The Black Diamonds

"I want to start a band." I tell Adrian, who spits out his coffee.
"Excuse me?"
"Why is the idea of me starting a band sounding so delusional to you?"
"Well, for starters, you sound like a tortoise choking on an apricot seed."
"I know Adrian. That's why I learned to play guitar."
"Alright, who all is there in the band?"
"Me, Danna, Ruby, Narcissa, Max and you!"
"What? Why me?"
"Because you sing like the nightingale"
"The bird or the lesbian singer?"
"...Both."
"Excuse you? Are you calling me a lesbian?"
"Are you saying you are not attracted to women?"
"Nova, please, shut up."
"I will when you agree to join the band."
He hesitates before exhaling,"Alright but what about Oscar?"
"He says he will not sing and he doesn't know any instruments so he will be our agent who gets us the gigs. He is surprisingly good at it considering he got us one already."
"You guys have a gig already?"
"Us guys Adrian, get used to this."
"I will when you tell me the band name."
"The Black Diamonds."
His eyes widen,"What had I ever done so wrong to you? You are going to make me join a band named 'The Black Diamonds'?"
"It's the perfect name!"
"Please tell me this is just one of your fads which will gradually fade out."
"Yeah yeah, obviously."
So the next day, we all gather at Oscar's garage, me and Danna at the guitars, Narcissa and Adrian as the lead singers, looking more than uncomfortable, Ruby at the keyboard and Max at the drums. Oscar was our complimentary audience.
"Okay guys, I got you the gig at the Gatlon Circle and it is next weekend." Oscar announces once we are all ready to start the meeting.
"We have only 14 days to be perfect?" Adrian asks, clearly panicking. I walk to him and put my hand on his shoulder.
"Adrian, don't freak out, remember what that therapist of yours told you?"
"Adrian goes for therapy?" Danna asks.
"He went when he found out he had made his mother's murderer."
"Wow, that was so subtle Nova, I can't even-"
"Which therapist did you go to?" Ruby inquires.
"Ms. Everwoods."
"Doesn't she give therapy to young teenagers?" Oscar wonders out aloud.
"Do you think Adrian is mentally more mature than a thirteen year old?" I respond.
"Of course not."
"Then your question is answered-"
"I went to her elder sister." Adrian interrupts me before we could insult him more and I smirk.
"So, basically, don't panic." I conclude, going back to my place, where I whisper to Danna and Max, "Her elder sister gives therapy to eight years olds." and we muffle a laugh. Apparently it was loud enough for Adrian to hear, because he glares at me and the meeting resumes.
"Wait you guys," Danna says, "Don't we all need super cool rock and roll hairstyles if we are in a band?"
"Oh my God, totally!" Narcissa exclaims, "I am in charge of the hairstyles."
"I am already cool you guys." joins in Ruby, doing a hair flip.
"Great," Max finally says something, "Next stop, what songs are we going to sing?"
"Something definitely from The Nightingale, Adrian's voice is perfect for that." I suggest, trying to fight back a smile, earning myself another glare from Adrian.
"You guys," Max drawls, pointing at us, "are a match made in heaven."
"Alright guys," Ruby announces, "I have a list of songs on my phone and we all can choose some from them. Sounds good?"
"Yeah."
We all gather around her and start going through the list. Finally when we have the songs, the meeting disintegrates.
The next day, we all meet again. After a week of preparation day and night and Oscar's ears almost bleeding, we are finally on track. Just some final touching ups were needed. I had to take the charge mostly, but Adrian also helped. Maybe this show won't be that bad after all.
Two days prior to the show, Narcissa stands in front of us all during our daily band meeting.
"Alright guys, time for your funky hairstyles." She announces.
"Oh boy." Adrian mutters and Danna snorts.
"Today," Narcissa continues, "We aren't practicing. We are going to the Merveille Parlour, okay?"
We all reply with a nod and she starts exiting the garage, all of us following her.
"When did she start ordering us around, wasn't she a wallflower kinda girl?" Max whispers in my ear and I smirk.
"Shut up Max, you're the first one getting his hair done now." Narcissa shouts without turning back.
"Great." Max mutters.
Even on a weekday the parlor was bombarded with customers. We had to wait a long time for Max to score a seat and longer still when they were done with Max.
He emerged out of the room with his sandy blond hair highlighted blue in a high fade hairstyle.
"Girls are going to be swooning over him after this show." Ruby mutters.
"Yeah, either he'll have some kind of gay awakening now, or he'll get his first girlfriend." Danna replies and Ruby snorts.
Next was Adrian's turn, who got himself a short quiff haircut with green streaks. He looked like an anteater trying to be a giraffe. I loved it.
Danna was next up, who simply had her hair dyed light pink completely  and Narcissa got white highlights. When it was my turn, I got my ends coloured purple.
We finally looked like the perfect band.
On the day of the show, I had multiple Dannas in my stomach. I knew it was going to go well and once I have started, I will forget all about my nervousness, but still. The time before it starts is a complete torture.
While tuning our guitars, Danna says, "You know this is going to go really well."
"I know."
"Yeah, just look at me today. I am going to give a ground-breaking performance."
"I am sure." I smile. She gets up and walks away.
Finally, Oscar announces our band's name. All of us assemble on the stage.
All of us except for Danna. Oh no.
Everyone probably noticed her absence soon after I did because they all were also looking around, trying to hide their panic.
"Where is Danna?" Max whispers to me.
"I don't know!" I shout whisper back.
Suddenly, there is smoke coming out on the stage floor and the spotlights turn to the back of the audience in the theatre. On a platform. On which Danna Bell is standing.
"But baby," she whispers into the mic the starting line of our first song, "this phone lasted longer than you ever did."
Then, she starts off with her guitar solo which she plays so fluently that I feel like an amateur guitarist in front of her. Oh, also, her guitar has fire coming out of it so she seems even cooler.
"Woo hoo!!!" Narcissa shouts into her mic and Adrian starts jumping in his place. Max twirls his drumsticks and shoots into our first song. Ruby, Danna and I join him soon and then Danna is travelling over the audience's heads on her platform, jumping.
Once we reach the chorus of the song, the whole audience is singing and dancing and in the end, Adrian even does a split. Then, he couldn't get back up and we had to lift him up from his forearms.
Once done, she shouts into the mic, "Good evening, Gatlon!"
Loud cheers answer her.
"I can't hear you!" She shouts back and even louder cheers answer her. Someone even whistles. Oscar, he whistles.
Once we are done with all of our songs, Danna shouts, "Thank you Gatlon city!" And more cheers answer her as we all exit.
"Danna," Adrian addresses her once we are all backstage, "What the hell was that."
She strings a few chords on her guitar while saying, "Rock 'n' Roll, grandpa!"
"It's official," Ruby joins, "Danna is our band leader now." and everyone agrees.
Later, I tell Adrian, "Maybe this band is just not meant to be a fad that will fade out."
He smiles and circles an arm around me, "Maybe not."