The Concert Ticket

As my feet ached in the uncomfortable heels and I tasted the bubble gum lip gloss coating my lips, a torrent of teen and tweenage girls screamed as the band took to the stage. The boy band took the stage and the crowd surged with excitement. I took a look to my right, seeing a look of absolute joy adorning my sister’s face and I remembered what this had all been for, why I did what I did, and why I was standing where I was, attending a concert for a band that I disliked more than anything in the world. And why I was attending it dressed up as a girl. It was for her.

It all started about three months ago, when “Boy 5” announced their new tour would be bringing them to the city that I live in. My sister, Erin, a freshman in high school, is their biggest fan ever. She has all their CD’s, all their posters, and she knows every bit of trivial minutiae about the band that one could possibly know. The only thing she didn’t have, was tickets to their concert, because thanks to scalpers, the tickets sold out almost immediately, and only the extremely lucky got them at the proper price, and the inflated scalped prices were so high, that even if she took three extra after-school jobs, she’d never be able to afford them.

I love my sister, so I wanted to help, but even factoring in my savings, there still wasn’t enough to snag a ticket, so she had to resign herself for missing the chance to see her favorite band live in concert. But I didn’t let it end there, because I tried my hardest, scouring Boy 5 message boards, eBay, every website I could imagine might have a ticket for sale. Little did I know that the ticket was just under my nose in the last place I expected it to be.

But before I can get to that, I need to tell you all about Brooke Sawyer, the bane of my existence. We were polar opposites, Brooke was peppy and popular, and I was a geeky bookworm. We each had our own friend groups, on our respective sides of the cliques, and we tried to stay away from each other, or at least I did. Brooke’s had it in for me since we were kids, and I have no idea why, we barely knew each other in elementary school but once middle school started it was like she was waging a one-woman campaign to destroy me. And it wouldn’t be so bad if she wasn’t also my chief academic rival. If she was some dumb bimbo cheerleader, I wouldn’t mind so much that she hated me, but it was the fact that she was just as, if not smarter than I am, and won’t let me forget it. Every time she does a little bit better than I do, she rubs it in my face. And right now, in our senior year of high school, we’re both the top contenders for valedictorian, so our rivalry is hitting a fever pitch.

What does that have to do with getting my sister her coveted concert ticket? It all started three weeks ago while sitting in homeroom as I was **** to listen to Brooke loudly brag about the great grade she got on her latest calculus test.

“Mr. Arthur is a tough grader, and almost never gives out hundreds, but guess who got one?” Brooke bragged to her best friend Amber.

“I don’t know how you do it, Brooke! Head cheerleader, head of the quiz bowl team AND you get stellar grades in everything?”

“Just takes a little bit of effort. Anyone can do it if they try… Well, almost anyone…” Brooke said smugly.

I was about to turn around to lob an insult at Brooke, but the conversation suddenly shifted before I could.

“So what ended up happening with your cousin?” Amber asked.

“Oh yeah, it’s like totes unfair. She snuck out to go to this party and my aunt grounded her, so now I have two tickets to that Boy 5 concert and no one to go with! I’m not even that much of a fan, honestly.” Brooke replied.

That made my ears prick up. Did I just hear that there was an available ticket to the Boy 5 concert? But I instantly deflated when I remembered who owned the ticket, a person who’d never give it to me willingly. After the teacher came in and took attendance, we all began to filter out to our first classes, but I waited by the door and as Brooke walked out I cleared my throat.

“Uh, Brooke? Can I… talk to you?” I asked, bracing for her to immediately ignore me, but to my shock, she actually looked at me.

“You want to talk to me? Sure, I’ve gotta grab something from my locker anyway, walk and talk.” Brooke started walking towards her locker, before turning to Amber. “I’ll meet you in class, kay? He probably needs study tips.”

Amber giggled, then nodded and walked the opposite way. I started to follow Brooke as I considered how to open the dialogue.

“So, what do you want, Evan?” Brooke asked.

“I overheard your conversation with Amber… about that concert ticket.”

“Ooh, are you a closet Boy 5 fan? I always figured you had a deep dark secret.” Brooke giggled.

“I’m not! Really! But my sister is, and she tried to buy the tickets months ago, but they sold out and…”

“She hasn’t been able to find one online that was affordable? I’ve heard.” Brooke said. “Scalpers disgust me!”

“I know we don’t always see eye to eye, but my sister doesn’t have anything to do with our rivalry, and I can pay you for the ticket, so don’t even consider it a favor.” I said.

“I have sympathy for your sister, and if she really wants to go to this concert, I would consider it…”

“That’s great, how much is it? I’ll give you the money tomorrow and…”

“Hold on! I said I’d consider it!” Brooke said, holding up a manicured finger. “And I don’t want your money…”

“Then what do you want?”

“If you wanna find out? Meet me at my house after school today and I’ll tell you.” Brooke smirked as she closed her locker and walked away.

What the hell did I just get myself into?