DAYDREAM BELIEVER {Mike Nesmith}

But Six Rings And I Rise

A/N: Guess how many references to other songs I make in this chapter :)) it's a lot. Much love, little bookworms!

THE NEXT DAY it was cold again. All of the boys were tired after their gig, but Micky and Peter had gotten dates for that evening. (Davy was currently going out with a nice girl named Valleri, who I knew he was in the process of writing a song about.) That just left Mike and I, but I didn't think either of us minded being alone in each other's company; I had even planned to make us both dinner and to play chess while the other three boys were out. But, Valleri had made other plans with her girlfriends, and Peters date had cancelled last minute. She had kept apologizing and saying that she wanted to go out tomorrow. I could tell that Peter didn't believe her, and he looked very sad when Micky went to pick up his date, Shea.
I had gone up to Peter and was about to ask if he'd like to go on a date with me, but Davy had called across the room that the folks at home should go out for drinks. Mike had immediately declined, ("I need to do my laundry, Dave. Hey, just because your clothes smell doesn't mean mine have to.") and had gone up to his room.

I declined as well, and sat on the couch with Les Miserables on my lap. Peter and Davy said goodbye quietly, and I snuggled down and read.

After about ten minutes of silence, I heard Mike burst into song from his room. He paused halfway through his little song to change a lyric and sang out again. I rarely heard Mike really sing, as Micky and Davy did the majority of the singing for the band.

"You just may be right- no, I need to change that. Hmm. Oh, you just may be the one! All men must have somebody- no no, cmon-"

This went on for a good forty five minutes, him belting out his song and changing words around until he got what he liked. He did this while walking up and down the stairs, doing his laundry and singing at the top of his lungs. I couldn't see him from my place on the couch, but I heard him really well. Finally he sang it all out. From the repetition of the words, I guessed the song was called You Just May Be The One. I liked it a lot. When he had finished singing, he cheered for himself. I was proud of him.

"Good job, Mike, old boy. You deserve some pancakes for that song."

He came downstairs. (I was very pleased that he liked my pancakes) Mike walked past me to the kitchen, shirtless. He was humming Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, which happened to be my favorite song. I joined in as he passed the couch.

"You're just too good to be- oh!"

I looked away, but not before I saw him cover himself and yell, "Jiminy Cricket!"

I heard hurried footsteps and Mike yelling, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT WITH PETER!"

I started to laugh. Not at him, but at his reaction. I was certain he knew I was here, but I realized he would never do that if I was here and he knew. I thought he looked awful cute without his shirt on. At that moment, Micky walked in with Davy and Peter, looking utterly confused.  Micky looked very sad, I noticed immediately. They saw Mike racing up to his room and hurriedly put on a shirt.

"What in the world? I don't think I've ever seen him without a shirt ever in my life."

I told them, "He must not have known I was home or he wouldn't have been singing so loud."

All four of us laughed goodheartedly.

Mike very awkwardly came out of his room, his face red with shame. I stopped laughing, but the boys didn't. Micky even cracked a few jokes.

"Gee, Mike. You're skinnier then a bean pole. It's no wonder you always wear a shirt to swim. Do you always take your shirt off when you're singing alone in your room?"

I looked at Mike, who's face looked stricken. Davy and Peter shared a look, wondering if they should shut up Micky now. Micky laughed at Mike, thinking this was all a joke. Micky was many things and oblivious was one of them.

"Gosh, I bet you wear children's clothes, huh? You eat like a horse but you can't weight more then 100 pounds. Man, you-"

"SHUT UP, MICKY!"

Micky's face went white as Mike yelled at him.

"I know I'm skinny! I know that I'm unattractive! I know that no matter how much I eat that I'm skinny and I will always be. I don't need you to make something of it when I already know! When all of us already know!"

With that, he turned heel, and ran outside.

MICKY

I had not expected Mike to blow up like that. I had never once seen him that angry. He stormed out the back door as I turned and ran upstairs to my room, on the verge of tears. I hated being the most emotional male in the house. It was a gift and a curse (I could sympathize with any girl I wanted to date, but crying always made me feel weak) and I wanted it to just stop.

What in the world had I done? Mike didn't deserve any of the words I had said.

After the night I had had, it made sense that I would be such an idiot.

Shea, who I had decided to just call She, had confessed her hidden love for me and told me that she hated me all in the span of ten minutes. When I had come back from the bathroom I found her kissing a random bar tender. I had never been more confused and disappointed in my life. She had been one of the girls helping out on set, so I thought a date would be fun. But boy, I had never been more wrong.

I sunk into my chair and started to bang my head with a pillow when Davy came in and snatched it right out of my fingers.

Peter sat on my bed and gave me a fatherly sort of look.

"Micky, what in heavens name was that?"

I tearily told them what had happened with She and they listened, like the kind of friends they were.

"Well, you should do what I do when I need to get over a girl. I haven't done it in a while but I'm sure it still works."

"What's that, Dave?"

"Write a song about it."