Apple Corps.

Stranger

The days went by achingly fast and eventually Paul walked into the office on Tuesday and John wasn't there. He supposed that now he could actually get more work done but he just kept looking at Johns empty desk. Just as he was getting his lunch from the fridge and getting ready to take it back to eat with George, Stu stomped in. Paul tried to avoid him and walk past but he wasn't having it.

"Ya'know I've never liked ya in the first place, Paul" Stuart nodded his head and nearly cornered Paul. "It's bad enough that I'm stuck at this job but now, me best mates been transferred. If it weren't for you and all the shit ya dragged with you, John would still be here"

Paul sighed. "Listen, Stuart. I don't want to talk about this right now. "

"I think it'd be for the best if you quit" Stuart smiled to himself and stood a little straighter as though he was trying to scare Paul.

"What are you trying to do here?" Paul poked his tongue against his cheek and rolled his head back a tiny bit. He was just starting to feel the draft in the tiny kitchen area. Stuart continued to smile and went to wave his hands around.

"I'm only advising ya, that quitting might be better than staying here where certain people can make your life a living hell" Stuart smacked Pauls shoulder and left him standing there confused, still looking down into his lunch. After standing around for three or four minutes, Paul went back to George's area. George was hunched over his desk and Paul hoped he wasn't too busy to eat with him.

"Aye, you save any free time for me?" Paul sat down against the file cabinet and George looked down at him.

"Of course" he reached over and saved whatever work he'd been doing and pulled his lunch onto his desk. Paul picked at the salad he'd brought and went to speak.

"The oddest thing just happened" Paul began and shoved some of the food into his mouth. George turned his body on the chair and looked down at Paul. "I think, well I'm actually pretty sure that Stuart is threatening me" Paul snickered.

"He's threatening you?" George was obviously interested.

"He's properly mad at me for driving John away, advising me to quit" Paul laughed but it didn't sound very happy. "Might be a good idea actually"

George shook his head. "Don't say that, Paul. Stuart's just upset."

"Yeah, suppose so. I just feel-I mean I did drive him away" Paul stabbed his fork down into his food and just shuffled it around and poking it around. George looked down at him with mixed emotions. "We used to be best mates and I didn't think we could be that way again but we could at least-" Paul waved his fork around and searched for more words. "Well that's all shot now, ain't it?"

George got up from his chair and pushed it aside to sit next to Paul on the floor. He took the salad from Paul and gave him the untouched sandwich he'd brought and began poking the fork into the salad. "You didn't seem to be enjoying this.  So you can have mine" George looked up at Paul and smiled.

"Thanks George" Paul bumped his shoulder. "You sure though?"

George nodded and started eating the salad. "Yeah. I'm sure"

Paul eventually had to go back to work and went back to his desk. When the phone rang, he'd instinctively reached out for it as always. "Apple corps. This is Paul"

"Is John Lennon there?"

Paul looked back up at the empty desk and sighed, pointing his chin down. "Um no actually Johns been transferred to another branch...yeah. Ok, bye" Paul wanted to slam the phone down but held the urge back and hung up gently. This was nothing new and it wasn't even as bad but for some reason being apart from John was just making everything harder. In impulse, he decided that he could call him, they were still friends after all at least he hoped. He had the number of the branch around somewhere. But as he went to pull out his drawers to look they were all jammed and would only open a tiny bit. In frustration he tried to pull them open with more force, putting his foot on the side and pushing himself backward as he pulled on the handle. As he did this, he raised his head and made eye contact with a smiling Stuart. At the sight, Paul let go, gathered himself and held up his middle finger.