On the Outside Looking In (Wrong Reasons) by JL Paul Page A

customer, thanking her for waiting.  When she walked to a table, Dante joined me at the counter, leaning on it as he gazed at the small crowd.
    “So, are you going to do something?” he asked.
    “I was thinking about going to Rusty’s,” I said.  “Out Back is playing.”
    “Didn’t they sign with an indie label?”
    “Yes, but they haven’t started recording yet,” I explained.  “And they still have a contract with Rusty’s.”
    “Cool,” he said.
    We stood side by side, our gazes locked on the street outside the window, bathed in streetlights.  People rushed past, bundled up in coats, scarves, and gloves, in a hurry to get from one place to another.
    I hadn’t received an invitation to Rusty’s that evening – not that I needed one.  I’d be more than welcome to join Irelyn and Bailey.  And I didn’t need one from Evan, either.  I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to go.  I was happy for my friends and the new changes in their lives, but I didn’t want to put up with Jessica and her smugness.  I knew that I shouldn’t let Jessica come between me and my friends – especially since we were just getting things back on track – but she irritated me so much.
    And then there was Evan who was sure to be working.  After the encounter with Owen and the things that people had said about him, I couldn’t face him.  What would I say?  How would I act?
    And what did I feel?
    Against my better judgment, I decided to go.  I wasn’t going to run or hide anymore.  I wasn’t going to be that girl who sat at home crying.  I wanted my friends back into my life and it was up to me to make sure that happened.
    Rusty’s was crowded, unlike the last time I’d been there.  I located Irelyn and Bailey immediately at the usual table and was thrilled to not see Jessica.
    After a warm greeting, we settled in with our drinks, waiting for the band to start.  Both girls looked a bit more relaxed than the last time I’d seen them, as if everything had sunk in and the excitement had worn off.
    Unable to stop myself, I asked about Jessica.
    “She’s working a double today,” Irelyn said.  “She’ll be here in a little bit.”
    “Oh,” I said as I scanned the bar, my eyes automatically searching for Evan.  After the conversation about Evan at Bailey’s house, I was a bit curious to see if any of it was true.
    Sure enough, when I located him behind the bar, there were three or four girls seated in front of him, flirting and vying for his attention.  I’d never paid much attention before – he was always so irritating that I never noticed anything else.
    The band hopped on stage, dragging my attention away from Evan and right to Spencer.  My heart twinged as I watched Spencer pick up his guitar, strapping it around his neck.  Plucking a pick from the strings at the neck of the instrument, he strummed a few times before nodding at Lucas.  Shortly after, they began to play.
    I forgot everything as I listened.  I didn’t care if there were a hundred women at the bar, lusting over Evan.  I wasn’t concerned that Spencer was dating such a horrible girl.  And I wasn’t particularly fussed that the relationship with my friends wasn’t as strong as it used to be. I just lost myself in the music.
    Our waitress kept us supplied with drinks: diet soda for Irelyn and I and ice water with a lime for Bailey.  It was the first time the three of us sat in this bar and didn’t drink alcohol.
    All too soon, the first set was over.  I excused myself to use the restroom, shooting glances at the bar on the way.  Evan was too busy satisfying customer demands to notice me.  With a shrug, I pushed open the bathroom door, figuring I’d stop at the bar to say hi on my way back to the table.  I wasn’t eager to engage him in conversation but I couldn’t ignore him, either.
    When I finished, I washed my hands, checking my appearance in the mirror.  As I was drying, the door opened and I caught Jessica’s