The Concert
I ran home from school and called my best friend, Natalie as soon as I got in. "Guess what, guess what?" I screamed.
Natalie laughed. "Whitney, hon, I'm going to go deaf if you keep screaming."
"Sorry, but Justin's mom got those tickets for the Jo Dee Messina concert, but he can't go, so I can and I'm taking you!"
This time it was Natalie's turn to scream. "I am going to see Jo Dee Messina in concert?"
"Yes! And, his mom is trying to get backstage passes!"
"No way! I hope she can! She would be my best friend for life. When will you find out?"
"I don't know. She could find out tonight or maybe not until right before the concert."
"When is the concert?"
"A week from now."
"I can't wait that long!"
"I know. I am so excited. But, I have to go now because my mom is going to be home soon and I have to do the dishes."
"Ok bye."
"Bye." I said and hung up.
I ran downstairs and did the dishes. My mom came home as soon as I was done.
"Hi, sweetie, how was your day?"
"Mom, it was the best day ever! Justin is giving me and Natalie two tickets to the Jo Dee Messina concert in one week and he might be able to get us backstage passes."
Mom smiled. "That's so great, sweetheart. I know how much you've wanted to see Jo Dee Messina."
"Yeah, I heard she's a great performer."
"Good job on the dishes. I'm going to make dinner now. Do you want to start on your homework?"
"Yeah." I said and went up to my room to do my homework.
After I did my homework, I ate dinner and then went over to Natalie's house. We played her Jo Dee CD's to get in the mood for the concert (as if we weren't already in the mood.) I went home a few hours later, but I couldn't sleep. I hoped I would find out the next day about the backstage passes.
The next morning, my mom woke me up for school. After breakfast, I hurried off to first hour. Justin was in my first hour and I would find out whether or not he had gotten the backstage passes.
Justin wasn't in first hour when I got there, but he came in about a half an hour after class started and he passed me a note to wait for him after class. This has to be about the passes, I thought.
As soon as class was over, I ran out to the hall and waited by the door. Justin came out. "Here are the tickets. I hope you have a great time."
"Is that all?"
"I think so." He said. He put his hand inside his jacket pocket. "Oh, no wait here these are yours to." He said and gave me two backstage passes.
"The passes!" I screamed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Your welcome." He said. "Like I said, have a great time."
"Oh, now that I have these passes I will have an excellent time. Thanks again." I said and hugged him. "And, of course thank your mom for me. I gotta run."
"Your welcome again. Bye."
I ran to my second hour so I could tell Natalie about the backstage passes. She was already in class when I got there.
"Did Justin say anything about the backstage passes?" She asked when I sat at my desk which was next to hers.
"He did more than that." I said and showed her the passes.
"This one week is going to by to slow!" She exclaimed.
"Who cares? We will be meeting her in a week."
"Well, she is always dressed so good. So you know what that means."
"We have to go shopping!" We both exclaimed.
"Yeah, we can't look bad in front of her. We'll go after school." I said.
Just then the bell rang and our teacher started class, but me and Natalie were to excited to pay attention. I was thinking about finally being able to meet Jo Dee.
After school, we stopped by my mom's work, so I could get money and then we went to Natalie's to get some money from her mom.
We got a few outfits at the mall. I got a white shirt with black velvet flowers, and a black lace shirt connected to it and a pair of black shorts, and a Tommy Girl tank top and some Tommy shorts. Natalie got a pair of blue shorts and a black tank top and some white shorts that she was going to wear with her white Jo Dee tank top.
"We are going to be the best dressed ones there." I said as we left the mall.
"Yeah, no matter what outfit we decide to wear."
I dropped Natalie off at home and then went to my house to show my mom the oufits I got.
"I really like that flowered shirt." She said.
"Yeah, it's really cute."
"I'm going upstairs." I said and ran up to my room.
Justin called a little later and I told him about the outfits I had bought.
"Well, a little under a week. I bet your excited."
"I'm nervous too." I said. "She is my favorite singer. Hey, how did your mom get those passes anyway?"
"It's a secret. If I told you, I'd have to kill you."
"Yeah, haha. Well, tomorrow's our last day of school. That's good."
"I can't wait."
"Well, anyways I'm going to let you go. I want to talk to my mom about something."
"Ok, see you tomorrow."
"Bye." I said and hung up.
I ran downstairs and found my mom watching T.V. "Hey, mom I was thinking I should do something for Justin since he got me these tickets and backstage passes, but tomorrow is the last day of school and I just thought of it, do you want to take me to the mall and help me find something for him?"
"The mall will be closing soon, but we can go to Meijers."
"Ok, let's go."
"We should go something for his mom to." She said on the way to the car.
"We could her a Jeff Gordon shirt. She loves him."
"Ok, what about Justin?"
"I have no idea."
"We'll see when we get there."
"Yeah."
When we got there, we got his mom a shirt and a poster of Jeff. We got Justin a bottle of Coolwater cologne and Claudia Church's CD. We also got some wrapping paper.
"Thanks for taking me."
"Your welcome."
When I got home, I wrapped the presents and went to bed.
The next morning, I hurried to first hour to give Justin his present.
"Here you go." I said and handed it to me when he came in.
"This is for me?"
"Yeah, for the tickets and passes." I handed him the other package. "This is for your mom."
"Aw, you didn't have to. What did you get her?"
"A Jeff Gordon shirt and poster."
"She'll love that." He said and opened his presents. "Oh, thanks I love this cologne and I've been wanting to get this CD."
"Your welcome."
Justin got up and gave me a quick hug and then the teacher started class. The day went by fast, because we didn't do anything on the last day.
Not long after I got home, Justin's mom called me. "Thanks for the stuff. Whitney. You didn't have to get me anything."
"You got me tickets and backstage passes for Jo Dee for free. I would give anything for that."
"Oh, Justin likes you so much and he really wanted you to have them. I couldn't say no."
"Well, thanks again."
"Your welcome. And thank you. Bye."
"Bye." I said and hung up.
The day of the concert
Natalie stayed the night the day before the concert and we got up early the day of it. After we took showers, we looked at the outfits to decide what to wear. It was a nice day, so I wore my tank top with my blue shorts and Natalie wore her black tank top with the blue shorts and she brought her Jo Dee tank top to have Jo Dee sign it. Then we went down for breakfast.
"I bet you guys are excited huh?" My mom asked from where she stood at the stove making french toast.
"I can't believe I'm actually going to meet her." I said.
"I know. It still hasn't fully sunk in yet." Natalie said.
"Well, here's some french toast." My mom said and brought us each two pieces.
"Thanks, mom."
"Thanks." Natalie said.
"Your welcome." She said and went back to the stove to make some more. "What time are you leaving?"
"After we get ready. There's a fair across the street from the venue, so we're going to hang out there for the day."
"So you need money?"
I grinned. "Your so smart."
"I'll give you some right before you leave."
"Ok, thanks."
"Your welcome."
After we ate, we went upstairs to do our make up and hair and then I went back to the kitchen, where my mom was doing the dishes. She gave me some money and we left.
"This is one of the best fairs around, you know." Natalie said on the way there.
"Yeah, I know."
We spent the whole day at the fair and it was pretty fun. We got to the venue early and had to wait for them to let us in.
We got to our seats and sat and talked about the what we were going to do during the summer while we waited for the concert to start. The seats were 2nd row center, which is great and I had my mom's camera, with a zoom lens so we could get some good pictures. Not to long after we got there, the opening band came out. I don't remember their name, but they were good.
Then, Jo Dee came out and of course everybody started screaming. Me and Natalie were jumping up and she looked right at us and waved.
She put on a great performance and I got some great pictures. She also looked right at us and waved and smiled a lot. After the concert, we headed back to the backstage area.
When we got by there, we seen a bunch of people waiting to get in, so we decided to walk around the venue for awhile.
We went all the way to the top and walked around for a few more minutes and then headed back down.
"Well, I think I got my exercise for today." I said on the way down.
"Yeah, jeez that's a workout and a half."
We went backstage and there weren't a whole lot of people there. Jo Dee was already talking to some people, but she came to us a few minutes later.
"Hi. What's your name?"
"I'm Whitney." I said.
"I'm Natalie."
"It's nice to meet you guys." She said and shook our hands. "Did you enjoy the concert?"
"Yeah, it was great." Natalie said.
"It was the best one I've ever been to." I said sincerely.
"Thanks. Do you have something you'd like to sign?"
"Yeah." I said. I handed her the picture I brought. "Could you sign this?"
"Sure." She said. "She signed it really quick and then gave it back to me, then she signed Natalie's tank top.
I took a pic of her and Natalie and then Natalie took one of me and her. One of the guys of her band was standing by us and she called him over. "Can you take a picture of the three of us?" She asked.
"Yeah." He said and took one. "Want me to take another one so you both can have one?" He asked.
"Sure." I said.
"Ok." He said and took another one.
"Thanks." I said.
"Your welcome." He said and handed my camera back to me.
"It was so nice to meet you two." Jo Dee said and hugged us both.
"It was great to meet you to." We both said.
"Hey, Jo Dee," said the guy that had taken our picture. "We're going out to eat. Are you going?"
"Yeah." She said. She turned to us. "Hey, do you guys want to go?"
"Well, yeah of course we want to go if you we can."
"Of course." She said. She pointed to a couch in the corner. "You can sit there while I talk to some more fans."
"Ok great thanks." I said and we went over to the couch.
"I can't believe that Jo Dee Messina actually invited us to go out to eat with her." I said.
We sat there for about a half an hour and then everybody had left. Jo Dee came up. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah." I said.
We followed Jo Dee and her band in my car to a restaurant about fifteen minutes away. "The band always likes to go out to eat after a concert." Jo Dee said when we got there.
"I'm sure performing works up an appetite." I said. I noticed a pay phone when we got inside. "I'm going to call my mom so she doesn't worry about me."
"Ok." Jo Dee said.
During the dinner, we asked everybody questions what it was like touring and performing and stuff. They liked touring, but hated being away from their families.
They also asked us about school and stuff like that and Jo Dee seemed really interested.
"Do you guys have jobs?" She asked.
"I do." Natalie said. "I work at Meijers."
"What about you?" She asked me.
"I don't have one."
"How do you get money?"
"My mom."
"Her mom spoils her."
"It's just me and my mom that's why." I said.
"What about boyfriends?" Someone in the band asked.
"I don't have one." Natalie said.
"I do." I said. "I started going out with the guy that gave us the concert tickets and backstage passes a few days ago."
"What's his name?"
"Justin." I replied. "He is so sweet and cute."
Jo Dee smiled. "That's great. Well, we better get going."
We paid the bill and walked outside. Everybody wanted to look at my car, so I let them. They were peeking in the windows and Jo Dee seen my CD case. "Hey, do you have my CD's in there?"
"Yeah, I have them both."
"If you want I'll sign them the jackets."
"Ok." I got them out and her and everybody in the band signed both CD jackets.
We gave everybody a last hug and then left. "It was nice meeting you guys, bye."
"Bye."
"That was so cool." I said on the way home.
"It's like a dream." Natalie said.
"Yeah." I said. When we got home, my mom was watching TV. "I'm waiting to hear all about it. What'd you guys do?"
I told her everything and we showed her the stuff she had autographed. "I have an idea!" I said.
"Uh-oh." My mom joked.
"There's two pics left in this roll, can we use them up and drop the film off at Meijers?"
"Now?"
"Yeah, sure go ahead. I'm going to bed. Good night."
"Night." I said.
I took a pic of Natalie with her signed stuff and she took a pic of me with mine. Yeah, we're goofy, so what, we had two pics left. Then, we went to Meijers.
After we dropped the film off, we decided to look around and who did we run into, but two of Jo Dee's band members (I forgot their names).
"Hey, are you following us around?" I joked.
"Darn, we're caught."
We talked to them for a little bit and then we left. The next day, Justin came over.
"How was the concert and everything?"
"Excellent." I said and told him about what happened.
"Wow, she's pretty nice." He said. "I'm glad you like it because I have three tickets for another concert."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, but it's kinda far, so we'll be going on a road trip."
"Even better." I said.
"Come on. I'll take you guys out for breakfast." Justin said.
"All right. Let's go." I said and we left.
Email: misdmeanr6@aol.com
