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Chapter Two

Nowhere Man

“I want you to be my girl.” Phil blushed. His hands were shaking and Michelle could tell he was nervous.

“Why?” she asked curiously. Phil had never shown real interest before. Hell, they hadn't even dated, and here he was asking for her hand.

Phil looked puzzled. He hadn't been expecting that kind of response. He had been expecting acceptance perhaps or at worse a rejection. “Well because I like you.”

“You sure don't show it.” And he sure didn't. He was always ogling Molly. Her cousin's girlfriend.

“I just...I was nervous and you're very pretty...”

“You think I'm pretty?” Elle asked a little shocked. She didn't think she was pretty, maybe it was because nobody had ever told her so. Well her mum said it all the time, but she was her mum for heaven's sake. She was suppose to say things like that. And Jude had said it once, but he was her cousin. So he didn't count.

It was then that Michelle realized that Phil was actually being sincere. He actually thought she was pretty. He was the first guy to find her attractive.

Michelle grinned. “Alright, Phil Scully. I'll be your girl.”

Phil smiled stupidly. “You will.”

“Yeah, but wipe that stupid look of your face before I change my mind.”

The smile on the young man's face disappeared.

“Good. I'll pick you up later. That is if you want?”

“Sure.” The brunette responded edging closer to her new boyfriend. She hoped he took the hint as she perched her lips.

Thankfully he did as he leaned down and captured her lips with his own. Michelle's eyes widened. Phil was actually quite a good kisser.

“Wow.” She muttered as they separated.

“Yeah...Umm...bye. See you later.”

“Yeah.” She whispered her mind still fuzzy from the kiss.

Michelle sighed as the old memories filled her mind. She was sitting on a corner in the local watching as Phil and his buddies from work sat by the bar drinking their lager and sharing stories. It dawned on her at that moment that she was actually the lucky one. Not Molly. Phil had no future. He was born in Merseyside and he would probably live there until the day he died. He was a shipyard worker like his father and his grandfather before him. Phil was a practical guy, he wasn't a dreamer like Jude. He was northern man. Simple and to the point.

He's a real nowhere man,
Sitting in his nowhere land,
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody.

Phil laughed as one of his friends said something funny unaware that he was being watched from afar.

Doesn't have a point of view, Knows not where he's going to, Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man, please listen,
You don't know what you're missing,
Nowhere man, the world is at your command.

He's as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nowhere man can you see me at all?

Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man, don't worry,
Take your time, don't hurry,
Leave it all till somebody else
Lend you a hand.

Michelle leaned her head against her hand as she inspected the man. No, the boy she had once loved. Really, there was nothing special about him. He wasn't really that attractive. In fact he was an ordinary guy. Boringly ordinary.

He's a real nowhere man,
Sitting in his nowhere land,
Making all his nowhere plans
For nobody.

A nowhere man, that was all he was. All he would ever be.

--------------

Max tried to kiss his girlfriend and once again he was rejected as she turned her head away from him.

“What did I do now?” He asked exasperated. He didn't know, but for some reason Anna had been spurning his affection all day.

They were sitting in his apartment (or to be correct Sadie's apartment) watching TV. Or at least Max was, Anna was too busy reading one of her many text books.

“Nothing.” She said making eye contact. Max melted whenever he stared into those hazel orbs.

“I'm just reading, sorry.” She kissed his cheek as she tried to comfort him.

“It's okay. No harm done.” He tried to be sincere about it, but Anna could tell he was still peeved.

“Look we have to talk. I know I've been distant, but it's school. It's just I have mid terms. You understand, don't you?”

Max gave her a weak smile. “Yeah, I understand.” He really didn't, but he lied anyway. He didn't feel like getting into another fight with her. He turned his attention back to the television screen, and Anna turned hers back to her book.

Just then Jojo came into the living room, sitting on the reclining chair next to the sofa. He sighed and leaned his head back against the headrest.

Max could tell something was bothering the older man. “Hey Jojo, what's wrong?”

“It's Marcus man, our drummer. He quit today.”

“Why?”

“He wants to be come a minister.”

Max chocked back a laugh. “A minister? You're kidding, right?”

Jojo fixed the other man with a serious stare. “I wish I was.”

Max frowned. Sadie and the band were suppose to start recording their album tomorrow. How where they going to record without a drummer. As far as Max knew nobody else in the band knew how to play the drums.

“So what are you guys going to do?”

“We're holding auditions in an hour...”

Their conversation was interrupted by an annoyed sigh. Anna who had been trying to read her book was clearly irritated by the amount of noise in the room.

She stood up from the sofa leaning down to give Max a kiss on the cheek.

“I have to go.”

And without another word she walked out of the room. Max winced as he heard the door slammed shut.

“What's wrong with her?” Jojo asked confused by the blonde's attitude and her sudden departure.

“Something about mid terms.” Max responded though he was almost positive that wasn't the real reason why Anna was upset, but women were still a mystery to him.

---------An Hour Later at Cafe Huh---------

“Thank you, that was great.” Sadie said giving the man a fake smile as soon as he was gone she turned to Jojo, who was sitting next to her.

“That was horrible.”

The guitarist agreed. The auditions weren't exactly going very well. Four guys had auditioned, and none of them had managed to impress neither him or Sadie. Jojo was beginning to think there were no good drummers left in New York.

“Is there anyone left?” The songstress questioned as she began to look around the pitiful room.

“Me.” A voice echoed.

Sadie looked back to find a young woman, she guessed no older than twenty, standing at the doorway. She was holding a pair of long, thick drumsticks which looked even larger in her dainty hands.

Jojo choked back a laugh as he surveyed the girl. She was wearing a long patchwork dress that fell to her knees, her hair was a nice honey color that complemented her eyes. It's thick waves fell down from her shoulders. She was a typical flower child like the ones you'd see walking around Central Park giving out sunflowers to business executives and homeless people.

Sadie and Jojo shared an incredulous look before the former addressed the hippie girl.

“Alright, give it a whirl.”

The girl sat down and began to play. Her hands moved swiftly and fast, so fast that Sadie and Jojo could barely keep up with her flurry of movements. She shook her head as she played, her honey hair swaying from side to side to the rhythm of the drumbeat. She played with an intensity and passion that Sadie and Jojo had never seen from all the other players that had auditioned. Hell, even Marcus, their former drummer, wasn't this good.

When the hippie girl finished she smiled, her caramel eyes twinkling with delight.

“That was...” But the statement was left unfinished. Sadie was truly speechless. The words got caught up in her tongue as she was still reeling from the shock.

“You got soul, flower child.” Jojo exclaimed as she stood up from his seat and clapped.

The hippie girl blushed and ducked her head in embarrassment.

“Where did you learn to play like that?” Sadie asked as she stood up and approached the girl.

“About a year ago. My dad was a musician, he worked in a jazz band when he was young, and he taught me everything he knew, but I only learned to play the drums recently.”

“You can play other instruments?” Sadie asked clearly impressed.

The flower child nodded. “Piano, guitar, bass and sitar.”

“Sitar?” Jojo raised an eyebrow in question at the mention of the odd instrument.

“My ex-boyfriend is Indian.”

“Far out...So what's your name unless you want us to call you flower child permanently.”

The girl stood up from behind the drum kit and approached the duo.

“Penelope Lane, but you can call me Penny.” She shook hands with both Sadie and Jojo as they introduced themselves.

It seemed Sadie and the band had a new drummer.

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“I can't believe you guys found a drummer in such a small amount of time.” Lucy said in amazement.

“Yeah, lucky.” Prudence echoed.

Sadie had just finished telling the gang about the auditions and their new drummer, Penny Lane or as Jojo affectionately called her flower child.

“So is she hot?” asked Max to the surprise of no one really.

“God Max, is that all you think about?” Prudence asked a feigned look of disgust on her face.

Max only smirked as he leaned against the reclining chair he was sitting on.

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Michelle had made up her mind. She had spend three days after Molly and Phil's wedding thinking extensively about her life. Was she going to live all her life in Merseyside? Get knocked up by some poor sod and get married, and then what? Die. God, how depressing would a life like that be. No offense to her mum or her auntie Martha, but that wasn't the kind of life she wanted to live, or at least not yet. For Pete's sake, she wasn't even eighteen yet.

She needed to enjoy her youth while she still could. And then suddenly it hit her. She would go to America. After all it had always been her dream. But where would she go? Where would she live?

Jude

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Pam cried as she said her goodbyes to her only daughter. They hugged tightly, and Michelle kissed her mother's cheek. Whispering comforting words before breaking the embrace.

After saying her goodbyes she picked up her suitcase and entered the Airport terminal. Little did she know that trip would change her life forever.

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“Sadie, I was wondering if I could talk to you?”

Sadie raised her eyebrows in curiosity and suspicion. Jude sounded like he was nervous And Sadie knew the limey well enough to know he didn't get nervous very easily.

“Sure, what about?”

Jude sat next to Sadie on the ratty couch. “I don't want to impose, but my cousin is coming to visit and I was wondering if she could stay here.”

The singer didn't know what to say. She wanted to say she couldn't, I mean for God's sakes she already had four people living in her apartment without counting Prudence and her girlfriend, or Anna, who where all known to crash in from time to time. But Jude was a good friend, and he always paid his share of the bills.

“Alright, she can crash here.”

“Thank you!” He exclaimed as he hugged her.

“Ok, English. That's enough.” She chocked out from the lack of air.

Jude apologized breaking the hug and practically skipping to the room he shared with Lucy.

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