Nowhere Girl ~ John Lennon/The Beatles

Chapter Twenty Four: Confrontation

In a blissful blur of happiness, time seemed to move so quickly. Winter turned to Spring, and as the months grew ever warmer, John and Robin grew ever closer.

Their relationship was still thrilling, but it had become comfortable. It was something exciting, yet it offered stability to them both, because as chaotic as their own lives were, they found a safe haven in each other. John still snuck into Robin's room most nights and she was glad to have him, always feeling mournful when she woke up to his side of the bed cold, even if she would see him at the bus stop only an hour later. They were both falling head over heels, deeper and deeper in love with each other, and though those words hadn't been spoken between the two of them, a strong understanding was built between them that they needed each other in a way they'd never felt before.

Sometimes her feelings for John were that intense she enjoyed the fact that they were back at college because she had something else to focus on. She enrolled herself in a photography class and spent her breaks trying to figure out how to develop all the pictures she'd taken over the Christmas holidays with the intention to make a memory book with them all. Lunchtimes were spent doing her other work, most of the time with Stuart for company, as not even the appeal of his girlfriend could convince John to not skip classes some days. Occasionally Paul and George would sneak out of their school to come and rehearse with John and Stuart, so Robin would tag along to take pictures of them. The few prints she'd done of the band at various clubs and pubs had gotten the attention and admiration of her new photography professor and, ever the over-achiever, Robin intended to keep impressing her.

Work was monotonous, but she enjoyed it all the same. Since the business was doing so well Albert was considering opening up another restaurant, and the company's triumph meant it was a great working environment. Robin and Kay had made it a tradition to go to the pub or even the cinema after their Friday night shift before meeting the lads at whatever venue they were performing at, and Robin loved having such a close girl friend. She trusted Kay with practically everything, and vice versa, and after a while Robin began to class Kay as her big sister. Some nights if they weren't meeting the lads, Kay and her boyfriend Frank would go home with Robin and Albert and they'd all eat dinner together, like some strange yet loving extended family. John would join them every so often, though he still regarded Albert warily.

For the first time in a while, Robin felt truly happy, and she almost felt excited to just be alive, especially as Winter turned to Spring. John had noticed that about her, he'd noticed she smiled a lot more than she did when they first met, and he'd spotted how she'd relaxed a lot into the group, no longer caring about others opinions. She seemed to be a lot more comfortable in herself, and the small growth of confidence was infinitely attractive to him.

"Why of all girls did I have to pull myself a workaholic?" he called one day in early April as he stood in the doorway of a classroom occupied solely by Robin as she arranged some of her prints, mounting them on pieces of black card. Robin let out a short laugh, not looking up from her work even as he came into the room.

"I'm busy," she told him as he hopped up onto the table, making it impossible not to look at him. With a small grin, she leant over and gave him a quick kiss before attempting to return to her work, except John had picked up the pile of photographs, flicking through them curiously. "I'm so glad you respect my academic commitments,"

"These are actually pretty good," he mused as he held one of them up for her to see, a picture of him and Paul sharing a microphone at the Cavern, taken at an angle so that a few of the crowd members could be seen dancing.

"Thank you for sounding surprised," she joked before gesturing to her bag. "I've got a few more developed, the ones from New Year and my birthday, and George's birthday,"