In My Life

Chapter 23

"Here's to 3 weeks." Smiled Paul, who turned up mildly late to band rehearsal at John's house, only to present me with a small bouquet of flowers.

"They're lovely." I beamed, accepting them, and inhaling their gorgeous scent before latching my arms around Paul's neck for a firm kiss.

"Woah woah," snapped John, clapping his hands thunderously in our ears to break it up. "This is band rehearsal, and Paul has already cost us enough time."

"My apologies." Paul nodded sincerely.

"Now ge'roff with 'ya and join the other lads! I'll be there in a minute." John said, tilting his head towards the other boys who were warming up in Mimi's back garden.

Paul gave me a quick and sunny wink before running off to catch up with them, leaving just me and John.

"3 weeks ay?" He smirked, snatching the flowers from my hand, and lifting them to his nose where he scrutinised them closely.

"Oi, give them back." I snapped.

He turned his shoulder from me, lifting them higher from my reach as I attempted to grab at them.

"John, please." I sighed, tugging at his shoulder pleadingly.

He shrugged, tossing them from the air for me to catch like some circus act I wanted no part in.

"If flowers meant that much to you, I could always have got you some." He smirked, leaning over me condescendingly as I straightened up the flowers again. "Much bigger and much better at that."

"Yes, I'm sure you could, but I like these ones because they're from Paul." I smiled down at them, admiring their purity, and the thoughtfulness put into picking them out for me.

Daisies. He'd brought me a small handful of fresh, beautiful, white daisies.

Paul was always doing thoughtful things like that. He was full of romantic surprises, and really knew how to treat a girl right. There wasn't a boy more perfect from what I could see.

"Oh, I see how it is." John remarked coldly, before striding off to join the other boys to begin their practice.

I had to admit, since Paul had joined the group, they really had come a long way. Paul had taught them all new tricks and chords, really setting the bar high for them, and their rehearsals were just becoming more and more enjoyable to attend.

Occasionally, I'd catch Paul's glance, and he'd give me a sneaky wink, raising my spirits high. But it was when I'd catch John's glance, he'd look away. He seemed to be doing that an awful lot lately. Turning away from me. Even Paul could sense the antipathy.

But nevertheless, the Quarrymen had certainly made a name of themselves around areas of Liverpool, having begun performing more regularly at parties and shows. It was extraordinary to see John finally making a living out of a goal he'd worked so hard to achieve. And it wasn't the only thing he'd been achieving either, as I'd noticed him pondering about the town with quite a few different girls. Whether it was after a show, or after school, he'd been with a different one on the odd day. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he'd been up to, it just worried me that he was letting the attention of the band get to his head.

John rarely had time for me anymore either, and he blamed Paul for that, despite the fact Paul always mandated when he next took me out with him first, incase he was ever interested in doing something with me too. But I told him he needn't bother anymore, as John had a love life of his own now, or even numerous love lives to attend to, and hadn't a thought to spare for me.

I wasn't exactly sure as to what had happened between us, but we appeared to have drifted apart over the past few weeks. John was always cold to me now, and never had time for me anymore like he'd promised. We'd still walk to school together and he'd still pick me up from school, it was just always in silence, like he had nothing to say to me. I really only showed up to rehearsals any more, more or less for Paul's sake now, and never John's. I'd make the effort sometimes though. I would pop along to Mendips a little earlier before rehearsals, sit down and have a chat with him, he just never seemed interested.

"Lads that sounded great!" John clapped as they finished the last song of rehearsal. "Wad'ya say we all take a trip to town for a drink to celebrate our hard efforts?"

The boys all nodded and cheered in agreement with what John had said except Paul, who was in a hurry to get back home.

"I'm sorry to pop off like this Sam." He smiled weakly. "I'll see you tomorrow after the show. Dinner?"

I smiled, and nodded at him as he kissed my cheek goodbye. I could hear John making gagging noises as he did so, retching and coughing. Paul just rolled his eyes, and waved me goodbye.

"So what do you say Sam?" John asked after waiting for Paul to disappear. "Wanna come with?"

"Me?" I asked him, rather taken aback by the sudden invitation.

He shrugged and nodded his head, offering me his hand to help me up.

Though I wasn't a drinker, (and was a little surprised to discover that he was), I accepted his hand and agreed to go, really at the hope we could get things back on track again.

"Okay, sure." I bit my lip, making him smile. The first genuine smile I'd seen him give me in a while.