back to you ◦ mccartney

one

"hard days night"

Since before Paul and Amelia could remember, the two had been friends. Before ever being born- Bethany and Mary became friends during school. Since the exact moment that they had met, they had become been best friends. Later on, they had ended up getting married around the same time and even having kids in the year of 1942, though paul was a few months older.

The only bad moment of their friendship had commenced when Mary had gotten sick. She was a very stubborn woman, being a nurse she took more care of others than herself. But the small few pains that she had experienced spread everywhere. Sooner than later, it had gotten too bad to stop.

No one had expected it, who would when the women claimed to have been okay. Her death had hit everyone like a bus, the world seemed to shatter beneath them all. 

October 31st, 1956

Shaken awake, Amelia rubbed her eyes and looked up to her mother whose orbs were filled with tears preparing to fall. Confused as ever from the abrupt awakening, the young girl's hand rubbed at her blue eyes, trying to wake herself up. "Mum?" her voice came out hoarse as she questioned her.

"Oh sweetie," the pain in Bethany's voice was evident, "Mary just passed."

Even though the young girl was fourteen, it was still something that had been difficult to process. She had never experienced death first hand like this before, deep down the emotion that she felt was pure sadness, but for some reason, she couldn't act on it. Thoughts had quickly gone to Paul, her best friend since diapers, mary's son. The thought of losing a parent had truly sickened her, all she knew is that she needed to see him immediately. 

Feet quickly padded down the steps before reaching the front door of her house, facing the street, the blonde-haired girl viewed the ambulance driving away with the body of her second mother. The voice of her actual mother called for her, but it didn't stop the adolescent from continuing on to the house next door. 

Face to face with the door she stood, afraid to knock, but when she finally did so- the view of Jim McCartney's tear-stained face broke her even more. "I'm so sorry,"  Amelia spoke bringing the older man into a hug. They stood like that for a few minutes as the man broke down once again, wanting his wife back more than ever. 

"He's in his room, he won't open the door for me so maybe he will for you." 

Making way up the stairs, it was seconds before the blonde's fist made contact with the wooden door. From the other side, she could make out a small 'go away' along with some sniffles afterward. Hearing the obvious pain in his voice made Amelia hurt more, he had always been a chipper person, wanting the world for everyone around him. 

Knocking on the door again her voice came out shaky, "Please let me in." 

After realizing who was on the opposite side of the door, James sulked over to the doorknob, unlocking it before slowly opening it. Few times she had seen him cry, but he was never in a state like this. Studying over his face, the dopey eyes that she had always admired were bloodshot and overflowing with tears, his chubby cheeks were blazing red, and his mouth was formed in a frown. 

Quickly stepping inside of the room, arms were flung around his neck in a tight hug. Seconds later, his sobs had quickly started up again. Tears could be felt against Amelia's neck as his hands wrapped around her back tightly. The boy with a sunny personality was broken, all she wanted to do was make him feel better, she cared about this boy she spent the past fourteen years with eminently.

The two young kids had ended up in Paul's twin bed, he still held onto his best friend for dear life as she comforted him to the best of her ability. A hand ran through his messy hair while the other moved in circled along his back. That's how it had been all night, neither of them could sleep after what had occurred. The next day continued on just the same way, but no words were exchanged.

"Paulie please, you need to eat." the two had been fighting over this for around an hour before the boy finally realized that he was starving. They ate and drank their tea in silence before it was surprisingly broken.

"Thank you." Paul's sore voice quietly spoke.

Amelia turned her head to the boy quickly before looking at him puzzled, "for what?"

"Being here with me." he stated simply, "You didn't need to come over and comfort me, but you did." the two hadn't talked much in the past few weeks because he had been busy with his family. 

The blonde shook her head, "you don't need to thank me." As another hour past, the two laid back down in the bed, but instead of going to sleep as they would usually do when they had stayed at each others houses, they held onto eachother- scared that the other would be taken away just like mary was from them that night.