Across the Universe (ON HIATUS)

Chapter 8 The Only Exception

Chapter 8

You're the Only Exception

John

"It's about te rain again." George said looking up at the gloomy sky.

"Yeah, thanks fer the weather report son." I said to him with sarcasm injected within the words.

"I guess we should head te my place, it's only a few blocks away from here and Robin can entertain us with a few tunes, ey?" Paul said with a small smile on his face.

Rain drops were falling making their mark on the ground. A girl playing guitar, rock music at that? That's bizarre but I guess what Robin said about everyone being different from each other implied to her as well. I wonder if she can or just doing this to impress us or something. That would agitate me if that were the case.

George and Paul were walking ahead of me and Robin, just a few feet away, laughing like the rowdy teenagers they were. Walking next to her, I was feeling skeptical. I guess it's because I don't want to be out done by a girl. 

"So...Can ye really play guitar?" I asked her. She looked at me with wide eyes. No wait, I think her eyes were always that big. 

"Yeah but not as good as you guys. I haven't much since I started school and then moving here and all." She responded looking back ahead of her. Her hair looked a bit damp and her cheeks were flushed. Probably from the cold wind and rain. Damn weather. It's always raining around here without a break. Looking down at her I realized that she's a head shorter than me. Kinda cute. Imagine her with a guitar...

We arrived at Paul's house which was a bit bigger than George's. "Me dad's at work and Michael's at his friends house, so we have the place te ourselves." Paul gave out another one of his smiles. Robin stood by the door looking around the place. We all walked up the stairs, her not noticing. I called out to her to let her know where we were headed.

"Nice place you have here." Robin said.

"Thanks." Into Paul's bedroom we went. The place always in tip top shape. He's a goody two shoes on the outside, pretty much why the parents of his birds trust him, but that's what makes it so easy for him to get any bird without trouble.

"Is this you? It's gotta be with all that baby fat." Robin giggled pointing out a picture on his night stand.

Paul walked over to her looking at the picture with his hazel eyes. I can feel the pain that was coming from him. "Heh, yeah that's me with me brother and me mum, Mary." He hid his hands in his pockets.

"Where's your mom?" Knew that question was going to come out of her mouth.

"She's, uh, dead. Breast cancer."

"Oh...I'm sorry. Didn't mean to open old wounds...." Robin looked at Paul with sincerity.

"It's fine. So, uh, why don't ye play us something." The cheeky smile returned to his face. It was as if he turned his sadness off with a switch in his mind. Paul walked to the corner of the room, grabbing his guitar.

Robin sat on the edge of the bed as well as George on the opposite side. Paul gave her the instrument, holding it within her arms. I stood by with Paul, leaning against the wall, hands in my pockets.

From the look on her face, she was thinking of something. She placed her small, delicate looking fingers on the neck of the guitar and said "Alright, well, this is one of the first songs I actually took the time to learn, so don't try looking for it. It's not going to be anywhere for sale." She looked back down and strummed a tune that were foreign to our ears. Then she started to sing.