“Dude!” Alex yelled from outside, stepping backwards from the door. “Jake! Come on! Open up!”

“It’s dawn for gods sake…” Jake mumbled, opening the door with movements like an old, frail man.

“It’s noon, man,” argued Alex, jumping inside the house and nearly blowing Jake off his tired feet. “Wake up.”

“Dude, I’ve JUST gotten home. I collapsed into the chair and was ABOUT to fall asleep...”

“I know. I’ve been waiting in my car for you to come inside.”

“Why didn’t you just get out of your car when I did?”

“I fell asleep,” replied Alex simply as if this answer was obvious.

“Well, I want to go to sleep,” yawned Jake, running a hand through his spiked-up hair. “And I need a shower.”

“Yeah, man, your hair is all…” Alex made a big gesticulation with his hands, “poofed out!”

“Yeah. Thanks. It‘s because of all the stylist goop,” Jake replied dryly. “What’s going on?”

“Oh!” Alex yelled, padding down the hall into the kitchen, “I almost forgot!”

Jake leaned against the doorframe as his overzealous (and overly awake) friend rummaged through his refrigerator. He watched him with tired bemusement written across his face. “Well…?” Jake prompted, moving his hands around for effect. He yawned again and leaned his head against the door.

“I got tickets!” Alex yelled proudly, bringing a can of coke out of the fridge, popping it crisply and then shutting the door with the heel of his foot. He took a big chug, some of the soda spilling down his chin and spreading little brown droplets on his white Incubus t-shirt.

“To what?” Jake asked, covering up a yawn and shivering.

Alex scoffed at his friend’s obliviousness, “Dude, you DO need sleep if you can’t remember.”

“I’m enervated, Alex. Just spell it out for me, okay?” Jake was trying to be patient, but it was quite hard since he hadn’t slept for twenty-four hours.

“I’ll spell it out if you spell out enervated for me,” replied Alex, sipping from his can of soda.

“Enervated is a form of the word enervate. It means weak, lethargic, tired.”

Alex raised his eyebrow, impressed, “I should have known that.”

“Not really, it’s on the SAT Prep.” Jake shrugged.

Alex‘s brow furrowed, “You took that, like, five years ago.”

“So?”

“So, you shouldn’t remember vocabulary words from your SAT Prep course FIVE years ago.”

“I shouldn’t…but I do.”

“Yeah, and plus…” Alex deepened his voice so it would sound like his friend’s and put on a fake British accent, “…you need to know these huge vocabulary words while going to Columbia.”

Jake laughed, a smile on his face, “That’s the Harvard accent.”

“Anyway,” said Alex, waving his hand around dismissively, “Tickets.”

“Yeah. Please enlighten me,” yawned Jake.

“Want some coffee?”

Jake shook his head vigorously, “No, I want sleep.” He pulled the sleeves of his gray sweater to the tips of his fingers and crossed his arms across his chest.

“Oh okay,” Alex sank into one of the kitchen table chairs and motioned for Jake to sit across from him. He did so, slowly.

“Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you PLEASE just tell me who the tickets are for?”

“Me,” replied Alex, surprised.

Jake smiled, “No, I mean what band.”

“Oh. Right.” Alex brought two tickets out of his pocket in a very dramatic fashion. “Jimmy Eat World!”

Jake’s head perked up from where it had been hanging, “Seriously? Awesome!”

“Yeah and here’s the best part, okay?” Jake nodded. “You’re coming with me!”

“I am?” Jake asked, laughing.

“Uh-huh. Two tickets…you and me. AND maybe you can get us backstage.”

Jake shrugged, “You know I don’t like to do that…”

“I know, but…still.”

“Yeah, man, maybe.” Jake smiled, “This is awesome.”

Alex was beaming, “It’s tonight.”

“Tonight? Shit.”

“What? Do you have class in the morning? I thought you were on break.”

“I am…I have to shoot in the morning.”

Alex‘s face fell, “What time?”

“Ah…eight thirty I think,” Jake said, scratching his head and yawning again.

“Okay, so, no problem. Sleep all day, I’ll pick you up at 6 and we’ll go…and come home when it’s over.”

Jake smiled, yawning once more, “Alright, cool.”

Alex stood up and stretched. He waved to Jake and then disappeared down the hall. Jake could hear his sneakers squeaking on the hardwood floors. Suddenly, the sound halted.

“Oh, and Jake! Get some sleep, man! You look like hell!” Then there was a crash as the door closed shut behind him.