Take Me To Church (A John Lennon Story)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Signed

Sean and I were planting flowers for Alta as John smoked on the steps.  

"Are you ready for tomorrow?"

I bit my lip.  "I think so.  I'm nervous."

"Don't worry about it.  I'll walk you there and be waiting for you after school."  John had a look of excitement on his face, so I asked him if he had anything on his mind.  He took a long drag on his cigarette before saying, "We might be getting signed tomorrow."

I stood up and jumped in place for a moment.  "John!" I threw my arms around him.  "That's so amazing!"  I kissed his cheek.  

"It's not definite...we've been turned down before-"

"Oh, who could turn you down?" I kissed him without thinking.  I had been feeling better as of late.  My father was found.  He wasn't a danger to anyone anymore.  Robby was safe.  Freddy was safe.  Ella and her brother were safe. My family was safe.  John and I could be together.  

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People genuinely stared when they saw me walk into school.  I kept my eyes straight forward; I refused to look down at my feet.  John, however, glared at anyone who looked at me for too long.  I tried to think of what Alta and John were always telling me.  None of what happened to you was your fault.  Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise.  

I talked with the dean of students for a few minutes, and John waited outside the office for me.  The man looked slightly pained to speak to me, but he gave me my schedule and wished me the best of luck.  You're going to need it, his eyes said.

John gave me a kiss goodbye and promised me he'd been waiting outside the doors.  I wished him luck with his meeting.  He and his band deserved to be signed.  I had heard them in garages, basements, and clubs countless times; I wanted to hear them on the radio.

My first class was English and grammar, which I always found easy.  Luckily, Ella was in the class with me.  She looked quite happy to see me.  Other kids looked as though they had seen a ghost when I walked into the room.  My teacher smacked the shoulder of a boy who snickered with his clipboard.  "It's the spring semester; I expect everyone to know how to behave by now."  He motioned to an empty seat at the front of the room.  "We're glad you're back, Miss Elisen."

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At lunchtime, I sat with Ella.  The few friends that Ella had didn't want to sit with her if I was there, and to my surprise, when they made a nasty remark, Ella waved them away.  "Find yourself somewhere else to sit, then."

Robby came to say hello too.  He gave me a slightly awkward hug and said, "I'm so happy you're back!" 

My day was alright besides a few snide comments.  Not very many people talked to me, but, quite frankly, that wasn't anything out of the ordinary.  Besides, the people I knew well and cared about me were there for me at school.  

John and Paul were smoking outside the doors when Ella and I walked out.  John snaked his arm around my waist.  "Everything's worked out.  The Beatles have been signed.  We're changing up our look though."

I embraced him.  "I knew you could do it."  My eyes fell on something that wasn't as pleasing as this news, however.  I saw a boy grab the back of Robby's jacket collar and pull him backwards.  His books tumbled to the grass, and another guy kicked it around and tore pages from his notebook.  My books fell from my arms as I ran towards him.  "Leave him alone!"  I could hear John running after me.  

I pounded on the first boy's back with my fist as he held Robby in a headlock.  "Let him go!  He's done nothing to you!"  The other boy pushed me to the ground.  "You stupid little-"

Paul helped me up.  John stormed past me and shoved the boy who held Robby to the ground.  "If you want a fight, you can have me."

"Come off of it, John.  You use to have a sense of humor."

John extended a hand to Robby to help him from the ground.  Ella picked up his scattered papers.  Eventually the two boys backed off.  

"Alright, mate?" John asked Robby, who was brushing off his clothes.  

"Yeah, thanks for that."

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Everyone eventually split up.  Paul wanted to go out to eat with his brother in celebration, and Robby and Ella went home to do schoolwork.  I went with John to his house.  I worked on a grammar assignment as John messed about on his guitar, occasionally writing something down.  

"Do you think you'll go to America, John?"

"Hopefully.  I'm starting to get a little nervous.  People have said that guitar music is going out.  If something goes wrong, I don't know what I'll do.  This is all I want to do.  But it really wouldn't surprise me; everyone thinks I'm a deadbeat."

I set my pencil down.  It rolled off his bed.  As I leaned over to pick it up, I tried my best to console him.  "I know you're going to do great things."

He bit his lip and set his guitar down.  He sat down next to me on his bed and looked at what I was writing over my shoulder.  "You know, you're amazing to me."

"Why?"

"After all that's happened...you still have optimism.  You see the best in people."

"I worry sometimes that everyone thinks I'm dirty. Even some of my teachers winced a little when they looked at me."

John took my hand.  "Well...that means everyone was wrong about the both of us."

I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder as I finished up my schoolwork.  "Thanks for helping Robby today.  It means a lot to me that you two are getting along."

He kissed my forehead softly.  His lips lingered there for a few seconds before he pecked my cheek.  "I've decided that I'd rather not contribute to any more acts of senseless violence.  There have been just too many, especially around you."