Hello readers! I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far. So this chapter is a little shorter, and it's more Peter centric. The reason for this is because, even though this is a Mike story, Peter is my favorite Monkee, and I wanted him to have his moment so to speak. The next chapter is a lot longer and is probably my favorite chapter so far. Enjoy!
Mike blinked his eyes open a few times before letting out a huge yawn. He rubbed his tired eyes awake, and threw his long legs out of bed and onto the floor. He could hear Micky snoring sound asleep in the bed next to him, and he gave his sleeping friend a small smile before changing into his Levi's and blue button down shirt and placed his wool hat on top of his head. As he made his way downstairs, a vision of Addy flooded his brain, as it had every hour of everyday since meeting her. His date was tomorrow, and he had never felt more nervous in his entire life. He knew he had to be sharp and focus on the gig that night, but it wasn't easy. All he could think about was the beautiful girl that was way too good for him, and how many ways he could screw up the date. As he made his way into the kitchen, he didn't even notice Peter sitting on the sofa. "Good morning Mike" Peter said and Mike nearly jumped out of skin. "Don't do that" he said clutching his chest with his hand. "Sorry" Peter giggled.
"You're up awful early, ain't ya Peter?" Mike asked plopping down beside his friend. "I couldn't sleep" he admitted and Mike nodded. He knew exactly what was on Peter's mind. "Valerie?" And his friend gave a small nod. "Peter look, I know you're nervous because of how last time went, but look at it this way: you've got all the awkwardness out of the way, now you can just be yourself and have fun" Mike said and Peter's face was covered in a smile. "Gee thanks Mike, I really needed that" he said. "Anytime Peter" Mike replied. "So, are you nervous?" Peter asked and Mike looked down at his boots. "I don't suppose there'd be any point in lying to you" he finally said. "I don't know what she sees in me when she's got a guy like Shawn around" Mike mumbled and he noticed the confusion on Peter's face. Mike quickly told his friend all about Addy's wanna be boyfriend. "Mike, why are you worried about that guy, Addy told you she wasn't interested in him, and she likes you!" Peter exclaimed and Mike just shook his head. "Because eventually she's going to realize that I'm just a long haired broke musician, who likes to wear a wool hat in the middle of July, who doesn't have a dollar to his name, and the only thing he's good at is writing songs and playing guitar!" Mike countered. As he said the words, he realized then just how true they were. All he had in the world was music. He wouldn't even have his three best friends if it wasn't for the music. What did he have to offer a girl like Addy? He put his face in his hands and slumped. He was hopeless.
Peter sat amazed at Mike. Truth be told, Mike was the person Peter admired more than anyone. Mike always had a plan, always kept them afloat, he always had the best songs, and he was always there for them no matter what. Peter placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, but Mike didn't look up. "Michael" Peter said softly and he watched as the Texan slowly lifted his head from his hands. "You are the best guy I know, no girl could do better than you" he started. "So what if you don't have as much money or class or education as Shawn" and he saw Mike's face fall. "You have so much more to offer her than he does, because you have more heart than he could ever hope to have, and that's all Addy cares about" Peter said and he saw Mike smile a little. "Thanks shotgun, you're a good friend." Mike said and pulled him into a hug. Though Mike didn't totally believe everything his friend had said, it touched him that Peter put so much effort into making him feel better.
"Good evening ladies and gents, we're the Monkees, and if you haven't heard us play before, then stick around. And if you have heard us, well stay anyway and groove to the music" Mike said into the microphone. The Hangout was packed once again, even for a Monday night, and Mike knew that if they played as well as they did before, they would have a regular job. He was nervous, but not nearly as much as he was the last time they played. They were well rehearsed and he knew they would do a good job. As Micky started singing Last Train to Clarksville, Mike caught sight of Valerie sitting in the corner, her eyes trained on Peter. Mike felt happy for his friend. It wasn't often Peter fell for a girl, or a girl fell for Peter, and if anyone deserved some happiness in the world of romance, it was the blonde bass player. He watched as the crowd once again responded well to their music. They were a hit, and he saw Mr. Mattson give a small nod just as he did before, and Mike felt himself relax.
As their set drew to a close, Peter moved across the stage to stand beside of Mike. "Hey Mike, do you think we could do Auntie Grizelda?" Peter asked and Mike looked puzzled. "We didn't rehearse that one, is there a reason you want to end the set with it?" Mike asked. "Well it's just, Valerie's here, and I wanted to sing something" Peter said sheepishly and Mike understood, but he didn't think Auntie Grizelda was the best option. "I've got a better idea" Mike said. "Grab the acoustic, and play that new one you wrote" and Peter's eyes grew wide. "But I wrote it about her, and I've never played it in public before!" He protested. "Uh fellas, what's going on?" Davy asked. "Well folks you've sure been a great crowd tonight" Mike said into the mic ignoring both Davy's question and Peter's plea. "Before we go, we have a very special song we'd like y'all to hear" he said and Peter's face was beat red. "What's he doing?" Micky hissed from behind the drums and Davy shrugged. "Now you've all seen our good buddy Peter here playing Bass all night long and giving us some great back up vocals" and the crowd applauded and whistled for Peter and he saw Valerie give a huge smile. "But Peter is actually a very good singer when the mood strikes, and lucky for you, it's struck tonight. So Peter, go ahead and grab your guitar, the stage is yours my friend." Mike finished. He grabbed a hold of Davy and drug him off stage and Micky followed. They watched Peter sit on the stool with his guitar, a look of pure dread on his face. Peter locked eyes with Mike and he gave his friend a reassuring nod. Peter nodded back, took a deep breath, and spoke into the mic. "Hello everyone, I wrote this song for a very special girl, and I hope she likes it" he said and began playing the chords to Tear the Top Right Off My Head.
As he sang, Mike gazed out into the crowd. They loved it. Peter sounded great, and the song was terrific. But what caught his attention, was Valerie. She looked absolutely stunned. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was dropped. Mike had to stifle a laugh. If she had a thing for Peter before, wait till she got a hold of him after the song. When he finished, she stood from her seat in applause, along with the rest of the crowd. Peter gave a bashful "thank you" before hurtling off the stage. "How'd that feel Pete?" Mike asked clapping him on the shoulder. "I think I blacked out" he said and his friends laughed. "Boys that was terrific" and they all spun around to see Mr. Mattson. "Come on into my office, and we'll sign some papers" the man continued and the four boys could hardly contain themselves.
Once they had signed all the paperwork, the boys headed back into the club. Valerie rushed over to Peter and threw her arms around him. "Peter, that was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me, I loved it" she said and he looked like a kid at Christmas. "I'm sure glad you liked it, I was really nervous" he admitted. "Mike had to force me to do it". "Well thank you Mike" Valerie said, and she gave the Texan a small grin. "Well uh, why don't we let you two, uh dance and mingle and what not" Mike said as he shooed his other friends away to give Peter and Valerie some time alone. "I'm really glad you liked the song Valerie" Peter said once they were gone. "I like more than just the song you know" she said and Peter gave her that dazzling smile showing off his dimples. "I like you too" he said, and she took his hand and led him to a small booth in the corner.
They talked and laughed for what seemed like hours. The other three Monkees had gone home, once Peter assured him he would take the bus and that they didn't need to wait for them. He wanted to walk Valerie home anyway. As they walked hand in hand in the moonlight, there was one thing that had kept bugging Peter. "Um, Valerie?" He started. "Yes Peter?" She asked. "What happened with Ronnie?" He asked. He hadn't seen him the other night at the party, and Valerie hadn't mentioned him at all that night. Valerie frowned and tightened her hold on Peter's hand. "After how he treated you and your friends, I broke up with him. In fact, I cut him out of my life completely." She answered and Peter felt bad. Though he didn't like the man, he didn't want to be what drove two people apart. "I'm sorry Valerie, I didn't mean for that to happen" he said and she shook her head. "No Peter you dont understand. I realized just how superficial Ronnie was, and I didn't want to be with him anymore just because that's what made sense" she said and he frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Ronnie and I were a perfect match in society. The same background and upbringing, the same lifestyle and circle of friends. We were what was expected, especially to my parents. They were furious with me when I ended things" she explained. "But once I met you, I realized I didn't have to settle with what was expected of me" she smiled and he blushed. "Actually, it was Addy that encouraged me to break things off" she continued. "She seems like a great girl" Peter said and Valerie nodded. "She is. She's been my best friend for a long time." "Mike really likes her too" Peter added and Valerie smiled. "Well she really likes Mike. She couldn't stop talking about him after the party." Valerie said and Peter felt ecstatic, but something nagged at the back of his mind. "So, Shawn isn't in the picture then?" He asked. "I'm guessing Shawn and Mike and a little trouble?" Valerie clarified and Peter told her about what had happened. "Shawn and Ronnie are very similar in how they behave and how they treat others, but there's one distinct difference in the two" she said. "What's that?" He asked. "Ronnie will whine and pout about not getting his way, but he'll back off, Shawn on the other hand, doesn't take no for an answer" she said and Peter began to worry. The last thing he wanted was for Mike to get hurt or Addy for that matter. "Does Addy have any feelings for Shawn?" Peter asked and Valerie was quick to say no. "Addy and Shawn went steady for a while, but she wasn't happy about it. She finally decided she didn't care what her father wanted and ended things. All she wants is someone honest and kind. Someone who won't treat her like a prize" Valerie said. "Mike wouldn't treat her poorly" Peter said confidently. "I know Peter. All of you are good people, and I'm so happy that you came back into my life" she said.
All too soon, Peter and Valerie were standing at her front door. "Thank you again for walking me home Peter" Valerie said giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "It was my pleasure my lady" he said giving an elaborate bow and she laughed. Peter looked into Valerie's eyes, and he felt his breathing quicken. There wasn't much space between them, and he wondered if it would be alright to kiss her. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. When she didn't object, he leaned his face towards her and he saw her eyes flutter shut. He gentley pressed his lips to hers, and he felt her arms wrap around his neck. He pulled her closer to him deepening the kiss, and he let his arms reach around her waist. He held her as tightly as he could, afraid it was all a dream. When he finally pulled away, he was breathless. He had kissed girls before, but nothing like that. "Goodnight Peter" she whispered with a smile before going into her home. "Goodnight Valerie" he whispered into the night.