Found- Crygi

Chapter 2

Crystal POV-
We got a few days off while the second group of queens film their premier episode, and after filmed our first episode all together. The day after 'World's Worst' I wake up with a headache. There's no reason why, I didn't drink last night, probably from lack of sleep. Nothing some hotel breakfast can't fix right? I pull on some cloths and brush my teeth and hair. The room is cold, so I turn down the air conditioning, hoping it will help later.
Down at the lobby, I see Gigi eating alone. "Care if I eat with you?" I ask. "Nobody else is up yet.
"Oh!" They say. "Yeah of course, sorry I'm still sleep deprived."
"Thank god I'm not the only one." I reply. "I was going to stay in bed longer but I had a headache and couldn't sleep."
"That sucks. Feeling any better?"
"I'm sure I will after I eat."
The pancakes from the hotel are weird and chewy and the syrup made them soggy. So much for a good breakfast. I eat it anyway and I can tell Gigi isn't enjoying their breakfast either. Tomorrow I'm going to find somewhere else to get food.
Gigi looks at their phone for a moment and looks like they're about to fall asleep. "You aren't a morning person are you?" I say, making them jump back awake. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
"No it's fine." They reply. "I usually am I just didn't sleep well."
"Nerves?" I ask.
"I think so." I can see that they don't want to admit it, but it's pretty clear.
     "You want to go somewhere today? There's a little park a few minutes away. It's kinda hidden behind some buildings but it's nice."
     A small smile pricks to the surface. "Yeah sure. How'd you find it?"
     "I like to know where little places are. I think they're little gems in big cities."
     "Of course you do." They mutter, but I can see them blushing. "Well I'm done eating. I'm going to go change into actual clothes and then I'll text you and we can go whenever you're ready?"
     I hadn't noticed they were wearing pajamas until now. "Yeah of course. See you." I say as they walk away.

My phone dings in my pocket. I know who it is before I check. It's Gigi, ready to go to the park. I text them back that I'm ready to go and to meet me at the hotel entrance.
They meet me, all dressed up now, still looking tired but there's excitement behind their eyes too. "Lead the way Miss Crystal." They say, pulling one of my curls.
"Google maps will lead the way." I reply, pulling up the directions on my phone. "I don't know the best way to get there."
     For a while we walk in silence, but after a bit Gigi starts talking. She asks if I miss my family and it hurts to be reminded. I respond with a yes, but don't feel like going into everything right now. It's just kind of hard. Gigi notices and changes the subject. "Tell me a bit about yourself."
     I'm not sure how I would describe anything about myself. "What do you mean?"
     "What are some of your favorite things?"
     "Oh uh, I like the whole 80's aesthetic. Except you probably knew that already. I don't know, anything weird and different."
     Gigi flashes their white teeth and giggles. "What do you mean weird."
     "Stuff that other people don't think of. Anything that's just kinda off putting for a minute until you realize it's actually art. Like there's effort in it."
     "Hm. Never thought of it that way." They mention. "But it makes sense."
     "How about you?" I ask. "Tell me about yourself."
     Gigi looks surprised. "Oh? Well I mean fashion is my favorite part of drag. And my mom helps me make my stuff. I guess I've always been like that, just a little obsessed." They state, pinching their fingers together to show how "little" their obsession is.
     "Yeah sure, a little." I reply. "What's your favorite type of music?"
     "Easy." They jump to the answer eagerly. "A mix of sad sappy and hype songs. Obviously those are 2 separate things I don't think they mix."
     "Not what I would've expected." I reply. "But awesome. Oh we're here."
      I'd forgotten we were following the directions but we made it to the park regardless. There's a little play set with one family of kids on it but all the benches and picnic tables are empty. We sit at one, the hot metal burning the bottom of my thighs.
Gigi looks at me expectantly. "What?" I question.
They smile at me and say "what's the fun of a park if we're going to sit at a picnic bench. There's literally a man made pond with a sad looking duck in it!"
"What are we going to do with that?" I reply, standing up from the bench. "Come on let's sit by the water then."
"Wow." Gigi says.
"What?"
"They really made no effort to make this lake look even slightly natural. It's like a puddle."
I find myself laughing at them, and grabbing a handful of pebbles to throw into the water.
"How are you?" Gigi says, breaking the silence between us.
"I'm pretty good." I reply.
"Actually?"
"Well I'm not bad." I admit. "I'm just worried about the competition. Those words from Michelle are just getting to me. I thought putting on all that makeup would be helpful, turns out it's not."
"Do you want to wear that much makeup all the time? In drag I mean." They question, turning to face me. They genuinely want to know.
I can't really find the right words. "Not really. But I don't know what else to do. It's not what I want my style to be, but it makes me feel safe. You know what I mean?"
They nod. "Sometimes I think you just have to go for it. We aren't here to play it safe. I know it feels most comfortable to wear that specific makeup, but everyone can tell you're capable of so so much more." I nod, agreeing with them.
"I guess I just want to stop doing drag like I thought other people wanted me to."
"I think what everyone wants you to do is do your drag. We all know you have crazy ideas and none of them are going to be typical for drag race. But that's what will give you a chance at winning."
I sigh. "Thanks Gigi."
They grin and give me a hug. "If you ever need anything I'm always here for you."
"It's kinda nice to be away from the studio and the hotel don't you think?" I say.
Gigi nods in agreement and checks their phone. "I think we should probably head back soon. I just got a text from Heidi, she says everyone is going to a party tonight."