“Guys, are you sure about this?” Rustie looks at his friend’s reflection behind him in the make-up mirror.

“Look, we need a female in the group and you’re the closest thing we got to a girl. We don’t have time to get anyone else and you already know the songs back and forth.” Jason looks towards Rustie sitting at the make-up mirror.

“Besides, you look so much like a girl and sound like one, that no one will know the difference.” Lou looks over towards Rustie as well.

“Just stop complaining all ready and finish getting ready, Rustie. We go on in fifteen minutes.” Russell wanted to win this contest.

They have been practicing their asses off for months and they needed to have an edge that made them stand out. Most of the bands they were going up against were all boys. If they had a girl in their group, it would give them an edge and show they weren’t like everyone else.

Rustie goes back to getting ready. He couldn’t believe he was doing this again. The last time he dressed like a girl was to act as Lou’s date for their junior prom. Normally, he wouldn’t be doing something like this. But because his suitcase got mixed up with another person’s suitcase by the shipping company, they used to send all their instruments and luggage. He had no choice but to dress as a girl, since that was what the clothes were inside the suitcase.

“Are you guys and ladies ready yet?” Dawn sticks her head in the dressing room to check on the next band.

Lou looks over towards Rustie before answering. He hopes their plan will work “Yes, we're ready.”

“Alright, I need you out here in five minutes.” Dawn shuts the door behind her as she heads towards the stage.

“Come on, guys. Let’s go show these people what we can do.” Lou leaves the room followed by Jason, Russell, and finally Rustie.

Rustie was having a hard time walking in the heels that were in the luggage. He has only worn heels one other time and it’s been six months since then. He hurries behind the guys and when they approach the stage, he picks up his guitar.

“Alright, let's show these judges what we can do.” Lou was at the mic.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our next band is from Wichita, Kansas. Let’s give a huge welcome to The Rattlers.”

Just as the curtains open, Lou gives the signal for the band to start playing. Jason starts the music, followed by Russell on the drums, and finally, Rustie as she starts playing. The song they played was one Jason wrote and it was strong and had a good rhythm and tune to it.

The song called for all of them to add their voice to the song and Rustie did just that, but sounding more feminine. Lou looks over towards Rustie and gives her the thumbs up.

They were allowed to play two songs. So, after they finish the first one, they go into the second one smoothly. The second one showed off their talent and gave each member a chance to show off their skills with their instruments.

By the time they were finished, they were requested to play one more song by the crowd and judges. A smile appears on everyone’s face, as they start playing another song. Lou ups his game and the others catch on. They get the place rocking and by the time they finished playing, you could feel the energy in the place.

By the end of the judging, The Rattlers end up winning the contest. The prize was free recording time at any studio, owned by Dusty Gaskets Productions, plus fifty thousand dollars. The second place consisted of twenty-five thousand dollars, and the third place received ten thousand.

Rustie wakes up the next morning in the hotel room he was staying in. He could hear Jason snoring and noticed Russell had his head buried under a pillow. Rustie gets up off the floor where he slept last night and stumbles towards the bathroom.

He shuts the bathroom door and sits down on the toilet to pee. His head was still buzzing after the party they went to last night after the competition. He couldn’t believe that he managed to fool everyone last night.

He was glad that he took acting lessons when the local community center offered them. He finishes doing his business and washes his hands afterward. He walks back into the hotel room and sits back down on the blankets he slept on last night. He knew the others were going to be out for a while.

He pops open the suitcase and looks inside it. Everything inside the suitcase was clothes meant for a young girl his age. How his suitcase and hers got mixed up, he had no idea. He carefully digs through the clothes and finds some exercise shorts and a top he could wear to go jogging.

He takes the clothes out, along with the tennis shoes that are just a little snug on his feet. He goes back into the bathroom and changes into them. He was lucky that he knew how to tuck his small penis and testicles.

Rustie writes a note informing the guys where he went. He knew they had to leave the hotel by noon or they would be charged for another day. They barely had enough money to drive out to the competition and rent a hotel room. But luckily Lou was able to get a small loan from his father, which all of them promised to help pay back.

Rustie puts his ear pods in his ears and listens to some of his favorite music, including the songs they wrote. He had his rusty color hair tied in a ponytail. It bounced with each step he took. He wonders if from now on he is going to have to dress like a girl every time they perform.

By the time Rustie arrives back at the hotel. All the guys were awake and dressed. He was sweating and thirsty. He walks over to the cooler they brought with them takes a cold water out and adds a flavor packet to the bottle.

“You know, for a person who wasn’t born a girl. You sure as hell look like one dressed like that.” Russell liked how Rustie was dressed.

“Thanks, I guess. So, what is the plan now? Am I going to need to dress like a girl for every gig from now on?” Rustie takes a sip from the bottle of cold water.

“You might have to, Rustie. Anywhere we go from now on are going to be expecting a cute red-haired girl in our group. You knew a bunch of pictures were taken last night?”

“Great! How am I supposed to explain this to my family?” Rustie looks at Lou since this hair-brain idea was his idea.

“We’ll explain to them what happened when we shipped our bags and instruments ahead. Plus, it gave us a lot of exposers last night and won us recording time at any studio Dusty Gaskets owns.” Lou could only see the good parts of Rustie dressing and performing as a girl.

“How many do they own?” Russell was curious about that.

“I know they own Blue Grass and Roaming Rock studios back home.” Jason has been researching what studios Dusty Gaskets owns.

“Not to count that the prize money will pay off some of our bills and the loan I got from my father.” Lou had to remind the guys of that.

“I almost forgot about your father, Lou.” Jason looks towards Lou and knew without the loan Lou’s father gave them. They wouldn’t have been able to come.

“You might as well, stay dressed as a girl until we get home, Rustie.” Lou saw how Rustie was dressed.

“It looks like I have no choice. I’m taking a shower before we leave.” Rustie takes his ear pods out and puts them back in their case to recharge.

“Alright, we’re going to grab some breakfast. Do you want anything?” Russell looks towards Rustie.

“Where are you guys going?”

“Up the street to McDonald's.” Jason had spotted it when they arrived the day before yesterday.

“Yeah, grab me a sausage and egg biscuit combo, please.”

“What do you want to drink?” Jason typed the order into his cellphone.

“Sweet Iced Tea, please. Here, let me get you some money.” Rustie moves to grab his wallet.

“I got you covered. See you in twenty.”

“Thanks.” Rustie watches as the guys walk out of the hotel room.

Rustie picks the suitcase up and takes off the exercise clothes he was wearing. How was he going to explain to his folks about being dressed as a girl? He steps into the bathroom and takes a quick shower.

Midnight, Rustie’s Place:
It was midnight by the time Lou and the guys dropped Rustie off at home. Rustie enters the house and quietly walks upstairs with the suitcase that he ended up with. His instrument, along with all his musical gear would be delivered tomorrow afternoon.

He strips out of the sundress he had worn home. He was glad his parents were asleep right now. He was too tired to explain why he was dressed like a girl; not like they care. They were used to him dressing up like a girl. He’s been doing it since he was six years old.

Rustie grabs the shorts he normally wears to bed and puts them on. He also puts on his Yoga Bear t-shirt he designed and silk-screened himself. He loved making his own t-shirts and personalized stationery. Before crawling into bed, he removes the makeup still on his face.

Once the make-up is removed, he crawls into bed and hugs his leopard plushie. In no time he is out like a light. After sleeping on the floor of the hotel room, his bed was a welcome comfort.

When he woke the next morning, it was because of his alarm clock going off. Even though he had his wakeup time set on his cell phone. He stretches his hand out from underneath the covers and presses the snooze button. His fingernails were still covered in the bubblegum pink color from the nail polish he painted his nails.

Nine minutes later, the alarm starts going off again. Rustie gets out of bed and changes out of his night clothes and into a pair of running shorts and a sports bra. The thing was, the reason he wore a sports bra, was because with his figure, he didn’t look right.

He wasn’t built like his older brother or father. His older brother was a football player while he was in high school. Now, his brother Bart was attending Ohio State University on a football scholarship. His brother also won money from a scratch-off he received as a gift. So, between the scratch-off and the scholarship, his brother was set for his education.

The thing was, his brother took after their father. Both his father and brother were what you called manly men. They had strong muscular builds and played sports in college and high school. His father had been a professional wrestler and toured the wrestling circuit. That’s how he met his mother.

Rustie puts his long rusty color hair in a high ponytail and grabs his cell phone. He leaves the house and starts his run. His mother and father were at work and his neighbors were used to seeing him dressed as a girl. They knew he was a strange person, but didn’t care that he sometimes dressed and acted like a girl. The one karen who did have a problem with Rustie moved.

They learned that you didn’t mess with the child of a lawyer. Rustie waves to some of his neighbors working outside either washing their vehicles or tending to their lawns. He runs to his turn-around point which is five miles away and turns around to jog back towards his house. He knew he was going to need to take a shower and later on, stop by Lou’s place to pick his instrument up and gear up.

Lou’s dad handled all their shipment needs. He owned the delivery service for Greyhound Bus Station. Rustie hopes the young woman who got his suitcase by accident enjoys his clothes.

By the time Rustie returns home, he goes upstairs and takes a nice relaxing shower. While he is washing his body, he wishes his body didn’t look so weird. He had long slender legs and, a small waist, and his hips were shapely.

He has tried everything, except getting testosterone shots. No matter how many times he used his brother’s weights, he couldn’t build his muscles up to the level of his brother and father. If nothing else, his body was developing more and more like his mother’s body.

After Rustie finishes his shower, he puts on an off-the-shoulder shirt and a pair of leggings out of the suitcase. Most of the clothes he owned and wore could be worn by either gender. He walks into the kitchen fixes himself a bowl of cereal and eats it.

While Rustie is eating his breakfast, his cell phone starts ringing. He presses accept “Hello?”

“Rustie, what are you doing right now?”

“Well, hello to you too, Ivy.” Rustie wonders sometimes why he is still friends with Ivy after the dirty trick he pulled on him.

“Sorry. So, what are you doing right now?” Ivy needed a second hand.

“Eating breakfast. What is it you need me for?” Rustie may not have trusted Ivy that much, but he was still his childhood friend.

“I need help cleaning out several storage lockers I just brought. Look, I know I pulled a dirty trick on you and Brandy and this is my way of making
it up. If there’s anything in the storage locker I bought that you want. I’ll let you have it without question.” Ivy really needed Rustie’s help and he knew Rustie collected certain things.

“Fine, I’ll help you. You’re going to have to come by my house and pick me up. My parents are spending the day with my aunt Betty and her husband.”

“That’s fine. I’ll be by your place in twenty minutes.” Ivy didn’t live that far away.

“Okay, Oh! I need to go by Lou’s house later to pick up my instrument and gear.” Rustie couldn’t wait to pick his gear up and part of the winnings as well.

“No problem.” Ivy didn’t mind helping Rustie.

“See you in twenty minutes.” Rustie ends the phone call.

After Rustie rinses out his cereal bowl. He goes back up to his bedroom and changes his clothes again. He puts on faded denim overalls that used to belong to his mother and a baggy short-sleeved shirt under it. He also puts on the tennis shoes he wears when he does yard work.

Once Rustie was redressed, he went back downstairs with his small backpack that had his wallet, house keys, and work gloves in it. He also brought along a mask as well. Sometimes the storage lockers had a buildup of dust inside them.

Rustie waits outside for Ivy to show up. He spots Ivy turning onto the street he lives on. Rustie watches as the transport van Ivy is driving stops in front of his place.

“Where did you steal the van from?” Rustie gets in on the passenger side.

“My uncle Charlie is loaning me his van.” Ivy notices how feminine Rustie looks wearing the clothes he has on.

He has known Rustie since they were kids in elementary school. He always found Rustie a little strange, but as they started to get older, he noticed Rustie was getting weirder and weirder.

“Will the storage units you bought fit in here?” Rustie wonders how much this van cost because it would make a good band van.

“Yeah, both units will fit.” Ivy puts the van into gear and drives towards the storage unit.

“What’s the gas mileage like?” Rustie was enjoying sitting in the passenger seat.

“Don’t know, but right now I’m getting twenty-two miles per gallon.” Ivy wonders why Rustie is so interested in the van.

“How did the band contest go?” Ivy knew the band Rustie was part of and competed against several other bands in Georgia.

“We won first place.” Rustie was happy they won because they went up against twenty other bands that were pretty good.

“Man, I wish I could have gone and heard you guys play.” Ivy was proud that he knew members of a band.

“We're playing next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at Deamon’s Tavern. There’s a ten-dollar cover charge, but it’s a nice place.” Rustie had been surprised when Lou told them about the gig on the way back from Georgia.

“I’m going to need to come and hear you guys play. Do the guys in your band know about your crossdressing?” Ivy knew Rustie liked to cross-dress.

“Yes, they all know about me cross-dressing. Is that why you did that dirty trick to me and Brandy?” Rustie knew Brandy still hadn’t gotten over what Ivy had done to her.

“Look, I’m sorry for what I did. I know Brandy didn't want people to know she was a crossdresser. But come on, Rustie. You and her should trade bodies because I know you enjoy dressing like a girl.”

“I won’t deny that I like crossdressing, but I also like acting and performing for people. The thing is, Brandy’s parents aren’t as open-minded as my parents are. Letting her secret out like you and Dave did wasn’t nice.” Rustie turned to look at Ivy as he drove.

“If I did something so mean to you and her. Why are you willing to help me?” Ivy glances toward Rustie.

“Because we have been friends since elementary school, you dummy. I’m willing to forgive you, but you’ll have to earn Brandy’s forgiveness.”
Rustie knew Brandy and her older sister wanted to tear Ivy’s hair out for exposing Brandy’s secret.

Ivy finally pulls into the storage unit and enters the code he was given. He waits for the gate to open and heads towards the two units he bought. If the stuff in the lockers were deceitful, he would sell them at the swap meet next week.

Rustie watches as Ivy drives towards the storage units. He knew Ivy sold whatever he found in the storage lockers at the swap meet. Ivy’s grandmother and mother got him hooked on selling things at the swap meet.

“Here we are.” Ivy parks the van and gets out.

Rustie gets out as well and stands nearby watching as Ivy unlocks the storage unit. Rustie lets out a whistle when Ivy opens the locker.

“Man, that is going to take some time to go through.” Rustie couldn’t believe how much stuff was stuffed in the locker.

“Well, let's see what is inside.” Ivy grabs his gloves and starts pulling things out.

Alco’s Self Storage:
“Man, I am so sore from moving all those heavy boxes and that piano.” Rustie looks at Ivy as he sweeps up the last of the trash in the second locker.

Rustie didn’t know that when someone bought a storage locker, they had to throw away all the trash in the locker as well. It was a good thing the storage unit manager had a wheel barrel they could use to haul all the trash to the dumpster.

“I know what you mean, Rustie. I’ve been doing this since I could walk helping my parents and grandmother. What are you going to do with all those instruments we found?” Ivy couldn’t believe how many musical instruments and amps he and Rustie found buried in the storage locker.

“The piano will come in handy writing music after I pay to have it tuned. As for the guitar in the white case. That’s a beginner’s guitar, it's not really good for doing our kind of performances on. I was thinking about giving it and the two trombones to our school musical department. I’ll tell them they are from you. As for the sax, I’ve always wanted to be able to play like Kenny G. He rocks the sax plus the girl from Dusty Gaskets plays the sax as well.” Rustie saw some of the performances Dusty Gaskets did online for their fans. They were into the steam punk culture, but some of their music was good.

“And the box of comic books?” Ivy knew Rustie collected comic books and t-shirts with comic book characters or organizations on them.

“Those go into my personal collection. I know I’m a nerd, but I love comic books.” Rustie had a soft spot for comics.

“Too bad you can’t draw as good as some of those comic artists. You could make a killing.” Ivy carries over the last bit of trash to the wheel barrel to be dumped.

“It’s hard getting into the comic book field, but remember Georgie from our art class in elementary school?”

“Yeah, what about him?” Ivy remembered Georgie from their elementary days.

“Well, he owns an animation studio and he does animation for several anime shows and himself. He works with some of the popular cosplay and anime people around. I’ve been communicating with him about doing an animation for our band. There’s a particular song we play that would look good as an animation cartoon.” Rustie hasn’t run the idea by the others yet, but the song would be perfect with an animation cartoon backing it.

“Damn! I didn’t know he had his own studio.” Ivy never bothered to keep in touch with most of the people he went to school with.

“I always liked how he drew characters and came up with storylines for the characters he created. He’s a very creative person. I should see if he’s willing to do the job for the band.” Rustie loads the rest of the stuff into the transport van.

Ivy walks over puts the broom and dustpan in the van and shuts it. He looks towards Rustie “What about the wheel barrel?”

“I got it covered. Meet me up front.” Rustie walks over to the wheelbarrow and lifts it. He starts walking towards the office and puts it back in the storage unit he got it out of.

Rustie walks into the office to let the manager on duty know that he returned it. Afterward, he walks back out to the van and gets in.

“Where to?” Ivy looks at Rustie as he makes himself comfortable.

“How about the piano shop first and then some lunch afterward?” Rustie looks at Ivy when he says that.

“What are you in the mood for?” Ivy drives towards the piano shop in town.

“How about Mexican? I know this great Mexican food truck that serves homemade tacos and such.”

“Sounds good. I could go for a good burrito.” Ivy loved the California burritos that Los Portales made and sold.

“You really know how to show a girl a good time.” Rustie just shakes his head.

“I hate to break this to you, Rustie. But you’re not a real girl.” Ivy didn’t mind being seen with Rustie or having him as a friend, but sometimes he had to remind Rustie that he wasn’t a girl.

“Just because I wasn’t born with a girl’s body, doesn’t mean I don’t identify as a girl. I don’t know how many times I can explain how I feel inside.” Rustie knew Ivy didn’t mean any harm.

“I still think that you and Brandy should swap bodies. It would be easier on the two of you.” Ivy knew Brandy had first come out being a lesbian
and then later that how she truly felt was that she should have been born a male.

“If it was that easy, I know several women who would do it. Some of them were normal, so they didn’t have to face the discrimination they faced for being a woman. Also, I bet they would love to see how some of the rapist and abusive husbands would feel when the tables were turned on them.”

Ivy stops at the piano shop first and helps Rustie move the piano from the van to the store. Inside the shop owner tests the piano and gives Rustie an estimate. Rustie knew his share of the prize money would cover the cost of fixing the piano.

Afterward, they stop at one of the two Mexican food trucks to grab some lunch. Ivy buys a huge burrito, while Rustie buys a six-pack of tacos. He loved tacos and it didn’t matter what type of tacos they were either.

Rustie looked at his cell phone to see what time it was and noticed it was close to the time Lou wanted everyone to meet at his house. Rustie looks at Ivy “Can you drop me off at Lou’s house, please?”

“Sure, but what do you want me to do with the items you want?” Ivy knew he needed to get the van back to his uncle.

“Can you meet me at my house in about an hour?” Rustie knew the meeting wouldn’t be that long.

“Or, I could just hang around and give you a ride back to your house.” Ivy didn’t mind waiting.

“Sounds better. We already know what we are going to play at Deamon’s this week.”

Ivy drives Rustie over to Lou’s place to pick up his musical instrument and amps. Also, to pick up his share of the winnings as well. He’ll pitch the idea of the van as well. That way they could transport all their instruments together and unload everything when they get home.

Lou’s House:
When Ivy and Rustie arrive at Lou’s place. Rustie spots Jason’s motorcycle in the driveway. Russell’s older brother’s pickup was parked next to Lou’s car. Ivy parks on the street in front of the house.

The two of them walk towards Lou’s house. Rustie rings the doorbell and a few minutes later, Russell opens the door.

“It’s about time you showed up. We were wondering if you were going to come. Oh, hi Ivy.” Russell moves aside to let Rustie and Ivy into the house.

“I was helping Ivy, here.” Rustie walks into the house followed by Ivy.

“So, what are you guys up to, Russell?” Ivy examines the interior as they are led through the house.

“Not much, our booking agent got us another gig for next month.” Russell escorts Rustie and Ivy towards the backyard.

Once they are outside, Lou looks at them “It’s about time you arrived. Go ahead and grab yourself a drink, because I got some news for everyone.”

“I’m fine.” Rustie sits down in a nearby lounger.

Ivy grabs a cold beer and sits down near Rustie. He wonders what Lou has on his mind.

“As you all know, we won studio time at any studio Dusty Gaskets Productions owns. I found out that’s three days’ worth of time for us. If we want to buy more time, we can do so at half the going rate. Now, as for the monetary prize. I have cashier checks here for everyone. Half the money is being spent to cover all the debts we owe and pay my father back for the loan he gave us. We still have eighteen thousand we can use for the band.”

“Can I make a suggestion? Why don’t we all chip in some of our winnings and buy a transport van like Ivy’s uncle owns? It’s big enough for us to travel in and to hold our equipment. Plus, if we had to, God help us if we need to, sleep in it as well.”

“How much are we talking about?” Jason looks at Rustie when he suggests the van idea.

“I don’t know, I’ll have to shop around for a reasonable price. Also, I was thinking about getting in touch with Georgie and seeing if he wouldn’t mind doing an animation short film for us for our song Fighting Tiger. I think with some modifications to the song we can turn it into a cool animation.” Rustie already knew how she would modify Fighting Tiger.

“Are you talking about Georgie Connors? The guy we went to elementary school?” You knew who Georgie was.

“The very same. He owns Artlinix studios and does work for cosplay people and a few organizations as well.”

“You know this person, Rustie?” Russell looks at Rustie when he asks that question.

“Yeah, I know him. He and I have kept in contact over the years. I consider him a friend and I think his animation style will benefit us with a few songs we have written.” Rustie looks at everyone when he says that.

“All right, if you think if it will help us. I’m willing to give it a try. Here is our schedule for this month and part of next month. Depending on what traffic is like at Deamon’s. We’ll be playing there for the rest of the month. Then we have a weekend gig in Benton for Friday and Saturday at a place called the Brewery Kettle. After that we are back here for a three-day gig at Lousie’s Sports bar. It’s going to be an outside event, so bring bug repellant.

Our school principal has contacted me and asked if we wouldn’t mind playing with the orchestra. They are putting on a show and would like us to be part of it.”

“I didn’t know that. I have some instruments to deliver to the school; I’ll check on that. It will be cool to play with our orchestra.” Rustie thought it was a good idea.

“I think the van is a good idea. See how much it will cost us.” Jason liked the idea.

“All right, is there anything else we need to cover?” Lou looks at everyone present.

“Not that I’m aware of.” Russell looks at everyone.

“I do. Are you going to start dressing as a girl all the time, Rustie? Because the band was shown with you dressed as a girl.” Jason wanted to know.

“I might, because if people figure out, we didn’t have a real girl in the band. It might hurt us.” Rustie was already semi-dressed as a girl.

“Well, if you are. I think it will help us a lot and we’ll need to keep it a secret as well. That includes you as well, Ivy.” Jason, Russell, and Lou looks towards Ivy. They heard what he did to embarrasses Rustie and Brandy.

“I promise Rustie’s secret won’t come from me.”

Club Craft 65:

I'm a street-walking cheetah
With a heart full of napalm
I'm a runaway son of the nuclear A-bomb
I am a world's forgotten boy
The one who searches and destroys

Honey, gotta help me, please
Somebody gotta save my soul
Baby, detonate for me!

Look out, honey, 'cause I'm using technology
Ain't got time to make no apology
Soul radiation in the dead of night
Love in the middle of a firefight

By the time the Rattlers were done performing their number. They all head back to the band room and collapse on the worn-out furniture.

“Man! My feet are killing me.” Rustie takes the shoes she was wearing off. She rubbed her feet to ease the pain her feet were feeling.

Lou looks over at Rustie and tosses her a cold water bottle. He knew Rustie had been dressing full-time as a girl since they won the contest.

“Are those shoes new?” Lou knew all the members had bought new clothes and accessories for their instruments.

“Yes, and they are killing me.” Rustie puts her shoes back on after rubbing her feet.

She gets up walks over to the private bathroom and cleans her hands. Ever since she came out to her parents about being a girl full-time, after telling them what happened at the band contest. Her mother in particular had seen how she dressed and acted. So, they weren’t surprised when she told them. They talked about it and she agreed to see a doctor that specialized in gender dysphoria.

Her mother said she would help her adapt to being a woman, so she doesn’t get called out. They had gone out and spent the day at the spa and later at the salon to find a hairstyle that would be easy for her to do for her gigs and when she wasn’t performing.

“You should have broken them in before this gig.” Jason knew what it was like to wear new shoes.

Rustie just glared at him. She was dressed in all leather tonight and most of it was brand new. She looked like a rock goddess from the eighties.
As for the guys, Lou was dressed like Axel Rose used to dress when he first started. Jason, on the other hand, was dressed in leather like
herself, but just in a leather vest and tight leather pants. Russell on the other hand was dressed all in black and a loose Metallica t-shirt that the sides exposed his sides.

Rustie had worked hard on her makeup and bought professional makeup, so it didn’t run when she sweated. The place where she normally bought her stage gear when she performed, had turned her onto a new product.

“I’m changing, before we leave.” Rustie was hungry and she knew they were going out later to get something to eat.

“I don’t blame you, Rustie. If you wore that outfit to a restaurant, all the men would would be hitting on you.” Jason was getting a hard-on from just looking at Rustie.

Rustie grabs her gym bag and steps into the bathroom to clean up. She changes out of her rock goddess clothes and takes a sponge bath to freshen up. When she put her feet into her tennis shoes, her feet were thankful.

Once she is changed, she steps out of the bathroom to help the guys put their gear away. Ever since she decided to go full-time as a girl. The guys were being nicer to her.

“I’m glad we bought the van, now.” Everyone looked at how stuffed the back of the van was.

“I’m just happy it came with a backup camera.” Lou was glad they got a better vehicle to travel in.

“So, where’s our next gig?” Jason looks towards Lou since he is technically their leader.

“The Escape. Our booking agent got us a three-day gig with them. Also, there’s a hotel across the street that is giving us a discount because we are performing at the club.”

“I hope there is something to do because staying in our hotel room all day isn’t fun.” Rustie hated staying cooped up all day.

“Don’t worry, I bet you’ll find something to keep you busy.” Jason knew Rustie was never idle.

“Yeah, why don’t you work on a new song? Our playlist needs to be increased so we can make a nice demo disk and send it to several record companies.” Russell has been working on a few songs since they came back from the contest.

“I thought Dusty Gaskets was going to offer us a record deal?” Rustie looks towards Lou for an answer.

“I haven’t spoken to them about it. I want to see if we can draw the attention of a bigger company, before going with a local production company.” Lou was thinking big.

“From what I have learned about Dusty Gaskets, they have at least thirty bands working for them. They have partnerships with the big three record companies.” Jason wanted to work for them.

“Well, there are other local productions out there. Let’s keep our options open.” Lou was hoping someone else would scout them out.

Rustie didn’t say anything. She just listened to Lou and Jason talking. She hopes they stop somewhere soon to grab some food.
After thirty minutes, Lou pulls into a truck stop and parks. Rustie wakes Russell, “Food, Rus.”

Russell wakes up and looks around. He notices they have stopped at a truck stop to grab some food. He opens the van door and gets out, followed by Rustie.

Rustie shuts the door behind her. She hears the van beep, as Lou locks it with the remote. She left her purse in the van but brought her bank card with her.

Her mother has been trying to teach her how to act like a girl so she can blend in better. She already knew the basics, but there were things most girls knew by the time they were her age. She follows the guys to the restaurant area of the truck stop and finds a nice booth to sit at.

There waitress shows up and all of them place their orders after looking through the menu. They also ordered sweet iced tea to drink. Once their waitress walks off. Jason looks towards Lou “I think we should look into Dusty Gaskets and see if they will hire us.”

“Look, I know there are other independent agencies out there. Let’s see if we can grab their attention, first.” Lou wanted to see if their band could grab the attention of another independent agency.

“I don’t care who is willing to grab us. We have to do our best and see about getting bigger gigs.” Russell wanted more money. Sure, they were making six hundred dollars per gig, but they needed more.

“Let’s give it a few more weeks before we approach Dusty Gaskets.” Lou wanted to shop around more.

After their food arrives and is paid for. They top off the gas tank of the new van and drive towards their next gig. Rustie put her headphones on and listened to her favorite music. She leans against the side of the van and tries to stay awake until they arrive at the hotel.

By three in the morning, they arrive at their next destination. Lou checks them in and gets four room cards for them. Since they were used to sleeping in the same room, they only needed one room.

Lou drives around to where their room is and parks. He turns around in his seat to look at Russell and Rustie “Grab your bags, we’re here.”

“Good, because I’m tired.” Russell opens the van door and gets out, after grabbing his overnight bag.

“Same here.” Rustie grabs her bag and follows Jason and Russell towards the room. She knew Lou would be joining them after he grabbed his overnight bag.

“I got the bed this time.” Rustie didn’t want to sleep on the floor again.

“We’ll share the bed.” Russell didn’t want to sleep on the floor.

“If we share the bed, you better not snore.” Rustie grabs her nightshirt and goes into the bathroom to change.

By the time she came out of the bathroom, Russell was already in bed and asleep. She gets in on the other side slides under the blanket and falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow.