Lottie had been excited about this for two weeks.
Not quietly excited. Visibly, unusually, practically-bouncing excited, which was a version of her you'd been enjoying enormously. She'd mentioned it every day. She'd made you both leave an hour early because she wanted good spots. She'd bought a t-shirt from the merch table before the show even started and put it on immediately over her jacket.
"You're wearing it now?" you said.
"Obviously," she said. Very bright. Zero embarrassment.
Natalie's girlfriend Jackie appeared at your other side, laughing. "She pre-ordered the vinyl," she said. "It hasn't even been announced yet."
"I have a source," Lottie said happily.
"The source is Natalie," Jackie said.
"The source is confidential," Lottie said.
Natalie came on and the room lost its mind.
Lottie lost her mind with it, which was genuinely one of the best things you'd ever witnessed. All that careful composure completely out the window, hands in the air, singing every word — actually singing, full voice, completely committed, no negotiation.
You looked at Jackie.
Jackie was already looking at you, grinning in the way she only did when something was so good it bypassed cool entirely.
"She's been practicing in the flat," you said in Jackie's ear.
"I know," Jackie said. "Nat told me. She's been doing it for weeks."
"Does Nat know she does it?"
"Nat absolutely knows," Jackie said. "She loves it."
The third song hit and Lottie grabbed your arm with both hands.
"This one!" she said, too loud, directly in your ear.
"I know!"
"She played this to me in her car in year eleven! In the car park after training! I never told her I loved it and now she's playing it to four hundred people!"
You looked at her face. Completely bright. Completely undone. Completely herself in the way she rarely let herself be in public.
"Tell her after," you said.
"I'm going to tell her after," Lottie said immediately. Already decided.
She went back to singing.
Jackie leaned across you. "Is she crying?" she said.
"Little bit," you said.
"Same," Jackie said. And turned back to the stage.
Afterward outside, waiting by the side door, Lottie was still buzzing. Still in the merch t-shirt. Reconstructing the lighting in the bridge with her fingers in a way that was entirely ineffective and completely endearing.
"And then the drop—" she said.
"I know—"
"I've heard it fifty times and I still wasn't ready—"
"She really has heard it fifty times," you confirmed to Jackie.
"I believe it," Jackie said. She was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed looking at Lottie with the fond exasperation of someone who had known her long enough to find all of this completely expected and still wonderful.
"I have the setlist," Lottie said, producing it from her jacket pocket.
You stared at it. "When did you—"
"During the last song," Lottie said. Completely casual.
"She's fast," Jackie said admiringly.
Natalie came through the side door looking wrecked in the best way, spotted the three of you, and walked straight into Jackie's arms first, which made Jackie look quietly like her whole chest had been filled with something warm.
"You were incredible," Jackie said into her hair.
"Yeah?" Natalie said.
"Obviously," Jackie said. Like there was no other answer.
Then Lottie descended on her.
Both arms, properly, the kind of hug Lottie only gave when something had genuinely moved her. Natalie looked briefly startled and then settled into it.
"The third song," Lottie said.
"You knew that one," Natalie said.
"You played it to me in your car," Lottie said, pulling back, completely earnest. "Year eleven. After training. I never told you it was my favourite and I've thought about that ever since."
Natalie looked at her for a moment.
"It's my favourite too," she said quietly.
Late place, corner table, chips too salty, Jackie and Nat holding hands. You and Lottie hugging.
The perfect night.