Drummer Boy

The Rainbow

The clock was ticking away as the dark started setting in for the night. I'd lit a few candles that burned away in my bathroom. The room was a total mess at the moment.

All my makeup was spread out on the table around the sink. In my bedroom nextdoor, you could hear my old recordplayer spinning. I could never get ready without having some music playing in the background.

"Fuck", I said to myself as I messed up my eyeliner for the second time. I was a little short on time already, as Kate could be outside waiting to pick me up at any minute.

I took a step back and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked decent. My long, blonde hair was in a sloppy side braid. I knew how sweaty and hot these type of gigs could be, so a braid seemed safe.

My makeup was simple, with some green shadow and black liner around my eyes. I kept my outfit rather casual. I had my black bell bottoms on, paired with a white blouse with flowery details. I began the process of cleaning up the huge mess I made earlier in my bathroom.

Suddenly the doorbell rang out loud and disturbed the silence in my flat. It made me jump. I hadn't even realized my recordplayer had reached the end of the b-side.

I crammed my makeup back in the drawer, washed my hands and went to answer. "You are always late, Jenn. Always!" I mumled to myself as I pushed the speak-button. "Hi Kate, I'll be down in just a second"

Grabbing my purse, I made sure my notebook and pen were still in it from last night. Then I stuffed my cigarettes and lighter in it as well. I took another glance at myself in the mirror and saw that something was missing. I always wore feathers in my hair. Running back into my bedroom, I took the feathers laying on my nightstand and began pinning them into the braid. Done.

I switched off the lights in my flat and was finally on my way out. "Another gig tonight Jenn?" I heard a voice say behind me, as I locked up the door.

"Hi Laura! Yeah, I'm covering Queen down at the Rainbow tonight" Laura was my elderly neighbour. I often came over to her flat for tea and biscuits. She loved to chat about music.

"You kids have fun then, and be careful, dear. Ya never know who's lurking around these streets at night"

"Will do, Laura. G'bye!" I walked down the stairs. I could already hear the loud music blasting out of Kate's van. She always knew how to start off an evening.

Pushing the entrance door aside, I saw Kate sitting behind the wheel, nodding her head to the rhythm. The air was quite fresh tonight. A bit cold, but still bearable. After throwing on my jacket, I jumped into her red van, which was full of cigarette smoke and Led Zeppelin. "Jenn, you look fabulous" she said to me as she leaned in for a hug.

Kate was a lovely girl. Tall, beautiful and brunette. She had those puppy eyes you could stare into forever. Most importantly she was kind and loving towards all the people she cared about. A little spontanious and wild at times, but she always had good intentions.

"Well, you are not too bad yourself" I said and gave her a wink. "Let's roll!" Kate said as she started the engine and drove towards The Rainbow.

-

"This place is pulsing!" Kate said as we made our way around the cue. There were lots of stylish folks waiting in line. Since Kate and I had our journalist passes, we didn't have to stand in line. "God, I need a cigarette" I said as I lit a Marlboro.

"So how do ya think tonight's gonna be, Jenn?" Kate said as she checked herself in her pocket mirror. "Think it's gonna be great. These guys seem comfortable on stage. Nothin' to say about their songs either, they have their own sound, ya know"