12th of november, 1958
the transition from autumn to winter crept in, bringing with it a chill that nipped at the air. life continued as usual - gigs, arguments with paul, college, writing songs - but there was an undercurrent of restlessness that john couldn't quite place.
one evening, during a particularly tedious band practice, paul dropped a not-so-subtle hint. "hey, you seen anna lately?" he asked, strumming idly on his bass.
john, who had been scowling at the chords he was struggling with, looked up at the mention of her name. "what d'you mean, 'seen her lately'?" he asked, feigning nonchalance, but his heart rate quickened ever so slightly at the thought of her.
paul shrugged, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. "oh, nothing much. just that i saw her walking back with that lad from the pub the other night, that's all."
john's grip on his guitar tightened, his brows furrowing as a strange sensation gripped him. he tried to appear unaffected, but he could feel his irritation rising. "so what if she was? she can walk with whoever she wants, can't she?" he retorted, a bit too defensively.
"of course she can," paul replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "i just thought you might be interested to know, considering how much you two bicker. i thought it might... bug you, a bit."
john grumbled under his breath. he hated the fact that paul could read him so well, especially when it came to anna. the thought of her with another bloke, some guy from the pub no less, made his stomach twist uncomfortably.
"i couldn't care less who she's hanging around with," he lied, his tone a little too harsh as he focused all his attention on the guitar in his lap. he began to play a chord progression, the sound harsh and discordant.
but even as he said the words, he couldn't help but wonder who this bloke from the pub was, and why the hell anna was bothering with him. he tried to push the thought away, but it lingered at the back of his mind for the rest of the practice session.
.
15th of november, 1958
john couldn't get the image of anna with the pub bloke out of his head, it nagged at him, his thoughts consuming him day and night, why? he didn't know.
desperate for answers, he decided to do something he'd normally avoid like the plague - ask around about her.
he tracked down one of her friends, who was known for being a bit of a gossip, and after a few minutes of casual conversation, broached the topic.
"hey, have you seen anna around lately?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
the girl's, whose name was darcy, eyes widened in surprise, not expecting john, of all people to ask about her friend. "yeah, actually," she said, a sly grin forming on her lips. "she's been hanging out with dave, you know, the one that works at the pub. why?"
john gritted his teeth, the name dave making his blood boil. "just curious," he muttered, trying to keep his voice steady. "you know if they're together right now?"
darcy shrugged but her smirk grew wider, sensing his interest. "yeah, they're out somewhere. why, you planning to crash their date or something?" she teased, a knowing glint in her eyes.
