"Dude Looks Like a Lady"

Chapter 13 Slipping (Drummer POV)

Chapter 13

Slipping

~Drummer

Each morning started off the same. I’d wake up, pour milk over my weetos and wait until Red woke up. He’d drag his feet over the carpet, yawn and sit beside me. For an hour, a good hour, it was just us talking about nothing important. And then Strings would come through, completely energetic and force Red to make breakfast with his loud demanding voice. He’d make something and while Chris, who would be woken up by Strings loud voice, would take a shower. When she came out Red would focus all his attention on her, and make me feel like some chips he’d nibble at until the grilled steak was ready. Strings would focus all his attention on her too. No longer would I feel like a small side plate of chips but the bent in flat tire of a fourth wheel that needed replacing.

But this morning was different. I got up, poured milk over my weetos, sat down and was about to put a spoonful in my mouth, when I noticed her. Chris. She was washing out the grime from cooker. She was pale, but not the usual snow-white look about her. Her skin had a tint of green to it and bags hung low under her eyes. She scrubbed away at the crispy dirty like she was on a mission to free the kitchen from all germs.

‘Chris, are you okay?’ She whirled her head around and jerked backwards as if I had crept up on her.

‘D-Drummer…’ She look at me to the cooker then back at me, as if she had no idea what she had been doing, ‘I-I was just… cleaning.’

‘It’s half seven. You usually sleep in ‘til nine.’ I pointed out before eating some weetos. I swallowed, ‘If you’re gonna clean wouldn’t it make more sense to clean later?’

She shrugged, ‘I… Couldn’t sleep…’ I lowered my spoon into the bowl and stared into the past.

"It’s six in the morning."

I had said when he woke me up with all the clattering and banging. "What are you doing?"

"Cleaning."He emptied the contents of the drawer all over the carpet and began polishing the inside, determined to eliminate all dust and crumbs.

"Wouldn’t it make more sense to clean later, like in the afternoon maybe?"

He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and gave out a tired laugh; "I couldn’t sleep."

‘Excited about the next round, huh?’ I smiled away the memory.

She smiled back, ‘Something like that.’

I was being paranoid. It probably was just excitement or nerves for the next round, we were practising like crazy after all. But I couldn’t help but analyse the way she had been acting over the last few weeks… Or the last months… or the last months even. Just the little things I didn’t pay attention to before. I shook my head and continued eating my weetos while she kept scrubbing away. History is not gonna repeat itself.

<><><><><>

I sat at the table, opposite him and placed down the four of diamonds. He placed down the ace of spades.

‘How long are you gonna keep your feelings bottled up?’ He asked as we continued the game.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I lied.

He laughed as he placed down a queen of hearts on my queen of spades. We both called out snapped by my hand landed on his. He got to the cards first. I looked down at his hand; I could feel it under my palm, warm and soft. He slid his hand out from under mine and took all the cards. We kept on going.