Definitely Maybe (Beatles/Oasis Crossover Fan Fiction)

5

“Alright,” Liam said, almost flippantly. He stood up and walked over to the bar.  

Noel blinked in shock. He felt as if he had been slapped. What? No arguing? No threats? No swearing?

Liam was being served at the bar, leaning, rolling a cigarette. Noel stood up, taking his empty glass with him.  

“Alright’?” he repeated, joining Liam and signalling to the barmaid to refill his glass.  

“Yeah,” Liam replied, delicately touching the cigarette paper to his tongue and sealing it, “Gotta light?”

Noel handed him his lighter from his back pocket. “Tha’s it then?”  

“What is?” Liam asked facetiously, flicking the lighter. “Oh right, yeah. Well, y’know, man. Whatever. I’ll get someone else.”  

“Who?” Noel said, realising he was playing into his trap, but doing it anyway.  

Liam shrugged, taking a long drag on his cigarette as if he was deep in thought. “Dunno, there’s a fella down the Black Lion who can play a bit. Don’t really matter none, anyway.” He took a large mouthful of his drink as Guigsy, the ill-destined guitarist, ambled up to him with his guitar case and an armful of cables.  

“I’m off then, mate,” he said to Liam, standing next to Noel. Noel looked up at him, realising he was almost a foot taller than him.  

“Yer not stoppin’ for a pint, Gigs?” Liam asked.  

“Nah,” Guigsy shook his head. “Missus’d do her nut, y’know. Christmas Eve and tha’.” He leaned his guitar case against his body and handed his cables to Noel. “Hold these will yer, mate?” he said, not waiting for an answer. Noel took them as Guigsy zipped up his coat. “Good gig, eh?”  

“Yeah, yeah, top,” Liam agreed.  

“Yeah, we’re really comin’ together now, eh? Starting to sound more like a band, y’know?”  

“Fuckin’ right,” Liam smiled.  

Noel opened his mouth to give his opinion but thought better of it.  

Guigsy took his cables back. “Right, see yer next Thursday, then mate. Merry Christmas and that,” he added, nodding at both of them.  

“Merry Christmas,” Noel mumbled back.  

“Yeah, see yer mate,” Liam said as Guigsy picked up his guitar and headed for the door. Liam turned back to the bar, “or not,” he said, tipping a wink at Noel.  

“It doesn’t matter?” Noel asked.  

“Eh?”  

“Who you’re gettin’? Lead guitar’s pretty fuckin’ important, y’know.”  

“Oh righ’, yeah,” Liam took a drink again, knowing full well how much he was winding Noel up. “I mean, it don’t matter if we just get someone a bit crap to fill in for a while, pretty soon they’ll be quein’ round the fuckin’ corner to get in Rain.”  

“And that name’s shite too,” Noel said sulkily. “You want somat that means somat. Not just after some old Beatles song.”  

“It does mean somat,” Liam said.  

“Yer might as well call yerself Sergeant fucking Pepper’s.”  

“Yeah? Well, seeming as you’re not in the band, you don’t really get a fuckin’ say.”  

“You really believe all this crap, don’t yer?”  

Liam straightened up, “I don’t believe it, I know it,” he said, then lowering his voice, “It’s why he came to me, innit?”  

“Who?” Noel asked naively.  

Liam shook his head and smiled at his brother’s stupidity. “Lennon.”  

Noel looked away in frustration. Liam hadn’t mentioned his deranged ‘story’ in a couple of months. Noel had thought he’d given it up. “Yer bloody delusional…” he said not looking back at him.  

“I’m tellin’ yer, man, no word of a lie. We’re gonna make it, and make it big. And you’ll be fuckin’ kickin’ yerself, cos you had in at the start and yer gave it up.”  

Noel turned back to him. “Do you realise how fuckin’ mental you sound?” he asked.  

Liam grinned, showing all his teeth. “Yeah, mad fer it,” he said.  

“Fuck Rain. Fool on the Hill more like!” Noel took his fresh pint up and drank it down in one. He slammed the glass down on the bar and grabbing his coat, headed for the exit.  

Liam watched him, trying not to laugh.