Snap.

Snap snap.

Snap.

Snap snap snap.

Lammy snapped her fingers quietly as she waited for Katy to finish up her list. The list was important, she insisted, so that they could remember everything they had to do that day. Katy also insisted that it be that day, because it was the only day all three of them were off- Saturday, when they usually had band practice.

Ma-san, who sat at the opposite end of the coffee table, legs dangling off the edge, drummed against the wood impatiently. Lammy had been trying to match the rhythm with her snaps for the past ten minutes, but Ma-san kept changing her pace, making it virtually impossible.

Their leader was largely quiet as she leaned over the coffee table. One hand carded through her blonde hair and the other scribbled hastily onto her list. Absentmindedly she jiggled her leg, not following either of the sounds in the air. Between them her tail twitched thoughtfully, tickling Lammy's thigh. It was a little distracting- making it slightly harder for Lammy to pay attention to Ma-san's drumming.

As she fell out of rhythm for the fifth time, Lammy decided this was a lost cause. Instead, she turned her full attention to the tail, which had batted her leg once again. It was right there, and it looked so soft... Would Katy think it was weird if she just touched it? Probably. It didn't stop her from hovering her hand towards it anyway, ever so slowly...

"Okay. I think that's it!" Katy exclaimed, flopping back on the couch, making Lammy quickly jerk her hand back. Holding up the paper, Katy gave it one more once over before reading it off. "Okay- top priority is, obviously, getting the camera. I know for a fact PaRappa's little sister has one..."

Lammy quirked a brow at that. "Will she let us borrow it, though?"

"I mean, yeah, probably. How hard could it be?" Those were famous last words. Katy ignored the dubious expression Lammy gave her, continuing. "And we gotta find a place to film... I was thinking we just use Ma-san's garage like always and just fix it up so it looks more like a stage. Your dad's working all day like he usually is, right Ma-san?"

"7:30," clarified Ma-san, looking over her shoulder. Katy hummed and looked at her clock.

"It's 10:46 now, so that's..." She silently counted on her right hand, mouthing the numbers. "what, like eight hours? That's probably plenty of time." Lammy caught Ma-san's eye, and Ma-san gave her her own rather dubious look. Lammy silently agreed. Their track record with time wasn't the greatest, after all. "We gotta think of the song we wanna play, and- oh! Outfits, too."

Kicking her legs back and forth, Ma-san leaned back on her perch, considering it. "Fine, but I'm picking my own clothes," she conceded.

"Awh, what, you don't like my taste in fashion?" Katy pouted, pushing out her lower lip.

"No."

"What's wrong with our normal clothes?" Piped up Lammy, out of curiosity. She herself didn't mind if Katy picked out their outfits. It was much easier being told what to wear, anyway.

"Well, if we're gonna be a hit we gotta dress like it, right?" Katy explained, matter-of-factly. "Impressing the judges means we gotta look as good as we play. Maybe even better."

"I guess that makes sense..." admitted Lammy, and Katy beamed at her.

"Don't worry. I think I've got a pretty good look in mind for you already."

Something about the way Katy said that made Lammy's cheeks feel hot. "O-oh, yeah?"

"Do you even know what song we're gonna play?" Interrupted Ma-san, who probably had her priorities in order a little more than Katy did, anyway.

Katy indignantly straightened her list with the tiniest frown. "I was getting to that." She cleared her throat. "I was thinking we could do the one we practiced last time. I don't wanna use anything off the CD... And we gotta use our own lyrics, definitely. We kind of played Got To Move out already, and Keep Your Head Up just wouldn't sound right without the percussion..."

It was still amazing to Lammy how Katy had managed to talk that marching band into playing with them. What were the odds that they would have been performing at the same time Major Minor was in town?

"Whatever," shrugged Ma-san, and Katy rose an eyebrow.

"You sure?"

"Does it matter?"

Katy frowned, and Lammy shifted a little uncomfortably.

"It would be appreciated-"

"What about, um-" Lammy broke in, but faltered once Katy and Ma-san turned to look at her. "The, uh, t-the one that goes..." she racked her brain for a way to describe it. Katy hadn't really given it a name yet- they tended to put that off until the last minute, like when the CDs were first being burned and they had to put track names on the back sleeve. Lammy could at least remember the tune in her head, though- so, in an attempt to get her idea across, she hummed it loud and clear.

Katy's ears perked up, recognizing the melody, and tilted her head. "The love song?" Lammy nodded. "W...why? I mean, I know it's good, but-"

"Actually," interjected Ma-san, "Yeah, I'd be up for that." Lammy blinked, not really expecting Ma-san of all people to be on her side.

"I-it's a nice song!" She assured after the moment of confusion, and Katy seemed genuinely surprised.

"Uh, I mean. If you're sure, ahah." She looked away, rubbing her arm. "I wouldn't say it's my best work..."

"Duh," mumbled Ma-san. "We'd save your best for when we win."

Katy seemed to roll that in her mind for a few minutes, shooting a rather nervous looking glance at Lammy. Then she nodded. "Alright. Love song it is." Clapping her hands, she stood up, full of energy. "Okay! That's settled, now we just have to take care of everything else." She turned towards Ma-san. "Mar, since you're gonna be picking your own clothes, you can probably go home and start setting up. Your drum kit takes longer to put together anyway."

There was a shrug in return, and Ma-san hopped off of the table, stretching her arms. "Fine with me."

Then Katy turned to Lammy, hands on her hips. "Lammy, you can come with me. We can walk to PaRappa's house and get clothes on the way back. Then pick up my bass, your guitar, and then take your motorcycle over to Ma-san's house."

The influx of directions were overwhelming enough that Lammy hardly retained them. Despite this, she nodded, scratching the back of her head. "S-sounds great."

"Glad you think so! Now, let's get moving. We've got a lot of ground to cover."


"This'll be a piece of cake. I'm great with kids."

"I-if you say so..."

"The kid from that Baby Baby track loved me. He called me his mom."

"... He called me mom, too."

"That's not mutually exclusive, Lammy!"

Katy knocked on the big red door of PaRappa's dog house, a quick succession of three loud raps, and flashed Lammy a thumbs up. They waited for him to answer- or, more accurately, they waited until Katy got impatient and knocked again, louder this time.

"PaRappa, open up!" She hollered, loud enough that the whole neighborhood could have heard her. She tapped her foot, platform heel clacking loudly on the concrete. Finally, after a minute, the door creaked open and the sleepy, blinking face of PaRappa the Rappa poked out.

"Hu... Hey, Katy... What's up?" he yawned, rubbing his eyes. He was still wearing his pajamas, his nightcap drooping over his face. Lammy had to admit, it was kind of cute. He must have just woken up. He peered up at her from underneath his hat, gave her a wave, then looked back at Katy. "You doing a band thing? It's kinda early..."

"Oh, come on," retorted Katy, rolling her eyes. "It's only-" she took Lammy's arm to look at her watch. "11:34! Normal people would be up at this time."

Lammy had to admit, she almost never woke up before noon if left to her own devices. PaRappa gave Katy a confused look, rubbing the back of his head. "Did you just come here to criticize my sleeping habits or what?"

Katy frowned. "Actually, I was wondering if you had that old video camera lying around. We need it for a thing."

"A band thing though, right?"

"Yes, PaRappa, a band thing. We're shooting a video!" Katy stated proudly. "It's for the Rodney State Battle of the Bands."

That made PaRappa immediately perk up, and he moved inside enough that Lammy and Katy could pass through the doorway. "Oh, yeah! Me and PJ submitted a video for that a while ago- hold on, lemme get it-" He went into the back, leaving the two girls in the living room. Katy sighed, flopping over on the arm of the couch. She gave lammy an impatient upside-down pout.

"I really hoped this would only take a few minutes..."

Lammy joined her, glancing over to where PaRappa had disappeared to. She rose an eyebrow. "I thought only rock bands were in the contest... d-does PaRappa know how to play rock?"

"No," said Katy, rolling her eyes. "He wouldn't know a genuine rockstar if they bit him right on the-" She paused, raising her head. It took a second before Lammy heard it, too.

"Pinto, come on, lemme see the camera! I gotta show Katy that video!"

"You said you wouldn't need it for anything else! It's my camera, dad said so-"

Lammy looked down at Katy, brow furrowed in concern, but Katy only shrugged.

"I just need it for a second!"

"You're gonna break it!"

There was a thud, a yelp, and Pinto ran around the corner into the living room with the camera held up over her head like it would be out of PaRappa's reach. Then, she turned, noticing Lammy and Katy on the couch, and her eyes got as wide as dinner plates. "Oh! Katy! Hi!"

PaRappa groaned, rubbing the top of his head as he followed behind his sibling. "I was gonna show them the music video we made..."

"Hey, Pinto." said Katy, giving Pinto a kind smile and a wave. Lammy gave her a hesitant smile as well, despite not being addressed. She'd never met Pinto before- she wasn't surprised that the child hadn't said anything to her. She didn't get the happy wave Katy got- instead, Lammy received a curious head tilt. Thankfully Katy noticed this and added, "This is my friend Lammy. She plays the guitar!"

"Hi Lammy!"

"H-hi."

PaRappa hovered impatiently over Pinto's head and reached for the camcorder once again. "Pinto- the video-"

"I can do it, jeeze," insisted Pinto, finding a spot on the couch between Lammy and Katy. She flipped the camcorder open and moved through the videos until she found the one PaRappa was talking about. She hit play, bouncing in place with a grin.

It was in an unusually empty Club Fun, and PaRappa stood at the mic.

"Okay, who's ready to rock?" He yelled, and it echoed around the empty room. There was a muffled hollering behind the camera that was clearly Pinto imitating a crowd.

"Yeah!" screamed PaRappa again. "Hit it, PJ!"

Suddenly, PJ powerslid onto the stage, a güiro clasped tightly in his fist. He scraped the drumstick across the front rapidly as PaRappa began to rap.

Lammy felt like she had died and gone to hell for the second time. She grimaced and looked at Katy, who stared back at her, stone faced. PaRappa had his hands clasped, tail wagging. He was watching intently for their reactions.

The video ended, and the room was silent.

"What'd you think?" Asked PaRappa, a sparkle in his wide, innocent, loving eyes. Lammy looked back at Katy, hoping she would respond. Katy smiled tightly, and looked back at Lammy in a way that said, frankly, she did not want this sudden responsibility.

"Oh, it was... Really good, PaRappa."

"You think so?"

"Oh, yeah, you'll get in the contest for sure!" Katy said, in the most disingenuous voice Lammy had ever heard in her entire 18 years of life. PaRappa seemed to fall for it, though, his tail only wagging faster.

"Yes!" He pumped his fist with a grin. "I was afraid the güiro was pushing it, but PJ insisted, you know?"

Lammy nodded her head. "E-experimental music is getting really big nowadays."

"Yeah, he said that too..."

"Now, uhm," cut in Katy, desperately trying to hurry this along, "You think we could borrow that camera so we could film our video?" That blue tail was lashing side to side, and her foot tapped impatiently on the Rappa's plush carpet. Lammy seemed to be the only one who noticed.

Pinto pulled the camera close to her chest, a dubious frown on her stubby snout. "Oh... I dunno."

"We won't break it or anything. Promise!"

Silence. Pinto rolled the camera in her paws with a terse expression, obviously thinking it around in her mind. After a long while, she rose her nose in the air. "You can use it-"

"Oh, thank God-" gushed Katy, leaning for the camera, only to have it taken away.

"But!" continued Pinto, "I'm doing the filming. My pay rate is $30 an hour and I want snacks."

"E-excuse me?"

"I'm saving my money to go to Film School," said Pinto, proudly. Katy opened and closed her mouth like a dying fish.

"I had to pay her too," added a sheepish Parappa.

"But- We just want the camera!"

Lammy, having been quiet for all of this, quickly thrust a hand into her pocket to grab her wallet. "I-it's a deal. I've got $30. W-will you... Be around at like, 6?"

Pinto grinned, took the money, and nodded.


Lammy and Katy walked side by side, close enough to occasionally bump into each other. Lammy wasn't exactly sure where Katy was taking her next. She didn't really care- she was content to keep in step. As far as she saw it, Katy could probably talk her into following her anywhere. Something about her enthusiasm... It was contagious.

Katy was laughing, still on the topic of what happened in PaRappa's house.

"God, I feel bad for lying to him, but that song was awful," she had a smile on her face, despite the sentiment. "I just couldn't break his heart like that!"

"Do... Do they all sound like a D.A.R.E. instructional video?" asked Lammy, unable to keep herself from grinning along.

"His heart is in the right place!" Katy said, crossing her arms. "Lucky for us the best part about that video was the camera work." Lammy had to agree- Pinto wasn't bad at recording in the slightest. Katy's brisk pace slowed slightly, enough that Lammy almost ran into her. "Speaking of... Thanks again for covering that. It was super cool of you."

Lammy responded with a bashful shrug, eyes sliding to her shoes. "Oh, ah, i-it's no big deal. We're all doing our part, right?" It was probably the least she could do, especially with all the work the others were putting in.

"Oh, don't be so modest! It's still a huge help."

"Ah, eheh, well..."

The conversation trailed off into a rather comfortable silence, Lammy lagging behind Katy, eyes finding a spot on her lower back and staying there. She wasn't sure how long she'd spent staring at that swaying blue tail before she felt Katy's hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Hey, we're here!"

Lammy looked up. They had arrived at PaRappa Town's local flea market, large and bustling, vendors with their wares spilling out over tables or hanging up in racks. It was busy- but not overwhelmingly so, it already being the afternoon and no one wanting to sit out in the heat for long. Lammy sent a confused glance Katy's way.

"The Flea Market...?"

Katy crossed her arms. "Knock it all you want! I found my best styles here, and cheap. You just have to know what to look for. Come on, you trust me, don't you?"

"I- I mean, t-totally, but-" Lammy stumbled, but didn't get to finish before Katy had taken her hand and pulled her along.

"Then c'mon! We don't have all day!"

They passed through the front gate, brushing past groups of mingling strangers and tents. Katy seemed to know exactly where she was going, which was nice, because it was a lot bigger than what Lammy initially expected. It definitely made her appreciate the firm grip on her hand. Katy was saying something to her, but Lammy could barely focus on that and the many booths they passed. A few had caught her attention- particularly one headed by a tall mantis woman selling guitar parts- but none had managed to get more than a second glance before she was pulled away.

The smell of food consistently lingered in the air no matter what, and Lammy couldn't help but wonder if there were any small restaurants around. They hadn't eaten breakfast before Katy had rushed them out of the apartment, and she was starving.

"We can eat something after this," said Katy, as if reading her mind. Or maybe she just heard her stomach rumble. Lammy blushed.

"O-oh, cool. That would be nice..."

They had slowed to a stop again outside of a larger tent, soft reggae music echoing from a boom box in the back. A lanky frog man was sifting through boxes, singing along to himself, not having noticed them yet.

Katy relinquished her grip on Lammy's hand, and Lammy immediately wiped it off on her pants. She had to respect Katy for not bringing attention to how sweaty it was. Katy glanced back at her. "S-sorry," Lammy mumbled.

She laughed in response. "It's totally fine. It's hot out, right?" That wasn't the reason at all, but Lammy didn't dispute it and katy didn't prod any further. She turned, instead, towards the owner of the tent.

"Hey, Fleaswallow! You got customers!"

The man stood up straight and turned around, and his hat was tilted just enough for Lammy to see him squint at the two with his large, heavy eyes. When he spotted Katy, he grinned, putting his hands on his hips.

"Why, if it isn't my favorite funky cat. What brings you here today? You finally ready to sell me that bass, huh?" His voice was a deep croak, and it made Lammy sleepy just listening to it.

Katy huffed good naturedly, crossing her arms. "Nope. Still very much using it, actually."

"You sure? You could make quite the pretty penny off a three string. They don't make them anymore, you know-"

"That's why I plan on keeping it!" Katy replied firmly. She put her hand on the front table. "C'mon, you know why I'm here."

Fleaswallow rose his hands in the air defensively. "Okay, okay. You know where the clothes are, come on in." He moved to let Katy inside, holding out his arm. Katy passed by, but Lammy stayed where she was, fingering her watch nervously. Her eyes flicked from table to table, looking at all of the trinkets and knick knacks. Fleaswallow rose an eyebrow at her, then leaned towards Katy.

"Who's the girlie with the bugged out eyes?" He whispered, though not quietly. Katy turned around, hands already hung with clothing.

"My guitarist," she replied proudly. She rose an arm, waving her cloth treasures like a flag. "Lammy, you can come inside. You gotta try some of this on!"

"R-right, okay." Lammy shuffled past Fleaswallow- ignoring the look her gave her- to Katy's side, who put down a pile of clothes on a nearby table.

"Careful with those," remarked Fleaswallow, resting against a stack of rolled up carpets. "They're vintage."

Katy leaned over to Lammy's ear, voice low. "That's what he says to hike the prices up."

"A man's gotta make a profit, you know. You and your dog friend are the most business I get nowadays."

Katy snorted and moved to pick up a white pair of jeans, handing them over to Lammy. "Here, hold these up to your waist. You're a 38, right?"

Lammy nodded and obliged, wondering how Katy knew that. The pants were skinny jeans with holes in the knees, and seemed about the right size, if a little long.

She looked up to see Katy with her hand to her chin, contemplative. Lammy fidgeted with the belt loops nervously. "D-does this look okay...?"

Katy hummed in response, but Lammy couldn't tell if it was positive or negative. She picked up something else from the table, a leather jacket with one too many decorative zippers, and pressed it to Lammy's chest before turning back to the table. "Here, put this on and then hold the jeans."

Though she did as she was told, she immediately regretted it. The air in the tent was already thick, but the leather jacket only made it feel moreso. She pushed the sleeves to her elbows and bared the heat long enough for Katy to turn around again. When she did, she blinked, looking Lammy up and down.

"Woah. You look really hot."

Immediately, a blush flooded Lammy's cheeks and she let the pants droop as she scratched the back of her head bashfully. Hot? Her? "Y-you think so...?"

"Yeah," affirmed Katy, concerned, and she reached over to slide the jacket back down Lammy's shoulders. "You're sweating bullets, girl. Maybe leather was a bad call..."

Lammy paused. She rubbed her hand against her forehead and realized that, yes, she definitely was sweating. "O-oh... Yeah." Putting the pants down, she flicked away the perspiration, feeling silly. Katy dug around in the boxes a little more, tail swishing back and forth. Lammy join her, moving to another box. She didn't search with the avid enthusiasm Katy did- but did anyone really get as excited about clothes as Katy?

She moved aside a few shirts, not seeing anything that really stuck out, until her hands felt something distinctly denim. When she pulled the fabric revealed itself to be a white jacket, cut above the waist with rose designs on the shoulders and another one on the back. Lammy felt like she'd seen this before...

And then it hit her.

"Hey, I've seen that jacket before..." came Katy's voice. It didn't surprise Lammy in the least- of course Katy knew this jacket.

"Carly Woodroe's jacket," bleated Lammy, her tail wagging excitedly. "From the cover of that one Orangegrove's album-" The one she listened to three times a day when she first bought it, that had scratches on the vinyl now but had sounded great at first.

"Only the Truth?" finished Katy. She'd dropped the shirt she was holding. Her eyes were huge, like a cat that had seen a big juicy mouse, or- maybe a cat that had seen a really cool jacket. Lammy nodded quickly, forgetting the bad simile.

"I-it looks just like it, right?"

"Just like it or close enough," Katy replied, then leaned closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Don't say anything to Fleaswallow, or he'll totally raise the price. How much is it?"

Lammy checked the price, a small hang tag stapled to the collar. "Ten dollars..." She looked back up at Katy, wringing the fabric in her hands. "Y-you should try it on," she stammered, and thrusted it out. It was hard to get the words out- they were thick in her mouth. "Y-you'd look great!"

Katy's cheeks colored, hesitantly taking the jacket in her hands. "Oh- are you sure? I mean- You found it..."

"Y-yeah!" exclaimed Lammy, a little loudly. She couched and tried to bring her voice to a lower decibel. "Carly did vocals and bass too- r-right? S-so it fits..."

Katy chuckled, but her eyes were cast down. "Yeah, eheh, I guess so..." After a moment she slipped the jacket over her shoulders, popping the collar up and pushing the sleeves to her elbows. It fit perfectly- not just in size, but in character, too.

"... Does the staring mean it looks good?"

Lammy blinked. She hadn't realized she'd been looking at her for so long. Quickly, to save face, she turned her gaze to the ground and scratched the back of her head. How embarrassing... "O-oh... S-sorry. Yeah, it looks great."

"Good enough for a bunch of judges, right?" asked Katy, checking herself out in the mirror. She certainly looked happy, if her wide, toothy grin was any indication. The sight made Lammy's stomach flutter for just a moment.

"T-totally."

Katy didn't take the jacket off as she turned back to the box. "C'mon, we definitely gotta find you a super cool outfit now. Maybe something that frees up those arms, like- oh! A vest, maybe, and-" She was pulling out clothes now, rapidly, tossing them to the side. "-a punk tank top, and those neat ripped jeans, and- boots!" She looked at Lammy, her hair a mess and a shine in her eyes. "You still have those steel toe boots?"

Lammy struggled to remember. "Uh, y-yeah, I think so..."

"We gotta make sure to pick those up. Here-" Katy tossed something to Lammy- a dark grey denim vest. "Try this one on. It'll be way more comfortable."

Lammy turned the vest around. There was a big fabric patch on the back, with a scratchy heart design painted in white. She wasn't really sure it fit her personality, but she slipped it on anyway. At least it was more breathable than the leather jacket. Katy watched her intently, then circled around, like she was sizing her up. "Yeah," she approved, arms crossed, "Now that's hot."

Lammy put a hand to her head to check if she was sweating again. Katy just laughed.

"No- no, I mean you look good in the vest."

Now Lammy really was blushing. "O-oh. I- uh, heh..." Unable to respond properly, she instead got a glance of herself in the mirror. She supposed she looked a little punk rock... But maybe it was just because Katy sounded so sure of herself. "I-if you say so..."

"I don't just say so- I know so. Here-" Katy was beaming as she passed over a black tank top. "You should wear this underneath, and then like... Some bracelets to keep your arms from looking too bare. We look good now, but we'll look even better when we shoot the video."

Lammy held the tank top out to look at the words. "B-Blood Kennel...?"

"You know, that metal band from the seventies? I thought the design would match."

"I didn't think they had shirts..." The design on the front was an animalistic skull, with a body of tar. Lammy knew the band, of course. They were famous in the thrash metal scene and known for their band being made up of seven different guitarists and one person playing snare drums.

Katy bumped shoulders with her. "That's the cool thing about fleamarkets- you never know what'll turn up. I think we made out pretty good, huh?" She slipped off her jacket and grabbed another pair of pants she'd found, then hooked her arm around Lammy's. "C'mon, let's go pay for this."

It was starting to cool down by the time they had gotten lunch. The tents were slowly starting to pack up, and there were few people that weren't workers still hanging around.

"So, what'd you think?" asked Katy, mouth full of the burger she had bought from one of the stalls. She was eating quickly, already on her last bite. Lammy sifted through her garden salad at a much slower pace.

"I-It's a good salad," she replied earnestly, between bites. Katy snickered as she took a sip of lemonade.

"About the Fleamarket, Lammy. You've never been here before, right?"

Lammy swallowed. "Oh." She paused, thinking for a moment. "Well, t-there was a lot of homemade bongs..." There was a small choking noise, probably from Katy inhaling her drink as she laughed. Lammy couldn't help but smile. "I-it's a good Fleamarket."

"That's it though?" pushed Katy, once she'd composed herself again.

"A-and I saw some things that I thought were c-cool," Lammy elaborated quickly, "and I want to come back sometime, maybe, w-with you." The last part was important. There was no way Lammy would come here alone.

Katy seemed more than satisfied by that. "You should totally come with me next time, then! We didn't have much time today but I come here like, all the time." She leaned in, a smile on her face. "We can check out that guitar place, too."

"R-really?" Lammy was surprised Katy had even noticed. Had her staring been that obvious?

Katy nodded. "That place is cool. They know a lot about guitars- you'd love it there. I'm actually glad that I got to bring you eventually, 'cause I think about you every time I pass that place." She had an embarrassed grin as she rubbed her arm. "They're probably tired of all the questions I ask about their Les Pauls."

There were butterflies in Lammy's stomach as she listened. It was a small thing, but the idea that Katy thought about her like that outside of the band made her feel warm inside. She was probably as red as the tomatoes in her food, so she looked down to try and hide it, feeling silly. "T-that'd be nice... I-I'd love that."

"Me, too," Katy responded. There was silence between them as Lammy finished her meal. Katy looked like she wanted to say something- she fiddled with her cellphone charms, eyebrows furrowed like she was thinking- but if she did she didn't act on it. It was strange. Maybe Lammy had made this awkward.

Eventually, once both of their glasses were empty, Katy stood. She was smiling again, and directed Lammy out of her chair. "It's almost five, we should probably get our stuff and head over to Ma-San's house."

Lammy blinked in surprise. Five already? It hadn't seemed that long while they were out... "Y-yeah, okay..."

The next half hour was spent walking back to Katy's apartment to get her bass and Lammy's motorcycle, then back to Lammy's apartment to pick up her guitar. It was a long process of back and forth. By the time they sped over to Ma-san's house PaRappa's car was already in the driveway.

The garage was open, and Ma-San was sitting on the stool of her drumset while Pinto was off to the side, doing the thing kids do where they have to look at every new little thing. PaRappa, leaning against his car, perked up when he saw Lammy and Katy arrive.

Katy let herself slide off the side of the motorcycle, titling her head at him as she went to fetch her bass out of Ma-San's sidecar. "You're here early."

PaRappa grinned sheepishly, scratching his ear. "Pinto wanted to get here early 'cause it's more professional."

"I'm checking the angles in this garage!" called Pinto, practicing pointing her camera at Ma-san, who looked slightly uncomfortable. Katy seemed impressed, raising an eyebrow.

"Jeeze. She's got her life more put together than I do. ...That's a little embarrassing." She carried her bass inside, and Lammy followed. The weight of her guitar in her hand made her feel better about this whole situation. Maybe they could pull this off after all.

"What's... what's with the kid?" Mumbled Ma-san as they passed. She was tapping her drumstick against the metal edge of the bass drum, brow furrowed. It was notable that she was in a wildly different outfit than usual- a black dress with straps crossed around the back, and her normal explosive head gear replaced with a little black pillbox hat. It looked good- Lammy was quite envious of the fact that she could dress herself so well with no outward direction.

"It was the only way we could get the camera," Katy hissed back behind her hand. "Just try to ignore her."

Ma-san huffed and focused on her drumset. "Whatever. Fine. Just don't let her touch anything."

Lammy turned and saw Pinto, looking innocently at the three of them with her big wide eyes. She gave her a nervous smile. Pinto responded by pointing the camera back.

Katy gave Ma-san a gentle pat on the back. "It'll be fine, Mar. She's a good kid." Ma-san didn't seem to accept the sentiment, but Katy was already hitching her case and the bag of clothes she brought on her back, looking over her shoulder at Lammy. "C'mon, lets get dressed and then we can do our sound test."

"How are you feeling?" asked Katy once they'd found a more private room. She had her back to Lammy, swapping her crop top out for one with horizontal stripes. Lammy kept her head pointed down as she shuffled into her outfit, too embarrassed about the situation to look up. It at least felt good to get into fresh clothes after all the walking in the hot sun

"I feel... P-pretty alright." It was an honest answer. She was as ready as she'd ever be- she just needed to get that guitar in her hands. Katy responded with a toothy grin and popped the collar up on her jacket.

"Groovy." She paused for a second, giving Lammy a contemplative look, then gestured with her hand. "C'mere for a sec, huh?"

"O-oh, uh... okay." Lammy followed immediately, and the small amount of confidence she'd had slipped through her fingers when she and Katy stood face to face. Katy placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her forward until their boots were touching. Suddenly, Lammy was very aware of her own heartbeat. It thudded against her ribcage like a drum. "W-what's wrong?"

Katy was looking at her intently, and it only made Lammy more nervous. "Your lipstick's a little smudged," she finally answered, and turned to reach into her bag. Lammy let herself breathe once she looked away. This girl was going to kill her.

Finding what she was looking for, Katy held the tube of lipstick up with a smile. Lammy was surprised to see it- Katy never wore lipstick. "Here, lemme fix it for you. I keep a back up of that shade you always use just in case."

Too stunned to do anything but accept, Lammy let Katy take her chin in her hand and run the tube over her lips. Katy had her tongue stuck between her teeth thoughtfully, making sure to apply it with care. Her hands were warm, and Lammy couldn't force herself to pull away even if she wanted to.

It felt like an hour had passed by the time Katy was finished.

"And... There, all done." She pulled back to admire her work with a satisfactory smirk. "Now you're perfect."

"Th-thanks," breathed Lammy, though it was a wonder she could speak at all. She reached up to brush her now painted lips with her finger but a sharp tut from Katy made her still her hand.

"Hey, careful! If you smudge it I'll have to fix it again."

If Lammy was a braver person she would have smudged it just to see if that was a promise. She wasn't. Instead she followed Katy back to the garage in a shaken sort of silence, her arms and legs tingling.

"Okay, we're ready!" called Katy, "Everything set?"

"What took you so long?" grumbled Ma-san, reclining on her stool.

"You can't rush perfection."

Ma-san rolled her eyes in response. "Go ahead with the mic check. Everything should be in place."

With slightly shaking hands Lammy moved over to her amp and plugged in her guitar. Sound checks were always an arduous process. Ma-san would fiddle with knobs while Katy and Lammy went back and forth on bass and guitar until she nodded her approval. It only made sense- Ma-san had the best ear for sound, and she was strict. She didn't let them go until they had her say-so. Once they were finished with the instruments they moved to mics, and Katy repeated the words "Check, one, two- go," over and over until it sounded like gibberish.

Pinto had her camera on the three of them the entire time. Lammy wasn't sure why she was recording the sound check, but she didn't ask. She kept the camera as steady and focused as herself.

Finally, after thirty minutes of this, Ma-san gave them a thumbs up and hopped back up on her drum set.

Katy nodded, stretched, and made sure the strap on her bass was secure before she turned to Pinto. "You ready, kid?"

Pinto gave an enthusiastic nod of her own, shifting the camera slightly. "Ready!"

"Okay!" Katy pulled the mic from its stand and spoke into it loud and clear, her voice echoing around the garage. "We are Milkcan," she exclaimed, gaze focused at the camera, "And we rock the house!"

Lammy steeled herself for her cue, guitar clasped firmly in her hand. Ma-san counted out the beat with her voice and drumsticks, a quick one-two-three, and then the song began. Lammy could feel the rhythm of it before she had even started playing, and it made her fingers itch against her strings. Katy was following up Ma-san's beat with her bass, low, quick chords, before she opened her mouth to sing.

"I met this girl from out of town one day,
her head was low, her spirit down,
I couldn't bare to see her frown
and so
I followed her around,"

Lammy began to play, echoing Katy's voice with her guitar perfectly. She could see the chords in her head as Katy sung them- even though they hadn't played this song in a while, she hadn't fallen out of practice.

"I hadn't ever seen anyone like her,
she really set my heart on fire,
being with her
made me smile
when I hadn't in a while,"

Ma-san twirled her drum sticks in her large paws before hammering out the beat for the chorus, putting on a show for the camera. Pinto was making sure to focus on all of them, turning back and forth. Her tail wagged excitedly, betraying her professionalism.

"And she said-
She likes the fast songs best
now I think I like her too
she's a hell of a girl
I hope we meet again real soon

and I was just so nervous then,
but I thought of her the whole way home
And I hope that she-
I hope she thought of me too,"

If Lammy wasn't glancing up at that exact moment, she would have missed Katy, whose mouth was on the mic but eyes on her. She grinned back and slammed a hard chord on her guitar, a few extra riffs that they hadn't practiced before but still falling in with the rhythm of the song. Katy rose her eyebrow in surprise, but, luckily, her hands caught up quickly and the beat stayed in its place.

"I met this girl from out of town again,
my head was low, my spirit down,
but she wouldn't let me frown
and so,
She followed me around,

it was the look in her eyes
it was the way that she had smiled
and I thought of the girls
that I've known
and they seemed so long ago

now I know- oh I know-

that I like the fast songs best
and I think she likes me too
we like the fast songs best
and we'll do whatever we wanna do

and I couldn't find the words just then
but I thought of her the whole way home
And I know-
I know that she thought of me too,"

The song faded into its end. Lammy's heart was pounding in her chest, her fingertips felt electric. She tugged at the collar of her shirt to cool herself down and pulled her guitar strap over her head. Before she could put it away, she felt an arm around her waist. It was Katy, pulling her into a giddy half-hug, bumping her cheek into the side of Lammy's head.

"Lammy, that was amazing!" She gushed, and she was purring loudly, right into Lammy's ear. Lammy couldn't bring herself to mind in the slightest. "That improvisation- I didn't think you'd come up with that on the spot- it sounded even better than when we practiced!"

"I-it was nothing," Lammy stammered, her face hot, her body tingling for an entriely different reason now.

PaRappa, who had stayed for the performance, rushed over, tail wagging. "Nothing? It was incredible! You play guitar really good!" His voice dripped with sincerity, and it only made Lammy feel warmer. "You all sounded great- if me and PJ don't win, I totally hope you three do."

Katy giggled, giving Lammy a sly look. "Thanks PaRappa. I really appreciate that."

"Here's your video," cut in Pinto, who had removed her camcorder from its stand and was now bouncing in place, a mini-dvd disk on her outstretched finger. "You can edit out the parts you don't want on this- it's super duper easy."

Katy pulled away from Lammy's side and gingerly took it. "Thank you, Pinto," she said, and ruffled her hair. "You did a great job." Pinto beamed up at her.

"Thank you for the thirty dollars. I'll definitely put it to good use."

Putting the disk in a case Pinto provided, Katy quickly checked the time. "We made good time, too. It's almost time for Ma-san's dad to be home."

"Things are coming up Milkcan," chimed Ma-san, and Lammy could have sworn that was the most hopeful she's ever heard her.


It was dark by the time Lammy had made it home. She'd dropped Katy off at her apartment, and Katy had given her another hug. She still thought about it as she laid there in bed, staring at the ceiling. She wished Katy was there with her now. She wished she could still hear that bubbly voice in her ear.

That was a fact she'd come to terms with a long time ago- and if she tried hard enough, she could ignore it. But recently it was almost impossible. Every little touch, every little gesture, every time Katy had even looked at her made her heart buzz.

Her eyelids were heavy, but before she could fall asleep, her phone lit up. She pulled it over. Katy had sent her a text.

"thanx for everything today lammy! you really rocked!" it said. Even in text, Katy's words made her smile.

Lammy didn't think she could ignore this anymore, and with that thought, a feeling of dread overcame the butterflies that had settled in her stomach.