Sarah tried to put away her phone and wallet, then groaned and stomped back upstairs without saying anything else to Finn or her mom. Her dress didn't have any pockets. Maybe she should have worn jeans and a hoodie. But Finn was waiting for her, and he was kinda dressed up. She did own two purses, one a little sequined clutch, the other a shapeless tan shoulder bag with more than enough room for her wallet and flip phone. She hesitated a moment before grabbing the shoulder bag and dropping her stuff into it.

It had plenty of space left, and she hadn't had much time to read lately, but with Finn driving her around who knew what was going to happen? She grabbed a novel from her shelf and tossed it in, followed by a pen, a small flashlight, a hairbrush, and a pocket knife. Throwing it over her shoulder, she looked down. The purse hung open with everything in it, so she grabbed a pinch of light between two fingers. With some blue, the purse shifted into cleaner lines and pulled its top edges together so it didn’t just look like a tote bag.

Then she kicked off the strappy sandals she'd had on, pulled on some socks, and stepped into a pair of soft, fleece-lined boots. If she had to walk much tonight that'd be much better, and they still looked ok with her dress.

She stomped back down the stairs, ignoring Finn's wide eyes and her mother's smile.

"I'm ready," she said, walking right past them out the door.

"Goodnight!" said Finn to her mom as he followed Sarah out.

Sarah paused, looking around. Finn pointed out his car - a maroon minivan parked on the curb. She reached for the door to get in, but Finn had done a little scuttling run and grabbed the door, holding it for her. She got in, carefully not making a face at the warm Cheerios smell that filled the space inside, and she waited for Finn to walk around the outside of the car to get in.

Finn started the car, putting it into gear and pulling out. The air conditioner came on with the engine, flushing some of the smell out as it cooled the air. The radio was silent, but Sarah noticed that the radio was on some AM channel even though the volume was turned all the way down.

"I'm so glad you're coming," said Finn. "I thought you didn't like music."

"Well, I don't like music. But Alexa asked, so I figured I should give it a try," she said. She closed her eyes, they were driving almost straight into the setting sun and it was easier to just close them than it was to wiggle around in the car chasing shade as Finn drove through town.

"That's great," said Finn. "I'm pretty sure they're doing bluegrassy stuff, and I know the orchestra won't be there. It's gonna be pretty low-energy stuff."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Oh," said Sarah. If there really weren't drums and horns and similar then it would be a lot less painful.

The two fell into silence as they drove back to school.

When they got there, Finn hopped out and started to run out of the car, but Sarah found the door latch and let herself out. Finn did get to close the door while she walked ahead. Finn's long legs let him catch up to her before she got much past the curb, and he sort of leaned toward her while they walked.

"I'm pretty sure it's..."

"It's in the theater," interrupted Sarah. "And we don't need tickets, I checked."

They were early enough that the auditorium was mostly empty. They stood in the back, looking around.

"Where would you like to sit?" asked Finn.

"I usually sit in the back during assemblies, but maybe we should be closer," said Sarah.

"Do you see anyone you'd like to sit near? Or maybe away from?"

"Not really," said Sarah with a sideways glance at Finn. She hadn't really planned on going with anyone, but maybe that wasn't something she should say out loud.

Finn put a hand against her back and gently pushed her forward. He walked alongside her down the aisle, leading them to a spot maybe two-thirds of the way toward the front, then he indicated the row of seats to the side. She slid in and took a seat, and Finn followed and sat in the aisle seat.

"The sound is usually better here than it is in the front. Plus there'll probably be a bunch of parents trying to film and take pictures, so we'll probably see better than in the center."

"I'd never realized," said Sarah.

"Yeah," he said. "I try to go to most things, it just seems fair. After all, everyone goes to the football games."

"I see," said Sarah.

"Plus, I used to play the violin. But I couldn't fit orchestra into my schedule with football. I do kind of miss recitals though. Did you ever play an instrument?"

"No," said Sarah.

Finn ran a hand over his hair, and said "I still have a guitar, and I'll noodle with it sometimes. It's pretty easy after learning violin. But really, it doesn't compare to football. I mean, jamming with friends is great, but nothing really compares to the rush of a good play. There's just something about being on that field, pushing the ball past the other team.

"Plus, I gotta admit, you'd be amazed how tough you feel in the pads and jersey. Standing in uniform with a team, wearing the gear, I just feel invincible. Of course, the strategy and teamwork is important, too."

"Are important," corrected Sarah. She'd been looking over the stage, the way those risers were put together was interesting and she made a note to check them out afterwards. But that last phrase had jumped out at her.

"Huh?"

"Strategy and teamwork are important," she said.

"Right. Like, everyone has to be on the same page, working together, and that's what makes it awesome. I could chase that sort of thing all day long. Maybe you should come out to the next game."

"Sure," she said as he chattered away. Sarah could make out a bit of mechanism on the back that lifted the whole thing off the wheels. She couldn't be sure, but it looked like the whole thing was built around a single lever that could collapse the whole thing.

Finally, she was saved by the lights going out, and a string of boys and girls in grey and silver robes filed in and took their places on the stands.