Chloe’s Lyrics
a short story by
Yari Garcia
Copyright 2013 by Yari Garcia
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Contents:
Chlore’s Lyrics
About the Author
Also by Yari Garcia
Chloe’s Lyrics
It’s 10am and I’m attempting to do lab work with my friend, Hilly. It’s just too early to do science. It’s too early to do anything! I’m still tired from band rehearsal last night and drowsy from lack of sleep—I spent the whole night thinking about my crush. Her name is Lisa. I just can’t get her out of my mind…
“Chloe! You’re gonna burn your sleeve!” Hilly squeals at me, and I realize my clothes are dangerously close to the blue flame. Stupid Bunsen burner. Almost burned my hippie cardigan.
Oh, and yes, I’m a girl. My name is Chloe and I’m madly, head-over-heels crushing on a girl named Lisa. I know what you’re thinking… Well, actually, I don’t know what you’re thinking. People think in very different ways when it comes to me. It makes life…interesting, to say the least. Sometimes when I tell people I’m a lesbian I have to wonder, did I accidentally just say I have a disease? They tilt their heads and go “Oh, wow…” As if they’re not sure whether to say they’re sorry or hang in there!
But, you see, that’s what I love about Hilly. She’s never acted weird. She knows all my secrets—all of them—and she still treats me like I’m no different from anyone else. The first time I ever told her I was a lesbian? It didn’t even faze her. I just started telling her about my love problems, and she started giving me advice, and the rest is history.
“Chloe, you need to get real”, Hilly says to me. She puts her goggles on top of her head, and she looks cute. I think she could wear them like that all the time. Little spikes of her blue hair stick out from under the elastic.
“What?” I ask innocently, though I know what she’s going to say.
“She’s got a boyfriend”, she says to me carefully. She’s usually my voice of reason, especially when it comes to relationships, but not this time. I’m crushing on Lisa way too hard.
“So?” I counter-attack. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It means everything”, she says, “What are you thinking you can do? Steal her from him??”
“No.” Yes.
“And what if she isn’t a lesbian?” she asks, “Are you going to turn her?”
“No.” Yes. Is that possible? Turning people? At this point, I’ll try anything.
“Oh, Chloe”, she sighs, fixing her goggles back on her eyes, “You’re in way over your head with this one. Lisa is clean-cut. Lisa has a boyfriend. Lisa isn’t a lesbian. She probably isn’t even bi. The odds are stacked high against you.”
I scoff at her and slouch on my chair. As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right. I’m a strange hybrid of punk and hippie, while Lisa is preppy all the way. She has natural blonde hair while mine has been every color of the rainbow, and then some. Right now it’s purple, and I like it, thankyouverymuch. My only hope about Lisa is that she’s bi, and that her boyfriend suddenly falls into a crater of magma.
“I just need a plan”, I mumble.
“Let it go”, Hilly sings, and an idea shines in my brain like a supernova. I’m not letting it go.
****
“What’s this?” Pamela asks from behind the drum set. She has cleverly put “Pam! Pam!” on the front of the set with duct tape. You know, as in the drum sounds, or something…
“New lyrics”, I reply, trying to seem nonchalant and aloof. I pick at my hemp necklace as Pamela just stares at the piece of paper.
I get impatient. “They’re lyrics!” I repeat, getting exasperated. You see, I’m the lead singer of this band, but I’ve never written my own lyrics. Velvet Magenta, our band, is Hilly’s brain child. I’m just along for the ride.
“A’ight”, she says, and she drums a beat, testing out the sound. I have two more pieces of paper in my hands. One for our bassist, Julia. The other piece of paper for…
“Hilly!” I squeak as she appears out of nowhere. I’ve been dreading this moment all afternoon. “I’ve got new lyrics!” I spit out, shove the paper her way, then try to turn on the heel of my combat boot before she can comment.
“Waaaait”, she says as she looks over the paper, “You’ve written lyrics?”
“Yes”, I sigh. What’s the big deal?
“But you’ve never written lyrics before”, she says, “This is great!”
I smile sheepishly. She looks at the paper, then back up at me. She gets a really cheesy smile on her freshly painted blue lips.
“You are SO bold.”
****
It’s 10pm, next day. We spent all Thursday afternoon rehearsing my song. Now I’m backstage, reconsidering my bold plan.
“Even I’m nervous”, Julia, the bassist and the queen of non-subtlety says, and my stomach turns.
“Shush, Julia”, Hilly says and she strokes my hair. She starts hair spraying it, the chemical-scented mist falling all around me. “We’re all nervous, Chloe”, she says to me, “but whatever, this is something you feel like you gotta do, and we got your back.”
“We do”, Pam chimes in, “We got yo’ back.”
“Thanks. Hey, I’mma go warm up my voice”, I say and leave the room. I know they are being supportive, but I just need some time alone.
I walk down the dark hallway of the club, the echoes of the band currently playing on stage all around me. Soon that will be me up there, among cheers and whistles and screams…and among Lisa. I knew Lisa would be somewhere in the crowd. Would she bring her boyfriend? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. After what seemed like ten seconds of warming up my voice (but was actually ten minutes), Pam appeared behind me.
“Fifteen and we’re up”, she says. I take a deep breath and head inside.
****
Suddenly I find myself on stage, in front of bright lights and a full house cheering. I don’t even remember how I got up there, but I set my nerves aside. I’m not just Chloe anymore, I’m Velvet Magenta, and I’m here to sing my very own lyrics! I scan the crowd, but I can’t see much further than the first two rows of people.
That is, until the lights dim.
Pam starts drumming out a slow, rhythmic beat and that’s when I see her. My heart starts beating just like the drum beat as I see Lisa standing in the crowd, almost at the very front, with a newly-bought Velvet Magenta T-shirt and…her boyfriend standing next to her. I don’t hate the guy, but when Julia starts playing the bass, my anger and jealousy follow that rhythm.
That’s when Hilly hums her background flow, and then we all stop. Dead silence.
THEN WE BLAST THE MUSIC!
Riot Grrl, full volume, and it’s time to sing my lyrics:
I’ve seen you do what he wants for too long/ I’ve seen him push and pull at you like a rag doll/ I’ve seen the red marks on your wrist/ and I just can’t resist/ to say/ -no-/ to confess/ I want to take you from that mess/ So that when people stare at us/ It will be because we’re both girls/ and not because I’ve hurt you in any way/ Because I’ve seen you do what he wants for too long/ I’ve seen him push and pull at you like a rag doll/ But, Lisa, can’t you see?/ I’d only pull you closer to me.
We finish the song with high pitched cheers and a crazy-loud round of applause falling all around us like a refreshing thunderstorm. I’m sweating, I’m smiling, I’m scanning the crowd again but the light has turned back on. It’s in my face and I can’t see much further than the people in the first row. I can’t see Lisa’s reaction, and after a bow, it’s time to head backstage. Our set was only a ten minute set sandwiched between two ot
her bands, so we all rush outta there, down the hall, and into our dressing room.
“That was amazing!” Julia gushes and throws herself on the couch. She’s sweating as well.
Pam punches my shoulder playfully as she comes in, turns a chair around, and saddles it.
I sit on the counter with all the scattered makeup and take a deep breath. Now what?
“Ladies and ladies, a toast!” Hilly says, handing everyone a water bottle. “To Chloe, who single-handedly just sang her first lyrics, came out of the closet, AND confessed her love to her crush!”
I blush. The girls all twist their bottles open and sing, “To Chloe!”
“Not to mention”, Pam says, “She totally called out that creep that always has his hands on Lisa.”
I gulp down my water and look at the open door. I see some people walking back and forth, but no Lisa. Not even her boyfriend is showing up to yell at me. Several minutes go by and the girls take notice.
“She’s probably shocked. You know, taking it all in”, Hilly offers, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. I start to think this was all a big mistake.
As more time goes by, I can feel the awkwardness in the room. The girls are starting to get tense as well, and I get that feeling that they’re feeling sorry for me. I hate that feeling.
“Was Lisa in the crowd?” Julia asks Pam, “I don’t think I saw her.”
“I saw her”, Pam says.
“She was there”, Hilly adds.
“It’s no big deal, guys”, I say so that they’ll stop speculating or feeling bad for me. It really wasn’t a big deal. I did what I came to do—call out that boyfriend of hers, come out, and confess my crush. In front of everyone. Loudly.
So it wasn’t a total loss.
“Who wants some pizza?” Hilly asks once it’s obvious that no one is coming backstage to see me. Hilly, always rescuing me from awkward situations.
“I’m starved”, Pam says, and all the girls get up to leave.
“I’m just gonna hang back”, I say to them, “I wanna see if Cherry Pit is playing tonight. Probably won’t be long.”
They hug me and say their goodbyes, and I hang back at the dressing room. I pick at my hemp necklace and wonder if maybe I was too blunt. I wonder if Lisa is going to be mad at me next time I run into her at school. I start regretting all my choices and over-thinking everything until I see a figure appear at the doorway. I look up, and it’s Lisa.
Lisa is still wearing the Velvet Magenta T-shirt. She’s also wearing a smile on her face.
“I was gonna break up with him tonight anyway”, she says to me, rubbing one of her red wrists from where he had grabbed her. “You wanna get out of here? Grab some iced coffees or something?”
YES!
****
The End
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About the Author:
I’m Yari Garcia, writer of young adult fiction.
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Also by Yari Garcia:
The Girl in the Converse Shoes
Nikki and the Vampire
Paranormal Romance: A Short Story
NEON
The Short Story Collection
…and more!