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Going to Greek Theatre, or The Greek as otherwise knoas an experience like no other It was the largest indoor arena, and people of all kinds walked around to experience the aroupies, and concertgoers came from miles around They all loved it there, and so did I I used to notice how all of the visitors’ shirts ether like a finely woven blanket with different colors of yarn Everyone came from different places, but they all were there for the same reason: to listen to the best music ever played

My father was the general hties, and nineties My dad had been going to concerts since he was thirteen and always bought a t-shirt So to say he had a few concert t-shirts was putting it e and never left simply because he loved his job He accumulated sowitnessed them first hand, he always knew the inside scoop and would share it with h to have one of the Wear Purple ticket stubs from Prince’s sold-out Purple Rain concert in my possession

There is one concert that will forever hold a place in my heart It was the Nirvana benefit concert performed to raise money for Bosnian rape victi Rape Me, and while the causethat made me fall even more in love with ht, The Greek was not only my father’s favorite place to be, but mine too

My mom was not into music like ht ether we rew Between my father and I, we collected over two hundred pieces of chronicled music history

Trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I greas always puzzling I was torn between my father’s love foriht o to the New York School of Fashion and Design like my mother had Whichever career path I chose needed to leadable to take pictures Maybe someday I’d create my own dream job that blended all three!

Chapter One

OUT OF MY HEAD

You’re always in my head

Maybe it’s the way you smile at me

Maybe it’s the way you laugh with me

Maybe it’s that we’ve known each other so long

Thoughts of you are always in my head

October 2006…

Walking through the greek-lettered doors of Kappa Sigma, I felt like I’d just stepped onto acostuwell, not everyone I looked twice to be certain, but sure as shit, there was a large, dark-blue ice luge in the center of the living roouy at the bottom of the channel was my boyfriend, Ben, and the person in line behind him was my best friend, Aerie

I didn’t go to a lot of fraternity parties, and looking at the two of them under the almost kid-sized slide, I nohy

Frowning at the sight of the two drunken idiots who had been on the receiving end of the ice luge a few too rab a beer As I crossed back into the living roo his eyes with his nose scrunched as he vigorouslya vain attempt to relieve the potent impact of the countless shots he had just let flow freely down his throat While shakingbeer pong and giggled If the state of the girl’s condition was any indication of her skill level, the guy was obviously a much better player

Noticing esturingmine as the crowd cleared the way

Standing face to face, I could see that his forget-lirin was still present, which alerted me to his somewhat coherent state of mind

Raising an eyebrow, I pointed to the dark-blue ice sculpture “Hey, how many times did you hit that?”

Feigning confusion, he raised his hands palms up “Not sure,” he said as he cocked his head to one side while shrugging his shoulders

Ben took the cup out of my hand and set it on the table beside us He snaked his arms around ?” he asked as he rested his strong hands on my ass

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I rested h “Photo shoot took longer than expected Drake had a meltdohen the models’ outfits weren’t the shade of purple he’d asked for”

Ben groaned and dipped his head to kiss me “Drake’s a fkin’ pansy-ass He better hope you find a new internship for next se to piss me off”

Flinching a little at his words, I leaned back to place lazed eyes “Ben, promise me you’ll stay away from him”

“Will do Pro on his breath

I sighed and ran h it

Looking at me with concern, he whispered, “You okay?”

“Of course The wrong color purple isn’t really the end of the world”

He studied“Dahl, you know that’s not what I mean”

I stiffened I knehat he meant, but I didn’t want to talk about the anniversary of my parents’ death

“Ben, I’ood tirabbed my beer, and looked around the room for Aerie

Ben nodded in acknowledg the entire contents of the Solo cup before chewing on the ice cubes that were left behind Beckoning me to the center of the rooorgeous”

Having refilled our drinks, we stood at the liquor-filled ice dispenser The party was in full swing, and I watched Ben hit the luge yet again I excused lanced around at the h the chaos There all-to-wall people in every roouy with red hair, and I kneas beyond drunk when he tried to kiss led when he tripped over his own feet and fell on his ass I continuedof people that were drinking,way more than I ever needed to see

The room smelled like alcohol et out of there soon enough I had to carefully weave around the crowd on the stairs and was thankful when I finally made it to the bathroom

After I left the bathroom, I went to Ben’s room for a much needed mental break This particular day was the hardest one of the year forin the party festivities always seeh it As I headed toward his bed, I noticed the tickets he gaveus tickets to see one of my favorite bands, Maroon 5, perform at The Greek I felt horrible about ave thehten an otherwise dark day for o back there I experienced such joy there with my dad, and I couldn’t bear it It would only remind me how much I miss him

Sighing, I threw myself on the bed Yes, he meant well and he really wanted to be the one to take o back I’ve told hiht he could bring back the happiness I once shared there with my father Sadly, I haven’t been back to The Greek since I was fourteen years old and went to the U2 concert It was the last concert I went to with my family before my mother,ho me happiness, only sadness at the loss ofto have the about my parents until I finally decided to rejoin the party

I stopped in the kitchen to grab a third beer, and then I headed back into the living roolowed everywhere as the sound of haunting music filled the room

I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist and Ben nibbled on my ear “Where you been, Dahl?”

“Just grabbing a beer,” I answered, holdingaround in his arms

Loud screae where Aerie was ju as if in pain Motioning my head toward her, I set ?”

Clutching his arhter aroundfingers inside the waistband of ered the lace of my panties and whispered in s between mine and asked, “Want some?”

I shookas I responded “I proo with her to the bar and listen to some new band One of us should stay soet there”

He trailed his hands across the top of razed from my backside across to ers started drifting down into the front of my pants