chapter 1 and 2

I did have a reason to go and bring out my old high school journals. I missed those good old days I hated admitting I missed all the madness of Foster and Jessica. Of course everyone has that one they’ll always remember. How the hell could I forget? I went online and added my name, Melissa Worthington, to the RSVP list to an event that back in those high school days, I never thought I would be invited to…

1
It all started almost two years ago. Long drive home from my boyfriend at the time, Ryan’s show in Wisconsin. That night we got in the biggest fight over something stupid. I hated his band. Hated their stupid music and despised the rest of the band’s girlfriends even more. They played “breakfast metal” and their girlfriends dressed like every day was Halloween. I was more of a floral sundress and tights kind of girl. They all had long, some dreadlocked, black hair. I was blonde as blonde could be. I didn’t belong with people like that. They were just weird to me and did weird things like play shows in bumfuck nowhere Wisconsin.
The whole ride home I blasted Two Weeks Time. They were my favorite band, the absolute opposite of my boyfriend. Everyone in the band was cute, spunky, and they just in general had this chill friendly vibe that I didn’t find in other music. Their Watermelon EP was always playing whenever I did anything. I even played it around Ryan’s band members. They hated listening to Two Weeks Time’s “indie pop crap” but I loved their music almost as much as making the lead singer of Ryan’s band, Trevor, chuck parts of Ryan’s drumset angrily at my head while packing up after a show.
When I got home I went up to my room. It was a three hour drive from bumfuck nowhere Wisconsin to where I lived in Chicago. Totally ridiculous the hours I drove and the time I spent trying to make all of them happy. I gave up seeing Two Weeks Time play warped tour just so I could help Ryan lug his drumset 4 hours in traffic to the lively suburb of Aurora. The best part about that show is they went on late and then it rained so for all that they got to play 2 songs. I was so pissed at Ryan for doing that to me so I got in my car, let him pack his own equipment this time, and the whole way home I put TwT on repeat.
Did I mention Ryan hated them? Oh he did with a passion. I had joined their online “friend forum” where I would talk with all of their other fans as well as the band members. Ryan thought I was cheating on him with the guys over the internet. He couldn’t be more insecure, scared as ever that I would leave him someday soon for art school in California. Even more scared now since the guys in Two Weeks Time were from Newport Beach. He had no control over me. So the night I got home from that wonderful Wisconsin show I decided to watch one of their live shows I tivoed. I loved their music but I never really saw how they looked. I just knew there was a guy named Foster in the band. Foster? Who names their kid Foster, like a Foster Home. Honestly? Weirdo Parents, but that’s how most are in California.
I climbed into my bed and shut off my phone so I didn’t have to read any more of Ryan’s “im sorry I love you” texts and pressed play on the remote. The familiar lyrics to “Slide, Slide” came on and then I saw him. This guy had the face of a model but dressed like a total hipster geek. He looked like Rivers Cumo of Weezer if Rivers Cumo golfed and modeled for Gucci. Defined cheekbones and striking eyes that were hidden by glasses my grandfather had worn in 1958. His body was like a giant stick ive never seen a guy that lanky and awkward. He had a chipped front tooth, freckles, and his hair was cut short and sideswept like Tom Cruise without the creepy. Oddly enough, I found him cute. Like a puppy with a weird nose or an over bite or something. I couldn’t explain it but then I saw his sky blue eyes look into the camera and I was hooked. I couldn’t believe that was the guy I passed up seeing on warped tour for Ryan’s dumb band.
I paused the tv and went straight to their website. Tickets had just gone on sale for their fall tour I bought a pair not realizing at the time, that was the night that my whole world was going to change.

2
Things were rocky for me and Ryan after that. I started occasionally talking to Foster on the friend forum just strictly about music, since I was a musician too, nothing flirty. Ryan had nothing to worry about. I would ask Foster what effects pedal he would use on his guitar for the bridge of a song or how he linked the vocal effects through his macbook. I was a total gearhead geek and so was he. My name on the board was gibsonella I loved playing my gibson that I got for Christmas in 8th grade. I was obsessed with writing music but the whole time I was with Ryan I never wrote one single song. 9 months of writers block. I really needed the change and with their music I found inspiration.
Ryan hated it. He hated that I wanted to write “badly written radio hit pop songs”. He was saying it was all Foster’s fault. He wanted me to not go to the Two Weeks Time show but it was sold out and everyone I knew was going. Their new single “Heya, Right Here” was already rising on the billboard charts and every time I turned my radio on id hear it. There was no way I was going to pass up that opportunity. Yet Ryan kept making threats that he would end our relationship if I went. He even tried to book his band a show on the same night. He eventually told me I could go but he would have to go too and make sure that I didn’t even talk to Foster because of course, talking is cheating. I felt like a puppet on a string and I hated it.
I decided to be risky and bring up my issues with Ryan up on the Two Weeks Time friend forum. Almost everyone thought I should dump him, including Foster. He said I deserved better. I loved how much he just understood me. So the night before the show I told Ryan off and dumped him. It wasn’t a tearless breakup. We had been dating for 9 months. It was really hard on me especially since he just kept calling me begging but I had to let go. That same night a few girls on the friend forum kept trying to get me banned for what I did to Ryan because they didn’t agree with it. I was a little stressed. I didn’t want to lose my membership, then I wouldn’t be able to talk to Foster anymore. Though, I didn’t think it would matter at the time. Foster was 22 and he had been dating the same girl for 2 years and they seemed really happy. I had no desire to break them up but I couldn’t help falling for him a little bit.


The next day I realized, the day of the show finally had finally come. I counted down the days on my locker calendar for 3 months, spent weeks searching stores for the perfect outfit to wear, and had just broken up with Ryan. It was exciting, risky, and a whole new world for me. I waited outside The Blues House in the cold with my friend Jenna for almost six hours so that we could be in the front row the whole show. When we got in we were. I had to sit through a bunch of other bands I didn’t even like and the crowd was being obnoxious. But when the curtains finally opened up and I saw Foster start singing the words to “Slide, Slide” I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him. The way he moved on stage, the natural vibrato in his voice. Everything about him made me fall harder and harder every second. I kept wondering if he recognized me as “gibsonella” from the friend forum. I did have photos up there but I doubt he saw them.
Anyways, Jenna told me it was totally impractical to think that Foster would recognize me from the internet. She kept telling me how he was some famous guy in a band and thought I was just stuck in some silly fantasy world. Though near the end of their set I was practically being crushed when Foster stopped and told the crowd to “Step back guys and stop crushing the pretty girl in the front row” then he winked at me. I wanted to throw up or just explode. I couldn’t explain the feeling I had at that moment. It was like every nerve ending was a live wire, a feeling that id be addicted to for the next two years. During the rest of the show I screamed the lyrics to every song and I felt as though I was glowing.
After the show me and Jenna managed to sneak around security to where Foster was. None of the other band members were anywhere to be seen but he was out in the open and talking to a few other girls who snuck around too and were gawking about how damn cute he looked. They had a point. As they walked away my chance came and I froze up. I felt like no part of me was going to work correctly so Jenna started talking to him and he was really sweet. I handed him my beat up Watermelon EP for him to sign and as he was writing I asked him “could you write gibsonella on there?” and he just looked at me, smiled and went “gibsonella awww girl so nice to finally meet you” I was thrilled. He knew who I was and I glared at Jenna. I knew he would remember me! There’s no way he would forget. We started talking about the girls from the friend forum who were trying to get me banned for what I did to Ryan. Foster told me that those girls were lame and that he told off the one girl who had started all of the drama. I wouldn’t have to worry anymore. Then he threw his arms around me in a nearly-suffocating hug.
I couldn’t believe it. He was amazing. This guy I just met, in my favorite band, already stood up for me, something Ryan never would do for me. The thing about Foster was he totally didn’t have to give me the time of day. Yet, he thought I was pretty and I actually felt that way. I knew then that Foster would be a guy I would never forget.



3
I almost forgot Foster.