Lonely People

Dr. Janice and Mr. Hallieford

It took a while for me to fully get over the fear and get into the anger. Fight or flight is a very real and very serious human trait. Usually, the first instinct people have is to run. The fear wins over any other emotion, and people are sent running. Later, as the shock wears off, they are shoved into the fight response. I was no different. It took several days for the flight to fade and the fight to arise.

In the meantime, I stayed with John and Paul. John was getting visibly annoyed, but shut up every time Paul glared at him. A few nights I crashed at George and Ringo's, but I always ended up going back to Paul. He managed to keep me sane when I felt like going insane. He was the only other one I could talk to.

"Dealer takes one," George muttered.

He took one of the top cards from the deck. All of us had a fan of brightly colored cards in front of our faces. Ringo tapped a beat on the back of his, accompanied by my humming. Every so often, George would whistle, so we would have our own subconscious symphony.

"I'll lose a card," I dropped one of mine onto the pile.

George and Ringo both groaned before dropping cards as well. Ringo was about to take his turn when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Ringo exclaimed.

Ellen opened the door. She glanced at each of us individually with a smile and a nod. When her eyes met mine, she said, "I thought I'd find you here."

"Was this the first place you looked?" I asked.

"Yes, actually."

"Elly, such a smart one."

I tapped my head, causing her to laugh. She shook her head before saying, "Come on, you need to change."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"You're in your jammies," George replied.

"So are you."

George shrugged. Ringo laughed heartily, just like he always did. His laugh was different from any I had ever heard. It had the ability to make even the saddest moment seem happy. I swear, I wouldn't have made it through everything I did without that laugh. He seemed to make things better with only a simple giggle.

"You've got to get your show clothes on," Ellen stated, "You have an interview, remember?"

I lifted an eyebrow, "A what?"

"An interview."

"Me?"

"Well, Revolution."

"Are you sure?" I asked, "I mean, they're usually the ones who get interviewed, not us."

I jerked my thumb at George and Ringo. They didn't react, choosing to stare at Ellen and wait for a response. Ellen pinched the bridge of her nose, "I need to get you a schedule or a planner. Yes, Amelia, Revolution has an interview in the ballroom of this hotel in half an hour. I told you after the show yesterday."

"You can't hear nothin' after a show," Ringo commented.

George nodded, "Yeah, all the screams and stuff really make ya deaf."

"That doesn't matter," Ellen shook her head, "You need to get dressed, Amelia, come along."

I placed my cards on the table and sighed, "Guess I'm forfeiting."

"Ha, I win," George placed his cards on the table.

"No, I win," Ringo replied.

"I've got more points."