"Dude Looks Like a Lady"

Chap 8 The Christening of Lazer Graffiti (Drummer POV)

Chapter 8

The Christening of Lazer Graffiti

~Drummer

Fifth day of having Chris as our guitarist and Red still didn't seem to warm up to him. Sometimes we'd manage to get half way through a song with him playing bass but most of the time he'd just not even try. He's pissed at Strings for letting him join in the first place. He's pissed at me for saying I liked him. He's pissed at Sailor for joining Rosetta's Thorns. But most of all, he's pissed at Chris for being there. He's a lot like Ray when it comes to playing and just as nice in personality. Really, out of anybody who could have become our guitarist I thought Chris and Ray would get on. Maybe Ray was thinking if we didn't find anybody good enough we wouldn't have to get a guitarist? Sounds like how an idiot would think- you'd have to be an idiot if you think Strings would change his mind about anything, unless you could persuade him to but there was only one person in the world who could do that. That was Ray.

Chris came in with a tin of quality streets that made Strings eyes light up. 'Don't mind if I do.' He said, snatching the tin from his hands and taking a handful of colourful sweets.

Chris laughed awkwardly as he got the tin back and then swung it round my way, 'Want some?' He asked. I picked my favourite one, the green triangle and smiled gratefully.

Then, being the nice, generous guy that he is, he offered some to Red with a big smile on his face. Red, being the stubborn, headstrong guy that he is shoved the tin away so hard it fell from Chris's hands and spilled all over the floor. Chris chuckled away what could have been an awkward moment and swept the sweets into the tin. Didn't matter how hard he laughed, we could all tell he was hurt.

'Get your fat ass into gear and play.' Said Strings in his most polite way. Red didn't budge. 'You gonna stay in this huff forever?' Still nothing. 'Come on, you love Chris really.'

'I hate him!' He retorted like a toddler not getting his own way, not even looking at Chris's pained reaction.

'Right then. If you won't play... Guess we could use this time to pick a band name!' He turned to observe Chris, 'Could have stayed the blue eyed crafters after all! But I think it's time for change.'

We gathered around the table in a circle. Red sat opposite from Chris and only looked up to glare at him until finally Chris kept his eyes to the floor. We went through dozens of possible names; Penalty For Dreaming, The Papercuts, Guys In Uniform, Cats and Dogs, Cats and Mice, Cats and Crows, Catmen (Dunno why Strings was obsessed with Cats), Strings and the Guys In Uniform, Strings and the Catmen, Guns and Poses, Swords and Daisies, Mirage, Orbiting Grace and finally the Racoon Brothers. Of course, me and Strings were the ones to come up with all of these and the ones to disagree on all of these too. Red and Chris said nothing.

'Got any ideas?' Strings asked Red. He glared and was about to say something but then stopped knowing we wouldn't agree with it. Knowing his idea would be "Kick out Chris".

'How 'bout you?' He asked Chris. He just looked frightened and shook his head. 'Come on- just give us anything to work with, please?' He thought for a second then gazed at Red as if asking for permission to say it. Red reared his head as if to dare him to say it.

'Laser Graffiti...' He said quietly. Me, Strings and even Red sat up straight in our seats. Catchy name. Original name.

'Laser Graffiti?'

'Well I just thought it sounded cool...'

'It does.' I said.

Then Strings asked, 'How's it spelt?'

'L-a-s-e-r G-r-a-f-f-i-t-i.' He said, 'But it think it'd look better if you replaced the s with a z. Dunno why, I just thought it'd be cooler.'

'It is- Seems we have a natural cool guy in our midst.' He smiled. Strings liked to think himself as a nice, hot version of Simon Cowell, someone with an eye for talent for anything and everything. 'Write it in neon graffiti style on the drum kit and we've got one kick-ass band. Lazer Graffiti. Any objections?'

'Nae.' I said.

'Uh no.' Chris said.

'Don't give a damn.' Red said and then walked out the house.

'Lazer Graffiti it is then.' Strings grinned.

That night I thought about Chris, what he was doing, how was he coping... I suppose its really not in my place to tell him I know he was really a she. I recognised her straight away, the first time when she came in as a girl. Crystal Sparrow. I remember how hyper Ray was the night she came to watch us on stage. He went on and on about knowing her at once, from her brown hair to her blue eyes to the way she mouthed along to the words of the choruses after hearing them once. He'd point her out in the intermissions for every show we did until finally I knew her face as much as I knew Ray's. Thought her image was burned in every one of our memories but it seemed it was just mine. It's not a surprise that Red doesn't know Chris is a girl, he's always been naive, Ray would always have to spell things out for him. Strings didn't tell either one of us, but I knew he knew. He's seen enough girls bodies to know when he's looking at a fully clothed one. I don't think he knows that she is Ray's girl though, by the look of things and I wasn't gonna mention anything about knowing she was a girl unless she gave me reason to. If she wanted to be known as a guy, fine by me that's his choice. The only thing worrying me was; when would he find out about Ray?