The End (Beatles Fanfiction)

Chapter 26

PAUL

I noticed John steaming off to the side. He hasn't given up that disposition since George had bolted out of the studio.

I looked to Heather, who was playing around with Ringo's drum set, and said, "Honey, can you jam by yourself for a while?" The young girl nodded, her short blonde hair bouncing.

I smiled, admiring her youthful innocence, and walked over to John. He didn't look at me as I pulled up a chair next to his. I sat down backwards, my stomach on the back of the seat and my elbows atop.

"Why is it taking Ritch so bloody long to find him?" John muttered as he stared at his hands. They were crossed, covered with callouses from so much guitar playing. I shrugged in reply.

The conversation lulled again. The two of us sat in our shared silence, with only the sound of Heather's drum banging to accompany us. Though neither of us said a word, we both thought about the same thing: George, Pattie, and Clapton.

He went over to their house to play Pattie a song he wrote. That was a serious move. Besides me and the lads, Eric was George's best friend. What he did was out of line, risking a friendship like that and potentially ruining George's life to be with Pattie.

And at the expense of such a beautiful song, too!

Even though I hadn't heard anyone perform "Something" yet, I still couldn't get it out of my head. The chord progression was beautiful, and despite the melody being absent, the lyrics flowed soundlessly with the music. I imagined the harmonies in my head, effervescent yet down-to-earth, weighted with the sadness of a man in love, but as light as a feather in the wind.

JOHN

I sat, seething, ignoring Paul. I twisted my hands, elbows on my knees.

"I can't believe that prat!" I finally shouted.

Paul whipped his head up, breaking from his spell. His eyes widened a bit, turning to Heather and back to me. "Ey, lad, try to keep a clean tongue when me girl is around!" His accent thickened jovially.

I ignored his quip and kept on.

"George didn't deserve this." I flung my hands up in frustration. "He really didn't. The rest of us had our lot in love, and it was all fine and dandy, because we earned our consequences, didn't we? I drove Cynthia away, because I didn't love her, and now I've got Yoko and I'm 'appy. And Ringo has Maureen and the kids and the family and he's 'appy. And you," I gestured to Paul, who was listening intently, a sober look on his face, "it was your doin' that made Jane leave, wasn't it?" I kept going, ignoring Paul's increasingly red cheeks. "But you found yerself Linda, and now you're 'appy, right?"

At that I paused, waiting for a reply. Paul just nodded.

I sighed. "So why is George gettin' the rough breaks?" I looked down at my hands. "Why can't that bugger Clapton let his mate be happy?"

Paul smiled, a hint of sadness on his lips. "I don't know."

I pursed my lips. "Everything I've said sounds like such bollocks now that I've said it."

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup...

I held onto the line before I could forget it, ready to write it down when I got the chance.

Before I was able to tell Paul what I had just come up with, I heard chatter coming from down the hall.

"Ritchie must've found George, then," Paul said, standing up slowly. I didn't follow him, and just turned my face to the doorway.

I recognized George's and Ringo's voices. They sounded pleasant enough, even happy.

I also heard a third voice. A bird's voice. Soft and sweet, and confident, speaking in statements of sureness.

I swung my head around to face Paul. He stared back at me, his eyes huge. We both knew who was walking down the hallway with George and Ringo.

PRUDENCE

"You alright, love?" Ringo asked me concernedly. I had seen the doorway and froze in my tracks.

He was there. I couldn't see him, but I knew he would be in that room.

What was he doing in there?

Was he writing a song? Playing an instrument? It was too quiet for him to be playing anything aloud.

Was he alone? Of course, Paul was in the room, but was Yoko there, too?

Or maybe some other girl?

"Pru..." George said softly. "You don't have to go in if you don't want to."

That snapped me out of my stupor. "No, I want to. I really do." I wasn't sure if I was telling the truth, but I didn't care. I forced all thoughts out of my head and just walked, one foot in front of the other. "Come 'ead, lads!" I said cheerily. "I don't have all day!"

I grabbed George's arm and strode down the hallway, Ringo walking behind. I didn't focus on what would happen once I saw John. I only focused on seeing him.

{{OOOOOO I guess I'll leave you hanging for a bit longer

like four more months approximately hehe

'cause I'm writing this on the fly and I haven't really decided how John and Prudence's interaction will go :p oops

BUT I did manage to post two days in a row, isn't that amazing?

I maaay be able to upload another chapter or two next week, because I have no school, but I think there won't be any more posts this week because of school and projects and the SAT and stuff

Hats off to anyone who may have noticed the allusion I made to a very early chapter that I wrote. It's not that noticeable but I was a bit proud of it :)

PEACE AND LOVE L***}}