Yesterday.
Odd.
“Thank you sir, um, that’ll be ₤2.50” I smiled at the man leaning over the bar, trying to hear me over the loud music blasting from the stage.
“Oh, well… could I pay you ₤5 and get you for free?”
I rolled my eyes.
“₤2.50, sir. Please.”
He frowned and handed me the money.
“Keep the change, and maybe we could, y’know, baby-sit some time.”
I glared, and clenched my jaw.
He turned and walked away, and I drew a deep breath. I hated this job for only that reason, the drunken old guys. This one wasn’t the worst, though. One man grabbed me in a place I’d rather not mention, and my fellow workers had to drag him out and throw him in the streets. It scared me so much, I almost cried.
I sighed and leaned against the bar tabs, and gazed up at the stage. Paul was bouncing around, singing a random song into the mic. He smiled at me and winked, and I giggled and waved, turning slightly red as half the crowd turned and glared at me with jealously. What did they see in him? Well, they didn’t know him. They only loved him because he could sing and he was a looker. I really knew him, and he was a good person, too. Maybe they’d like him more. Suddenly, I wished that none of them ever found out anymore about him, which I concluded was a selfish thought. I couldn’t keep him to myself, in a way.
What was I thinking about? I had barely talked to him in 2 years before today. He didn’t belong to me. I didn’t even think of him in that way. At all. He was nice, and cute. That was all.
“Alright, Liverpool. Now we’re going to hear a song from Johnny Lennon!”
I looked up at the strangely familiar name, and saw a different man walk up to the main mic. George, another boy I used to be friends with when I was little, smiled and clapped as he walked up. I cocked my eyebrow and gazed up as the man smiled, and then he looked at me. Me? Why? I didn’t understand. He smiled and looked away quickly, bashfully, and started talking.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s wetter in here than outside. Ha. Alright, Lads and Lasses.”
Then he started strumming his guitar, and they dived into a song. I had heard this song on the radio at least 5,000 times. I smiled and mouthed the words to myself as I picked up a damp rag from under the sink and started wiping down.
“Well shake it up baby now.
Shake it up baby.
Twist and shout!
Twist and shout.”
I finished, making sure that I could see my reflection, and looked back up to watch. They were adorable. I’ll admit. They were all bouncing around in time, and smiling wide. The lead, John, or whatever, kept glancing at me, and blinking and looking away. I didn’t understand fully, but I ignored it.
About an hour and a half later, they walked offstage to let the next unknown band play their set. Some people started to shuffle out of the room, either needing a break or just because they were only there to watch the Beatles. I didn’t know which but by the time the next band got up, half of the crowd had left. It felt a lot colder, which was good, since small droplets of sweat had started to form on my forehead. I wiped them away and served the last few drinks, before closing down the bar. It was my time to leave. I took out the ponytail, messing up my long hair lightly, which fell into limp dark brown waves down my back. I grabbed it and moved it all over my right shoulder, tucking it behind my ear. I grabbed my coat from under the bar, and made my way across the room to the big door titled “exit”.
“Hey Kinggy! Over here!” A voice called from somewhere behind me. I took a deep, heavy sigh, put on a smile, and turned around. Paul, and the rest of them were leaning against a wall, covered by girls. George waved them off, telling them to leave. They made a general “Aww!” sound and ran. I walked over and smiled.
“You guys were great!”
Before I could notice anything, Paul pulled me into a bear hug.
“Thanks, King! Oh man, it was fun.” He smiled, and grabbed my hand. I blinked, but went along.
“Of course you know George, and this is John Lennon, and this is our new AMAZING drummer, Ringo Starr!”
I nodded at each of them, and smiled as Ringo puffed out his collar at the compliment.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Anna.” I held out my hand, and Ringo grabbed it, bent down and kissed it.
“A pleasure, madam.”
I smiled, and blushed.
“What a gentleman. Hi.” I held out my hand to John, and he hesitated. I pursed my lips and was about to pull my hand back, before I felt his warm flesh wrap around it, and squeeze it lightly. My heart lept into my throat in my chest, and then went insane. I gulped it down and smiled sweetly at him. It might have looked pained, I wasn’t sure. But what I wasn’t sure about was why it was doing that.
He nodded, and let go quickly.
He looked like he was in pain. I didn’t know why. Was I that ugly? My heart rate shot through the roof again. He gazed into my eyes like I was about to explode, and kill him. Like he hated me so much, he wanted me to die. I didn’t like that feeling, especially from him. Usually I didn’t care what other people thought, but for some unknown reason, it was different. His big, dough brown eyes burned through mine into my skull, as his sweaty hair hung down in his face. He brushed it back quickly, and ran his hand down along his perfectly square jaw line, down his neck.
I blinked and looked back at Paul.
“Well, good job. Nice seeing you George!” I smiled, and rubbed his arm a bit.
“You too, Ann! Haven’t seen you since school ended!”
“Mhm.” I nodded, brushing away our slightly painful last memory together, where he ditched me for his friends, then told me I wasn’t cool enough to be in his and Paul’s presence. It hurt me so much, I didn’t talk to weeks. But luckily, I was a forgiving person.
“Yeah, so I’ll see you later? We’re in Liverpool for a few months… maybe we could hang out?” Paul stepped in front of George, smiling wide.
“Yeah! Of course! I’d love to.” I said more enthusiastically than I felt.
“Ta… well… see you around!” He smiled, and brushed past my wrist with his hand. It made me shiver, but I didn’t notice, really. John had stopped looking at me, and was now staring shyly at the ground. I felt like I should crawl inside of a hole, or something, but I ignored that urge and smiled.
“Nice meeting you guys.” I nodded and Ringo and John, Ringo grinning back, John still staring at the floor.
I turned quickly, and walked as fast as I could out into the rain.
“Oh, well… could I pay you ₤5 and get you for free?”
I rolled my eyes.
“₤2.50, sir. Please.”
He frowned and handed me the money.
“Keep the change, and maybe we could, y’know, baby-sit some time.”
I glared, and clenched my jaw.
He turned and walked away, and I drew a deep breath. I hated this job for only that reason, the drunken old guys. This one wasn’t the worst, though. One man grabbed me in a place I’d rather not mention, and my fellow workers had to drag him out and throw him in the streets. It scared me so much, I almost cried.
I sighed and leaned against the bar tabs, and gazed up at the stage. Paul was bouncing around, singing a random song into the mic. He smiled at me and winked, and I giggled and waved, turning slightly red as half the crowd turned and glared at me with jealously. What did they see in him? Well, they didn’t know him. They only loved him because he could sing and he was a looker. I really knew him, and he was a good person, too. Maybe they’d like him more. Suddenly, I wished that none of them ever found out anymore about him, which I concluded was a selfish thought. I couldn’t keep him to myself, in a way.
What was I thinking about? I had barely talked to him in 2 years before today. He didn’t belong to me. I didn’t even think of him in that way. At all. He was nice, and cute. That was all.
“Alright, Liverpool. Now we’re going to hear a song from Johnny Lennon!”
I looked up at the strangely familiar name, and saw a different man walk up to the main mic. George, another boy I used to be friends with when I was little, smiled and clapped as he walked up. I cocked my eyebrow and gazed up as the man smiled, and then he looked at me. Me? Why? I didn’t understand. He smiled and looked away quickly, bashfully, and started talking.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s wetter in here than outside. Ha. Alright, Lads and Lasses.”
Then he started strumming his guitar, and they dived into a song. I had heard this song on the radio at least 5,000 times. I smiled and mouthed the words to myself as I picked up a damp rag from under the sink and started wiping down.
“Well shake it up baby now.
Shake it up baby.
Twist and shout!
Twist and shout.”
I finished, making sure that I could see my reflection, and looked back up to watch. They were adorable. I’ll admit. They were all bouncing around in time, and smiling wide. The lead, John, or whatever, kept glancing at me, and blinking and looking away. I didn’t understand fully, but I ignored it.
About an hour and a half later, they walked offstage to let the next unknown band play their set. Some people started to shuffle out of the room, either needing a break or just because they were only there to watch the Beatles. I didn’t know which but by the time the next band got up, half of the crowd had left. It felt a lot colder, which was good, since small droplets of sweat had started to form on my forehead. I wiped them away and served the last few drinks, before closing down the bar. It was my time to leave. I took out the ponytail, messing up my long hair lightly, which fell into limp dark brown waves down my back. I grabbed it and moved it all over my right shoulder, tucking it behind my ear. I grabbed my coat from under the bar, and made my way across the room to the big door titled “exit”.
“Hey Kinggy! Over here!” A voice called from somewhere behind me. I took a deep, heavy sigh, put on a smile, and turned around. Paul, and the rest of them were leaning against a wall, covered by girls. George waved them off, telling them to leave. They made a general “Aww!” sound and ran. I walked over and smiled.
“You guys were great!”
Before I could notice anything, Paul pulled me into a bear hug.
“Thanks, King! Oh man, it was fun.” He smiled, and grabbed my hand. I blinked, but went along.
“Of course you know George, and this is John Lennon, and this is our new AMAZING drummer, Ringo Starr!”
I nodded at each of them, and smiled as Ringo puffed out his collar at the compliment.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Anna.” I held out my hand, and Ringo grabbed it, bent down and kissed it.
“A pleasure, madam.”
I smiled, and blushed.
“What a gentleman. Hi.” I held out my hand to John, and he hesitated. I pursed my lips and was about to pull my hand back, before I felt his warm flesh wrap around it, and squeeze it lightly. My heart lept into my throat in my chest, and then went insane. I gulped it down and smiled sweetly at him. It might have looked pained, I wasn’t sure. But what I wasn’t sure about was why it was doing that.
He nodded, and let go quickly.
He looked like he was in pain. I didn’t know why. Was I that ugly? My heart rate shot through the roof again. He gazed into my eyes like I was about to explode, and kill him. Like he hated me so much, he wanted me to die. I didn’t like that feeling, especially from him. Usually I didn’t care what other people thought, but for some unknown reason, it was different. His big, dough brown eyes burned through mine into my skull, as his sweaty hair hung down in his face. He brushed it back quickly, and ran his hand down along his perfectly square jaw line, down his neck.
I blinked and looked back at Paul.
“Well, good job. Nice seeing you George!” I smiled, and rubbed his arm a bit.
“You too, Ann! Haven’t seen you since school ended!”
“Mhm.” I nodded, brushing away our slightly painful last memory together, where he ditched me for his friends, then told me I wasn’t cool enough to be in his and Paul’s presence. It hurt me so much, I didn’t talk to weeks. But luckily, I was a forgiving person.
“Yeah, so I’ll see you later? We’re in Liverpool for a few months… maybe we could hang out?” Paul stepped in front of George, smiling wide.
“Yeah! Of course! I’d love to.” I said more enthusiastically than I felt.
“Ta… well… see you around!” He smiled, and brushed past my wrist with his hand. It made me shiver, but I didn’t notice, really. John had stopped looking at me, and was now staring shyly at the ground. I felt like I should crawl inside of a hole, or something, but I ignored that urge and smiled.
“Nice meeting you guys.” I nodded and Ringo and John, Ringo grinning back, John still staring at the floor.
I turned quickly, and walked as fast as I could out into the rain.
♠ ♠ ♠
