31. Superstar (10/31/20)

The bar was crowded; it was unlike anything Donna had seen before. She lifted up her skirt so she could walk without tripping over the hem. She weaved her way through excited teenage girls and their fathers, who had been forced to chaperone. Donna knew she had to get to the front, even if she had to step on a few girls' toes to get there.

The opening band was playing, and Donna wasn't impressed. Then again, the only reason she had snuck out of the house on a school night was to see Ryan Darling perform with his band. They were climbing the charts, and everyone on the radio insisted they were going to make it big any day now. Donna had kept track of the band's travel schedule, which is how she found out about their show tonight. Of course, she didn't need to tell her parents any of the details. She thought about telling them she was at the library, but her mom had book club with the librarian. There was room for error in that plan, so Donna snuck out her window and took the bus to the club.

Donna was in the second row, which wasn't her goal, but the girls in the front row were not budging. They burst into squeals when the club owner came onstage.

"That was Low Shoulder! Let's give them a round of applause." The room was filled with light applause. "Next, the moment everyone has been waiting for. We have the pleasure of seeing Ryan Darling and his band perform here tonight. Let's welcome them onto the stage!"

Donna clapped quietly, her eyes trained on the stage. Then he walked onstage, his guitar pinned to his back. Ryan was even more handsome in person. His brown curls lay in his eyes, and Donna's eyes grew to the size of saucers when she saw his arms decorated in tattoos. According to her parents' rules, she wasn't allowed to date or marry anyone with tattoos. She hoped Ryan would be the exception.

"Hey, everyone! We have a great show for you tonight," Ryan said into the microphone. Behind him, the drummer counted to eight, and the band was playing their first song, titled "Anna doesn't know what to do with her hands." Donna sang the words under the breath, her eyes never leaving Ryan. All around her, girls danced and sang along with the lyrics.

What made Ryan Darling's band so popular, other than the fact that he was so handsome, was the fact that they wrote songs with girl's names in them. So far, they had written about Anna (who doesn't know what to do with her hands), Ivy (who's turning me on), and Rachel (who won't look at me). The band had only released three songs, but the names in the titles seemed to be a trend. A small part of Donna hoped that one day, Ryan would write a song about her.

After playing their three most popular songs, Ryan and his band left the stage. All around Donna, girls were dragging their fathers out of the bar, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ryan before he left. Donna tried to leave with them, but knew she needed to use the bathroom before she caught the bus home. When she found the ladies' bathroom, there was a terrible line, and she knew there was no way she could use the bathroom without missing the bus.

Donna noticed a back door out of the bar, and figured she would ruin her shame for one night. The back door took her to a deserted alley behind the bar. In private, Donna lifted up her skirt and used the bathroom, her eyes searching for anyone who might be around.

When she was finished, she tried to use the back door again, but it was locked. She pulled at it a few times, her frustration only rising. Then, someone opened the door, and she nearly went tumbling backwards.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry!" A familiar voice yelled, and through her impaired vision, Donna thought she saw Ryan Darling standing over her, offering his hand. It couldn't be him, though, right? He was supposed to be greeting fans at the bar's entrance. But when Donna blinked again, she realized it was Ryan, and she was sitting on the ground, only a few yards away from where she had just peed.

"What's your name?" Ryan asked, kneeling next to her. He placed a hand on her forehead, even though Donna didn't think you could get a fever from falling.

"Donna," she mumbled. "I'm...I'm your biggest fan."

Ryan chuckled, helping her off the ground. "Are you here with anyone, Donna?"

Donna shook her head. Ryan bit his lip, as if he was thinking everything over. Then, he wrapped an arm around her and led her down the alley.

"I'm gonna help you, okay?" He whispered, his breath hot on her neck. "I think you might have a concussion."

Donna relished in the fact that Ryan Darling, the Ryan Darling, had his arm around her waist and was helping her out. Then again, he had been the one to hit her with a door, but she could look past that fact.

At the end of the alley was a black car, and Ryan seemed to know the driver. He helped Donna into the backseat, and even buckled the seatbelt for her. Ryan sat in the backseat next to her, and she placed her head on his shoulder. She chalked it up to her drowsiness and concussion, but she also knew that if this was under normal circumstances, she would do the exact same thing.

A few hours later, Donna found herself laying on a red couch. She sat up, only to find the walls covered in posters of Ryan and his band. She didn't know where she was, but she figured it had something to do with Ryan.

"Hey, you," a voice said, and in walked Ryan in joggers and a sweatshirt. "I hope you don't mind, but we've been trying to get a hold of someone for you. We looked through your purse."

Donna nodded. It didn't even hit her that her parents would kill her if they found out what she did. Before she could process anything, Ryan was sitting next to her on the couch, brushing her curls out of her face.

"The doctor said you're going to be okay." His voice was light. "You don't have a concussion, but you are going to bruise."

"Damn," Donna muttered under her breath. Even if her parents didn't find out what happened, they would still want to know why she had a bruise on her head.

"I just wanted to check and see if you're alright," Ryan explained. "Your mom said she'll be here in a few minutes."

Nothing was registering for Donna. She was finally alone with Ryan Darling, the love of her life, and he hadn't even bothered to kiss her yet? Nothing was making sense.

Sure enough, her mother picked her up ten minutes later, demanding to know what had happened and why her forehead was bruised. Donna couldn't form coherent sentences. All she could think about was the night she spent with Ryan Darling, and how surprisingly kind he had been. She was so fortunate he wasn't a massive jerk, or else she could've been laying in the alley all night.

Something about Donna's interest in Ryan diminished the day he released the next single with the band. It was titled "I met Donna in the alleyway." Her parents demanded to know if she was the Donna in the song, but she didn't explain. It was just for her to know.