I kept asking myself. What kind of a name is Relly? I wrote it out a couple of times in my special notebook, just to look at it. Big letters. Small. Fancy. Plain. I even did one version like it was made out of chrome, raised letters all shiny. But anyway I wrote it, the name didn't make any sense.
Lots of kids I know had stupid Deadhead names like Casey Jones and Panama and Garcia. Then there was the J squad: Jeremy and Jessica, Jason and Jennifer. Some were from the flower-power days: Moonwise, or Windstar. I swear I knew a kid in seventh grade named Breathe.
So the next day I asked, "What does 'Relly' mean?"
"What difference does it make?" he said.
"I don't know. I just figured I should—"
"Well, where does your name come from?"
"I told you. My dad got it from some murder mystery. You know, square-jawed guys with guns, beautiful ladies in slinky silk dresses. All he does when he's not working is read old paperbacks."
Relly gave me that dead-serious look again, like he was a sniper and aiming down the sights of his gun. "You really want to know?"
"Yeah. I never met anyone before who—"
"It came to my mom in a dream." He waited for me to laugh. I didn't. He kept going. "The night before I was born, she had this dream. The name came out of nowhere. Later, she looked it up in a hundred books, old ones, new ones, and the name can't be found."
"So you think it means something?"
"It's got to, right? Every name means something."
"I guess so."
We were hanging around in the hall, waiting for the buses. Most everyone was gone home by then. "I asked Butt and Jerod about you trying out for the band," he said. "They're not thrilled about it. Still, they said it was OK. You got to understand: Butt's like a little kid. I mean he's the best drummer I've ever played with. Only he's kind of immature. I mean, his jokes are pretty scabby. You'll have to get used to that. And Jerod said he'd been in a band with a girl once before and he hated it."
"If you don't think it's a good idea, we'll just forget it."
'"That's not what I'm saying."
"All right. Then when do I come over?" I asked.
"Tomorrow night. You don't have to haul your amp. I've got one you can use."