Yesterday - A Beatles Fanfic

Chapter The Twenty-Fifth

It hadn't been spoken yet, but somehow everyone knew that this was the last day they could spend in the house. Jessie had already ran down to the corner store once to replace the bread that they'd eaten. Thankfully, she hadn't been caught. They had ordered pizza twice to avoid using her Aunt's food, but it wasn't like they had an unlimited supply of money. Jessie would never forget how John insisted on answering the door and gave the pizza man the shock of his life. The poor fellow had numbly handed the change over with a trembling hand and tripped on the garden path on the way back to his car.

It was Paul's fussy sense of organisation that made him speak out first. "We can't stay here forever y'know," he said. "People will notice we're gone - 'specially Brian."

"I do miss sleepin' in a real bed..." George added, stretching his back with a faint pop.

"And ye' can't hide out here for long," Ringo pointed out. "What if yer Aunt comes back early? Ye' need t' go back t' school and clear up the mess you're in."

Jessie thought for a moment, even though she knew it was true. Devon did say that she could have another day or so, and she didn't want to push her luck much further. Trouble was inevitable and there were bound to be consequences when she returned to school.

"Yes... You're right," she agreed, almost reluctantly.

John nodded too. "Yeah, there's... rather important matters I need to attend to."

"The house?" Paul asked.

"Much more important than the house, Paulie," he said, without a trace of the usual humour or sarcasm that laced his voice. The others didn't press the matter further.

"Then let's go." Jessie clapped her hands together and picked up the guitar.

Disguises on, they all walked several blocks to the street that they had first walked (or in George's case, fled) down, gazing at the new world they had been thrown into. Now, just a couple of days later, they found themselves outside Mendips again. Wary of the feisty, broom-wielding Rebecca Simons, they kept out of sight of the open front window.

"Well," the girl said. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

"You definitely don't know where they are?... Oh, thanks anyway, Cynthia."

Brian replaced the receiver with a frustrated snort. He had called everyone he could think of, every place they could possibly be, and still hadn't heard head or tale of his four boys.

Running out of options, he stormed out the door to his car and made the trip to Mendips once more. If they weren't there, then he'd wait till they were.

He pulled up outside the modest home and just as he stepped out onto the pavement, he received the shock of his life.

He let out an unearthly shriek as a small group of people materialised less than two feet from his face. He stumbled back and landed on his bottom on the concrete, back pressed against his car.

"Eppy!" One of the people spoke cheerfully. "Didn't know ye' screamed like a girl!" The figure was wearing a large blue pullover, with a hood covering most of his head.

"P-Paul?" The manager stuttered in disbelief as the cheery round face grinned down at him.

"The one and only!" He reached down and helped him up.

"Oh, boys!" He gushed, looking around at them all. "Am I glad to see you! Do you have ANY idea how many times I've tried to get hold of you? Where WERE you for Christ's sake!? Why do you still have that kid with you, and why does he still not have decent fitting clothes!?" He fired question after question at them. Then he paused. "And WHY on earth did you just appear out of thin air?!"