Okay, so I didn't really know what I was doing with this story, only knowing that I completely love Across the Universe and all the characters. I would really appreciate any suggestions that anyone may have about thisstory. Thanks to everybody!

We got to New York a couple of hours ago. And may I say? It's wild here.

First off, there's the city itself. When I asked my mother to come here, the only thing she was hesitant about was the cleanliness of the city. I mean, New York City is known for being kind of dirty, but everything else makes up for it. The atmosphere, the buildings, the people. It's crazy.

Then there are Jude and Max's roommates. Sadie, she rents the place, is so confident and sexy, she makes me and Lucy seem prudish. You can totally tell how smitten the guys are with her. She's probably the only real reason that they stay here. And then there's Jojo. He just may be the coolest cat I've ever met, with his easy attitude and mad guitar skills. I mean, growing up in the suburbs, you don't see people like Jojo. Ever. There are a few others, but out of all of them we were most fascinated by Prudence. She's from, like, Ohio or something, but she's super fun and sweet.

Right now we're at the club where Sadie and Jojo play with Sadie's band. It's funny, Jude and Max haven't even been here that long, and already they seem to have groupies. Max is sitting next to me, his arm thrown around a pale girl with jet black hair and a tiny waist. Jude is staring at Lucy, another chick sucking on his neck. Not that he is noticing. Lucy is nodding her head and glancing over at me every five seconds, looking so out of place it is almost amusing.

Oh, no, wait. Look at that. Jude leans over and whisper (well really yells but here it's the same thing) to Lucy. She nods her head, and the pair of them leave get up and head out of the bar entrance. The neck-sucker death-stares at Lucy the whole time.

"Eleanor Rigby. What a miserable name for a very, very beautiful girl." I turn at the sound of his voice, a voice I have known all my life.

"Thanks, Max, but you know I'm still Ellie." I grin at him, trying to push my thick curls back, but them not exactly agreeing with me.

"Do I know that? I haven't seen you in forever," he screams, scooting closer to me and dropping his arm from Skinny. She glares at me.

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you become a college boy…and then drop out and move to New York City." I snort, liking that I can talk to him as though he were I my best friend, not his sister.

"Ah, cynical as ever, Miss Ellie. But if you we're being serious, what's going on?" Now his back was completely turned away from Skinny. He was leaning in toward me as though I was the most interesting topic on the table.

I could tell him about how Lucy was changing before our eyes, and I could tell him how lonely I was, even though I had so many people in my life. I knew Max would listen, because Max always listened to me. Even when I was ten years old and all I wanted to talk about was how much I loved Bobby Marx from Ms. Kindler's class, who Max so fondly had called Booby from then on.

"Oh, you know. Same old; parents don't care, too many freaking siblings for me to even think the word college, and the only person that really cares about me currently outside trying to make your new friend fall for her."

Max cackled that wild, crazy laugh that made my heart soar. Just because, well, it was a nice thing to make someone like Max laugh.

"Like Luce even needs to try. She's already got him around her middle finger." He smiled as though he wanted nothing more than to see his buddy and his sister end up together. Or at least for the night. "And you know that's not true. Your parents are sucky, I'm gonna be honest, but you turned out alright. And c'mon! Everyone loves the youngest child! So you've got seven right there. And then of course Luce. You know our parents think of you as their third kid. Plus…plus there's me." He half-smiled, keeping his eyes straight on me when any other guy would be ducking his head.

"Aw, thanks Max."

He bit his lip, turning his head toward Sadie for a minute. I took this chance to look around at the remainder of our group. Everyone looked somewhat busy, and even Skinny and stopped staring at us to engage Prudence in a conversation. The only one that looked like how I felt inside, alone, was the neck-sucker. She was gazing out the window at Jude and Lucy. Once she saw me looking, she started talking.

"He's just trying to get into your pants, you know. He did the same thing to me," she sneered, nodding at Max, who obviously couldn't hear her.

I mentally rolled my eyes, assuming that she had been eavesdropping. "It's not like that."

"Please, you're eighteen years old, you don't know a thing compared to me."

This time I really did roll my eyes. "That means he's had about eighteen years to do what you think he want to do now. And I know he does NOT want to do that."

I turned away from her, not really wanting to talk to her anymore. I could fell both hers and Max's eyes burning holes in the sides of my head, but I kept my eyes forward. I was sure Max had heard our entire conversation, and I was kind of embaressed.

"You're really pretty, you know. Your friend is, too. Not in the mature, available way I am, though." She paused for a second, as though basking in the greatness of being both mature and available, which I took to mean old and slutty. "In that innocent, honestly nice way that some kinds of guys like. I bet you're pretty damn smart, too."

I didn't know what to say. Obviously, she wasn't just going to give me a compliment like that. I knew that there was more. "Uh...."

"But Max isn't the type to go for the young ones. He's looking for a girl for the night, and you're looking for love. Can't you see why you'll never work?" She flicked a piece of lint off her light blue sweater, then crossed her arms cockily.

I knew I should probably laugh in her face for assuming too much, but I couldn't. It just didn't feel right. I looked down at my hands and hesitated, then said, "Who said that I want it to work? Who said that I like Max like that anyways?" I was super aware of Max now, and I could tell that he was listening, but I kept my back to him.

"Honey, you didn't have to say it."

I felt tiny pin-pricks of tears behind my eyes, and I felt like a stupid, pathetic little girl trying to act like she fit in with all these people. And I really, really didn't.

"I'm sorry," she chirped, "because you may be beauty, but he's the best."

My jaw dropped a little, and I shifted in my seat to check if Max had heard that.

"Why don't you just shut up, Lizzy." Max shouted over the music. So he had heard. Shit.

Lizzy the neck-sucker shrugged. "I'm just warning the girl. Right, Ellie? No harm, no foul."

I didn't say anything, just wondered how she knew my name when I had just found out her's.

"C'mon, El, we should find Jude and Lucy and get home."

He didn't wait for my answer, just pulled me up and dragged me out of the club. Once we were out on the sidewalk, he dropped my arm and strode forward, swiveling his head around to look for his friend and sister. He looked...well, mad.

"Max, let's just go. They're probably back home already."

He turned around and looked at me, so intensely it was almost awkward. "Yeah. Yeah, we should go."

And then he spun around and took off.