FicWad

The school accepted our inscription and it was going to be a 5 songs show, which is not that bad to an opening act. We decided to use I'm just a kid, Perfect, Grow up, The worst they ever and finish it with I'd do anything. And, no, it wasn't any coincidence the fact that we would finish it with I'd do anything. I had something planned to do in that night and the guys decided to help me out with this plan. I wouldn't miss that chance. There were just two weeks before Christmas, so we had no much time to get the presentation ready and we felt really worried about that as long as that was the very first thing close to a show that we had ever done in our lives and we wanted it to be perfect. It was our very first chance of making one or two fans and it would already be something big to us.

Well, the night we were waiting for finally came. It was December 24th and every single high school student of that school was in there to enjoy the party. We would be doing the opening act at 11 p.m. and, as soon as we were done, Blink 182 starts playing. Not bad at all, huh? First time we step over a stage and we're opening Blink 182's show. This is something to remember about.

Something that was making me want to laugh out loud was Adam's situation in that party. The guy had really gone crazy after Jessie broke up with him, although I think he was already crazy way before that. In that party, he was having the company of his psychiatrist and two helpers as long as he wasn't allowed to go to any social event all by himself. Hey, I know I shouldn't want to laugh about those kind of things, but he deserves that so bad!!!

There were around thirty minutes left for the show and they already had took us to wait in the dressing room backstage together with Jessie, that was making us some company. I remember that we never felt as nervous as we were in that night.

I also remember that each one of us was dealing with the tension in a different kind of way. David couldn't stop drinking water, Seb couldn't stop walking from one side to the other of the room, Jeff couldn't stop biting his nails, Chuck couldn't stop looking at his watch every 10 seconds and I...well, I couldn't stop talking.

"So, how long time has it been since we've got in the room?" I asked for the tenth time
"Just as last time, 2 minutes, Pierre." Answered Chuck getting stressed out
"Really? It seemed to be so much longer."
"Maybe if you just shut your mouth up time will go by faster." Shouted Chuck back at me
"Sorry, I'm just nervous and you're not helping by checking the time every ten seconds."
"The reasons why I'm doing this is because Seb is getting me nervous. If he could just sit down..."
"I would if David could just stop drinking this water." Said Seb in defense
"Not while Jeff doesn't stop biting his nail. This is driving me nuts." Replied David
"I can't. Pierre doesn't stop talking and that's getting me nervous." Said Jeff closing the circle of accusations.
"Okay, guys. Pierre, you're getting Jeff nervous. Jeff, you're getting David nervous. David, you're getting Seb nervous. Seb, you're getting Chuck nervous. And Chuck, you're getting Pierre nervous. Why don't you just stop and relax a bit before I get nervous too?" said Jessie trying to make us stop
"We're trying, but what are we supposed to do to relax?" I asked
"First of all, you all have to quit doing all those things right now." She demanded as all of us finally stopped "Good. Good boys. Now, I don't know...you can choose among telling embarrassing stories from childhood, do some prank phone calls or just stand still until it's time for you to go to the stage."
"Prank phone calls!!!" we yelled in unison just like a whole group of little kids
"Hey, I was considering the stand still option." She said almost regretting for meddling
"Yeah, but we're nervous. If we stand still we'll get back on doing what we were doing." Said David
"No, no, no, prank phone calls is fine." She said dearly wanting us not to do all those things again
"I'll go first!" Said Seb approaching the phone

The next thirty minutes went by just like that. I must admit that it really helped us to get less nervous. We just forgot about the time and forgot about the show. But, as time went by faster, there was soon a lady we've never seen before at the door.

"Simple Plan, 3 minutes for the show. The instruments are already placed over the stage and you may wait next to the stage now." She said leaving
"That's it. Now we're nervous again." I said stating the obvious
"Don't be, you guys practiced a lot and I'm sure everything is gonna be fine." Said Jessie comforting us "Now go over there and show us all you've got. I'm going to be in the crowd to watch it and I'm sure that you won't disappoint us."
"We'll try not to." Said Jeff as we all started leaving and she went to the other direction

As soon as we went close to the stage, we got really nervous again, but double than we were before. Soon, we started doing the same things we were doing in the dressing room thirty minutes ago. Those 3 minutes seemed to last a lifetime.

After 3 "hours" of waiting, the principal got ever the stage and said a whole bunch of things that I couldn't even understand judging by how nervous we were. All that I heard was "give it up for Simple Plan" and we got over the stage.

In the exactly same moment that we looked back at the crowd and saw that whole bunch of people waiting to hear our songs...I can't explain how wonderful was that feeling. Just in that moment I couldn't wait `til we had our first real show.

After around ten seconds frozen, we started playing our songs and, although neither of the people downstage knew the songs, they seemed to be enjoying it. They applauded us, cheered for us and, the most important thing of all, some of them tried to sing along every time we repeated the chorus. I can't explain how incredible that feeling was. In no much time, we were done with the very last song, "I'd do anything", and that was exactly when the tension got me harder. For the guys, it was already all over, but it was time for me to do exactly what I told them I wanted to do after we were done with that song. I looked back at them like practically asking "Is it okay if I give up now?" and they understood it. Still, they shocked their heads negatively. Okay...

"This last song we played is called `I'd do anything' and I wrote that a few weeks ago to a really special girl. I don't know yet if I'm a special guy to her, but I needed to know that before I drive myself crazy." I started saying "Recently, I've been noticing how important her presence is to me and how much I wanted to call her mine. We've been friends for a few months but it was already more than enough for her to change my world. I guess, honestly, that what I'm trying to say is... Jessica Gordon, I love you, I really do. And I...I wanted to know if you could maybe feel the same way about me... do you?"

In the moment I looked back at her, I could see she had the happiest smile I've ever seen on her face and tears were forming in her eyes. She started approaching the stage as everyone opened some space and I offered her my hand when she approached the edge of the stage.

"That was the most beautiful thing that a guy had ever done to me. I couldn't see that coming." She said smiling "Guess you followed my advice pretty well. But, do you really have to ask me that? Of course I love you too, Pierre."

Those words meant the world to me in that moment and I couldn't feel happier. It only took me seconds to hug her around the waist as she passed her arms around my neck and I kissed her for the first time ever.

The moment that those soft lips touched mine was the moment that I finally felt completely happy about have returned to Montreal. I've made great friends here, my band had just performed the first show ever and I was dating the most perfect girl in the world, the girl that I loved and that, this time, I knew I was being loved back. Guess, after all, my world didn't stop spinning when Ashley broke up with me and after I lost Brendan's friendship. And, Canada...well, I guess that it doesn't look that bad anymore. I learned to love that country. Does my mom always have to be right when she talks about my feelings?

When we finished that kiss, we looked around to see everyone applauding us, including the principal and the guys. That was a really big surprise to us.

But there was one person in that place that didn't look happy at all: Adam. Before I could see where it was coming from, there was a glass falling over my head. Luckily, it wasn't that heavy, but it was enough to cut my forehead.

"You! Take your hands out of my girlfriend!" he yelled at me in anger
"She broke up with you a long time ago! Move on, Adam!" I yelled back at him
"You won't leave this place alive!" he shouted approaching the stage
"Come on, Adam. Guess I'll have to intern you in the madhouse" said his psychiatrist as him and his helpers started taking Adam outside
"It's not over yet, Pierre Bouvier!" shouted Adam while leaving "Someday I'll leave that place and I'll make you pay me back for everything! I won't forget you!"