I'd Like to be Somebody Else

Chapter 9

      When I got back to the Gallagher house Noel was sat outside smoking.

 "Dirty stop out." he smirked.

 "Shut up! My parents left me there."

. "Look, I'm sorry for trying to kiss you. I do one gig and I think I own the world." He took a drag of this cigarette. "I'm an idiot."

    I accepted his apology and sat next to him in silence.

    I needed to talk to someone about Jamie. I spoke without considering how Noel would feel. "If... If Liam died and you fancied... loved his missus, would you...?" I asked barely managing to speak the words.

 "What happened?" he stared at me, confused.

 "Luke's cousin kissed me." I felt guilty for being mad at Noel but not at Jamie.

 "Did you slap him one, annal?" he sounded offended.

 "I'm really, really sorry, I shouldn't have..."

 "No, I deserved it." he interrupted. "D'you always get off with your cousins at funerals?"

 "I don't. I'm not that kind of girl and Jamie isn't my cousin, he's Luke's. I'm not..."

 "That's what I meant." he interrupted stubbing out his cigarette butt, letting his irritation surface. "Don't tell Liam, yeah? He'll be crushed."

 "If you know Liam's so interested in me, why'd you kiss me?"

 "Same reason your cousin kissed you, I should imagine."

...

    Liam was excited to see me. He hugged me and I buried my head in his chest. "How's Liverpool? They all still mourning Lennon?"

 "Yeah the city has just completely stopped for the last..." I stopped to work out how many years ago he was killed.

 "Ten years." he answered. "Thought so." He hadn't realised my sarcasm. "Lucky he reincarnated into me so I could carry on for him."

    I looked up at him, giving him a strange look. "But you were born..."

 "Don't bother." Noel interrupted.

    I loved Liam's odd take on the world.

...

    Kenzie came to the Nag's Head and chatted to me for hours, she drank glass after glass, mostly just cola to stop Mike from complaining.

    She told me she'd seen a poster for the weekend, I couldn't believe how often they were playing, they didn't even practice nearly enough.

    I told her about Jamie, needing a female's opinion.

 "Selfish prick!" she exclaimed. "Sorry but that was a dick move on his part."

 "He's not, he's just lost without Luke." I defended.

 "Alright, if you'd met them together... Which cousin would you do?" I wished people from Manchester weren't so blunt but I wouldn't change them either.

 "Luke." I answered straight away.

 "There you go, you didn't even think about Jamie. You're just friends, Luke's death doesn't change that." she explained.

 "So what do I tell him?"

 "Don't tell him anything, just carry on as normal." she suggested. "Or you could shag him and see how you feel?"

    I shook my head. "I'm not basing a relationship on how they were in the sack. That's not a thing."

 "It definitely is." she spoke with a cheeky grin. "What about the Gallaghers or the band? You have met them, haven't you?"

 "Yeah I've played football with them, bloody twice. They're all my friends. I'm not going to bang any of them." I said firmly.

 "Not even when they're famous?"

 "Won't make the slightest difference." I assured her.

...

    We went to Oasis' next gig, I made sure to convince them that I wasn't going again so we could surprise them.

 "They're so good." She commented at the end of a song. "No one in school would have believed they'd be successful."

 "They haven't made it yet." I said pessimistically.

 "You need more alcohol." she insisted before ordering us more drinks.

    I took my drink. "You don't see them when they've worked their arses off for their stupid Dad. It makes them miserable." They'd worked Wednesday and Thursday this week.

 "Everyone else gets by, at least they get to do this." she shrugged.

    As soon as they finished their set we snuck backstage. Kenzie immediately took interest in Tony, she was already acting like they were a real band.

 "What are you doing here? Giving us a lift?" Liam asked.

 "Nope, I'm too drunk." I lifted my current glass. "Kenzie wanted to see you lot play."

    Noel walked in. "Thought I saw you in the crowd." he smiled. "Why did you bother pretending you weren't coming?"

 "Cos that's no fun and your egos might explode." I said as I finished my drink, dropping it on the table.

 "God, how much have you had?" he commented, watching me wobble.

 "Look's like Tony's in for a good night." Bonehead commented, seeing him and Kenzie leave together.

 "I haven't been counting." I shrugged. "She's left me." I was shocked.

    Liam gave me a piggyback to get me home, it was the only way to get me back quickly and safely. Him and Noel chatted but I couldn't concentrate on what they were talking about.

...

    I settled into life with the Gallaghers, they did gig after gig whenever and wherever they could, they all worked so hard to get their big break.

    Noel used any excuse to be alone, writing.

    Liam was in trouble a lot, he liked to drink and ended up in bar fights all the time. He hated it when I went to see Jamie, which I did about every month. It was worse after Noel told him about the funeral, he didn't think it was right at all.

    Jamie wasn't exactly happy when I told him I was living with the lads. He still wanted me to live in Liverpool but I couldn't bring myself to be around Luke's family.

    Kenzie kept pointing out I won't move because I liked the chaos of being around the Gallaghers and it stopped me from giving in to Jamie which I was apparently desperate to do. We'd become great friends.

    My parents kept in touch although I didn't really forgive them for leaving me to stay at the funeral and I spent a lot of time being mad at them because they tried to keep me from seeing Billy.