"Like oh my God! I can't believe we're going to see the Backstreet Boys!" Kari squealed excitedly as we sped down the parkway in her green jeep.
I rolled my aqua eyes at my best friend. "Oh please. Can you go two minutes without sounding like you’re from the Valley?"
Kari snapped her gum and flipped her auburn hair. "God, I can't wait to see Nick. He's like, a total hottie!"
Kari Larkins and I have been best friends ever since we could remember. Two weeks after we graduated high school, the two of us bought an apartment in Orlando so we could be closer to Florida State University, which we would be attending in the fall.
I laughed. "Girl you are so pathetic."
Kari looked at me sideways. "How do you figure?"
"Well look at you. You're wearing a green halter, had your tips painted green, and you bought a green jeep all because green is Nick’s favorite color. If that's not pathetic I don't know what the hell is!"
"Jesus why are you so like, temperamental? Is it that time of month?"
"No!" I snapped. I thought we were going kind of fast, so I glanced at the speedometer and noticed Kari was doing 70. "Could you please go slower you're gonna get us killed!"
"Why? Don't wanna die before you see your precious Brian?"
I could feel myself blush. "Shut up!"
"And you’re calling me pathetic? You're wearing all blue for Brian!"
I looked down at her baby blue halter top, dark blue flared jeans, and light blue chunky Sketchers. "It's not for Brian! I happen to like the color blue thank you very much."
"Sure whatever. Where are we supposed to get off?"
"Exit 117. And we're up to...121! Shit! Kari turn back! We passed the exit!"
"Oh my God! And it's already 7:30! The concert's gonna start in an hour!" Kari groaned, banging her head against the steering wheel.
"Kari! Look out!" I shrieked. Kari jerked her head up and braked just in time to miss the car that was pulling into our lane in front of us.
"What are we gonna do Amy?" Kari wailed. "If I don't see Nick I'm gonna like, freak or something!"
"Just get off at the next exit. I'm sure someone can give us directions."
"Okay." When the next exit came, we got off the parkway. Kari stopped at the first gas station we saw and asked for directions. A half hour later, we pulled into the parking lot of the arena. Kari found a spot and we walked up to the gate to give our tickets.
“Um Amy? Where are the tickets?" Kari asked as she searched her purse.
"I don't know. You told me you had them!"
"Well I don't! I gave them to you. Retrace your steps from before we left the apartment.”
"Okay. I walked out of my bedroom, grabbed my purse, and walked out the door. Oh shit! I left the tickets on the counter!” I groaned.
"Oh great!" Kari mumbled. "Nice job Amy."
"Would you shut up?! I'm sure the ticket guy will let us in. We're 18 and mature adults. Well, I am anyway."
Kari gave me a look that said I'm-gonna-kill-you, but I chose to ignore it and walked up to the man collecting tickets.
"Can I see your tickets ladies?" the man asked gruffly.
"Well you see, that's the problem. My friend and I bought tickets, but I kinda left them at home. But I was wondering, kind sir, if you could let us in anyway? I remember exactly where we were supposed to sit," I said as sweetly as I could.
"Oh please. I've heard that about a thousand times. Sorry girls, no ticket, no concert."
Kari looked like she was about to burst into tears. "But please, you have no idea what this concert means to me! I'll, like, die if I don't see Nick Carter!"
"You and millions of other girls," the man retorted.
"But-"
"But nothing! No ticket, no concert. Now leave before I call security."
We turned around and walked away dejectedly. "I'm really sorry Kari," I said, giving her a hug. "I know how much you wanted to see Nick."
"It's alright, because I'm going to see Nick Carter."
"And what are you gonna do? Break into their tour bus and ambush him?"
Kari smiled. "That wasn't what I was thinking, but it'll work!"
I sighed. "Face it Kari. We're not gonna see the Backstreet Boys tonight."
“Yes we can! We’ll just walk into the arena and look for them!”
"Wait a minute. Us?"
"Of course! It's your fault that we're not in there right now so you're gonna help! Besides that, we came in my car." Kari replied.
"Fine. But if we get arrested..."
"Oh Amy! Get over it!"
"I said fine! But how are we gonna get past the ticket dude?”
Kari pointed towards the entrance. “Look, he’s gone. Now come on before he gets back!”
With that Kari pulled me towards the entrance and into the arena, little knowing what the next hour would bring.