"Dude Looks Like a Lady"

Chapter 12 Kieran (Strings POV)

Chapter 12

Kieran

~Strings

The optimist I am, I was kinda expecting to fly first class with recliner chairs and a hand of champagne in my hand. Instead we were in a crappy second class which might have well have been no class as all since it was Ryan Air of all planes. In other words, it wasn’t a plane but a bus with wings.

I was hoping to sit beside Chris on the plane but that went out the window when Red played his I’m-so-scared-of-flying card again and even got to hold her hand when we weren’t even on the friggin plane yet. Instead, Sailor sat beside him, I sat behind her and Drummer sat between me and the screaming eight-year-old throwing peanuts in his direction.

I passed her my Ipod through the gap between the chairs, ‘For your entertainment during the flight.’ I said in an airhostess’s voice.

‘Wow, thanks Strings!’ She giggled.

‘I even made a playlist especially for you.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah, it has your name on it.’

She scrolled her way through the folders to find it. I held back a snigger and waited patiently for her to read through the songs.

Do it like a Dude – Jessie Jay Somebody Told Me – The Killers If I were a Boy – Beyonce Mister, I’ll Make a Man Out Of You – Mulan You Make Me Want To Be A Man – Utada Hikaru Lola - The Kinks Dude Looks Like A Lady – AeroSmith

‘Very funny.’ She giggled.

‘Well I wanted to put songs you could really relate to.’ I winked.

‘It’s moving.’ Red squeaked and I looked out the window. Sure enough, the outside world was whizzing us by.

I didn’t ever really pay much attention to flying. I flew at least five times a year every year since I was born until I left home. It never really phased me. But this was only Chris’s second time. And like I did the first time, I watched her face light up as the ground fell away from the plane’s wheels. I can’t really explain how the look on her face made me felt. I guess it was a bit like electricity was pulsing through me, giving me a burst of energy and this need to live life a bit more to the extreme. Like Q.O.T.S.A said, "I need something good to die for, to make it beautiful to live."

‘Wow, it’s amazing!’ She gasped, looking out the window.

The five of us all gazed out; even Mr. Acrophobia was making an effort to see what she thought was so fantastic. And soon enough she wasn’t the only one.

The Forth Rail Bridge is these three scarlet netted diamonds connecting Edinburgh to Fife over the waters of the firth of forth. And at our slightly tilted angle, with the morning sun sparkling the forth and thin clouds framing our view, it was worth writing a song about.

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Stepping into London was a bit like doing the time warp; a modern concrete jungle merged with castle-like rejects of the past with a sprinkling of artistic statements disguised as buildings. It was pretty cool, except from some streets that were still recovering from the riots.

We spent most of the day shopping and then four of us decided to get a last minute hair cut, to look our best for the finals- not like I needed a haircut for that. We managed to talk Chris out of getting her hair cut, but just barely, I think she wanted to look much as a guy as possible but none of us could let her go through with it. She was perfect the way she was.