Joan walked slowly toward the club, the same place she hung out almost every Friday night. As she got closer, she recognized a few people milling around and she smiled at them, waving slightly. It was kind of cold on this particular night, and she popped the collar on her black leather jacket, her shoulders arched. She walked towards the door and saw there was a line-up. She liked when it was busy. There were so many strange and interesting people at this club in particular – it wasn't like all the other places in town. Fist of all it was an Under 21 club, so she felt like she belonged there. Sure, she couldn't buy a drink in there, but there was plenty of other ways around that little stipulation. The bouncer tapped her on the shoulder and she peered up at him, smiling.

"Heya, Joan!" he boomed. "Alright?"

Joan nodded. "Hey, yeah. How's it goin?"

The bouncer smiled and moved aside, letting her in.

She walked in, peering around from underneath her shaggy hair. She saw a few familiar faces and said hello. As she walked through people waved at her and she meekly waved back, realizing that she had become somewhat of a famous face around here by now. She laughed to herself, feeling lightheaded and fuzzy from the pot she'd smoked earlier. As she walked through the place looking for her friends, she spotted two girls who were dressed unlike anyone else she'd seen before. Sure, everyone here dressed kind of out there, but there was something about these two, one more than the other, that was striking. Joan walked by them, checking them out as she did so. She noticed how alike they were and thought they must be twins. She glanced over at her shoulder slightly as she passed them and they both watched her as she walked. She turned her head and smiled to herself, disappearing into the crowd.

"Oh my god, Marie! Do you know who that was?" Cherie squealed excitedly.

Marie shrugged. "No. Who?"

Cherie looked out towards the girl who had just walked by them. "I think that was Joan Jett!"

"Who?" Marie asked.

Cherie rolled her eyes at her sister. "She's, like, always here. And she plays electric guitar! I heard that she is starting an all girl rock and roll band!"

Marie looked over her shoulder, trying to catch another look at Joan, but she had already disappeared.

"Cool," Marie said nonchalantly.

Cherie grinned, taking a sip of her soda. She was buzzing tonight. She and Marie and some their friends had only been here a few times, but they loved it. It was a totally different vibe than anywhere else; plus, they always played David Bowie, Cherie's all time favourite musician. She not only liked him, she worshipped him. She was beginning to feel the Quaaludes they had popped earlier kick into gear and she swayed with the music, spinning on the spot.

"C'mon, Marie. Let's go dance! They're gonna play David Bowie soon. I just know it!" she grabbed her sister by the hand and they ploughed through the dance floor, moving to the beat. Cherie looked over and saw Joan standing against the wall, her jet black hair pushed off her face. Cherie smiled at her and Joan licked her lips, locking eyes for a moment before glancing away. Cherie got a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach and she laughed to herself, feeling light as a feather, floating through the air.

Two weeks later, Cherie and her friends showed up again at the club. Cherie was feeling particularly great tonight – she knew she looked good, and she had just bought the new Bowie album, which featured some live footage from the same concert she had gone to a few months earlier. She was smiling all night, singing her favourite songs over and over again in her head. She had lost Marie somewhere in the dance floor and sauntered off to take a breather. She stood against the wall, her eyes feeling glassy, her head swimming in the familiar fog. She watched all the different kids waltzing by her and she smiled at them. She loved it here. She felt so at home here, not like she did everywhere else. She felt like she could be understood here; everyone here was a freak too. She closed her eyes and swayed slightly to the music. She opened them again and saw a very tall, lanky man standing in front of her, a look of amusment on his face. He had a blue, glittery triangle painted over his right eye and was wearing a green ascot around his skinny neck. Cherie looked him up and down.

"Hi," he said, his voice booming.

Cherie rolled her eyes. This guy looked way too old to be in here, but then again places like this had a way of letting just about any one in if you played your cards right. She took a sip of her drink.

"Hi," she said coolly.

"I love your look," he said, leaning against the wall beside her.

Cherie smiled slightly. "Thanks," she said.

"A little Bowie, a little Bardot. And a look on your face that says you can kick the shit out of a truck driver," he smiled.

Who was this guy?

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Cherie," she replied.

"Cherie what?"

"Currie. Cherie Currie." This guy may have been weird but he seemed totally harmless.

"Is that your real name?"

She nodded.

"Well, the May Be Great Cherie Currie. I'm Kim Fowley, famous record producer. You've heard of me."

"Have I?" Cherie asked coyly.

He nodded. "Yes. Tell me something, do you sing or play a musical instrument?"

Cherie paused for a minute. "Yeah, I can sing," she said.

Kim clapped his giant hands together. "There's someone I'd like you to meet," he said. He glanced over his shoulder and called out a name, but Cherie couldn't hear it over the music. From seemingly out of nowhere, Joan Jett sauntered over to them, smiling.

Cherie's eyes widened.

"Cherie, this is Joan Jett. Joan, this is Cherie Currie. She's a singer!"

Joan waved at her, cracking gum in her mouth.

Cherie smiled bashfully.

"Now listen to me, Cherie," Kim said, leaning over her. "We are starting a rock and roll band and we need someone just like you to sing in it. Think you can do that for us?"

Cherie looked up at him, shocked. "S-sure," she said. She cleared her throat, squaring her shoulders, her eyes shifting between Joan and Kim.

"Excellent. Well, we're holding an audition on Sunday in the valley. Joan here will tell you where. I'll see you then, Cherie Currie." He turned on his heels, winking at Joan and slithered through the crowd of teenaged outcasts.

Cherie looked at Joan, feeling like none of this was really happening.

"I've seen you before," Joan said.

Cherie nodded. "Yeah, I come here sometimes. With my sister."

Joan smiled. "Twins?" she asked.

Cherie nodded again. She didn't know what to say.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Cherie. I'm gonna go say hi to some people over there but…come find me," Joan said, and Cherie wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, but she grinned.

"Okay," she said softly.

She watched as Joan disappeared into the sea of others, her black hair shining in the lights. Cherie's stomached fluttered and she felt her heart race, something she knew was not from the drugs this time. She smiled to herself, and finished her drink before wandering off to find Marie again. Once she did, she told her the whole story and Marie laughed.

"You can't be serious," she said.

Cherie frowned. "Why?"

"Kim Fowley is a freak! I heard he has a coat made out of dog fur."

Cherie rolled her eyes. "No way. Anyways, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go on Sunday. I just have to find Joan by the end of the night and she will tell me everything."

"She'll probably leave."

"She won't leave!" Cherie said, defensively.

"Okay," Marie said. "We'll see about that."

Cherie gave her sister the finger, annoyed that she couldn't just be happy for her. She weaseled her way through the crowd, ordering another Coke at the bar. She felt exceptionally thirsty for some reason. She stood there, surveying the crowd, sipping the cold, dark liquid through a straw.

Joan saw Cherie from across the room and smiled to herself. She watched her, noticing her cherry red lips. She liked the way Cherie looked, like she wasn't to be fucked with. But she knew that Cherie was shy and she liked that too. Joan's friend leaned in and told her they were leaving and she nodded, telling them she'd meet them outside. She walked through the crowd, slipping in between people dancing and locked eyes with Cherie, who smiled.

"Hey," Joan said in her husky voice. "I gotta go but, Sunday. You'll be there right?"

Cherie nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there. Where is it?"

Joan leaned over the bar and grabbed a napkin and a pen. She jotted down the address, and handed it to Cherie.

"Two o'clock, okay?"

Cherie nodded. "Yeah. Two o'clock is great."

Joan smiled crookedly, her eyes scanning Cherie's face. "See ya," she said waving slightly.

"Bye, Joan," Cherie answered watching as she walked away. Joan paused at the door, looking over her shoulder one last time, smiling at Cherie, making her heart skip a beat.

And that's how Joan met Cherie.