Better go Solo

Chapter 18

»Wash it off« Heather said before even greeting me when I arrived at our meeting spot to drive to LA to go shopping together for the talk show we had been invited to. I started laughing as I did not know what she talked about.

»That on your arm. I hope that's fake« She added what made me laugh even more.

»I can try but I don't think that I can wash off a tattoo« I said and sat down on the back seat of the car of Heather's dad, she drove today.

»How will you hide this on stage?« Heather snorted. I just rolled my eyes.

»I won't. You can't control me that much and finally except that I do what I want and not what you want« I replied and leaned back.

»I don't want to control you, I want to safe our reputation« Heather yelled at me. I moaned annoyed.

»I'm the drummer. Nobody even recognizes me, you're the leader and you're still the one everyone remembers. I'm nobody« I said. It got silent in the car. Heather seemed pleased that I had supported her in her selfishness.

It took some time to drive to LA which I used to listen to music. Josy did the same while Marla and Heather listened to the pop songs on the radio.

I contrast to my usual appearance I wore a more conservative outfit today. It was still mostly black but way more basic as I wore black pants, purple sneakers and a tight black cropped t-shirt. My hair was braided in two long Dutch braids and I held sunglasses in my hand.

My thoughts went back to the party I had been at with Josy. My anger about the presence of Dylan at the party drove me crazy inside. I opened the notes app on my phone and just started typing. I did not know what was wrong with me but I needed to write down everything I thought about that toxic relationship I had.

To be honest, I was absolutely dump to date him back then. I later found out that he just used me to get free access to dad's studio. He wanted to start a career as a rap star but he did not have the money of even the talent to afford time in a recording studio.

Dad always was picky when it came to clients. He just chose those who he thought would be successful with their music. Because of this he got the reputation as the pickiest producer in the state. Even if Dylan was my boyfriend Dad did not allow him to record there. Firstly because of the missing talent, secondly because of the genre. Dad was a Rock and Metal fanatic and would just artists of that genre accept as clients. At least, Dad hat enough requests so he always had to pick out. We just didn't have enough capacity for that amount.

When Dylan found out Dad would not give him a contract even though he was my boyfriend he started cheating on me even more obviously until I found out and broke up. We ignored each other since the breakup but he seemed to realize my little bit of success and wanted to profit out of this but I was stupid for way to long. I would not trust him for any more second.

I looked up when the engine got turned off. Heather parked the car in a parking garage. We got off the car and left the garage together. I put on my sunglasses. The sun was shining and my eyes were sensitive to bright light as my eyes were bright blue while the others' were brown. Heather pulled out a bootle of sunscreen from her purse and rubbed sunscreen on her arms. Josy and I did too while Marla did not have too. Rather the moon would fall from the sky than Marla would get a sunburn with her dark skin.

We entered the first store.

»We need something with long sleeves and turtle neck for Christina« She began but I stopped her immediately.

»Not in a million years. I wand to show me just as anybody else. What's the problem with my tattoos?« I asked. Heather grabbed my left arm and pointed on the word 'Sinner' on my arm.

»Would you be satisfied when I just hide that?« I asked.

Heather gritted her teeth and took a deep breath.

»Okay. But promise to hide that one« She gave in. I smiled widely.

»That's all I wanted« I replied.

We went from store to store until we all had an outfit for the talk show. To hide the tattoo and make Heather happy I chose a dark blue colored knitted cardigan I would wear over a white dress. Down to my waist it was tight and like a top and from the waist down it was like a skater skirt.

Marla chose black high heels with a plateau and in the style of Roman sandals.

Everyone of us carried many bags full of clothes. Even though we were just here für buying outfits für the talk show, we also used this opportunity to buy some more clothes.

In between we brought our bags to the car. Josy wanted to get something to eat and nobody of us wanted to take the bags to the restaurant.

We sat down on a table in a Asian restaurant. Heather took the menu card.

»Do you understand what the employees are talking?« She asked Josy. She wrinkled her eyebrows.

»What?« She replied and seemed confused.

»You are Asian, you can understand them right?« Heather asked further. Josy's jaw dropped and so did mine.

»You're so racist« I said. Heather looked at me angrily until Josy found her voice back.

»My family is Korean and we're at a Japanese restaurant. Besides, I was born here and so did my parents. Nobody in my family speaks Korean, neither Japanese« She explained. Marla had to hold back her laughter while Heather seamed surprised.

Josy and I ordered a sushi plate for both of us to share.

»What do you think of going back to the roots?« I asked when I just swallowed a sushi roll.

»What are you talking about?« Heather asked and lowered the fork she was eating her noodles with.

»When we began making music we all sang. Why don't we anymore?« I explained and grabbed another sushi roll with the chopsticks in my hand.

»Marla's and your voice are too powerful for your type of music« She just said and shrug her shoulders.

»Your type of music« I corrected her and put the roll in my mouth. Heather snorted.

»Everything stays just like it is now« She demanded so I kept shut for the rest of the time in that restaurant. Heathers attitude made me furious. Another time she showed me that the choice I made when I recorded and published the first songs on my own was the right.

I took out my phone and opened the message by dad. He asked me when I would be home. 'We're having dinner here. I think we will drive back home soon'