May 10, 1998

Part 1-
          Jackie and I got to the show shortly before the doors opened. We had some trouble finding a parking space, so we finally settled for an EZ Park lot a couple blocks away from the club. Usually I prefer to park on the street because it's free, but I figured, just this once, there couldn't be any harm in parking in a lot.

          We parked and walked to the club, where a huge line of kids was already waiting outside. Being as cool as we are, Jackie and I walked straight through the crowd and into the club. I talked to Paige for a little while, and then went to find everyone else. Joel was in a hurry for some reason, and said hi really quickly as he ran by.

          I found Frank talking to a girl who had been at a few other shows on the tour (no doubt she was trying to steal my title of official #1 fan). I started talking to him when this kid came and asked the funniest question. It was, "Who is Kitty Menendez?" I couldn't help but laugh. How on earth could anyone not know who Kitty Menendez is? Were they living in a cave for a year? Geez! After overcoming his shock, Frank answered the kid's question. This led to a discussion of some of the other exciting stuff that was on Court TV during that time.

          Frank went off to get a beer, so I went back to the t-shirt stand. I spent most of the night hanging out with Paige. It was a really small club and it was packed to the gills so it was pretty hard to get around. I didn't even attempt to go back into the main room until right before MTX were going to play.

          The Teen Idols played and they were really fantastic, as always. After the Teen Idols finished, Jym and Robert came over by where Paige and I were. Paige asked Jym what day today was, and Jym said he didn't know, so Paige said, "You forgot already?!" and Jym remembered, "Oh! Rebekah's birthday!" Then Paige and Jym started whispering. I didn't know what they were saying, but then they provided a little clue to what was going on. Jym said, "But how could I do it?" and Robert told him which mic to talk into. Hmm.

          I followed Jym toward the stage, because I figured I had a better shot at getting closer if I was with him. Along the way he stopped and whispered something to Joel. I asked him what the secret was, but he just smiled and said, "There's no secret." Sure. I sort of had a guess what was going to happen, but I didn't say anything.

          I staked out my spot in the crowd and got ready for them to play. I was so excited, but at the same time a little sad since it was the last show. It was so crowded, and I had a little bit of trouble keeping my spot. Plus it was really hot. This boy behind me kept jumping on me, which was pretty annoying. Particularly because he was all sweaty. Ick. It was sort of funny 'cause the same kid started pushing me later when I was walking through the crowd. Sheesh.

          MTX played an incredible set. When they got close to "Someone Who Cares" I started anticipating what was going to happen. (Someone Who Cares is one of my favorite songs, so I figured if something were going to happen, it would happen then.) I wasn't disappointed. In the break before "Someone Who Cares" Joel asked Frank, "Do we have enough time for a couple of birthday wishes?" "I guess so" "Alright." Joel wished a friend of theirs happy birthday, and then said, "and happy birthday to our friend Rebekah, even though it's not her birthday, because this is her last show and this one's for her" It was so great. No one really got the joke, but a couple girls that I know clapped.

          They finished the set and did an encore (which surprised me since it was just so hot). All in all a great show to have be the last one for the tour.

          The show was really early, so by the time MTX was done playing it was at the latest 8:30. We were there for a while afterwards packing up and everything. While there were still a lot of people in the club, I walked toward the back of the crowd to avoid getting shoved. Unfortunately my plan failed. There was this really mean 300 pound security guard at the back, who told me that I had to leave. I said, "I'm with the band," to which he replied, "Not now honey." Fuck you! I am with the band! But I just said, "No, really, I'm with the band." He still didn't believe me, and proceeded to push me towards the door. I was so mad. It was really obvious the guy was just on a power trip though. As he walked past the bar, he asked the people sitting there if he could see their IDs. They told him that they'd already been carded, but he wouldn't listen and insisted that they show him their IDs anyway.

          It was funny, I told Paige what happened and she totally yelled at him. He was over behind the bar, and she told him, "You don't push little girls!" (She just called me a little girl to make her point.) Rather than saying something back to her, he insulted her quietly so that just the people at the bar would hear, and see how cool he is. She heard him though, and after saying a couple things back and forth Paige said really loudly, (in response to one of his lame insults) "I know you are but what am I?" That totally shut him up. It was really hilarious.

          Later on, after everything was all packed up, we all went to find Jym, who was next door with some people. We stayed there until 11 o'clock or so when it closed. We stood around by the van talking for a while, until finally it was time for them to go. I said goodbye to everyone like five times, and then Jackie and I started walking towards the car (correction, the spot where the car had been--more details in part 2). As we were walking, Jym started yelling to us from down the block and wished me a happy birthday and stuff. It was funny. They drove by us just before Jackie and I reached the parking lot.

Part 2-
          MTX drove past Jackie and I as we walked into the parking lot. I looked at where I thought I had parked my car, but there was nothing there. I glanced around the parking lot several more times in hopes that I'd just forgotten where I parked. It wasn't there, so I panicked.

          My first instinct was to find MTX, so Jackie and I ran back toward the street, but they were already gone. I had no idea what to do. Just to show you how naive I can be sometimes, it didn't even enter into my mind that it had been stolen. I just figured it had been towed.

          Jackie and I walked around to a few other parking lots to make sure that the car wasn't in one of those instead. It wasn't, and I think it was about then that it hit me, "My car could have been stolen!" In fact, that soon became the most probable thing. I got so scared and was really flipping out. I had no idea what to do.

          We called Jackie's dad, and he left to pick us up. Then we walked over to a parking garage that had a few attendants in it. The one guy was super nice and totally helped us out. I called the police, and they sent a car over. By this point I was convinced the car had been stolen, although I tried to keep optimistic that it had been towed.

          After waiting a half an hour or so (that seemed like a year) the police car pulled up. I went and talked to him, but I couldn't file a report because I didn't know the registration and insurance numbers (they were in the glove box of the car). He gave me a number to call once I got the numbers and left. At this point Jackie's dad was there, and he drove us home.          

As we drove home I got really upset. I just didn't know what to think. All sorts of things were running through my head. Finally we got home. I called my dad and told him what had happened. He gave me the information about the car, and I called the police. They ran my license number through their computer, but they couldn't find out anything. They said to call back in the morning. I called Frank to tell him what had happened, and then I went to bed. I slept for a few hours, but I was too freaked out to really sleep very well.

          The next morning I called the police again, and was able to file a report. They told me that it hadn't been towed, which was my greatest fear come true. The lady told me just to go home, and that they'd call me if they found the car. I called my dad again, and he said they were arranging a way for me to get home.