"You coming, Julia?" My mother's voice rang up the stairs. I finished putting gel in my short brown hair and quickly tousled it a bit. I knew my girlfriend, Lena Katina, loved that.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec, mom!" I called back. I quickly surveyed my hair and then, after finding it perfect, went onto doing my face. I grabbed my purse and stuffed in some eye shadow, my mascara, blush and my tube of lip-gloss in it then ran to the front door. Mom was standing there impatiently with her fake leather/faux fur trimmed coat on and her hair up in a half pony. Her blue eyes stared coldly at me.
"Let's go, now." She shoved my arms in my knee-length black leather jacket and then shoved me out to the car as she locked the house. "What were you doing that couldn't have waited until you got to Lena's?"
"I was putting gel in my hair." I replied. Mom sighed.
"Gel? Julia Volkova! Why couldn't you have stuffed the bottle into that bottomless purse of yours?" Mom asked.
"Because Lena loves the bed head look on me as soon as she sees me! I can't let her down! Besides, I get a lot more back!"
"What do you get back?" Mom cried. Mom and Dad knew that Lena and I had started a singing duet together. We're technically a 'garage band' since everything we need is set up in one of Lena's family's three single car garages. Lena's really skilled at writing music so she wrote the instrumental parts, then gave them to some family friends who have instruments. It was my job to write the songs, which I'm really skilled at. We named ourselves t.A.T.u, meaning 'this girl loves that girl' in Russian. It was Lena's brainwork because she's three quarters Russian. We also thought that since at school we were together lots we could play on the lesbian theme. This was especially easy for us because we knew we already had love feelings for each other. My parents knew about the band but they didn't know what it stood for and how Lena and I really felt about each other. Lena was over at my house once and mom asked us about it. I didn't know what to say but lucky for me Lena was thinking. She said our name meant 'Try Always To Understand'. I personally found it very corny but mom bought it immediately. She's really into the whole 'the world is a good place! We all just need to see the goodness in everyone' thing. Lena's parents knew she was gay and knew what our band meant but promised not to tell mine anything. We both live in Moro, Alberta that is a small town of about 3000.
"She greets me at her door! You know that! What did you think I was meaning?" I asked.
"Something else. Just something else." Mom replied. "You're too young."
"Mom! I'm going to be 18 in a week!" I pointed out. Mom sighed.
"You're right." She paused then continued. "I was thinking something sexually oriented." I laughed.
“What do you think I am? Lesbian?” Mom looked aghast.
“Please tell me you aren’t!”
“No…no of course not, mom.” She sighed with relief but looked tense.
“Ok, here we are. Have a good time. Give me a call when you and Lena are done.” She said. I nodded, kissed her goodbye then ran to the front door. Lena must have been watching through her front window as she had the door open before I got there.
“Volchise!” She hugged me.
“Lena, my mom’s still there. Wait until we’re behind closed doors, baby.” I said. I turned around and waved mom off then closed the door. “Anyone home?”
“No! I told you! My family was going on a two-week vacation! They left me home alone because I’m an adult and I have a responsibility with the band. Hey! Do you think your mom would let you stay for two weeks?”
“I don’t know. I could call her.”
“Yeah, call! Use the kitchen phone.” We went in the kitchen and I dialed mom.
“Hi, mom. It’s me. I was just wondering if I could stay with Lena for two weeks. I am going to be 18 in a week. Oh my God, I can! Thanks so much! I’ll be back later to get clothes! Love you!” I hung up.
“Yes! You can stay! Oh, Julia! I’ve waited for this moment for so long! The moment we could be alone and know that no one would disturb us!”
“Yes Lena dear!”
Once in the third garage we got the CDs ready that Lena’s family’s friends made for us then positioned ourselves so we could sing to the mirrored wall we’d set up and be able to operate the CD player.
“Ok, what song first? I checked and we have to get about five songs done for a demo then submit it.” I said.
“All right. We should submit our best songs. Let’s go through them all once or twice then decide.”
“Yeah, sounds good.” We got the CDs ready and began singing. Three hours later we’d picked out five songs, a mixture of English and Russian.
“Hey, let’s perform at the concert in the park thing next weekend!” I suggested. “We could do ‘All The Things She Said’, ‘Show Me Love’ and ‘Clowns (Can You See Me Now?)’!”“Oh my God! Do you know what this means! We can do what we want, when we want…if you know what I mean.” She smiled slyly.
“Yup. I know what you mean!”
“Ok…Lord, look at the time! Let’s head to the garage!” I nodded and we crossed the kitchen, opened a door and went down a couple of steps into the first garage. All our stuff was located in the third one as not to disturb Lena’s family when they were home.
“Ok. My cousin’s friend’s dad is running the show this year so I might be able to snag us a spot.” I nodded. “I’m exhausted. Let’s do something and get something to eat.”
“Yeah.” We headed back to the kitchen and got food then headed up to the third floor of Lena’s house, where her bedroom was located. We had gotten undressed and under the covers when we heard a door open downstairs. First thing that entered our mind was a burglar. We got out of the bed and Lena threw me a purple bathrobe while she put on a teal one. Slowly we made our way to the main floor, just off the living room. The front door didn’t look like it had been tampered with. Suddenly we heard footsteps to the left, coming from the kitchen. We began to make our way over when Lena’s mom stepped out.
“Mom! What are you doing home? You aren’t supposed to be back for another two weeks!” Lena cried, startled.
“Elena, didn’t you receive the phone message? I said that your sister was sick with something and I would feel better if she were home in her own bed!” Mrs. Katina replied.