The summer air was thick with the scent of food trucks, sunscreen, and excitement. Crowds of people moved past you, bracelets flashing under neon lights as the music pulsed from the main stage. You weren’t really here for the bands—you came because a friend had an extra ticket. What you didn’t expect was to spot Leighton in the middle of the crowd, laughing, her hair glittering under the stage lights.

She caught your eye before you could look away. “Hey!” she shouted over the bass, moving closer until she was right beside you. “Lost your group too?”

You nodded. “Yeah. Guess I’m on my own now.”

“Not anymore.” She grabbed your wrist before you could protest, pulling you into the crowd just as the band dropped into their next song.

For the next hour, you found yourself swept up in her chaos—dancing with strangers, screaming lyrics you barely knew, laughing every time she twirled you unexpectedly. She had this energy, wild and free, that made you forget about everything else.

When the set finally ended, you both stumbled out of the crowd, breathless and smiling, collapsing onto the grass a little ways from the stage.

“Not bad for someone who looked like they wanted to go home five minutes in,” she teased, handing you her water bottle.