Never Had To Ask by Jessica Judd
The music was deafening. I could feel the bass rumble through the ground, rattle
up my ankles, and resonate in my chest. The blistering July sun caused sweat to gather
at my hairline, and I had been baked a rosy shade of pink. Having been out in the heat
for hours I was too dehydrated to move, let alone jump, but I’ll never forget the shriek
that escaped my mouth as the curtain dropped and my teenage heartthrob took the
stage. Tom DeLonge had been nothing but a face plastered on my wall for years, and
there he was – in the flesh.
Shoulder to shoulder with people I had never met, I could have gone completely
limp and stayed upright. I had been awkwardly brushing against half naked, sticky
strangers all day, but this was a new level of discomfort. The 105 degree weather was
enough to give anyone heat stroke, but accompanied by the warmth of sunburned skin
against sunburned skin - people were dropping like flies. I was tired. My body ached for
a cold shower and a soft bed, but I couldn’t leave now. This final performance was what
my 16-year-old heart had come for. I would pass out from excitement before I would let
the heat get the best of me.
I had never been lucky when it came to the opposite sex. I’d had crush after
pointless crush, but Tom had been the closest thing I had ever had to a boyfriend. He understood me; he both spoke and listened with his lyrics and chords. He kept me safe
and kept me company. I never had to ask.
I was in my own world gazing into the face I’d only ever seen in pictures. I
swooned to his voice and mouthed every word. I was lost in a daydreamer’s daze until
the crown began to shove. As I struggled to keep my footing and to keep my
breathtaking view, I saw fists swooping above the crowd. I figured that someone had
had too much to drink and had stepped on the wrong person’s toes; it would blow over. I
tried to regain my trance, tried to make my way back to Tom, but was again distracted
when I noticed the beginnings of an organized pit amongst all the bodies.
I kept singing, but
anxiously watched as
people on the outside of
the forming ring were
pulled in, whether or not
they wanted to be.
Innocent bystanders were
smacked by flying arms
and legs as the pit grew. While I was intrigued, I was fearful. I was just a small,
defenseless teenage girl, with no knowledge of how to handle the situation. I wanted so
badly to get away and get back to where I could envelop myself in Tom’s familiar voice.
More and more force was put upon me as the circle expanded. I was being both
pushed out of the way and pulled toward the center and, before I had time to create a plan of action, I lost my footing. No. Not Now. My heart skipped at least 3 beats as I
tripped. I reached up, hoping my knight in shining armor would jump from the stage and
save me, but knowing the reality that no one would notice and I would likely be trampled.
I braced myself, but the ground never came.
I found myself resting safely in the arms of a man rather than in a crumpled heap
on the pavement. Did he really come? I found my balance and turned to meet my
rescuer. He wasn’t a rockstar; I had never seen his face before, but I could see the
gentleness in his eyes. He was tall and, like the rest of the crowd, marks from the sun
graced his cheeks and nose; a steady drip came from beneath the bandana tied around
his head. He was calm and quiet despite the unruliness that surrounded us, and before I
was even able to thank him for catching me, this tall stranger had forced me behind him.
At first I thought he was trying to get closer to the stage, simply getting me out of his
way, but when I regained my balance I noticed that we were at the edge of the pit and I
was inches away from the rapid movements of white knuckles. The moshers came
flying into him, one, sometimes two at a time, but he stood steady. As punches were
thrown, he punched back, pushed them away, and I was tucked safely behind his strong
stance.
We hadn’t even spoken, I didn’t know his name, and yet it was his natural instinct
to stand between me and the danger. He understood and he both spoke and listened
with his actions. He was my guardian from day one, my protector. I never had to ask.
