Boring Girls(63)

“Sure,” Marie-Lise said. “All of us do. Even though you’re constantly surrounded by people, I feel alone a lot of the time.”

“And that’s why you’ll get off the tour bus in the morning and come have a coffee by yourself,” I said.

She laughed. “Exactly. Being alone for a while makes me feel less alone when I go back.”

“That makes sense.”

Marie-Lise stood up. “It was great meeting both of you, but I should really get back to the bus.”

“Thanks for talking to us,” I said, and we shook hands.

After Marie-Lise shook Fern’s hand, she reached forward and touched a strand of Fern’s hair, gazing at it. “You should try using Pegasus,” she said. “That’s what I use when I bleach my hair. It’s kind of expensive, but it really works to get it nice and pale. You don’t end up with that sort of brassy yellow.”

“Thanks,” Fern said.

“Bye, girls,” she said and made her way down the sidewalk.

We sat at the table and watched her walk back towards the club. “That was amazing,” Fern said. “I really can’t believe we met her, and she was so nice to us.”

“Paul’s stupid girlfriends saw us here with her too,” I said. “They walked by. They’ll totally think we’re friends with Marie-Lise. Fucking awesome.”

“You know, it was weird. I was completely nervous with her. I felt stupid.”

“Nah. It was fine,” I said. “I liked what she had to say. I f*cking can’t wait to see the show tonight.”

We sat thoughtfully for a few moments, and then Fern said, “Do you have a goal with the band?”

I thought for a second. “I’m sure I do, I just have to think about it for a while,” I said. “What about you?”

“Well, I guess part of it has to do with being able to play the guitar well,” she said, furrowing her brow. “I mean, I really love it, and I love how far I’ve come with it. I want to see how good I can get with it.”

“And be able to show that off to people,” I said, smiling.

“Yeah, I guess that’s part of it too,” she said. “I mean wouldn’t that be part of it for everyone? Wanting attention and to stand out and everything?”

I was mulling over my goal, my reason for wanting to do Colostomy Hag. Was it because I wanted attention? Because I wanted everyone to think I was cool and talented and original? I guess part of it was that. I think I really also wanted to show people, the type of people who were going to naysay us, and me, and make fun of us, that they were wrong. I wanted to surprise people. If they thought that a girl couldn’t lead a metal band, I wanted to prove to them that they were dead wrong.





TWENTY-FOUR


Socks and Edgar joined us in line. We told them all about meeting Marie-Lise and what we’d talked about. Socks lamented that we hadn’t had a demo to give her and reiterated that we needed to get into a studio and record songs, release an album.

We heard a shout and looked back — it was Craig and Yvonne. We invited them to join us.

“How have you been?” Yvonne asked me. “It’s been so long. I hear you guys are in a band. I can’t wait to come see you. When’s your next show?”

“Nothing planned right now.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t make it. I’m really sorry. But you sing! How cool is that? I seriously can’t wait to check the music out. Remember how you punched that guy in the face at Surgical Carnage? I can’t think of any chick who’d be better to front a metal band than you, Rachel.”

We filed in shortly, telling Craig and Yvonne everything we could about Heathenistic Bile. The concert began — and I was horrified to see that Blackskull had the chain on and everything. “They’re totally going to do it again!” I shouted to Edgar, and we laughed.

The place was packed — hundreds of people. Bigger than the Surgical Carnage crowd had been. We found a place along the back of the club where we could all see the stage. Heathenistic Bile definitely upped the ante this time — Kate and Jennifer wiggled wildly, fishnet-clad on each side of the stage, and Paul was even more dramatic, but the crowd didn’t seem into it. A few heads moved at the front, but there was no mosh pit or anything, and the cheer that would rise after each song was lukewarm.

When it was time to unleash the beast, there was no crowd response at all. Paul and his band steeled themselves and pressed on, Blackskull emitting the same weak howl as before, but no one responded except for a few random shrieks here and there.