In My Life

Chapter 9: Meet Paul

Olivia made her way across the field to the red-bricked church hall. As she approached, she could hear noises coming from inside. Casually opening the door, she saw the group gathered together, beer bottles in hand, boasting excitingly about the success of their performance.

"Beer in a church hall? You naughty, naughty boys!" Olivia called out, her tone playful yet teasing, The group near the stage turned to look at her, their faces exchanging a rebellious grin, a few of them cheekily flashing her the finger.

As she approached, Olivia let herself absorb the familiar atmosphere of the hall. It was as if time had stood still since her last visit. The parquet flooring, laid out in a herringbone pattern, brought a sense of warmth and character to the room. The two large arched windows on the back wall, just above the oak-colored stage, still had their curtains partially drawn, allowing a gentle light to filter through.

The air was infused with the same old, rusty scent, a mix of sweat and time that seemed to be etched in the polished, aged hardwood floors. It was a nostalgic reminder of the countless hours of music and laughter that had unfolded within these walls.

"Very impressive show, I must say," Olivia remarked, her eyes gleaming with admiration as she strolled to John, sitting on the steps to the stage. Without hesitation, she reached out and plucked the beer bottle from John's hand, taking a deliberate sip. "I was impressed," she added, returning the bottle to John's hands and standing behind him, and placed her hands on top of his shoulders, massaging them lightly.

Eric chuckled, swirling his drink as he turned to Olivia. "Yeah, I'd be pissed impressed if too if not the only thing I was watchin' was John shakin' his ass." The guys around them seemed to take like picking on Olivia, especially now that she and John had become an item.

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as Ivan and Paul entered the room. All eyes turned towards the newcomers and quickly settled on the young boy accompanying them. Uncertainty hung in the room, as the group seemed unsure whether to welcome the boy.

John stood up from his chair and approached Ivan, "Ivan, mate," he said, greeting him. 

Ivan gestured to the young boy beside him. "John, I'd like to introduce you to me mate," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "This is Paul McCartney. He plays, too."

John reached out and curiously shook hands with the young boy, his eyes immediately drawn to the guitar slung over Paul's shoulder. "So," he began, "How old are ya?"

Paul nervously scratched the side of his mouth, "I'm 15," he replied, his voice wavering slightly. He watched John apprehensively as John's eyes scrutinized every detail about him, making him increasingly uneasy. A bit of doubt crept into Paul's mind, making him wonder if this idea of Ivan's was such a good one after all.

The rest of the group remained silent, their gazes fixed on Paul, sizing him up with both curiosity and skepticism. The room filled with anticipation, as they waited to see how this encounter would unfold.

John stepped forward, pulling his pair of thick black-framed glasses from his shirt pocket and slipping them onto his nose. 'That's much better,' he thought, taking another careful look at Paul. He nodded towards Paul's guitar, "So, how well can you play that thin'?" he asked.

Paul shrugged, "I'm alright," he replied, swinging the guitar down from his shoulder and cradling it in his left hand. As he did so, he noticed a few of the guys standing in the background suddenly drop their jaws in surprise.

Colin Hanton let out a laugh and pointed at Paul, "Ay, shouldn't ya have that the other way?" he remarked, drawing a few chuckles from the others.

Paul felt a flush of self-consciousness wash over him, realizing the group had noticed he was holding the guitar in an unusual left-handed position. Determined to make a good impression, a small smile crept across his face. He quickly adjusted the guitar and began strumming the opening chords of Eddie Cochran's 'Twenty Flight Rock'.