“And it's all too familiar and it happens all the time. All the cards begin to stack up,
Twisting heartache into fine little pieces that avoid an awful crime
But it's you I can't deny!”

The music booms into my ears. There’s no where else I would rather be right now. Brandon and I are at the Taking Back Sunday concert.

I remember when Brandon scored tickets. In fact, I remember it exactly:

“Hey,” Brandon waved to me happily as I walked into the lunch room. Who knew that a one syllable word such as ‘hey’ would make it harder for me to breathe? Well if it was coming from Brandon, it would.

Brandon and I were friends. Simple as that. We didn't have any classes together but we met on a whim. We don't even sit together at lunch. My table is two tables down horizontally from his. Occasionally, our eyes will catch for a moment, but then, the moment’s gone and I'm forced to continue on.

We don't even really talk much, but I knew from the start that I liked him. I knew that he would treat me right. I knew he wouldn't call me the things Henry called me.

Most of all, I knew he'd try with all his heart not to hurt me.

Because he had been hurt before.

“Hold on,” I yelled over the noise as I put my stuff down at my table. I gave Lauren a quick smile, giggled and headed Brandon’s way. I ignored the dirty looks and glares as I skipped people in the lunch line.

“Hey,” I said with a big grin when I finally reached him.

“How was French class?” Brandon stuffs his hands into his jeans’ pockets.

“It was alright, too much homework given out for my taste but whatever. How was English?”

“Brutal but I’ll survive,” Brandon smiles down at me.

I immediately felt my heart skip beats and butterflies attacked my stomach. I bite down on my lower lip before smiling back at him.

“So hey I wanted to ask you something,” Brandon prompts.

“Yeah?” I said nervously as I looked into his grey eyes.

“You know how I said Taking Back Sunday was coming here?”

“Yes,” I nod slowly. Wow, I must sound stupid.

“Well I got tickets,” Brandon grins widely.

“You did? Oh my God that’s awesome Brandon! You’re so lucky!!! You and Jack are gonna drive those girls at the concert crazy with your singing,” I laughed.

“Well Jack and I aren’t going to drive them crazy,” Brandon said quietly.

“Come on! You sing every single song like your life depends on it! You’re so going to drive them crazy.”

“Oh no I’ll sing the songs,” Brandon eyes look away from mine. “But it won’t be Jack I’ll be going with.”

“Who are you going with? Lacy?” I asked as my heart sank incredibly. I didn’t want him to go with Lacy. At least go with Jack or someone else.

“No,” Brandon says with a shake of his head.

“Well then who are you going with?” I asked, no longer worried it’ll be Lacy he takes.

I watch as Brandon face flinches a little bit in some areas.

“I want you to go with me,” Brandon whispers so quietly I could barely hear.

My jaw probably dropped to the ground and my eyes most likely went wide.

Me? He wants to go with me? ME!

“But I can understand if you don’t want to go. It’s a school night anyways,” Brandon slowly changed the subject.

“No! I want to go with you. I’ll go with you!” I say with a bright smile and jump up to hug him around the neck.

And the best part was that he hugged me back.

That was one of the happiest days of my life. Brandon, one of the best looking guys in school was asking me to the Taking Back Sunday concert. The rest of the day was a blur, anything else could have happened and I would have been happy because Brandon asked me to the concert.

But back to the present.

Here I am, at the Taking Back Concert with Brandon.

Here, in his arms.

Brandon’s behind me, enclosing me in a backwards hug with his arms protectively over me, shielding me from the night chill since I was shivering earlier. His body is flush against mine and I thank myself for forgetting my jacket.

We sing or shall I say scream along with Adam Lazzara as ‘My Blue Heaven’, our personal favorite, continues on. The music is taking over. All around us is the mayhem often found at most rock concerts.

As the song continues I feel Brandon rest his chin on my shoulder, sending shivers over my already cold body. I slightly feel his breath on my cheek for a while but sadly, he lifts his chin off my shoulder, and stands next to me. A feeling of cold replaces the feeling of warmth his body was giving me. He puts his arm over my shoulder at an attempt to still shield me from the cold wind.

Just look at him Christina. Tear your eyes away from Adam and look at him.

I stop screaming lyrics since the quieter, mellower part of the song has come to play; and steal a glance at Brandon; taking in the features I’ve come to dream about. The concert lights accentuate his artsy, yet handsome looks: his smooth skin is tickled with a hint of pink, due to the night chill, his short platinum blond hair blows about in the wind, and his sharp gray eyes radiate with light as they follow Fred Mascherino onstage. All of a sudden, he stops looking at the band and our eyes lock.

My pulse quickens, my steady breathing turned uneven, and we just gazed at each other.

"You're safe, child, you are safe."
You're safe, child, you are…”

“Christina,” Brandon breathes.

“Don’t talk Brandon,” I place my fingers on his lips. “No words need be exchanged,” I whisper even though the music is blaring.

We both know what we want.

We both know what needs to be said.

We both know.

Brandon softly takes my fingers in his, kisses them, and holds them there, between us, all the while our eyes stay locked.

“Is this all too familiar? Does it happen all the time? I'm just asking you to hear me;
Could you please just once just hear me?
More than anything, you wanted to be right
Still it's you, you, it's you I can't deny…
(You I can't deny)
It's you I can't deny!”

Before I know it, Brandon drops my fingers and lifts my chin up to meet his face.

“You’re beautiful Christina. You’re just so beautiful I get scared sometimes,” Brandon says, a sideways grin playing at his lips. I could see the light reflect off his gray eyes, they shined so much.

“Why does it scare you?” I ask, somewhat afraid of the response that’s about to come.

“Because every time I see you, every time I see your deep, dark eyes, every time you stand near me and I can slightly smell your scent, every time you’re in my presence, I just want to,” Brandon stops abruptly, thinking hard.

“Do what?” I push for his reply.

But he didn’t answer me.

Instead he did something better.

He brought his lips to mine.

This story is for my friend Christina Goodson. It is in a way dedicated to her. I loff you Christinadork.