Fragments of Memories

[Crozeph 0]

A good weather, road trip, and a huge van filled with speakers and equalizers. Christoff never liked long travels, he's almost a shut-in if he wasn't courageous enough to have a part-time job while going to college. It was a simple job, help the crew set up the sound system for an event in a university, make sure everything is working fine for the performers, tune the instruments, and then go home. The heavy work is easy for him, what he didn't like is he's going to a place where there are lots of people he doesn't know. He was distrustful but then he couldn't shake the feeling of helping out and that's why he's here travelling from the city to a place he has no clue.

It's not like he knew no one in the crew he's in now, in fact, the whole crew is his circle of friends. It was nice but then they all went through hell searching for a replacement and then they realized Christoff was an engineering student and a musician to boot. He sighed, he was planning to finish some quests and level up some characters at home after their midterms, not do sound tech somewhere. As he looked outside and stared at the clouds they pass by, his bestfriend continued to sleep, her head on his lap. She was snoring as if she just did two shifts in one day but Christoff knew she was out all night the day before, probably slept with another guy she met in a club. "I don't even know why she would pull an all-nighter with someone knowing we'd be doing this job" he told the couple in front of him who are watching D. Gray-Man "well you know your bestfriend, she has an insa…" Christoff waved his hand at him "…insatiable thirst, yes I know, I'm just re-evaluating her lifestyle. Soon enough she'll entangle herself with some crazy, muffin-hungry dude" he told replied. Rex chuckled at the mention of it "that's why she's friends with you, she knows you'll hunt the guy down and break a few bones." Christoff shook his head, was he really just a bestfriend slash bodyguard to her? It was undeniable that for the past two years he's been looking out for her but sometimes it feels like she's charging into crazy things because he was guaranteed to pull her out of it.

"Look on the bright side, this is probably the biggest gig we'll have, I hope they run short of a guitarist, we'll put you as replacement" Haku, Rex's girlfriend told him to which Christoff gave an annoyed look "God forbid" he replied. Aya continued snoring, drool now on his pants. Such a lovely weather and it was a quiet travel except for the noises their van makes. Would things be fine with him? Christoff just wants to be left alone, how hard can that be? Very hard.  A week before he has been briefed by Rex that they'll be working with a few people from the university and he was him to keep his mouth shut when things go awry "I know you don't want us getting pressed on all sides but please, once you begin to speak, Aya's fists begins moving so you two should stay calm and stay with us as much as you can" Rex's words echoed inside his head as he continued to stare outside the window.

2 hours later…

It was a change of drivers this time. Mikhail, Rex's younger brother, eased himself behind Christoff and Aya "it's hard being a babysitter right?" Mikhail told him. Crozeph nodded his head in agreement "facts, especially when you're babysitting a twenty-six years old..." a hand appeared from below him and slapped his face.

"I'd appreciate it if my age remains redacted"
"All of us in this van knows how old you are"
"I know but casually saying it is a risk I'm not willing to take"

Aya bolted up and stretched out her arms, the right one trying to do a haymaker on Christoff which he easily dodged. "How long until we reach the university? I need to stretch my legs" she blurted out as she lied down again on her bestfriend's lap who was staring outside the window. She noticed it, she knew he was already trying to calm himself down "nervous huh? It can be pretty overwhelming for you going in a place with a sea of unfamiliar faces but don't worry..." she showed a thumbs up to him, an assurance that she'll do something about what he's thinking "...I'll stick with you like glue, let them think we're a couple."

Christoff sighed, everyone was making sure he won't feel anxious. Was it really this worse? He was only gonna be a part of a crew but why does he feel like he's gonna embark in a battle for his life? it's not like he hates people, it was just not worth it to see more than what he needs to see. He tried to keep interactions minimal, he tried to be on the neutral side of things. He didn't want to get in everyone's way but... why does he always land on places where people seem to need him?

 

~End of Part I~