I'd Like to be Somebody Else

Chapter 6

I decided I wouldn't pester Manchester's job market again the next day, I decided to spend the day Liam style, except without the cigarettes and alcohol. I woke up at about half ten, got breakfast and spent the day watching telly.

Liam surprisingly wasn't in, neither was Noel. I didn't like being in their home alone, I felt like an intruder, like I should be looking for things to nick before they get back.

Noel came back first looking exhausted.

"Where've you been?" I asked as he walked past the living room to go straight upstairs.

"Work. I need to have a bath." he sounded exhausted.

"Eh? You don't look like you've been producing music."

"Dad rang us at like six with a job." he explained. "If I'm gone too long, you should come and wake me up in case I drown." he climbed the stairs and ran the bath.

I wondered where Liam was, if they were on the same job surely they'd get back at the same time. I felt sorry for them both having to do construction work when they just wanted to make music, especially since I truly believed the band wasn't just a stupid dream.

Noel didn't need me to save him, he joined me on the sofa about half an hour later. He put a can of beer on the coffee table and cracked open the one he had in his hand, both fresh from the fridge.

"Drink up." he said, indicating the one on the table was mine.

"Thanks. I don't tend to drink in the week though."

"More for me." he shrugged. "Wait, are you calling us an alcoholic? If you'd just spent all day with our father, you'd want a drink."

"No, I just said I don't want a beer, right now but thanks for bringing me one.." I wanted to ask about their dad but he sounded ready to kick off. "Where's Liam?"

He shrugged and drank.

"D'you want me to make tea?" I offered.

"Mam'll be back soon. She'll sort it."

I wasn't going to rely on their mum all the time. "That's not fair on her, she's always at work. She shouldn't have to look after us as well."

"Fine, make yourself summet. I'm not bothered about owt."

"Are you sure? I can cook y'know."

"Sure you're not going to try to gas us?" he smirked.

"Don't be like your brother." I warned and rolled my eyes before leaving for the kitchen.

...

"Oi Stace." I heard Liam shout as he walked through the front door over an hour later.

"Stacy." I corrected under my breath. "What?"

"You start at the Nag's Head, in an hour." he went straight to the kitchen to raid the fridge.

"The what?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"The Nag's Head." he repeated.

I looked at Noel hoping he'd explain what he was on about.

"Pub."

That was enlightening. I wondered what Liam had done to get me the job, probably threatened the landlord.

After he'd done snacking he went upstairs and ran a bath without saying another word to either of us.

"Think he likes you." Noel said as soon as Liam was upstairs.

"Not this again." I sighed. "I've got to go get ready for a shift, apparently." I said to try to excuse myself.

"It's round the corner." he took hold of my wrist to stop me getting up. "Hear me out."

"Alright, go on, tell me all about how your brother fancies me." I said impatiently.

He let go of my wrist and thought for a moment. "The person who had his bike. He didn't smash their head in. He's the angriest person I know and he's been so calm since you got here."

I shook my head. "You're going to have to do better than that. Not smashing someone's head in and being calm for two days isn't valid evidence."

"Heard him talk in his sleep."

"Bull shit." I said purposely separating the two words.

"You weren't there, the things he said about you... He'd make you blush."

"Stop lying."

"Alright, I made that up but he did just go out and get you a job at our favourite pub."

"Yous have a favourite pub?" I stared at him like I'd proved my point about his drinking, even though I didn't have a point about it.

"Don't you lot, in wherever it was?"

"No, we're too young to have a local, old people have locals."

"And us young 'uns just pop up in places spontaneously?"

I got changed into less indoorsy clothes and made myself look more presentable before getting Liam to direct me to the pub.

...

The pub wasn't the trendy kind, most of the customers were old men and they pretty much only sold beer, no designer drinks here.

"D'you want a beer or summet Liam?" the landlord asked as we walked up to the bar.

"Nah, I'm off home. Mikey, meet Stace." he said before leaving.

"Michael or Mike, never Mikey. It's only him that gets away with that." "Stacy." We corrected.

He showed me how to use the cash register, the pumps and everything else I needed to use. Then we started chatting.

"How'd Liam convince you to employ me?"

"We're family friends." he shrugged. "Said you two were engaged and needed the extra cash for the wedding but I guessed he was lying." he chuckled.

"I can't believe he would lie to you like that." I was genuinely shocked.

"He's always been... manipulative with the truth." he revealed. "He told me the other day The Rain has a record label contract in progress the other day."

"What a liar? Why?" I questioned.

"I don't know, he's always looked up to me. He thinks I believe him and he needs the ego boost."

"Pfft, his ego is fine from what I've seen."

"His first gig was right over there." he said pointing at the area that currently had stacked chairs and unused tables in it. "They were all so nervous, still brilliant though."

"Friend bias?"

"Probably."

Author Note- The Nag's Head is tribute to the tv program Only Fools and Horses and Roger Lloyd-Pack who played Trigger.