Webs of the Heart

chapter three

I know dates in here might not match up to real life dates, please just go with it, thx.

Crystal POV

It was the first night that I was the opening act in the Taylor Swift Red tour, and I was about to go on stage. My heart was pounding like a hammer, and my dress was tight fitting.

I was wearing a floor length black lace dress with the equivalent of a corset made of leather around my waist, and it had a floor length black slip to keep it modest. It had knuckle length sleeves, a folded down collar, and I wore black old fashioned boots, as well as a silver, single, long chained necklace whose pendant dangled above my compressed stomach. I wore simple silver rings in every other finger on my hands, one silver ring shaped like a snake with its mouth open on my middle finger on my left hand, my hair was down and curled, my make up was dark and minimal, and on my head mixed in with my hair were silver and black chains.

I took my black mic in hand, bouncing up and down lightly as I waited for my cue to go up on the giant stage, trying to stay calm and smile at Harry, who was recording me with his phone, his fancy camera hanging around his neck. The beats for Black Widow began, and I slowly and emphatically walked onto the stage, my heart racing even more when I heard the loud screams of joy. I smiled genuinely and began my song.

After Black Widow I sang Team, then took a quick break, drinking some water. I walked down the catwalk and asked,

"How are we feeling tonight, Alabama?" I held up my mic and they screamed enthusiastically. I laughed and said,

"Good! Now we're going to sing a happier song, one that I wrote while imagining a stereotypical romance where two people are so in love they can't live without each other. I've always wanted a romance like this, though unfortunately my relationships have never been like that." I shrugged and laughed again.

"Maybe one day, right? This one is called Boom Clap!"

I sang Boom Clap, Sit Still Look Pretty, Lush Life and New Romantics, then I got off stage. I was still on a high from the adrenaline, so I ended up mostly dancing badly to Taylor's performance, ignoring the multiple cameras and phones recording or photographing me. That day, Taylor sang a cover of Hollow by her friend Tori Kelly, one of my favorite songs, so I sang along as loudly as I could.

After I took off all my accessories and went to my hotel room, I took a long bath, singing slow songs softly as I soaked the tenseness out, relaxing for the first time in a long time. Once I finished my bath, Harry came in my room to keep me company, and we talked about England. He had brought his camera to show me some of the pictures he'd taken that night, but I ended up, with his permission, learning how to use his camera and what setting went best with what lighting.

Now before any of you start thinkimg, oh they're spending intimate time together, they're gonna fall in love and get married and have kids, let me stop you. Harry and I had sworn a sibling vow when we were little, and not to mention Harry had a crush on my only friend, Ana Seaworthy. Nothing more than sibling friendship was ever going to happen between us.

Harry let me practice taking pictures of him, then he decided his price for his kindness would be me letting him take pictures of me messing around on my bed. I protested at first but then let him, despite knowing I would look ridiculous on the Internet the next morning.

We went to bed at a reasonable hour, in our separate rooms, then rose at an earlier hour to get on a flight to Tennessee.

Once we got to the country music state, I changed into jeans and a baggy t shirt and a sweater tied around my waist, wearing my glasses instead of my contacts for once. After doing my portion of press for the day, I went out and explored the city of Nashville with Harry and my best friend who was on tour with me, Ana. Yes, the same one who Harry had a crush on.

Harry took pictures, as he did, of me and Ana walking around, myself and Ana posing for a few, then I asked to use his camera, and he let me, even letting me carry the canon camera bag.

We went to a little coffee shop and got coffee and doughnuts, also meeting a few of my fans while out and about, then we started back towards the stadium.

When it came time for my performance, after the Vamps, I wore the same dress and accessories as the night before, but this time small dreadlocks had been put in my hair as well as the slim chains, and my lips were covered in black as black could be lipstick, which was coated in some sort of lacquer that made them shiny and liquid looking.

Today I started out with Break the Rules, and after singing two more sings after that, I talked to the crowd for a little while.

"So, I'm naturally very shy and closed off, and normally my trust takes for freaking ever to win, but tonight, I'm gonna be more outgoing. I'm normally scared as anything of sticking out from everyone else, but I decided I'm gonna be myself. Myself happens to be, when I'm alone, a quirky, weird, clumsy and goofy geek nerd combo deal. Fun fact, I have had five boyfriends, and not one of them treated me right. After I broke up with my last boyfriend, I decided to not put up with anyone giving me crap ever again, and you should do the same. Stand up for yourself, stand up for what you believe in, stand up for those you love, and stand up for your own sake. If you don't believe you're worth whatever you earn, whether  it's getting to perform in front of thousands of people every night who are so awesome that they decided to listen to your music, or you're an actor who just got your big debut in a super hero movie, or you're an artist who just got your paintings or pictures sponsored by a big company and you're finally getting attention, you have to believe that you're worth it, or else no one else will truly believe in you. And as for your significant other, find someone who loves you for who you are, who loves your quirks and flaws, someone who will stay with you through long hard nights, through arguments and breakdowns, someone who thinks you're always so beautiful that he never asks you to wear something more fancy than what you're already wearing. Don't settle for anyone less than that. Find someone you can spend the rest of your life with. Find someone who will Stand By You." I smiled as the crowd cheered loudly, wiping away some tears that had slipped down my cheeks, then I sang the rest of my songs.