Another Day

Chapter 4

Linda and I practically ran back to my apartment and threw on some clothes. I let her borrow one of my dresses that was a bit too short for me but was perfect on her. We were both so excited we could barely contain ourselves.

When we got to the concert, Brian made sure we had seats close to the front. It was terribly crowded. Linda and I held on to each other, terrified of being separated by the jostling crowd. It was hot and emotions were running high. We were jammed in between girls on the edge of hysteria, already looking like they might tear out their hair.

The curtain went up, revealing all of the instruments on the stage. The noise swelled a bit. The screaming only escalated as a booming voice came over the speakers and announced "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!"

They ran on stage just then, smiling and waving at everyone. The screaming reached the deafening point, and I thought my ear drums were going to explode. I stuffed my fingers in my ears, but that did little to keep out the thunderous shrieks.

As they grabbed their gear and fixed the microphones, a girl behind me started to sob.

Every person seemed to start screaming their heads off. Beside me, Linda started to have a come apart. She had her hands fisted in her hair, and I could see tears streaming down her face. She was shaking violently and sobbing too much to be able to scream.

Some of the noise died down as Paul stepped to the microphone, but not enough to hear him. He looked at the others and they grinned back, nodding. He turned back to the crowd and counted down for I Saw Her Standing There.

While I sang along, Linda was having problems just functioning next to me.

They bopped along, singing and tapping their feet, never once letting their smiles falter. Ringo nodded his head back and forth, making his job as the drummer look painfully easy.

Several songs later, my cheek muscles started to grow sore from all the smiling I had been doing. George stepped up to the mike, and-if at all possible-my heart started to pound faster.

I had been hoping they would play this.

As they played the first chord to Do You Want to Know a Secret, I propped my elbows on the rail in front of me and set my head in my hands.

I closed my eyes. For a moment, Linda, and the screaming fans, and everything melted away. Right here, right now, there was only the song and me. I heard every word, every note perfectly. I whispered along with George, and pretended he was singing it to me. As the song came to a close I opened my eyes, and found George looking at me. Our gazes met, and I meant to look away, but I didn't. He didn't either. We stayed locked like that for seconds. Or hours, I couldn't tell. My heart sputtered and time caught up with us. I looked away, dazed.

The song ended, and with it the show. George was still fixed on me, but I could not handle meeting his gaze right now.

They bowed and ran off stage, Ringo bringing up the rear.

During all the craziness, I had forgotten to keep tabs on Linda. Searching madly for her, I found her sitting with her knees to her chest, sobbing her eyes out, leaning against the rail ten feet away from where our seats had been.

I dragged her to her feet and she tried to pull herself together enough to breathe right again. As the crowd thinned, we held on to each other and tried to not get swept away in all the madness.

I wanted to hang back and see if we could get a chance to talk to them, but as everyone left I wasn't sure if that would be possible.

Linda had composed herself, and was now trying to wipe away all the mascara that had been running down her face. "You ok?" I asked. She nodded, "Yeah just got a little carried away, that's all."

"You don't say."

She scowled. "Oh shut up you priss." I laughed.

"Hello ladies."

I turned, a bit surprised, to see Paul standing behind me, his hands in his pockets.

"Oh hi Paul!" I said, ecstatic that at least one of them had come to talk to us. He smiled, "You want to join us for a drink?"

Linda gasped ever so slightly and I thought she was going to pass out. I nodded, "Yeah that'd be nice."

I was amazed at how calm I was.

He laughed, smiling in a way that made me just melt. "Well come on then!" He said. I followed him towards the stage, dragging a semi-conscious Linda behind me. Who was I to refuse an invitation from one of the most wanted men in all of Britain?