“I’m so happy and sad at the same time. It’s making me cry.” Julie used her sleeves to dry her eyes. “Let’s dance our butts off. We don’t know when we’ll get to do this again.”
The lights came up, illuminating the raised stage. Blue Box Riot was already in place. The drum beat thumped and guitar roared the beginning notes of ‘Jupiter Moon Rising’. Both women squealed and danced in front of the car.
Before the band started the next song, they thanked everyone who came out and donated to the fundraiser. They made announcements about masks, hand sanitizer, and allowing a ‘six dancer distance’ between fans.
Garret, the lead singer, then said, “The pandemic has given us new material, time, and space to be creative. Hope you enjoy these new songs.”
They broke into an angry song called ‘Isolation Madness’ with heavy drums and aggressive electric guitar. Then ‘The Year of the Mask’ followed by a ballad ‘Girl in the Window’. They ended with an old song ‘Homecoming Queen’s Got Heart’ that the crowd sang along with, muffled by their masks.
While they waited in the long line of cars to pull out of the lot, Marta fidgeted with her phone. She whooped, “I’m treating us both to a t-shirt. Their website had ‘Year of the Mask’ shirt. The receipt says we’ll have them in six weeks.”
Julie gasped, “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Sure, I did. It’s a little bit of happiness for both of us to enjoy. Every time you wear it, you’ll remember this fun night.”
J K Metz 