Pictures And Some Memories

Seventeen: Conflicted Interests.

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"Yo, who sent the girl in to do a man's work?" I heard one of the crew members shout as I pushed an amp up the ramp to the stage.

"The band, asshole," I shouted back, rolling my eyes. Although my biceps were screaming because it'd been a few months since I'd done a load-in, I still managed to get one of the biggest amps loaded in faster than that asshat did.

"Jeremy, seriously, Andi's a tough chick, don't underestimate her," Jason Berry called out after him in my defense.

"Thanks, man," I said as we jogged back down to the trailer. He winked at me before we hoisted the cases that housed both Brian and Zacky's guitars up to the stage.

It may sound weird, but I absolutely loved the rush I felt while we got everything up and running for the band to perform. They were the first band to perform on the headlining stage at this festival, and despite it being 45 degrees, the fans were already crowding around and waiting. A few even went ballistic when they spotted Zacky walking up not long later, as we were doing a soundcheck (even though at festivals, you never really get to soundcheck).

"Just came to make sure that you weren't struggling to tune anything," he said in an arrogant tone, and although I was 95% sure he didn't exactly mean it to be, I immediately went into angry overdrive, trying to prove myself.

So, as any other person would logically do, I picked up his guitars and began to play the songs I knew he'd use for each, a bit of each song teasing the fans surrounding. "You really don't know how to listen to someone, huh? I already told you that I busted my ass before we even left to get everything right."

He looked at me in awe. "You've really come far since you were just replacing my guitar strings in my parent's basement."

"It helps you taught me a good amount of what I know when we dated," I quipped with a shrug.

"Alright, Andi, it's time to stop flirting with the talent and start back on load-in," the same asshat from before threw over his shoulder before he went to retrieve something from the trailer.

"Who the fuck is that guy?" I asked as Zacky visibly fumed.

"Temporary hands, hired last minute like you were. Has he been bothering you?"

"He's a sexist douchebag shithead, that's what he is," I growled as I began taping down cords along the stage to both label and prevent the band/crew from tripping over them.

"Jason, she's taping down the cords with duct tape! She's going to strip them if she's not careful."

Jason looked at Asshat and gave him the most pained look I've ever seen. From what I could remember, JB never wasted time to tell someone off if they were an idiot and I could that he was trying, at a professional standpoint, to resist the urge to do so right at this moment. "Shut the fuck up and get back to work, Jeremy. You act as if you've never toured before."

"Also, if I hear that you're being a dickhead to Andi again, you're fired. I don't care that you think you're so good and tough, because no one else gives a shit. This chick has more years of experience than you do and I don't care if the label hired you, I'll make sure you never work for us again. Show some respect," Zacky snarled at the kid, who only ground his jaw defiantly before turning and walking away.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to do that," I assured him, but he stopped me before I could say anything else.

"Yes, I did, Andi. Who knows what kind of shit that guy would've continued to spew to you if I didn't step in? I know you can hold you own, but he's a special kind of asshole that doesn't respond well to strong, independent women," he said, then added, "Much like your boyfriend back in New York."