Quite the College Career Pt. 04

"Thought I'd try it on for size," she says. "Now get the hell off the stage, we're ready to rock."

"Kick ass," Alex says, and she blows him a kiss.

"Hold up," he says, "Who am I introducing?"

"Rosy will take care of it, if that's cool," says Lisa. Alex shrugs. "Good with me."

I glance over to see the rest of the girls coming up, and the crowd is already way more into them than they were for Thunderblood. Any mutterings of discontent we had heard after the last band were replaced by cheers and whistles, and more than a few catcalls. Disrespectful? Yes. Alex and I jumped off the stage, not worried at all about the girls ability to handle themselves. The noise dies a bit as Rosy faces the crowd, a few unsure laughs replacing the catcalls. Alex and I settle in our seats, give Rosy a questioning thumbs up. She nods before leaning into the mic.

"Good evening," she says, her voice hoarse and breathy. "We're Kate's Cross."

Roxy lifts her violin to her shoulder and draws the bow across a string, the single note cutting through the crowd. She plays a soft melody that picks up speed, and Rosy adds her vocals to them, creating a haunting mixture. Lisa adds her guitar next, and Ruth joins in last, a gentle drumming adding the a powerful foundation to the mix. Their first song is slow and powerful, but beautiful. Not gonna lie, I am surprised. They sound great together, and Roxy's voice is mesmerizing. The crowd is quiet, enraptured. Their song continues, quiet and powerful, stronger than any power chord heard thus far tonight. The melody is simple yet intoxicating, the lyrics a wordsmith's delight.

"Hope you enjoyed that," say Lisa, Rosie's final note fading into the night. "Now let's go."

She strikes a chord, and the meditative beauty of their opening song is smashed away in a heartbeat. Roxy had switched from her violin to her cello without seeming to move. The crowd cheers and Rosy launches into rapid-fire lyrics. The energy in the building transforms in an instant, and the girls don't let up for the remainder of their set. The remnant of their time flashes by, and before I know it Rosy's leaning into the mic.

"Hope you enjoyed it," she says, her voice hoarser than before, her smile beaming. "Catch you around."

The loudest cheers of the night as the girls leave the stage, Rosy sauntering off, her skirt riding up in the back and she seeming not to care. This gets some whistles from the crowd. Ruth jumps out from behind her drums, blows a kiss to the crowd then flips them off. Most of them eat it up. Alex and I push our way through the crowd once more to the stage. Lisa's kneeling by the amp again, and Alex jumps down next to her, sneaks a kiss on her cheek. She smiles at him, looks triumphant. Despite having no part in their triumph, I'm ecstatic as well. I don't know what I expected, but nothing as good as what I just saw. I would never tell any of them that, but damned if they didn't put on a hell of a show. Pretending to work on some wires, I pull out my phone and shoot a quick text to Ruth.

"Hell yeah! You guys kicked ass!"

I get to work, get the stage set, and dip back to the soundboard. Check my phone when I get back. Ruth had responded, shot back a couple of hearts. I couldn't wait to talk to her, all of them, when this was over.

The next two bands - Muller's Drift and Kalmborg - play their sets, and as they're nothing to speak of, I won't waste our time. I check my watch as Kalmborg leaves the stage, chests and protruding stomachs heaving. I glance at my phone. 11:38. Aw hell. We clear the front of the stage of the singer's mic and as many wires as possible, then run back to the booth.

Brendan runs up beside us. "Here's the list for the costume contest. Roll right into it, alright?" He claps us on the shoulders and gives us a little shake, leaving before we can respond. I glance at Alex.

"How's the voice?"

"Little hoarse," he says. "You mind rolling with it?" I shake my head, reach for the mic.

"Alright everyone, give one more big hand for all of our acts tonight!" Some polite applause. "If you can, get some more drinks from the bar. If you can't, go ahead and get someone to do it for you." A little too much cheering at that, and I can feel Brendan's eyes burning into my skull. "That was a joke, of course. Look everyone, we're running a little behind, so we're gonna get right to it. We have three categories for our contest tonight: funniest, most creative, and everyone's favorite... sexiest!" I really drag out that last word, get a respectable cheer. "If you've signed up, go ahead and move stage left if you please, stage left. If you don't know where that is, Big Wes is gonna raise his hand into the air and let you know where it is." I feel more than see Wes's eye roll as he raises his arm. "There he is ladies and gents, doing a great job. Alright! Let's get this going. Sooooo..."

I glance down at the list. Four entries for funniest, three for most creative, 13 for sexiest.

Nice.

"Alright, let's begin with the funniest... first we have Colonel Sanders and his chicken!"

I'm expecting an actual chicken, but no. A guy walks up with a bad wig and goatee, and next to him is a girl dressed as, well, I know from the costume description it's fried chicken, but she just kind of looks like a brown lump. Poor girl. The couple walks across the stage to a few half-hearted chuckles and weak applause. Next up is a guy dressed like Thomas the Train. That's it. Good for him, I guess? Following him, two girls dressed as Duracell batteries. I'm sure there's a joke there. I look at Alex, he shrugs. Moving on!

"And last for this category...the chick magnet?" I glance up at the stage. "I get it everyone, he's got a magnet draped over his shoulders and there's some chickens glued on it. Even a... cat?" A burst of laughter from the audience. "You sly dog you, sneaking that one in. Well done!" A smattering of applause.

"And now," I say, clearing my throat away from the mic, "We move on. Our illustrious judges will tally their scores and announce them once all categories are complete." I stop to think for a moment. Brendan has a couple guys back by the bar judging the bands, some buddies from some minor record label. But who's judging the costume contest? I pose the question to Alex.

"Ah hell. I guess..." he looks at me. "Us?"

I shrug. Good with me. Just one minor detail we forgot in our extensive planning. Whoops.

"Alright! On to most creative, and here we have a half-man, half-woman, and wow this is actually really good." I glance up from the paper as I'm speaking and see a hell of a make-up job. I'm guessing it's a guy, but whoever it is has done a hell of a job. On stage right now is someone who's left half is dressed as a man in a gray suit, and their right half is a woman in a red evening gown. Their hair is short, dark, and slicked back on one side and big and blonde on the other. The costume, make-up, and hair is exquisite, coming from a guy who knows nothing about any of those things.

They climb down from the stage to thunderous applause, and I get back on the mic. "Hell of a job from our first contestant, we'll see what the next two have up their sleeve, better be good... oh." It's not. The next is the pirate couple I saw outside the Nipley earlier. Crappy costumes, nowhere near creative. What the hell were those morons thinking? The next is the Thomas the Train guy again, who apparently entered twice for a laugh. While the crowd put up with him the first time he walked the stage, here he was roundly, and appropriately, booed.

I look over at Alex, we look over the list.

"Half and half had that one all day," mutters Alex.

"No question," I say. "Let's get to the good one." I take a sip of water and put the mic back to my lips.

"And here we are folks, let's be real, it's the reason most of us came out tonight, let's see who brought the sexiest costume." Cheers meet my pronouncement, and I take a closer at look at the list. Alex blasts house music over the speakers.

"First we have Harley..." I squint in the dark. "Alright ladies, seriously? Of our 13 entries tonight, 5 of them are Harley Quinn. Let's go ahead and knock those out, shall we? All Harleys to the front of the line please."

There's some laughter and cheering, and the first Harley hops onto the stage. She went the old red and black costume (maybe the original? I'm no expert on these matters) torn in several strategic places. Her face is powder white and lips deep red. Halfway across the stage she stops, blows the crowd a kiss, then rips the front of her costume open to her navel. She stops just short of freeing her breasts, but as she undulates her hips with the fabric just short of showing her nipples the place goes wild. She kicks one leg then walks off the stage, slapping her ass as she does so. I grab Alex in a headlock.

"What a start, will the next Harley please stand up?" The next girl, the next three actually, are all in Margot Robbie's red, white, and blue get-up from Suicide Squad, with varying degrees of face paint and hair dye. They can pull the outfits off just fine and take their time working the stage like a catwalk, though none quite match Harley One's performance.

"Thank you ma'am," I call as the last one leaves the stage, baseball bat at a jaunty angle over her shoulder. "And last but certainly not least, Harley #5." Our last Harley takes the stage in an ankle-length coat. She struts to the center of the stage then turns to the crowd, hands on her hips.

"Bro, tell me she has nothing on under there," Alex whispers in my ear. Suddenly dry-mouthed, I can only nod. The crowd roars. Harley #5, brunette hair tied up in matching double ponytails, smiles at the crowd. Her hands go to the front of her jacket, then pause. The entire building holds its breath. Her smile widens, then she rips her coat open and it drops to the floor.

The place explodes.

Harley #5 went back to the red and black color scheme, but its adorned on one of the tiniest bikinis I have ever seen. Her body's toned and the minimal material accentuates her every curve, and her top strains against the flesh underneath. To top it all off are thigh-high boots, black and near skin-tight. She raises her arms to accept the crowd's adulation, then drops into a deep squat, running her hands over her body as she does so. From her stomach over her breasts to her shoulders, then back over that same route to her knees. She smiles, her teeth dazzling in the light, and winks. Then she leaps up to her feet, spinning in one smooth motion. She struts away from the crowd, revealing her bottoms as a thong and her toned ass to the appreciative gazes of all within the Nipley. The stage is not deep, but it gives her enough room to make her point. As she walks back towards the crowd she takes an exaggerated step over her discarded cloak, turns away from the crowd once more, and leans over straight-legged to pick it up. The thong barely covers her sex, and the roar from the audience is deafening. She throws the cloak over her shoulder, gives one more wink, and saunters off the stage.

Alex has one hand on my shoulder, shaking his head in disbelief. Me? I just sigh, in love with my life. We stare at the empty stage for a few more moments before we remember it's our job to fill it.

"And next, we have..."I scan the list, "A naughty nurse!"

And naughty she is, with her short skirt, knee high panty-hose, and red platform shoes glittering in the light. Next is a fairy, tight green leotard straining to hold in everything beneath it, ripped pantyhose revealing toned legs. Tarzan and Jane are up next, and a ridiculously attractive couple come up in just enough strips of cloth to keep everything decent. Alex has his chin in one hand, a dreamy look in his eye, staring at Jane's legs as they make their way across the stage. Near the far side Jane stops her man, jumps into his arms, wraps her legs around him, and sticks her tongue down his throat. It's a hot kiss, and the crowd is appreciative of her efforts.

"Maybe we should have had a couples category, something to think about for next year. Moving on, we have... Jasmine!" And it's the princess from Aladdin, though in a costume not quite Disney approved. Turquoise boy shorts with matching gossamer strands attached to her wrists, flowing behind her as she moves across the stage. Her top is tight and off the shoulder, her crown a turquoise strand pulling back her hair, showing off delicate features framed around an aquiline nose and gorgeous eyes, even bluer than the material which adorns her. Her movements are regal yet sexy, classy yet cheeky. At center stage she stops and faces the crowd, puts one finger to her bottom lip, then runs it down to the waistband of her boy shorts. The finger trails off along the hemline, then she bites her bottom lip and continues across the stage.

Not gonna say I'm in love, but I have been farther from it.

A "cop" follows her, though it's just a girl in a dark blue bikini, which I'm not complaining about. She is wearing sunglasses, so I guess that completes the costume.

"The kinky cats are next folks, lets see how many lives they have..." It's a lame joke, but quickly forgotten, as Emma's friend, she with the lace mask, slinks onto the stage. She stays in a low crouch, taking furtive glances left and right, moving closer to center stage. When she reaches it she remains crouched as her friends move to join her, cat-like grace in their every step. They crouch down next to her, Emma to her right, and they huddle close, looking out to the crowd with apprehensive looks. They press in close, then stand as one in a slow, fluid motion. The girl in the middle, masked, puts her hands across torsos of her companions in a protective gesture, then smirks. She runs her fingers across their midriffs, then drops them in-between their legs, pausing just long enough to rub both there.

It's like a spell was broken. Emma and her friend leap away from the girl in the middle, sneering at the crowd and scratching the air at them. As they do the central girl slaps her hands on her thighs then runs them over her body to her bra, which she pulls down. Her effort is met with whoops of bliss, which taper somewhat when they see her nipples are covered by tiny black hearts. Still, all receive a full look of an impressive rack on an otherwise thin girl. Emma skips to her side and drapes herself over one shoulder, letting one hand roam free across the girl's chest and stomach. The masked girl looks back at her, and as Emma's fingertips slip into her bottoms they share a deep kiss. This sets the room off, the onlookers screaming themselves hoarse at the Sapphic display. Guys are slapping the edge of the stage. Wes and Drew are having a hell of a time keeping them back.

Me, I'm just staring with my mouth wide open.

The third girl struts to their side, pulls the masked girl away from Emma, and gives her a quick peck on the lips. Mask gives her cheek a lick in return. Then all three turn, synchronized, away from the crowd, dropping into a deep crouch. The masked girl, still in the middle, reaches out and gives both girl's asses a pinch, then cups one cheek each and pulls them up to their feet. The three leave the stage to thunderous applause, arms draped around each other.

I almost feel sorry for the next contestant, though my worries turn out to be unfounded. "Coming to you all the way from Wonderland... Alice!"

A petite blonde in white thigh highs and a blue skirt that barely covered her ass flounces onto stage, a blue and black corset laced tight around her torso. Big, sky blue bow in her hair. She bounces to center stage, turns her back on the crowd and bends at the waist, flicking her skirt up. The move reveals a distinct lack of underwear.

"Holy shit," I mutter, only realizing the mic is still at my lips after I hear the words echo through the building. Alex cracks up. Alice drops her skirt and looks over her shoulder at the booth, winking at us. I wave back, sheepish. Alice squints into the crowd, one finger tapping her lips, making a show of it. She holds her hand out to someone, and it's accepted by a nondescript guy in the front row. He clambers onto the stage, waves a half-hearted fist into the air at the crowd's encouraging cheers. Alice puts one hand on his cheek, turning his face to hers. She wraps one leg around him and pulls him in for a kiss. The crowd cheers. Alice runs one hand through the guys hair, grabs one of his hands with her other, planting it with a firm slap on her bare ass.

The roof of the Nipley is almost blown off.

Alice breaks the kiss, beaming at the crowd and turning the guy's face to it. His face is bright red and he's smiling like a drunken fool. Alice kisses him on the cheek and gives him a playful shove towards the edge of the stage. He jumps down into a sea of backslaps and high fives. Alice bounces off the stage, flicking her skirt up once more before she jumps down.

I can almost smell the sex in the air. The whole place is charged up, ready to burst. Just one more entry left. I can only introduce her with what she's written down on the sign-up sheet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we only have one more in our competition... to wrap up the night, I give you... the school girl from hell!"

Who else to finish the show but Ruth, sans shirt and jumping onto the stage in bra, skirt, ripped tights, and heels. She throws her hands in the air, making a "come on" motion to all those gathered in the Nipley. Her bra does its job to the bare minimum, and her breasts bounce with every step. At the center of the stage she drops to her hand and knees and reaches out to the crowd, thrashing at them with her fingers curled into claws. She's roaring and screaming at those closest to her, and they're reaching right back for her. She leaps to her feet, though still in a crouch, pulling her skirt up and running her fingers up and down her lace-covered crotch. She opens her mouth wide and wags her tongue, grabs her bra with her free hand and all but frees her breast for all to see. Putting the cup back in place, she stands up straight and flips off the crowd with both hands before turning around, hands in the air as she dances to the back of the stage. Once there, she reaches behind her back, unhooks her bra, and slouches her shoulders to pull it off. She turns to thunderous applause, one arm across her breasts, the other swinging her bra in the air. She launches it into the crowd with a scream, then she runs back the way she came, disappearing behind the stage. Everyone is jumping and screaming, including Alex and I.

"Hell yeah!" I scream into the mic. "That's our show! We'll be with you in moments with the winners!" I'm screaming into the mic by the end of it, Alex pushes the music to it's highest volume. The crowd before us is jumping and dancing, a scene unlike any we've seen yet in the Nipley. We collapse back into our chairs.

"We did it bro!" Alex screams into my ear. I nod back at him, grinning. "Who do you think won?"

We huddle over the sheet passed onto us by Brendan until the man himself walks into the booth, yelling to be heard over the music. "Who's picking the winners for the costumes? You guys?"

I give him a thumbs up and hold up the sign-up sheet. "We have them!"

"Good!" He yells. He hands me a slip of paper. "Here's the winning band. I'm going up to the stage, you announce everyone, alright? Start with the costumes!"

We give him another thumbs up, and Brendan pushes his way to the crowd to the stage. When he's up, Alex kills the music and I raise the mic to my lips. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have the winners for all competitions at hand. When they are announced, please head up to the stage to be awarded by the man himself, the founder of this wonderous establishment, the one and only... BRENDAN. WESTGATE!"