Chapter 5
Waking up in the morning wasn't as lively without Paul lying by my side. He must have already been up and in the living room. What time was it? Drowsily, I leaned on my elbow and leered at the alarm clock on the nightstand. In radiant numbers, it read 12:26pm. Had I really slept all morning? I hadn't ever gotten up this late! Mother would have killed me!
As I treaded into the living room, John looked up from his magazine. Upon seeing that it was only me, he returned to the thin book placed in his hands. Paul busily skimmed over the newspaper, searching for articles based only on the Beatles. George was actually drinking rather than eating, and he and Ringo were sharing the same bottle of whiskey. They were getting drunk already? It was still quite early yet for drinking!
Ringo noticed me eyeing the alcoholic drink. "Oh, you want some?" he offered kindly. Trying to return the kindess, I declined. I didn't drink, nor did I smoke. That just wasn't as nifty as some people thought that it was. Especially for youngsters like myself, and like the Beatles themselves. Honestly, I felt that they should stop smoking and drinking. They were only ruining their lives! Why didn't they seem to care?
My eyes searched Paul for a sign that he was hammered. When I could find none, I plopped down on the floor. Nobody even raised an eyebrow at the loud thud. Well, could I blame them? They were so stressed as it is; they couldn't occupy their brains with such small things, such as random sounds. I bet John and Paul were used to 'random sounds' by this point in the Beatlemania thing...
Ringo. That's when I remembered! Instantly, I turned around to face him. "Hey, Ringo, where's Charlotte?" It had been a couple of days since I had seen my friend. Now, I didn't miss her, but it was awkward with her not around. She made things much more fun, especially when my boyfriend was only interested in sex and not considering anything like marriage. Apparently Ringo had, and I was a tiny bit jealous.
Just as I asked, Charlotte came bouncing out of their bedroom. Yes, the two had banned George from the room, just because they were married. Poor Georgie was forced to sleep on the couch, because he refused to share a room with Paul and me, and he didn't want to bunk with John. Couldn't blame him there; I still hated Paul's best mate. It wasn't my fault; blame it on my opinion!
"Hi!" she cheered, throwing her arms around me. Pushing me back a little, she shoved her wedding ring in my face. "Isn't it lovely?" Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice. Her eyes kept wandering from me to Paul. "Has he gotten you a ring yet, or aren't you guys even a thing? 'Cause if you're not, I totally understand. I mean, he's so upset that he couldn't have me that he didn't want any other girl..Aw, how romantic!"
As if someone called his name, Paul appeared and wrapped his arm around my waist. The smile on his face was so large that I'd bet it was larger than the moon. "Charlotte, we're very much an item, thank you. Y'know, Ringo's lucky to have you. If I didn't have Jo here, I would have probably gone after a bird like you." I felt my cheeks get hot. He laughed softly in my ear. "Oh, JoAnna, you know what I mean. You're perfect."
Normally, I would have been flipping out. Now? It just felt like a normal boyfriend, like from my school, telling me that I was perfect. Right now, I couldn't even register that this was fucking Paul McCartney. The moment it hit me, though, my heart began to beat uncontrollably. Paul loved when that happened; if he was close enough, he could hear it throbbing violently in my chest.
Charlotte flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I know, right? Ritchie and I are just meant for each other! Aren't we, Ritchie?" She threw a glance over her shoulder at her husband. Even in his drunken state, he was still aware of when he was required to nod and agree. Right on cue! I was blown away by his epic timing. Oh Ringo, only you...
I rewarded Paul with a hug. "We're next, aren't we, Paulie?" When his eyes opened wide, I snickered. "Kidding, love." Why had he acted so surprised? Surely we would end up married someday, wouldn't we? My heart swelled hopefully. I lied, though, when I told him that I was kidding, but that seemed to calm his spirits. All of his muscles relaxed. After thinking it over fully, I guess it was just because he was afraid of fathering children. But it would be fun! Just think about it: a bunch of little McCartneys running all over the place...
John stared at Charlotte. Then, he elbowed me in the ribs, succeeding in capturing my attention. "Aye, that bird, Charlotte, is quite the lady!" His eyes closed for just a second. "I can't believe she's actually married to Ringo. Usually everyone's after us, and not him! What the hell is going on here?" He shook his head, trying furiously to bottle up his emotions. I could obviously tell that he was failing miserably.
I sighed quietly. "John, don't tell Paulie or George. But I can get her for you."
