Crusty | Gigging in the CITEH

[Crysta Ericson]

<sup>The music was playing and Crysta had set down her tea and the set list on the floor next to the microphone. In her mind she kept repeating the first line of the song, I settled down a twisted up frown. As she repeated the words in her head she clasped her hands around the microphone, practically kissing it she was that close.

Just before she opened her mouth to sing she heard and saw Rusty, she couldn't quite hear what he was shouting, but she laughed anyway, and stopped with just a split second left before she sang.

'I settled down a twisted up frown disguised as a smile, well you would have never known', the whole room seemed to take notice when she started to sing. It was like a big realisation that this band wasn't just some shitty indie mess, it was the real deal. People looked happy. Crysta unhooked the mic from the stand and started to walk around the stage.

'I had it all but not what I wanted 'cause hope for me was a place uncharted and overgrown...', she continued, really getting in to the music. The heat of the spotlights were already getting to her and she felt herself getting hot. In no time at all she'd be pouring with sweat, she was sure of it.

'You'd make your way in I'd resist you just like this! You can't tell me to feel the truth never set me free! So, I did it myself!', she aimed this part at Rusty, just wanting to make eye contact with someone she knew, she pointed at him in a dramatic fashion and then did a very 'rockstar' hair flip.</sup>

[Rusty McConaughey]

Rusty started to nod along with the music as Crysta bounced around the stage. They were really good! He'd never expected them to sound like.. like a real band. For some reason he'd had this thought in his head that they'd be just another garage band and she'd sound all cute and just sort of stand there at the mic. But boy was he wrong. They were damn good. And this song was incredibly catchy.

When Crysta pointed at Rusty, he smiled wide and sort of stopped bobbing. He was blushing too and though he knew she could probably barely even see him, he still hid his face and took another sip of his lemonade. She was definitely something. What the something was, he didn't know. But it was definitely something. Something more than his childhood friend, something more than his currently new best friend, something more than just Crysta.

[Crysta Ericson]

The gig was going really well. Crysta hadn't expected to feel so welcome in New York, but people were enjoying the show! A few people were crowded around the front of the stage and during intervals between songs Crysta found herself chatting to them. It was nice.

'This next song is also our last, so ... Yeah', Crysta said in to the mic, she looked at Rusty and nodded her head to the backstage area. Hopefully he'd get that he should meet her there. Strangely Crysta found herself worrying about what Rusty would think of messy hair, sweaty Crysta. What if he thought she was gross?! But what did it matter if he did think that, right? Before Crysta could over think any more the music kicked in for their final song.

'No sir! Well I don't wanna be the blame...'.

[Rusty McConaughey]

Rusty offered back a thumbs up when Crysta nodded towards the backstage area and decided he'd sit a bit and listen to the last song before he got up to go. He wanted to get back there before they finished, but he did at least want to hear a little more.

As the song carried on and Crysta made a bit more eye contact with Rusty, a boy with poorly bleached hair approached him. Rusty laughed at the fact that his hair used to look like that too. As he got closer, he started to shout something over the music. Something about if Rusty knew "the lead singer". Rusty nodded and threw back a "yea, she's my girlfriend!". That was a slip, and definitely a lie, but he rolled with it just to get a rise out of the guy who, quite excitedly, pulled Rusty into a bro-hug before returning to the pit.

About halfway through the song, Rusty stood from his seat, finished the last sip of his lemonade, and moved around the table towards the back of the stage. He was worried at first that he might not be able to get back there, but there was surprisingly no security and he got back there easier than he'd actually gotten into the bar. The backstage was exactly what he pictured it to be: chill, low light, lots of empty water bottles, and a couple nasty looking couches. Of course there were various instruments too, none of which he dared to touch. After taking a seat on what looked to be the cleanest couch, Rusty sat back and adjusted his beanie just as the song finished.

[Crysta Ericson]

<sup>The song ended and Crysta set the microphone back on its stand and flung her hands up in the air, ‘Thank you!’ she beamed at the crowd just as the stage was plunged in to darkness once again. Rushing with adrenaline she ran off stage, stumbling down the steps and through the curtain to the backstage area. Behind her were her brothers, followed by the drummer, whose name she hadn’t even had chance to find out.

‘That was so awesome!’ she cried, to no one in particular. With a huge grin on her face she held her hands up to slap high-fives with her brothers, to which they responded.

‘Almost as good as our last show in Franklin’, Tyler replied, wiping sweat off his face with the bottom of his t-shirt.
‘Probably better’, Matt replied, as he was busy tapping away on his phone, probably texting his fiancée all about the gig.

‘Rusty!’, Crysta said, having only just noticed him sat on a couch in the gloom, ‘What did you think?’, she asked, walking over and collapsing on the couch next to him.</sup>

[Rusty McConaughey]

Rusty was just about to stand up when Crysta was suddenly collapsing next to him. He offered a nod to her brothers, both of whom he didn't really know, just kinda knew about them. To avoid any sort of awkward eye contact, Rusty quickly turned from them to Crysta and smiled. "The show was great!" he said, jamming his fists into the air like she had then dropping them over her shoulders for a hug. She was awfully sweaty, but he didn't really care. He was usually sweaty, so its not like it bothered him.

"Seriously, that was so good!" he said again, pulling himself back from her and leaning back on the couch again. After pulling his hat off, Rusty ran a hand through his knotted, curly hair and shook it out a bit. "It felt so weird because I knew the lead singer of this rad band," he added with a chuckle before replacing the hat and winking (in a friendly way, mind you) at Crysta.

[Crysta Ericson]

<sup>'You think my band is rad?', Crysta fake swooned, placing the back of her hand on her forehead and flopping over to one side on the couch. Although she really was pleased he'd said that, people had said things like that before, but it really meant something coming from a friend.

'Hey! Tyler, Rusty thinks our band is rad!', she called out to her brother, she was still flopped over on the couch and maneuvered herself so that her legs were on top of Rusty's and her back was propped up against the armrest.

'I know band is rad', Tyler beamed at the two of them as he walked over with a beer in each hand, 'But thanks anyway man', he added tossing a beer to Rusty then one to Crysta.

'You're the kid from across the street, right?', Tyler asked Rusty, squinting at him a little, as if trying to remember. Crysta didn't comment as she was busy trying to open the bottle of beer with her teeth.</sup>

[Rusty McConaughey]

Rusty just barely caught the beer as it came flying his way. Actually it kind of smashed into his chest, but at least he'd held onto it. It smashing on the ground would've been awfully embarrassing. "Yea that's me," Rusty said when Tyler asked if he was the kid from across the street. "Been a while, huh?" he added, smiling up at him as he wrapped his hand in his shirt then twisted it over top of the bottle. When it popped open, Rusty turned his head to Crysta and laughed.

"Don't break your teeth off," he said, tipping his bottle back and taking a little sip. "D'you want help, chomper? Or do you plan to gnaw straight through the neck?"

[Crysta Ericson]

<sup>'I got it', came Crysta's muffled reply and there was a hissing sound and a pop and the bottle camp came off in her mouth. Without so much as a second thought Crysta spat it to the floor and took a long swig of the lukewarm beer, which was kind of gross.

'Tyler go away', she ordered her brother making shooing motions with her hand. Surprisingly Tyler obliged and wandered off to talk to some roadies.

'This beer is kinda really gross', she commented taking a smaller somewhat disgusted sip, 'I think it's been backstage for a couple years', she added, holding the bottle up and twisting it to see if there was a expiry date.</sup>

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