I want you to want me.

The girl was dancing across the stage, off in her own little world enough to have fun, but focused enough not to fall off it. She smiled out at the crowd, her body a little tired from this small concert but at the same time ready to go on forever. This was what she lived for. This performing, it was her life. She loved it. She never got a chance to do this in real life. She was never herself off this stage. It was just timidness, this shy little girl no one ever noticed. But now? Now she was a little rocker, ready to belt out the lyrics and make the audience scream.

"I want you to want me,
I need you to need me,
I'd love you to love me,
I'm beggin' you to beg me!"

It was an older song, admittedly, but the crowd still knew it. How do you not know "I Want You to Want Me," no matter how young you are? It's one of those songs you just KNOW and have as long as you can remember. Her voice was a little higher than Robin Zander's, but she had a way of mimicking the original singer's voice that just made it sound perfect. The band around her, made up of friends and a guy she'd definitely love to love her, were playing perfectly. They had better all be doing great; it'd only taken hours and hours in the past weeks to make this work.

"I want you to want me,
I need you to need me,
I'd love you to love me,
I'm beggin' you to beg me!"

The simplicity of the lyrics already had the audience singing along and they all looked like they were having a great time. She smiled even wider, if it was possible. Yes. Yes. This was all so, so perfect.

"I'll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand new shirt.
I'll get home early from work if you say that you love me.

Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin'.
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?"

She glanced over at the guitarist, the one she wished she could sing this to. Even if she was on stage, singing to all these strangers, she couldn't do that now. It'd be too true if she tried. He had felt all alone, he had felt like dying. She'd seen him cry, too. It wouldn't be right. As close as they were, he didn't know about her feelings at all. She'd thought it'd only make thing worse for him.

"I want you to want me,
I need you to need me,
I'd love you to love me,
I'm beggin' you to beg me!
I'll shine up the old brown shoes, put on a brand new shirt.
I'll get home early from work if you say that you love me."

This song was really repetitive, but that's what she loved about it. While saying the same thing over and over, it still made you happy and want to dance around. All the great old songs were like that. It was a surprise to her, upon more research, that this song hadn't made the charts. How the heck had people not loved this song? It was great and honest. You wanted someone to want you. You needed them to need you. You'd love them to love you. You were beggin' them to beg you. It was just this simple feeling of just absolutely wanting-needing-loving someone to want-need-love you. It was amazing!

"Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?
Feelin' all alone without a friend, you know you feel like dyin'.
Oh, didn't I, didn't I, didn't I see you cryin'?"

The return of this part made her look over at him again. She watched him instead of the crowd, an idea forming in her head as he focused on his guitar and playing. He had a rough life. Abandoned by his father, ignored by his mother. Her life with no money and a million siblings seemed perfect compared to his. At least her parents loved her. She'd seen him at his worst, when the others had already vacated her basement and practice was done. He had stayed over at her house instead of going home so many times she couldn't remember them all. She started the final part of the song, still looking at him. Despite her mind being elsewhere, she'd still managed to stay with the song.

"I want you to want me,
I need you to need me,
I'd love you to love me,
I'm beggin' you to beg me!"

Then, she decided. She started to walk towards him, the rest of the band too into the song to notice her.

"I want you to want me."

She ignored the audience and just focused on him. She sang to him. He still didn't notice and that's what she loved about him. He got so into playing that a train running right by him couldn't break his focus. She smirked a little as she continued to sing.

"I want you to want me."

Now she could feel the stares of the other band members on her. They were confused, obviously. This wasn't what they had practiced. She was supposed to do some weird-but-normal caressing of the mike stand while continuing to sing the last four "I want yous". This was too different from every other show for them not to take note. But they kept doing what they were supposed to be doing, a Godsend for her.

"I want you to want me."

He still hadn't looked up. She smiled a mildly frustrated smile and then stood so she was almost on top of him. He finally did look up from his playing, but kept his fingers moving when they were supposed to. Not a note was missed in his small part as he looked at her, trying to figure out what she was doing.

"I want you to want me."

This last line was soft, so soft that the screams in the audience very well drowned it out. But she was okay with that. He'd heard it. And that's all that mattered.


(I Want You to Want Me = Cheap Trick's, not mine.)