It started as a normal Friday night for me. I had planned to go to the midnight movies at the Rialto Theater in South Pasadena to see Blue Velvet for the 4th time or so. But, when I called up my friend and self-appointed designated driver, he said "Is it okay if my ex- girlfriend Lilly comes along and hangs out with us tonight?" I said fine but that I'd like to catch the movie if we could. I remembered seeing that girl, Lilly once in summer school and thinking that she seems too wired and too talkative. Not the intellectual kind of thoughtful speech, but the unrelenting stream of words, with each word more useless than the next. I knew I'd be in for an earful of annoyance but, she's at least she's a pleasure to look at. Besides that I thought oh well at least it's a change from the usual routine of me, Philip, sometimes David, and a midnight movie. I did feel a bit weird about hanging out with my friend's ex-girlfriend and I thought to myself, I don't want to get involved with her and make my friendship with Philip strange.
Philip mentions he has his older brother's driver's license so we can get some liquor from the store if I wanted to. So, at about 7 P.M., I drove my Rav-4 to Philip's house a few blocks away and I turned down the loud Tool music and called him and said "I'm outside, let's go to liquor Mart". He came out of his upstairs apartment and got in. Next he informed me that he'd be willing to drive after we went to the store. We go to the liquor store and I get something I drank when girls were going to be around, Smirnoff Ice Apple. I got two six packs and Philip proudly displayed his brother's ID and it worked with no problems because he does look quite similar to his brother. But, why did I ever drink that pussy shit which is too sweet and an ineffective drink?
Now, Philip was driving and there happened to be a gig called "Coffee House" at the high school he just graduated from. A few friends were going including his ex Lilly and my brothers as well. We were supposed to meet up with her there and hang out after, then eventually take her home. My brothers were there also as they did like this style of music, which I didn't. I only went because Philip wanted to and I admit I was curious to meet Lilly. On the way there I drank a couple of Smirnoff's and we both listened to some more Tool and then part of Animals by Pink Floyd.
Then we got there a bit late and the bands had already started and I don't recall much of the music specifically as I was thinking about when we would get out of there and make our way to the movie. There were a few Weezer covers and some punk, and ska songs. But, I did meet Lilly there. She was wearing square glasses, a ribbon in her brown hair, jeans and a blue t-shirt of a band called The Aquabats, who I found out later made obnoxious, adolescent ska while dressed up as super-heroes. Lilly danced wildly to this music and shouted joyous remarks to the bands and conversed with many of the people there. So, I decided she was very outspoken, loud, a bit obnoxious and just seemed like too much of a handful for me.
I remember when I met her she said "Hi I'm Lilly, with two L's. I'm not like those other Lilies". I thought, yes I can definitely see that but I just said. "Ok cool. I'm Philip's friend, Nathan. I'm Gabi and Julius' brother. I think you met them before".
So we talked on and off between shows to a small degree. She mainly caught up with Philip while I just kept begging for the show to end. I did make some small talk to some people I knew, about my plans for the night and films.
After the show ended is really where the night started to get interesting. Philip, Lilly and I made our way to the parking lot where we all hung out for a while. My brothers Julius and Gabi were there with the friends they had gotten a ride with also. Everybody was in a good mood except for me. But, my mood was changing, the ska and punk music were behind me and I had the rest of the night to look forward to. So I kind of just stood by my brothers and Philip and talked about what we might do with the rest of the night. I told them about the movie Blue Velvet, saying they'd enjoy Dennis Hopper's best role in this strange film about the filth that lurks beneath the surface in a nice suburban town. They just kept saying we might go and Philip told me Lilly could not stay out that late. My mind changed as she started conversing with me more extensively.
She kind of skipped right over to me like a schoolgirl playing hopscotch. In her fast style of talking she asked, "So, Nathan How old are you? Where do you go to school?"
I replied, "Just turned 20. I go to PCC. Umm... I take a bunch of GE and film classes there."
"Ohh... Really? That's kind of close to where I live in Alhambra. I'm just 18 by the way. Me and Philip were together in my Freshman and Sophomore years. I have another boyfriend now. He goes to art school. He wants to draw for Disney or maybe some anime. So are you artsy like that too?"
"Well... I'd like to be a director. I watch a lot of films. David Lynch, Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock... Either directing or cinematography or editing".
Lilly then looked me up and down and asked "What's that on your shirt?"
"It's from a concert I went to with my brother Jules. One of the best nights of my life. Tool and King Crimson"