New Rules NYC (#Wattys2015 Winner)

KEY ELEMENTS FOR THE ULTIMATE NIGHT

CHAPTER 56: MASON

Just in the door Lana sat high on her stool, legs crossed, back straight - taking cash and dishing out black star stamps. Part of her job was to post a bunch of stuff to make sure all our crew showed up early enough to set the tone. The big plastic money jar was starting to fill up, I grabbed a white plastic one out of the kitchen and swapped it out. Being able to see all the cash made it too much of a target.

A group of about six guys with boards rolled in asking for Dave, I pulled two jumbo sized tequila bottles off a big stack of PBR cans, kicked a bunch of cardboard out of the way and loaded them on top of their boards. My phone was blowing up in my pocket, which was a good sign that the word was getting around, that or Ben had found out we were having a party at his house, here's hoping for the former. Being shutdown before we got started would be suicide.

My room had been transformed into a kind of VIP section for the acts, I had to pull a couch out to get to my wardrobe. Which t-shirt to wear? I needed to get out of this sweat soaked one, catching a whiff as I pulled it off. I sprayed myself with deodorant, just layering one smell on top of the next, it's what we called a homeless shower back in the day. I went for a visibly clean black version, pulling ti over my head and picturing the whole place packed as I emerged.

It wasn't until the first DJ warmed up the system with a Ryan Hemsworth track, that I actually thought about it getting too crazy, I been worried about not making enough, but now it was 8pm and the place was already half full, all sorts of people rolling in from day drinking sessions – there was a picture of carnage to be considered. A large friend of ours Danny was tasked with informal security, running a phony door list type operation, which would play well if anyone showed up that I wanted to make feel special, Emma had said some of her crew might come by. Danny was a big dude, but I questioned even his ability to handle things if they took a dark turn.

* * *

The rooftop was rammed by the time we got back up there, a line in Ben's room to get out the window and a line up top to come down. A dude with a plain white Supreme t-shirt flew off the top of the ramp extension, taking flight against the sunset as cheers went up. I could by Matt's smile that he had nailed the shot, he stood up and panned across the crowd then focused on the rider as he stood on the other side and held his board up above his head.

This was some brilliant shit. A dude was throwing down some high energy beat boxing as two guys were alternating in a freestyle battle, gorgeous girls in snapbacks and singlets, shaking it and shouting the lyrics to the hook. The energy was building, everyone here was going to be part of something epic - present - no thoughts of some othe places to be. This was the good buzz, and pretty soon a valve would be released, ripping this place open with a flood of big tunes.

"Billy, what's happening. Stoked you guys made it out." I said.

"Made it out?! Of course we made it. Wouldn't miss it. This is next level. I can't believe you craned a fucken ramp onto your roof. You crazy bastard. I wish I had your landlord."

I gave Stef a kiss, the skin on her back still warm from a day in the sun.

"Wait till you guys see what we have in store downstairs. This is just getting going. I'm expecting you guys to turn up on that dance floor."

"Damn straight. It's been way too long."

* * *

The place was starting to steam below. It wasn't crazy uncomfortable yet, but it was going to get hella sweaty when everyone was dancing - these fans were not going to cut it. I considered how we could create some kind of mist machine, like the ones they have at festival, then abandoned the thought, deciding the floor would get too slippery.

Groups were starting to pour in the door. Smiles spread across faces as they arrived. We had setup an elevated level about chest height close to the decks, it was already packed and the system sounded awesome. The bar was being overrun but still functioning, the blender pumping out margaritas. I had ordered a whole bunch of 'Phrosties' off Instagram, these super potent frozen drinks that this random guy delivers to your door, I thought he had been shutdown but he just switched to a new handle. I had him mix up all extra special bulk batch for us. Who knows what he put in them.

<Ross (HudMo)>

<Just landed. Gotta catch a mate. Will drop by later on? What's address again?>

Crazy shit.