You are a drug and it is quick

Chapter Twenty-Six

Shovel Grit And The Quibble, or just Grit, as they tended to go by, were made up of four guys - Jared, the lead vocalist and guitar player, Mike, the rhythm guitarist, Dan, the bass player, and Kai, the drummer. They had a very unique sound which blended an old school, Johnny Cash style country music, into heavy punk rock. They were the same sort of people Abby was used to hanging out with back in Portland. Tattooed, alternative musicians. She had instantly clicked with all of them when she had made the trek to Oklahoma City the week before tour, and as soon as the tour kicked off, she could tell that Taylor was quickly gaining four new friends as well.  They made them both feel very welcome and comfortable on their tour.

The first show, which was in Oklahoma City, went off without a hitch. Abby was worried when she saw that there were far more people in the crowd than she had expected, many of which she recognized as Hanson fans. She wasn't sure if they were there to taunt or judge her, but when she stepped on to the stage and started singing, they started singing along to every word. It was such a strange feeling, and she suddenly felt immensely grateful for Hanson fans and their dedication to everything the boys touched. Their excitement seemed to rub off on everyone else in the crowd and soon everyone else, who had been chatting and socializing when she first took the stage, were directing all of their attention toward her. When she finished her six song set, the crowd erupted into cheers and whistles.

Taylor and the guys from Grit watched her from the side of the stage, and when she joined them after her set, Taylor looked like a proud father who just watched his little girls' first ballet performance. He wrapped her up in a gigantic hug, telling her how good she did over and over, until she finally had to push him off of her, explaining that she feared he was cutting off the oxygen flow to her brain. Jared, Mike, Dan and Kai just slapped her on the back and told her she did great, before making their way out on to the stage to start tuning their instruments in preparation for their own set.

"Seriously Abs, that was so good. I'm really proud of you." Taylor gushed once the other guys were out of ear shot.

"Gee, thanks Daddy." Abby joked.

Taylor blushed a little before grinning and poking her in the shoulder. "Daddy huh? That's kinda hot."

"Shut up." Abby laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him on to the main floor with the rest of the crowd.

Within seconds they were swarmed by a group of girls, and Abby lost Taylor as he was swallowed by fans wanting photos with him. She chuckled to herself as she made her way to the bar, ordering a beer for Taylor and a soda for herself and then finding a wooden beam to lean against as she waited for the crowd around Taylor to die off. Once everyone seemed to get what the wanted, the girls, for the most part, filtered away, directing their attention back to the stage as they waited for the band to start. Taylor eventually spotted Abby and rushed to where she stood, accepting the beer and leaning next to her against the beam.

"Way to throw me under the bus." He said with a smirk, sipping his beer.

"I knew you'd be fine. Hanson fans are nuts but once they get their photos they typically ease off."

"Typically." He rolled his eyes at her, sipping his beer again.

"Sorry Daddy." Abby grinned, causing Taylor to chuckle a little.

She was right about the fans though. A few still lingered around, watching Taylor and Abby's every move, but for the most part they focused their attention toward Grit as they began to play.

Abby and Taylor enjoyed the set from where they stood. They really were a great band and put on an awesome show that was very high energy. Up until that point, she had only listened to their CD while doing her research for the tour, and then watched them at sound check. Hearing them actually play a full live set only got her more excited about the next two weeks, and the fact that this was going to be her life nearly every night.