Grit Meets Glam (Legally Blonde but with Rock Music type story)

Chapter 4: The Breakup & The Band Name

ZIZI'S POV

Today was a new day. I put on a white AC/DC top with the band name in bright pink bordered and also the band name itself had a floral pattern. A pastel pink twirly skirt, black converse with white laces. A bright red leather jacket. 

At school, walking through the hallways, some people stared at me in my unique getup. More than yesterday. Music performance class was that morning. The band and I was about to rehearse on the stage when Mr Harrison walked up to us and said "band dynamics. Every band has to have them." We shuffled around on the stage until Mr Harrison said to me "for now, lose the guitar, Zizi." I took the guitar off and gave it to Mr Harrison. I stood in front of the whole band and struck a pose. Mr Harrison smiled hard. "Great!" he said. He then gave me a microphone which I held. "This is perfect! Every band needs a charismatic front person. And Zizi is a perfect fit. Clearly Johnny also thinks so too." 

I gasped and turned to see Johnny practically smirking at me. "Ew!" I exclaimed. "Stop checking me out." He blushed and said "sorry. I didn't mean to." After all that, the band I kept rehearsing reflections. Emma played the song on the keys instead of guitar this time. I decided to play guitar and sing simultaneously. Alex smashed out the drums. Lori killed in on bass. And Johnny was great on guitar and co-lead vocals. After all of that, Alex proclaimed "we slayed that." and snapped his fingers. I laughed and said "we sure did." 

After English class and Business studies class, it was time for lunch. I walked into the quad but decided to sit with the emo kids instead of my regular clique this time. Several people in the quad gasped, but overall no one cared. Except my clique. They were all glaring at me. Alex tapped my shoulder said "ahem. We need a band name." I sighed and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. "How about our initials?" We have an A and E, both vowels." I wrote those down spread apart from each other. "My name is Z, which starts with a Z, so that should be at the end. Wait. I have it. I think." I wrote a J at the beginning and L in the middle. "JALEZ?" said Alex. "What?"

"It's pronounced jails." I retorted back. Everyone smiled and nodded. Except Lori. She sighed, and said "ok, sure, whatever." I smiled and said "yay!" jumping up into the air. Emma then pointed out "now we have an offical band, let's say hey to the punk kids. We have hung out with them before, but not often. Mainly because of Roxy. She's super intense." Everyone else nodded in agreement. 

We then walked over to the punk clique. They were leaning against a wall, apparently too "cool and above" the whole quad hierarchy. Roxy, the leader of the pack, was smoking a cigarette. A few punk kids were vaping. Roxy growled at me. "Argh! Why is a preppy loser close to us?" Despite the fact that I was dressed edgier than I normally did, it wasn't enough for the punk clique apparently. Keiran, a short punk guy with blonde hair, laughed at me. Roxy hissed at me and said "it's your fucking fault this dumbass hierarchy exists." I sighed. "It really isn't. It's how high school naturally works." Roxy growled at me LOUDLY now. "I fucking hate you Zizi Abrussio." 

Alex sighed. "Anyways, the five of us have formed a rock band. Zizi plays guitar and sings." Roxy burst out laughing. "That fucking girly prep will never be able to rock out. She needs to learn her place" I almost cried but then said "I thought you hate the hierarchy? You just enforced it then." Everyone gasped, both the punks and emos. Suddenly the emos gave disapproving looks to Roxy and walked away. I walked with them back to our table. We all talked for about five minutes when my other clique, the clique I was supposed to be in, walked up to us. We all turned and stood up. Everyone was out of their seats and standing behind me, almost in a V formation. Everyone including me glared at the other clique, the one everyone expected I be in. I gasped when I saw Melissa holding Duan's hand. Duan and I obviously have barely talked since my birthday party, but even then we still weren't officially over. 

"Zizi, we need to talk." said Duan. I scowled at him "about WHAT?" He laughed and responded "Well, I don't think we are gonna work out. Not only are you a frigid bitch, but Melissa over here isn't." He swivelled his hips and guffawed. I gasped. "You two did NOT." I replied. A tear came out of my eye. "And Melissa is hot! And blonde!" Duan rambled. My arms started shaking. But Duan wasn't finished yet. "And ever since you started hanging out with your weird artsy emo friends-" 

Emma shook her spray paint can and Alex spun his skateboard in his hand. Johnny fiddled with his camera and Lori stroked her book. This was all at the same time. "You're starting to become one of them. And I can't have that at all." Duan finished. "So, we're over." That whole clique walked off. I turned away from them and my eyes started balling down with tears. I ran to the disabled bathroom in the nearest building, the only type of school bathroom I knew would have no other occupants. 

I sat down on the ground and I couldn't see anything. My eyes were raining down with tears. Suddenly I heard four sets of footsteps walk close to the bathroom door. "It's us!" said Johnny. I sighed and opened the door. My four new friends embraced me in a group hug. I quickly shut and locked the door. They all crowded around me. "I know that everything that has happened to you recently is traumatising, but we are all here to help." Johnny continued. They all smiled and nodded at me, even Lori. I sighed. "And one day, we will be the coolest rock band in the whole school. Maybe even LA." Johnny laughed at that. "And we are your true friends. I mean that honestly." he finished. I wiped off my tears and cleaned up my makeup, wiping some of it off and reapplying it. Even though I wasn't crying anymore, my entire fucking body was still shaking. 

Johnny saw this and put his hand on my shoulder. "Can I touch your hand?" he asked. "Completely platonically, obviously." I nodded. He then ran his hand against my hand and wrist, plus slightly further up my arm. Almost rubbing my hand and lower arm in a sense. I almost calmed down completely. After five more minutes, we all walked out the bathroom. Some people stared at five people walking out of one cubicle and giggled. Johnny then turned to us and said "let's rehearse this afternoon."

We did exactly that. We were able to utilise the music room for three hours, after school, three to six. We jammed our hearts out, all of us, in an almost unintentionally synchronised motion. Alex smiled and proclaimed "I think we have a song to perform tomorrow. Totally ready. But first, I have an idea. Tomorrow morning." Alex motioned to my makeup bag. "At Zizi's house. We are gonna turn her totally emo." I gasped. Alex and Johnny laughed. "Just for one day, ok? After that you can wear whatever you want. But we need to get you out of your comfort zone. No more constantly trying to conform. Because it's not healthy at all." Alex continued. I sighed and said "ok sure."

"But this better be good." Alex laughed at my response and said "oh, it will be. Just wait and see. We are going to turn you into an unstoppable badass."