Maybe in another lifetime…
This one thought runs throughout Stella’s mind as she stands alone at the concert. Alone is how she’s been a lot lately. Her eyes glance between the lead singer of the band and the girl he brought on stage. His curly hair drips sweat as he shakes it out of his eyes and the girl he held had her other hand over her mouth in utter shock. Why didn’t things like that happen anymore for her?
“Crazy right?” a voice shouts at her over the music. She looks over and sees a short blonde woman with a red dress.
“It’s insane, I see this online not in real life!” Stella says and forces a small smile.
“I am going to sneak backstage and if I don’t leave with a kiss from a band member then this was all for nothing,” with that the blonde walks off the balcony and straight over to a door that’s guarded by a man with a yellow venue shirt on. She feels a burn of envy at the confidence the blonde has as she sees her from the balcony. As the blonde easily fools the security guard into walking one direction and the second his back turns she runs through the unprotected door. Stella’s jaw drops at the ease of the blonde’s mission. She basically just walked backstage without a second thought. When was the last time she did something daring like that? An experience, a story, something other than wishful thinking. She thought moving to a new city would bring adventures with friends and nothing of that nature has happened. She remembers a specific late night when her and her friend stumbled across a pond. Her friend was driving the jeep she got for her birthday and had some rope in the back. They went midnight swimming and played music until 3 am. The midnight moon shone over them as her friend had decided to call more people and they had a mini party at a pond in the middle of the night. A chorus of yells however, draw her attention back to the stage.
“Maybe you change your mind,” as he sings the last word he leans in and kisses the girl. Everyone is screaming and Stella watches as the entire crowd pushes forward. She scrunches her nose at the sight.  Before the last song Stella starts to walk out before the crowd of people do. She pushes her way out in the fresh air without bodies surrounding her at this foreign venue. She hears everyone screaming for an encore while she walks around to the back of the building.  Inhaling the cold air outside the venue calms her before a hard body slams against hers and she feels the grit of the concrete.
“Ugh, sorry--I didn’t see you.”
“It’s fine I probably should have looked,” before she knows it a hand grabs her arm and pulls her up.
“What’s your name?” he asks and as Stella looks at him fully her breath hitches as she recognizes him from the stage.
“Stella.”
“That’s a cool name. Wait, what are you doing here? Oh I’m Matty by the way” he looks around and smiles. His voice is hoarse from singing and he’s drenched in sweat.
“I’m taking a breather from the crowd at your concert, they aren’t really my thing. I just moved to New York this month.”
“Well I’m going on a drive--um, Stella want to come?” Stella’s eyes widen.
“A drive with you? We just met.”
“Okay, yes valid point but we’re young! Just a night off from craziness, yeah?”
Stella weighs her options. Maybe in another lifetime…Maybe now. Her heart races at the possibility, she used to do things like this but it had been too long since her pulse had quickened this much.  She missed the spike of happiness from adrenaline that invades her.
“Okay--but I want food.” He smiles and grabs her hand.
“Of course.”
Stella gets into the car with Matty who is a stranger, but not a strange. Her body awakens with a rush of not fear, but adrenaline. The familiar feeling was spreading throughout Stella’s body as she inhales and exhales the cool air, her favorite calming ritual.
“You all right?” his British voice snaps her out of the daze she’s in.
“I’m great, where are we going?”
“To show you what I love about New York.” his eyes glisten in the moonlight and Stella relaxes into the cool leather seat. She looks through the window and sees energy pulsating everywhere in the city. Crazy enough, for the first time since she’s been here she feels a certain peace. She almost giggles in the car at the thought. Matty glances at her and smiles. Stella looks out the window and says,
“New York is finally being good to me.”