: no!

BlueSky: ofc not

[ChaseLondonSuperStar has entered the chat]

BlueSky: Ill try to get off

ChaseLondonSuperStar: I know sum1 who could help u w that *wink face emoji*

BlueSky: u going 2 take my shift?

AllThatDiaz: O my sweet summer child

ChasesDarling: Leave her alone.

[ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers has entered the chat]

AllThatDiaz: U have 2 come! Its ffoa 1 st show! Doors at 8. Every1 going!

BlueSky: r u trying 2 make me die of fomo

AllThatDiaz: obvi

[AllThatDiaz has named the chat KILL SKY W FOMO]

BlueSky: I can’t call in again

AllThatDiaz: y not?

AllThatDiaz: u have 2!

[AllThatDiaz has added DLine32 to the chat]

[AllThatDiaz has added FightFuckFinnegan to the chat]

[AllThatDiaz has added OliverWithaTwist to the chat]

AllThatDiaz: everyone convince sky 2 come 2nite!

ChaseLondonSuperStar: I’ve been trying *wink face emoji*

[BabyGirl69 has entered the chat]

FightFuckFinnegan: Ill be coming on ur tits 2night

ChaseLondonSuperStar: I look forward to that

FightFuckFinnegan: don’t make promises u cant keep

ChaseLondonSuperStar: same 2 u big boy *kiss face*

BabyGirl69: ur so funny!

ChaseLondonSuperStar: I aim 2 pls

BabyGirl69: isnt Chase funny every1?

ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers: keep it in ur pants. Jesus.

ChasesDarling: dont use that swear pls

ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers: oh jeepers!

ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers: that better? wtf

ChasesDarling: TYSM 3

AllThatDiaz: focus pls. Ur supposed 2b getting sky 2 come 2 the show 2night

FightFuckFinnegan: FUTURE FUCKBOYS OF AMERICA!!!

BlueSky: ill c what I can do

AllThatDiaz: yay! Peer pressure FTW

ChasesDarling: y is ur name Blue Sky?

BlueSky: Idk? bc the sky is blue?

ChaseLondonSuperStar: I never noticed! Brilliant!

BlueSky: shut up

ChaseLondonSuperStar: r u blushing?

ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers: barf

ChasesDarling: u should change it

ChaseLondonSuperStar: I think its cute

BabyDoll69: me too 3

[ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers has left the chat]

ChasesDarling: it makes it sound like ur the 1 who’s sad

ChaseLondonSuperStar: maybe she is

ChasesDarling: what does she have 2 be sad about?

BlueSky: I’m sorry

BlueSky: what should I change it 2?

ChaseLondonSuperStar: u don’t have 2 change it 4 her

BlueSky: its ok I want 2

ChasesDarling: if she wants 2, she should

ChaseLondonSuperStar: ur being controlling

[ChasesDarling has added ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers to the chat]

AllThatDiaz: ur missing all the drama lol

ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers: I left 4 a reason

[ImCheerCaptainUrOnTheBleachers has left the chat]

AllThatDiaz: shes going 2 pay 4 that

ChasesDarling: u think I’m controlling?

BlueSky: no!

ChaseLondonSuperStar: ur making some1 change her name bc u don’t like it

AllThatDiaz: no babe ofc not

AllThatDiaz: how hard was that

[ChasesDarling has left the chat]

AllThatDiaz: wtf is wrong w u

[BlueSky has changed her handle]

SkyIsFalling: is this ok???

ChaseLondonSuperStar: ffs

FightFuckFinnegan: “I was ashamed of myself when I realized life was a costume party and I attended with my real face”

FightFuckFinnegan: Kafka baby!

AllThatDiaz: Chase go apologize. Sky go ask off work so u can come 2night

FightFuckFinnegan: I’ll let u cum on my cock 2nite

ChaseLondonSuperStar: I thot that was going 2b on my tits

FightFuckFinnegan: she can trib while I blow my load on u

OliverWithaTwist: hope 2cu 2nite tessy

[OliverWithaTwist has left the chat]

AllThatDiaz: u so nasty u scared away ur brother lol

ChaseLondonSuperStar: That or he went to look it up

AllThatDiaz: don’t look it up sky! Ur mom will ground u again.

BabyGirl69: *cry laughing emoji*

SkyIsFalling: I wont

AllThatDiaz: u 2 lil freshman

BabyGirl69: I kno wut tribbing is lmfao

FightFuckFinnegan: yeah u do *eggplant emoji*

SkyIsFalling: gg ill dm l8r

DLine32: bye

[SkyIsFalling has left the chat]

Even though I’m off grounding, I’m not sure my mom would allow me to go out two nights in a row, so I tell her I’m working and let her drop me off at the mall. Once we’re sure she’s gone, I text Lindsey, and she swings by to pick me up on her way to the show.

“Sorry about the screen name thing,” I say as soon as I slide into her Corvette. “I wasn’t thinking about you being in mourning.”

“It’s okay,” she says magnanimously. “I know you had it before everything happened. It’s just, people will probably think you’re sad because of what’s going on with my family. And how would it look if you’re Sad Sky and I’m not Sad Lindsey?”

“I didn’t even think of that,” I say. “I would never try to make you look bad.”

“Thanks for changing it,” she says with her sweetest smile. “You’re a good friend, Sky.”

I glow all the way to the show.

On the way, Lindsey tells me about the place we’re going—a local dive called Vinyl Destination.

A record store occupies the front of the building, and the back houses the only venue around that caters to the under-age crowd.

No drinking, no smoking, and plenty of unsigned, underground, and local bands, along with a few washed-up one hit wonders from the nineties.

It sounds like a place Dad would have loved, straight edge meets cutting edge.

The thought makes me realize how long it’s been since I missed him. Lindsey’s grief is new, but mine is fading. Maybe it was past time for a new screen name. She certainly has more reason to be blue than I do.

As soon as we walk into the dimly lit, high-ceilinged place that resembles an empty shop or warehouse more than a bar, Lindsey says she’s going to find Chase and hurries off, leaving me standing there with the creepy lurkers who go to underage shows to scope the crowd for minors.

Thankfully, after only a minute, Daria rushes over. She looks like a flower in a summery, poppy-red dress that shows off her warm complexion. She strikes a pose and bounces her big curls with her hands, making a kissy face at me. “How do I look?”

“So amazing it’s not fair to the rest of humanity,” I assure her.

“You’re so silly, I love you!” She throws her arms around me with an abandonment I recognize as intoxication.

I laugh and untangle her arms. “And you’re so drunk.”

“I had to take matters into my own hands,” she says. “What kind of club doesn’t sell alcohol, anyway?”

“The kind that lets people our age in?”

“Whatevs. I can totally score drinks at any bar. I’m very convincing. And if I fail, the twins never do,” she says, squeezing her breasts together to maximize cleavage. One more reason to die of jealousy.

“You are dangerous.”

“And you…” She scrutinizes my jeans and Less Than Jake tee, and it’s all I can do not to squirm under her inspection. I normally dress up to match the girls in our group, but I figured for a concert, my old style was more fitting. Guess not.

“Red lipstick,” she announces, rummaging through her clutch. She produces a tube and hands it to me, then holds up a tiny compact mirror while I self-consciously apply it.

“ So hot,” she gushes. “Todd will weep when he sees your fine ass. Chase too.”

She drops a wink, and I feel myself turning red. Thankfully it’s dim inside the place, and no one would notice me with Daria beside me anyway. There are only a few dozen people milling around, most of them familiar faces from FHS.

“They’re almost done with sound check,” Daria squeals, grabbing my arm. “I’m going to go find Colin. Maybe give him a good luck kiss.” She makes a kissy face at me again, then turns and skips away, seemingly oblivious to the heads turning her way as she goes.

I stand awkwardly alone, wondering if I should try to start a conversation with a creepy lurker.

Even though a lot of people think of me as part of the popular crowd, I couldn’t feel further from it.

If I walked up and talked to someone from outside our circle, they’d probably look at me like I was insane, and then I’d die on the spot.

At least the lurkers might think I was worth kidnapping.

I’m still standing there undecided when I feel someone close beside me. I turn and find Oliver sipping from a water bottle.

“You made it,” he says, smiling at me shyly. He looks different than usual, more edgy, with a tie worn loosely over a vintage CBGB T-shirt. His black hair is damp and curls around his forehead and ears, and his thick fringe of dark lashes sweep down to hide his lavender eyes when I keep staring.

“Care for a nip?”

He thrusts the bottle at me, his gaze still on the floor, and I’m too embarrassed at being caught staring not to take it out of politeness. After all, I didn’t answer his greeting because I was too busy drooling over how freaking hot he is.

Yep, definitely fit in better with the creeps than the populars.

I take a gulp, hoping it will awaken my tongue from its awkwardness-induced coma, and I’ll remember how to actually speak.

Cold liquid hits my throat, but it burns like fire going down. I almost cough and spew it all over him, but for once fate spares me, and I manage to swallow it instead of spitting in his face. Because that wouldn’t be even more rude than not speaking for the entire minute since he walked over.

“That is so not water.”

I immediately wince at how lame I sound.

He takes a swig from the bottle. “I get nervous,” he says with a bashful smile.

That dimple is an unfair advantage. We’re like two aliens from Planet Awkward competing to fit into this world, but how I am I supposed to function like a normal human when he has a weapon like that at his disposal?

“You’re in the band?” I ask incredulously, gaping at him.

“Oh. Yeah. Yeah, I am. You didn’t know?”

I can’t tell if he’s disappointed or just surprised, but at least he didn’t take offense to my shock.

“Um, no,” I mumble. “I guess no one told me.”

“I should probably get up there. See you after the show, yeah?”

“Yeah. See ya.”