Status: I love the idea of time travel... I also love the idea of the fab four. This story; the best of both!

No One Can Suceed Like Dr. Robert

Help!

My body froze when a crude whistle broke through the steady rhythm of the rain that I had been dancing to.

“Hey baby, come over here and dance with me.” I quickly averted my eyes and walked faster. The prick on the other side of the road didn’t stop pursuing me however. “Hey, I don’t like to be ignored, luv. Now why don’t you just get over here and do you duty as a girl, yeah? I’ll even let yeh make me a sandwhich after ye’r done.” His sheer confidence in his choice of words disgusted me.

Once he was near me I took a chance and swung around, a clapping sound breaking through the air as my hand connected with his face. I slowly backed up as he got angry; the pouring rain making him look even more intimidating. I could smell nicotine on his breath.

I was scared; more than I’d ever been in my life. I turned quickly, taking off running with him pursuing me. I soon ran into another neighborhood I was unfamiliar with, the pig still hot on my tired heels; I’d been running the wrong way. I nearly screamed when a hand pulled me inside of a door. I turned to face my captor and found familiar blue eyes staring at me.

“Are you alright?” I must have looked a mess. I was a mess. I simply cried and hugged onto the stranger, crying into his chest, hoping it wasn’t too forward. “Me names Richie,” He wrapped his arms around me; at least he knew how to comfort someone who was upset.

“Come on, I’ll have my mum make some tea and I’ll get you a towel. Mum!”

I was shocked still, adrenaline tricking me into silence. Soon enough I had changed into a dry dress Richie’s mother had lent me. “You alright duckie? Richie here saw you running in the rain and ran out to fetch you. Could’ve caught his death too!”

“Mum, I’m better now. You know the doctors said I’m fine. That was only when I was smaller.” I noticed he seemed a little sad and annoyed; he also looked like a hound dog in his blue robe and slippers. Yes, he was adorable. I stayed an hour or so at Richie’s house, learning his name was Richard Starkey. He was in the band The Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group; his full name was Richard Starkey, he had no middle name. Lately his friends had taken to calling him Ringo.

“It’s catchy; where did Ringo come from?”

“All the rings I wear on me fingers. See?” I giggled as he wiggled his fingers in front of my face. “How old are ya Sophie? I’ve never seen ya around before now-not that I ever was at school to see ya.” I frowned, thinking he would not want to be around me because of my age.

“I’m fourteen, actually. You’re what, eighteen?” He smiled.

“You look a lot older than that; I’m actually seventeen. Are you gonna be okay getting home? My mum was over exaggerating; I could walk ye home if ye want.”

I hugged him and thanked him for everything, but told him I’d be alright.

“Alright, well don’t be shy! Come and see me sometime; we’ll hang out, yeah? ”

“Sure.” By now I was wearing my own clothes; they had long since dried thanks to the love and care of Richie’s mother. I borrowed an umbrella from the Starkeys and then began the walk home again, this time without another incident.

It took me around thirty two minutes to back to Mendips, which meant overall I’d been gone around three hours. Once on the porch I closed the umbrella and shook it off, leaving it by the door. I tried sneaking into the house, hoping Mimi would not have noticed I had taken so long. I didn’t have to worry about appearance because my hair was naturally wavy and I never wore any makeup.

“Don’t you think I worry enough about John being gone all of the time? Don’t you understand that when I took you on I thought it was understood that I didn’t need another child to be babysat? You may be younger, Sophie, but you should not act as irresponsibly as John!” I cowered against the closed door as Mimi screeched at me; I was terrified. How could I explain to her what had happened? Mimi had been made paranoid by John’s constant charades; she would never believe me.

“Mimi, I ‘m sorry.” Mimi’s eyes softened and hardened at the same time.

“Sophie, John is beyond my reach. He has been for the last three years. But you, you can be whatever you want to be. John will waste his life away with his silly guitar. Sophie, don’t let John weigh you down with his music. You can’t make a living playing a guitar.”

John walked up behind Mimi, probably having entered from the back door. “Mimi, you’ll be fooking sorry you said that when I’m famous.” I assumed he was drunk.

“John,” Mimi pressed her fingers to her temple and opened her mouth as if to say something, then huffed and promptly left the room, slamming the door to her room.

I took John by the arm and led him upstairs to the room that had slowly been transformed to mine. “John, we really hurt Mimi.” John insisted on lying on the floor, so I sat down by him, eventually laying down too.

“She’ll be alright.” John didn’t look phased by her reaction, which meant this must not have been the first time.

“She looked really worried that you were gone.”

“She was worried that you were gone, Sophie. You’re her good adopted child.” I rolled over on my side; John was still looking up at the ceiling.

“Please promise me that you’ll try to let her know where you are.” John looked over at me and then sat up.

“I won’t. Mimi is more mother to me than me own mum, but I won’t change meself for that.”

“Okay. Hey John?” He ran a hand through his hair and then sighed.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.” For taking me in. For being my friend. For everything.
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:) Comments please