Andy looked over the crowd and smiled. His band, Blackout Dawn, had just finished their last set at a sold-out McCarthy Stadium and he soaked in the moment. The band had reached its apex, and had managed to stay on top for two decades strong.

Despite the now countless times he witnessed moments like this, Andy never took it for granted. He and the band worked hard to get here - to headline a daylong music show with other killer acts.

"A long way from rural Virginia," he thought. He had just finished an acoustic version of "Thanks, I hate it" and the audience yelled for more. The rest of the band had already left the stage, leaving Andy - lead singer, songwriter, and co-founder - as the sole performer. He raised the microphone to his lips.

"Thank you, Moreland! Always great to see you guys. I love you all. Really, I mean it. And I'm not even drunk! So you know I mean it!"

That always got a laugh. He had fought his battles against booze and drugs just as the band was getting popular, but he had been clean for more than 10 years. The passion that drove him - outside of the band, of course - was Findword.

It was a fact that he kept hidden during most interviews. His bandmates knew it, of course. And he mentioned it on a few podcast and vlog entries, but to the everyday fan, who knew the band's popular songs, they were likely unaware that Andy Turner was a huge Findword fan - a veritable master.

That's why the sign caught his eye. While walking off the stage, Andy saw a teenage boy on an older man's shoulders with a sign that read "Andy - I play Findword!"

He pointed to the pair and called Jerry, his longtime stage manager. "Have someone bring them back," he said.

Jerry nodded.

Andy greeted the other bandmates - Paul, Trey, Wilson, and Tony - in the green room backstage. They huddled and did a post-show cheer.

"Bus leaves in 30," Jerry said. "No meet and greets, except the kid Andy flagged."

"Who is it?" Paul asked. He was Andy's closest friend and co-founder of Blackout Dawn.

"He held up a sign saying he played Findword," Andy said, wiping the sweat and makeup off of his face. "I figure we have time for a quick game."

"Board's all set," Jerry said. "The kid and his dad are waiting."

Paul rolled his eyes and walked to his dressing room. Andy took a large sip of water and walked into his dressing room. The boy's name was Charlie. His dad was David. After intros, Andy got down to business.

"So you like Findword, huh?" he asked.

"Charlie's the best in his school, and he's a huge Blackout Dawn fan," David said with a father's pride. "I told him if he won the regional competition, I'd get him tickets to the show. It was a no-doubter after that."

"Wow. Didn't know they had competitions," Andy said. "Well, I've only got a few minutes, but we can play a quick game. Best of five?"

The three sat. David begged out and chose to watch.

They began to play. Findword could move quickly. Andy had little trouble defeating his bandmates, the crew, and anyone else who challenged him.

This kid was different. Whatever delusions he harbored about playing against a rock star disappeared when Charlie saw the board. He was all business. He quickly won the first two rounds. One more and he's sweep Andy. Jerry watched from afar and saw Andy's expression change from mild bemusement to incomprehension to anger. He dreaded whenever Andy got that look and walked  out to find Paul.

Charlie was about to make the final move that would complete the sweep when Paul walked in. He saw the rage building in Andy's face and sought to defuse the bomb.

"Hey kid! Want a free guitar? I'll get the band to sign it," he said. "Maybe a few t-shirts, too, for dad and the family?"

David, the father, stood and shook Paul's hand, just as Charlie made his final move to win the game.

Paul's interruption helped Andy snap out of his buildup. He had lost rounds of Findword before, but never so quickly and never to a kid.