Go to the concert with Trish.

I looked at Trish for a moment, then glanced toward the open bedroom door. I could already imagine Heather's reaction if she found out I was taking the car and going to the concert with her best friend. Then I shrugged. It would be totally worth it!

“Yeah. Why not?”

Trish blinked. “Really?”

“Really. I’ve got the ticket, you want to go, and if Heather’s not going, then there’s no reason for the car to sit in the driveway all night.”

A smile immediately appeared on Trish's face. “Okay. Great.”

What I didn't know was that Trish had been hoping I'd say exactly that.

She'd had a secret crush on me for longer than she cared to admit. Being Heather's best friend made it complicated. She'd known me for years, but I'd always been Heather's annoying little brother in her presence. At least, that was what she'd told herself. Lately, though, she'd started seeing me differently. I was taller than she remembered, my voice deeper, and the awkward kid she'd known a few years ago had gradually turned into someone she found herself noticing whenever we were all together. She'd caught herself watching me when she thought nobody was looking, and she'd spent more than a few evenings wondering what it would be like if I ever looked at her the way I looked at Rebecca. When she'd suggested going to the concert together, she'd tried to make it sound completely casual. It wasn't. The opportunity to spend an entire evening alone with me was something she hadn't expected to get.

From down the hallway came Heather's voice. “Great about what?”

Trish's smile disappeared instantly.

Heather appeared in my doorway, already suspicious. Her eyes moved between the two of us before settling on me. “What did you just agree to?”

“I’m taking the car tonight.”

Her expression hardened immediately. “Excuse me?”

“To the concert.”

“With who?”

I pointed toward Trish. “With Trish.”

Heather stared at me. “You can't be serious.”

“I am.”

“That is my car.”

“Mom said you get first use because of college. You're not going to college tonight, are you?”

Heather opened her mouth, paused, then glared at me. “That isn't the point.”

“It kind of is.”

“You're taking my car to a concert with my best friend?”

“Yep.”

Trish tried very hard not to smile.

Heather folded her arms. “You are such an asshole.”

I grinned. “Probably. But I'll bring it back in one piece.”

“You'd better.” Heather turned toward Trish. “And you're actually going with him?”

Trish felt her stomach flutter at the question but kept her expression as neutral as she could. “Yeah.”

Heather narrowed her eyes. For a moment, Trish wondered if Heather had somehow figured out the real reason she wanted to go. But Heather simply shook her head.

“Whatever. Just don't do anything stupid.”

Heather disappeared back toward her bedroom with a harrumph and an exasperated gasp.

I looked at Trish. “Well, that went better than expected.”

Trish laughed softly. Far more than my comment really deserved.

“We'd better get moving if we're going to make it there on time. I’ve no idea what traffic will be like. If it’s sold out completely like Heather said, it's probably going to be nuts.”

I grabbed my wallet from the desk and slipped the precious concert ticket safely back inside. I took possession of the car keys, and Trish and I headed out together.

By the time we got close to the arena, I realised Heather hadn't been exaggerating. Cars were backed up in every direction, and the closer we got to the venue, the slower everything seemed to move. There were people walking along the sidewalks in groups, most of them wearing concert shirts or carrying tickets, and every parking lot we passed was either completely full or had someone standing at the entrance waving cars away.

“Jesus,” I muttered, looking at the line of cars ahead of us. “Everyone in the city must be going.”

Trish laughed from the passenger seat. “It's The Weeknd.”

“I know. I just didn't expect this many people.”

“You found a free ticket on the floor. What did you expect?”

“I don't know. Maybe a miracle.”

She smiled and looked out the window as we crawled forward. “I'd say finding the ticket was already the miracle.”

Eventually we managed to get directed into one of the temporary parking areas set up several blocks from the arena. A guy in a fluorescent vest waved us down a side street and pointed toward an enormous field that had already been turned into a makeshift car park. Cars were packed into rows as far as I could see. I pulled into the first space I could find and switched off the engine.

“We're here,” I said.

Trish looked toward the arena, which was visible in the distance above the buildings. “Are we?”

I followed her gaze. The arena didn't exactly look close.

“You've got to be kidding me.”

Trish laughed. “Come on. It's not that far.”

We started walking, joining the steady stream of people heading toward the lights and noise of the arena. It was probably a fifteen-minute walk, maybe twenty, but with the crowds it felt longer. Every few minutes another group passed us, talking excitedly about the concert, and the atmosphere seemed to build the closer we got.

I found myself grinning despite everything.

An hour ago, I'd been planning to stay home and lie to Rebecca about why I hadn't gone to the dance. Now I was walking toward a sold-out Weeknd concert with a girl sitting beside me in the car, and somehow this felt like the better choice.

Trish bumped her shoulder against mine.

“You look happy.”

“I am.”

“Good.”

I glanced at her and smiled. “Thanks for coming with me.”

She looked away quickly, hiding a smile of her own.

“You're welcome.”

Neither of us paid much attention to the distance we'd just walked. By the time we reached the arena, the car was already several blocks behind us, surrounded by thousands of other vehicles, and the last thing on my mind was finding it again later.