She's So Heavy

I had a Smoke & I went into a Dream

"Get some bank notes for the day, did you?" Katie was a year and a half older, much wiser and streets ahead smart in where they should wait in their daily Beatle watch.

"Two pound- Holiday money from the Quality Street tin"

"Well done Bethy. Today I've heard the lads are going into EMI studios this morning  and off out again at half past two for a BBC radio broadcast"

Katie was pretty, a dark still fiery red head of curly hair, pinned back framed her pixie like features, a smattering of freckles over her nose. She looked young but it was a deceiving ruse, she had been around. Growing up in Central London, a well on the way alcoholic father who entertained the who's who of London's theatre set would nightly see Katie amidst celebrities and too charming gentlemen with a hankering for young flesh.

"Smashing. John looked right into my eyes that last time. I'm sure of it. Don't you think?" Beth began swinging their arms as they held hands together and the two strolled along the footpath toward the studios.

Beth was a breathe of fresh air for Katie, it let her act like a child yet still be the smart one of the duo. There was no school bell to listen for, no teacher to send them to detention, just another endless day of dazzling London autumn sunshine and two pound for the bus fares in case the Beatles went across town.

"Oh he did, no doubt about it and when George stared at me with those delicious eyes of his I absolutely melted"

Abbey road was busy from the morning traffic so the two girls waited patiently to cross, the zebra crossing was spanning the roadway here but they had done this enough times to know not trust the cabbies and bus drivers that scuttled along the route.

"Remember when that girl from Glasgow got bumped by the milk truck?" Beth bit her nails, it was dreadful but she hadn't the mettle to stop. Even with castor oil painted on by her mother, which caused Beth to endlessly moan and groan about the application, she still nibbles down to the quick. "She was mad, trying to sneak in the studios delivery doors like that"

"You've got to be clever, smart like us. I heard her parents got called and shipped her off, back to an uncle or grandfather I think"

"Ugh. I think my mum would be angry but she'd never pop me in the post for granddads care. She's always annoyingly saying 'us against the world Beth' "

"My Mum would get a belt from father, tan my hide then get him to do the same. Your Ma's ok, she's youngish too and let's you listen to the records quite loud in the family room. I think she can dance better than you as well Bethy!"

"Naff off Kats! Mum's alright but such a drag bills this, bills that. Boring and bland her"

"She's young yea?" Katie liked Beth and her mum. They had only moved to the area in the spring and Beth was a breathe of fresh air in a stuffy London. "Where's the mister then?" she could never tell with Beth, her voice lowering to little more than a whisper on the odd occasion she mentioned her old man.

"He's never been round. And he'll never be in our lives. Mums twenty something" With a sigh Beth stepped forward forgetting, in the moment, where she was, a black cabs' horn blasted waking all and sundry to Beth's sleepy decision to cross the street "Ohhhh!!!!!!" Katie's hand on her uniform collar and her own backwards step had Beth staggering back off the street in alarm.

"Beth!! Come on.. the coast is clear now, move them jelly legs" Katie grinned tugging the younger, both physically and literally, easily led girl across the street. "Gosh that was close, at least jump in front of Georgie's motor if your going to do that!" Giggling erupted from inside Beth, making Katie start cackling with her own laughter.