The 13th

February 13, the date I stood outside letting the cold sharp air hit my skin as I waited in line.  I can hear upbeat music playing and the chatter of people.  Laughs surround me, side conversations, and the occasional drunk goers.  The smell of fried food and popcorn hit my nose as I passed security.  My mouth watered at the thought of food in my empty stomach – my nerves kept me from eating all day.

We walk around the entire Wells Fargo Center looking for sections to find our seats.  Once we found it, we entered, and my jaw flew to the ground.  The sound of cheers, the darkness compared to outside, and the number of people in one place.  That sonder feeling hit me over and over again.  Was this happening?  Was I in the same room as THE Billie Eilish?  

After waiting for what felt like a century, the lights turned off.  The suspense of it all made me jump with excitement.  Gleaming white strobe lights flash before the room goes dark again.  The first song starts to play, making the entire stadium shake.  Billie Eilish appears and the entire night goes by in a blur as I enter another dimension filled with laughter, tears, rage, and thousands of blurry videos.

  Never in my life would I have thought hearing someone sing would make me cry.  It wasn’t like it was my first time listening to this song but her angelic voice wraps me like a hug that I desperately needed.  “Halley’s Comet”, the song that brought warm tears down my face and so much comfort.  If only she knew how much it meant to me.  

Walking out, I didn’t care how cold it was.  I didn’t care that my feet were sore from standing in shoes that were not broken in.  I didn’t care that my voice was raspy.  Or, the fact that I had school the next day.  I did care that I was able to check off  “Go To Concert” on my life bucket list.  I did care that a core memory was made on a single date that I would look back to, time and time again.  February 13th was the date I went to my first concert and on the same day, I lost my voice from screaming too long.