#1

***Because this story is about a female singer, I really wanted to include some lyrics. A girl I go to University with is an incredible singer/songwriter and I wanted to use some songs that people have never heard before (to make it a bit more realistic). Her web address is: http://ca.myspace.com/meaghanelizabethblanchard.
I just want everyone to know that these are NOT my songs (I wish I was that talented lol)… and make sure that credit is going where it’s deserved, i.e. to Meaghan.***


Anyone who has ever gone to school, knows the wondrous sense of freedom that comes after writing that final exam. Today, that feeling of adventure and excitement was at an all time high; I had finished my university summer semester and, I was on my way to the airport to hop a flight to BC and catch up with my band.
I was self-titled; Juliette Laroque, but I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by wonderful, talented musicians who shared my tastes and goals.

My little sister, Olivie, dropped me off at the airport. I pulled my luggage and my guitar out of the backseat and turned to say goodbye; but she was already pulling away. I didn’t take it personally, when you’re 16 you have much more important things on your mind, and besides, I would only be gone for 6 weeks.
My band hand driven out to Victoria, BC last week; I had stayed behind to finish a few specialty music course at university. It was Wednesday and the tour started on Friday. We planned to spend two weeks playing in small pars and pubs all around BC before heading east. Our last show was in Halifax, Nova Scotia; afterwards we would make the trek back to Saint-Calixte, Quebec - my home town.

I checked into the airport no problem, leaving all but my guitar and purse behind at the luggage terminal. I made my way over towards the hall marked ’Gates 9-10’ and found a comfy blue chair beside the window.
It had been a long day and I was tired, but I knew sleeping was out of the question, I couldn’t even get my feet to stop moving; as they tapped out the beat of the airport on the floor.
Some girls walked by me, dressing in skimpy summer dresses; flashing me small smiles as they headed over towards some vacant chairs. I looked down at my own outfit, feeling sorely out of place; my outfit was nothing out of the ordinary for me, but I seemed an unflattering contrast to the wonderful summer girls around me. I tugged at a loose string on my vest and glanced around the waiting-room; ‘Gate 10: Miami, FLA’, Oh well no wonder I’m so out of place… I thought to myself, I hope Victoria is nice this time of year.

After trying to keep my feet still for almost an hour, I could no longer manage to act normal. Whoever invented waiting-rooms should be shot! I sighed to myself. I finally gave in to my urges and pulled my guitar out of it’s case and began to strum silently.

“There‘s a picture, in my room. It‘s torn to pieces, it‘s of me and you… I found a new way of breaking your heart. I‘ve found a better way of falling apart…” I strummed a few more chords aimlessly and glanced around, making sure no one was watching me.
Although I had had a few boyfriends in the past, there had never been anyone special; they sure all made for good songs though. I laughed to myself and kept strumming softly.
The people in the room were coming and going without noticing me; which was nice; I’d have enough eyes on me in the next couple months - and if things when good, for a long time to come.
I really wanted to write a new song. Monique, Jean-Pierre, David (my drummer, bassist and guitar player, respectively) and I had thrown a few songs together for the upcoming tour; but I really wanted a great song. One of the ones that just hits you. The kind that touches people, makes them feel.

Three boys and a girl walked into the room, I couldn’t help but notice them; the girl looked like a super-model and was wearing an incredible pair of cheetah print stilettos. So jealous… I sighed to myself, as she walked past, giving me a warm smile. She sat down with her posse across the isle from me. I continued to strum as she pulled out a magazine. The boys that were with her were loud and she gave me an apologetic shrug, I smiled back. Judging by the clothing she had on and the designer bag crumpled by her feet, she was filthy rich, but she had a kind face and appeared down to earth in her feeble attempts to get her friends under control.
The skinniest boy threw his arm carelessly around her shoulder and I shook my head, staring down at my fingers that were now forming a G-chord. He was nothing to look at by any mean, but hey, whatever makes you happy. I looked back up at the other two. They both had semi-long brown hair, slicked back under baseball caps. The youngest looking one had a picture of a penguin on his, the other boy had a giant ‘P’. Not knowing much about sports I assumed it must be a local team I hadn’t heard of; but who would name their team after a bird that can’t even fly?

Pulling my eyes away from their caps, I glanced at the older-looking one; he was watching me. I looked away quickly, embarrassed of being caught snooping.

“You any good at that?” He asked, forcing me to look up and meet his eyes.

“Maxime!” The girl sighed, reaching over to the right, to slap his hand. “You’re so rude sometimes…” She looked back over to her left, at the skinny boy beside her. He gave her a ‘what-do-you-want-me-to-do-about-it’ shrug and went back to flipping through his magazine. She shook her head and looked back at me. “Please don’t take anything they say personally. They might look like adults, but they‘re actually giant 5 year-olds.” She laughed lightly. At first I thought she might have been truly annoyed, but her eyes burned with affection whenever she glanced at the boys around her.

I went back to my attempts at song-writing, as the group fell into quiet conversation; I learned through eavesdropping their names. The pretty girl was called Vero, the one I assumed to be her boyfriend, they continued to call ’Flower’. The young boy was called Tanger and the beautiful one was, of course, Maxime. They, of course, were heading to Miami; for the ’team trip’, whatever that meant.
After another half hour of waiting for a plane, an announcement signalled that we would be waiting another hour more, at least. Vero, Tanger and Flower left to find some food, leaving Maxime by himself.

“So?” He asked, after checking to make sure that his friends were gone.

“So what?” I stopped playing to reply, confused by his question.

“Are you any good?” He pointed at my guitar.

“Well… I’ve been playing for a while… you tell me.” He smiled at that, thinking about it.

Finally he nodded, “I guess you’re all right yah. Are you in a band?”

“Yes. Well, I sing and play, and three friends from back home accompany me.” I answered.

“What are you called?”

“We aren’t called anything. I’m Juliette Laroque… we just use my name.”

“Oh.” He sat back in his seat and looked away. I returned to my guitar, beginning to get frustrated at my lack of creativity, and my inability to stop stealing glances at the beautiful boy in front of me. Finally after a few minutes he spoke again. “What kind of music do you play?”

“Folk or country I guess… nothing too fast or heavy.” He nodded, grabbing his friends magazine off the seat.

“You should write a song about me!” He thought suddenly, almost jumping out of his seat.

“Oh yah? Why’s that?” I smiled to myself, I could already feel the ideas turning in my head.

“Umm… I’m Max Talbot…” He answered. I laughed out loud at him, causing him to shoot me a questioning glance. He seemed taken-back by my response. “You not a Penguins fan?”

“So your team is called the Penguins? I thought so…” He gave me a questioning glance so I continued, “Your friend had it on his hat but, I didn’t think a team would name themselves after something like a penguin.” I laughed again.

“Oh, so that’s what you were looking at…”

“Yes. What did you think I was looking at?”

“Me.” He answered simply. I didn’t know whether to laugh or not; he seemed so serious. “Guess you won’t write a song about me now…”

“Why not?”

“Cause, now I’m just some guy in an airport… who may or may not be staring at you.” We both laughed, watching each other for a minute. He eventually went back to reading his magazine.

“I like to pretend you’re watchin me, could it be a possibility… I wonder what you’re thinking…” I sang, just loudly enough that he could hear me. He smiled, but didn’t put his book down. “Do you wonder if I have a car, do you wonder if I play guitar? Well I do, but only one of the two.” He couldn’t help but laugh at that, finally looking up at me.

Am I flirting with someone? Maybe… but I actually kind of like where this song is going… I decided we needed a chorus and I switched chords; “You’re beautiful, you are beautiful! You got your noise in a book and all I need is a look to know… to know… you, you, you.”


Sitting in my economy-class-seat I felt regret, something I wasn’t use to feeling. Maxime’s friends had come back and I no longer felt comfortable singing his song to him, so I had packed up my guitar. He had smiled at me for the rest of the hour; and I hadn’t been able to do anything but smile back. He excreted confidence out of every pore in his body, with more charisma then any one man should be allowed. There was something else though, his smile, his eyes, his body (or at least what I could see of it). I felt an extremely strong attraction to him, and he hadn’t come closer than his chair, across the isle.
Oh well… he’s on his way to Miami and I need to get ready for this tour.

It wasn’t hard to get pumped up. We had been waiting for this summer all year long. It was going to be a blast and I could hardly believe how lucky I was to be in this seat, on my way to British Columbia, people would kill for this chance at the big time.
Then why do I wish I was heading to Miami? I let out a deep sigh before pulling my notebook out of my purse; I might never see him again but, I still have his song… I smiled to myself as pen hit paper.