Eddy Laughter

But she's there.

And she's with her dad.

And I'm like, wonder if they're going to the punk show.

And then...

and I'm more of a mess, and I'm still spiraling, and then I get off the train, and we get to the venue, and it doesn't look like a venue, but it definitely is a venue, because I get inside, and it's dark, and everyone's bigger than me, and it's really loud, and I pick a direction, and I just start walking, and I see my eighth grade math teacher, and, because of course I see my eighth grade math teacher,

So I go up and talk to my eighth grade math teacher, because that's who he wants to spend his Friday.

And I get up to him, and it was a lot less awkward than you would think.

And he asked me about music and what bands I listen to, and I forget every single band I've ever heard of ever, and I'm like, this one.

And thankfully, I'm interrupted by the first band that's up, and they have this very, they introduce themselves, and they have this very nice, welcoming, like,

speech about just like accepting everyone who's at the show and I'm like oh wow and then they start screaming and they sound like they're wounded animals and but then there's this weird pop music playing underneath it and they're still screaming and then after each song ends the front person goes thank you and then continues screaming for the next song and it's awesome and then this goes on for a bit and it stops and then I kind of creep out of the corner that I'm in and the next band is up and

They again start screaming, of course, as you do.

But these guys, they legitimately sound like they're demons.

And just from how they're moving to the way this man's eyes look and whatever the noise is that's coming out of him.

And for some reason, I start to relax a bit and people are starting to dance around me and in this sort of way where it feels like there's a big sense of unity in the room and I don't know where that's coming from.

And then my band has gone up to tune their instruments and I'm like,

and then I text my friend, and I'm like, I see the front woman, and she's like, and I'm like, and this is all over text, and I'm so excited, and I can feel everyone else is just as excited as I am, and it feels like the room is buzzing, which is so crazy, because no one's ever excited about what I'm excited about, and then they start playing, and it's like all of the air and sound gets sucked out of the room, and we're all watching them, and we're all just so excited to be there, but it's beyond excitement at this point,

And it's like everybody is where I am in my head right now.

And we're all just there together and we're all having the same experience.

And they start to play more songs, and they start to get into the music a little bit more, and everyone else around me is doing that as well, and they start to play my favorite songs, and apparently everybody else's favorite songs too.

And people are starting to dance more, and there's this woman in front of me, and all she's doing is jumping up and down, which in any other context would look ridiculous, but it doesn't at all look ridiculous now, and I can do that too.