"Dude Looks Like a Lady"

Chapter 8 A Rose... (Crystal POV)

Chapter 8

A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell Just as Fishy

~Crystal

I swung my legs back on forth from the branch. He sat on a small natural throne made from crossing branches with thick green leaves as a canopy over both of us. It was the tree outside my old house in that children filled culdesac that seemed to be my whole world when I was young and most of ours too.

‘Was it yours too?’ I asked him.

‘Yes.’ He said seriously, already knowing what I was talking about, ‘Even school didn’t seem that special to me compared to this place.’

‘That’s cause it was school.’ I laughed but he didn’t join me. Instead he looked in the direction of his house and just stared blankly, as if the house wasn’t there at all, or maybe it was him that wasn’t there. ‘I don’t know, by the way.’

‘Yes you do.’ I closed my eyes and shook my head and next thing I knew I was on the viaduct looking down. The sunlight hit the river underneath so it looked as though stars were dancing along it. It seemed so far down but at the same time so close. He was right beside me, I could feel his breath on my neck, his stare pressing against my face, ‘It’s not just because you miss me that I’m here, y’know.’

Suddenly, I began to lean over the side ever so slowly and a strange sensation ran through me. It was the seem feeling you get when your running home. ‘Chris.’ He said but I kept leaning over, feeling that I had to. ‘Hey, Chris.’ He grabbed my shoulder and his warm touch sent shivers of shame through me.

‘R-‘ I whipped my head around but stopped as I faced him… ‘Red?’

He laughed, ‘You kinda dazed out, are you okay?’

I took a gulp and glanced back at the river before answering, ‘Fine.’ I smiled.

‘Sure?’ I nodded and he seemed to hold this strange sympathetic yet almost worried smile on his face. ‘Drummer and Strings just texted, they’re there already. We should probably kinda run now, y’know?’ He laughed, grabbing my by the wrist and then started to run.

Practising was strange. Strings and Rosetta sang together, well sometimes when they weren’t being intimate. Jack was always with Red so I kept my distance and just stayed near Drummer, who wasn’t exactly having a ball either. We didn’t really talk much to the other bandmates, Blue seemed to take to me and Red quite quickly but he was so absorbed in practising he didn’t really pay attention to anyone, let alone us. The only time we really all sat down and talked to each other was in the beginning when we decided what everybody was going to do.

‘I think we could get away with two bassist if we’re playing different baselines.’ Heather had said, the way she stared at us all with such wise eyes made me respect her instantly, ‘But I think it’d be stupid to have two drummers. Let’s face it, we can’t have two different drum parts or else the song will sound like one big noise. If you two play the same thing and are even a millisecond out of sync with each other we’ll sound hashed and as for taking turns it will look unprofessional.’ Both Drummer and Jack2 sat up, seeming to both have arguments ready at the tips of their tongues. Heather saw this and spoke quickly, ‘I know you are both drummers and love doing it but one of you is going to have to take another instrument.’ She turned to look at Drummer, ‘I know for a fact Jack2 has got no musical talent other than drums. Do you have any other experience?’

He sat quietly for a moment before reluctantly admitting, ‘I played some violin in school.’

‘Great.’ She smiled in a way that made us all surprised, ‘I’m the same. I have an electric violin at home, you can use that. It’ll look good and make us sound more professional.’

And that was the end of that. It was strange watching Drummer with violin and he played it with such elegance that if I had just met him I would have assumed he was a rich privately educated guy.

Nearer night, the practising eventually fizzled out. We had eaten Chinese for lunch and it was just not agreeing with Red’s stomach so he had to go pretty quickly. I had offered to go but Drummer said he’d go instead and I could tell he was trying to escape being in Jack’s presence a moment longer so I smiled and nodded. I was afraid Jack might come up and talk to me but luckily he got called away on some urgent business to do with his day job. Then Blue left. Then Heather and Jack2 decided to go for a drink so it was just me left alone with Rosetta and Strings. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t awkward.

‘Mmmmm, gorgeous…’ Strings moaned as he pulled away from her lips. I sat uneasily in the corner trying to concentrate on practising. ‘Want me to get us a snack?’ He asked, ‘And maybe a little something to drink?’

‘Sure…’ She smiled and kissed him, ‘I’ll look after your little guitarist…’

‘Which one?’ He jerked his eyebrows teasingly before he left.

She stood silently while I continued playing. I kept my eyes on her, though. Her shoulders seem to sag as she took a few steps backwards while knotting her fingers together. I stopped playing and turned the volume right down to avoid feedback. She spun around on her heel, black tears ran down her face, washing away the mascara and eyeliner from her eyes.

‘R-Rosetta…’ I immediately put down my guitar, ran up to her and seized her by the shoulders, ‘What’s the matter?’

‘It’s all her ever thinks about!’ She wailed, resting her head on my shoulder, ‘It’s all he ever has in mind.’

‘Rosetta, he was just joking.’

I felt her head shake against me, ‘All he ever wants to do is make out or make love! And when we do there is no love involved, I can’t even say there is from my part anymore!’

‘But you two looked so happy.’

‘He is, getting what he wants. But while I want…’ She pulled away and looked into my eyes. I froze solid. Don’t tell me… ‘I want you Chris.’

Before I could say ‘Um… WHAT?’ She crushed her lips against mine. My spine shivered as she grabbed both sides of my face. I tried to pull back by walking backwards but all that did was help me trip up. Next thing I knew we were on the floor and something forced it’s way through my lips. Oh holy crap, tongue! TONGUE! TONGUE IN MY MOUTH! AHH! I grabbed her arms and tried to push her off but, unfortunately, she seemed to enjoy that.

‘Don’t deny it Chris, I’ve seen the way you look at me.’ She began kissing down my neck and I cringed in horror. I had no idea what expression I had on my face but I was sure it was pretty close to Calum’s when gran gave him a big wrinkly smooch on the lips.

‘What way!’ I screamed, ‘The way with eyes!?’

‘You were mentally undressing me weren’t you.’ NO! ‘I could see jealousy in your eyes when you stared at me and Strings.’ THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SPECSAVERS!

She put her tongue back in my mouth before I could voice my thoughts and then began feeling up my chest, which I wasn’t just unhappy about- completely and utterly mortified that this weird… Weirdness! Was even taking place. Next thing I know she had unzipped her top and through it on the floor so her dark red yet completely transparent bra was on show. I screamed and covered my eyes.

‘I know you’re worried about Ricky but… It’s okay. It’s his fault he isn’t a real man… like you.’ If only she knew how wrong she was.

I took my hands away from my eyes to see her unclipping her bra and see it slowly slipping down her breasts. I screamed out, ‘No!’ And reluctantly pressed my hand against her bra and breasts to stop it falling. I squeezed my eyes shut tight and tried to escape to my happy place.

‘What’s going on here?’ I heard Strings’s voice say.

(Writer's note: So, whadya think??? :D by the look of things and what I have planned... this whole story might be a four parter o.0 hope you don't mind that it's sooooooooooo long T-T but yeah, you have no idea how fun it was to write this chapter XD Hope you enjoyed! :D I look forward to reading your comments as always ^ ^)